Gerahead's 71 Dart

There has been a little break in the updates. There have been a number of distractions and delays, but I hope to be back at it in earnest now. In the meantime, I got the bodywork that needed touching up done. When I resprayed the high build, I got a lot more overspray than I anticipated. I ended up re-sanding the entire back half of the shell and the doors with 400. Sometimes a guy just can't stay out of his own way!!!
I also broke down the front brake assemblies, cleaned, bead blasted and repainted all the parts that will be reused. I found that there are a lot of daubs of yellow paint on the backing plates and hardware attaching them. I assume that these are indicators that torque or adjustments have been completed for QA checks. Am I correct? I have gotten all new hardware, adjusters, shoes and hoses to reassemble them. As I think I said a while back, I intend to take the shell off the rotisserie to paint it. It will be a lot easier to move around and take up less space to boot. Following that strategy, I picked up a quart of the intended final color to paint the area of the engine compartment that is easier to get at while it is still on the rotisserie. I shot three coats on all sides of the frame rails and the lower portion of the core support. I was really worried when I first opened the can because it didn't look anything like what I was expecting. After stirring and application, it isn't as bright as I was anticipating, but I am happy with how it looks. I would like to see it out in the sun, but that will only make it look brighter I think. This is a single stage, mixed to the 71 Lemon Twist recipe. I plan to paint the insides of the front and rear valence panels and the hood hinges within the next couple of days and I should then be able to see the color in natural sunlight. Yesterday I picked up some of the materials to start conversion of the garage into a spray booth. Now to shuffle the current contents around so I can build the frame. I have a lot of work ahead of me!!! L8r!

Jim

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