Found a NOS antenna kit so I can decide if this hack of a hole in the fender needs attention before Thanksgiving...
1966 Factory V8 Valiant Signet Restoration For My Other Daughter
- Thread starter Jim Kueneman
- Start date
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Tinkered a bit on and off today and evening. Needed to obling the latch on the RH side. Remember this side has had 3 quarter panels on it in 50 years... Filled the holes for mounting the '57 Chevy hood ornament (don't ask) and pulled the dent much better than it was. Also filled the holes for the hood pins. Time to strip the hood and the car is in bare metal! Made the door patch but need to wait till it is outside so I can roll it on its side so I can get a better weld.
Trunk needed a bit of enlarging of the adjustment slots to allow the trunk to slide forwards about 1/16" more.... I am blown away... I had the back end of this thing totally apart and there are no less than 3 cars grafted in... look how amazingly this trunk lines up....
Blasted the hood, welded in the rest of the patches and filled the remaining holes. Worked out some more dents and got it setup so we can do a dry fit and finally assembly mockup. Tomorrow is just working out dents, aligning panels, grinding some welds now I can get to them and crawl in the trunk to get the damn latch open... it is jammed of course...
Pinch me I am 3 small dents in the roof away from being done with the body! Just a bunch of little stuff today... I think I am done with the welder, finally.... Doors, hood, trunk all installed and adjusted and work flawlessly. The hood latches cleanly (something it has not done for a long time I am told). The hawk made me run all over this car with a long and short straight edge, hammers and dollies fixing every dent or low spot I could find, it is perfect? No but it is the most time I have spent on the little things on any of the cars... I hope it pays off when the blocking starts!
Fix these couple little dents, a little blasting then a wash with Dawn and power washer and the exterior will be getting SPI Epoxy Primer tomorrow noon!
mopowers
Well-Known Member
You're doing great work, Jim. Inspiring as always. Thanks for posting all of these photos.
Your killing me course I don't the space you do amazing as always great work! Will look amazing.
A little SPI Epoxy shows me my metal work is not as good as I thought it was! Oh well I guess I’ll buy another can of filler! Over the break I’ll pull this back apart and shoot the backside of the panels and the body. Then comes the magic of making it straight as an arrow. I wish I could have a Redo on the RH side.... I should not have patched those 2 parts of the quarter off the car
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My other three restorations I am at this stage on page 6-8. Here we are a 12! Anything for the kids I guess!
Looks like a AMT !!!! Did you use Testors ?? LOL. LOOks GREAT !
That is why I like doing this. It is like building 1:1 model car kits!It looks pretty darn good! I got into to many things I will figure out this week hurt my back taking out the front bench alone nothing bad. Just take a break and I had the flu as well. I been out there alot as well. This week will be slow for me.
Take care of yourself... sick and hurt over the holidays is not right.
Hi Jim , I seem to have had that same problem getting in the trunk myself. LOL. It was a lot easier for me to get in tho, at that time there was a big hole in the trunk floor for me to climb into. The car is looking FANTASTIC, I sent pics to the lady I bought it from too. She had that car for 48 years. Looking forward to seeing it when finisshed.
There was a big chunk of dried out lube jamming it.. Once I got that out of there it works effortlessly! It will look better once I get it straighter! Let me know the next time you are in the area.. maybe we can make it work to see it in person. Be warned I have extra sanding blocks
I get down there every once in a while. My wife is a flat lander & doesn't like the curves on 83. I love em, I used to race curves in CA, while growing up. I'll remember about the sanding blocks. The car is really looking good, sure glad you bought it cause it would still look like it did when I had it. No money & no TALENT in these old hands. LOL
I get down there every once in a while. My wife is a flat lander & doesn't like the curves on 83. I love em, I used to race curves in CA, while growing up. I'll remember about the sanding blocks. The car is really looking good, sure glad you bought it cause it would still look like it did when I had it. No money & no TALENT in these old hands. LOL
Mac, would you mind documenting a short history of this car so I’ll have it for the future thanks
A NOS antenna and the unobtainium rear quarter trim from my new '66 Valiant buddy in Tennessee arrived! I now have all the trim I need for the Signent package!
I will do my best. I believe I put a photo of the title form the seller in the folder I gave you. It shows the lady titled the car in 1973. If the copy is not there I may have a picture of it in my phone. In the mean time I will see if I can contact them & get what ever history I can.
Away we go with some 3M Platinum Plus (old Marcel)
So she likes the second from the left. More like RR1 yellow
mopowers
Well-Known Member
She has good taste. That'd be my pick out of those four as well.
I was keen on the lemon twist but seeing them all together I agree. It is more period correct. And with a better than factory body and clear coat shine it should stand out.
Looking Good Jim , as for the color the yellow looks good .
The 1st pic is of my GT with a custom yellow and factory white that was painted in '75 .
It was time for a refresh in '18 and I made a complete color change to Toyota bright white and a "fleet" color turquoise form a Florida city .
Last year I realized I could have gone with John Deer Yellow and saved having to redo the interior , (Dooo).
The 1st pic is of my GT with a custom yellow and factory white that was painted in '75 .
It was time for a refresh in '18 and I made a complete color change to Toyota bright white and a "fleet" color turquoise form a Florida city .
Last year I realized I could have gone with John Deer Yellow and saved having to redo the interior , (Dooo).
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