1966 Valiant Signet Convertible Resto

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Maybe you can get it together for the Summer Kickoff Show June 13.


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I sure hope I can get her together by then. That would be a great show to test drive it over a longer distance. 100+ miles. Thanks for posting that flyer too.
 
After all the time and troubles you've had, it is great to see the quality job that you have done, and inspirational that you didn't give up..

Grant
 
Dave, looks awesome. Did you like the polishing pad you have in the pic more than the waffle polishing pad by 3M? Any better results?
 
redfastback said:
Dave, looks awesome. Did you like the polishing pad you have in the pic more than the waffle polishing pad by 3M? Any better results?
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Hey Steve,

I'm using about 5 different pads and 3 different compounds/polishes. Here is my process. I really like the pads from Lake Country. High Quality. They have dimples in them so they don't heat up too much.

1) Meg105 (awesome stuff) with a twisted wool pad starting at 600, then up to 900 then 1200-1500. Then I go back to 900 and then 600rpm again. I use a detail spray to keep the wool nice and lubricated along with a spur every once in a while. I run low rpms because this product cuts really fast if you are not careful.

2) Meg105 on a LakeCountry Orange foam pad if I got most of the scratches out. IF not I follow with a few passes with a Yellow pad( little more cut than the orange pad)

3) Once all the scratches are gone I move onto a polish called Menzerna Super Intense Polish (SIP) on a White foam pad about 1000rpm is enough. The Menzerna (made in Germany) stuff is incredible. Mercedes uses it exclusively on there cars.

4) When all the swirls are gone and any other marring I move onto a final polish that has minimal cut. This is another Menzerna product called Super "Nano" Finish. It's used alot on the difficult ceramic clearcoats. It really does the trick as far as getting that final gloss. I use a Gray foam pad.

5) I have another polish that I will apply once the car is assembled. This polish will be used to jewel or burnish the paint. Giving it that show car or concours d'elegance look.

Sorry for the long answer Steve. LOL.
 
Got the Decklid about finished. There are a couple of defects that are really really difficult to notice. I'll take care of those later. Got to move on to the hood next. Here are a few pictures of the work I did today on the decklid.

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dave looks really good,, if your paint gets any smoother or shinnier,, we will be able to see in side your house thru the reflections in your windows,,lol
 
That is really FANTASTIC!
Thanks for keeping us informed of your progress.
I'm glad to see the great progress you made after all the difficulties you had earlier.
 
Hooooooo Weeeee !!!!!!

Esss Tooo Chineyyy !!!!!!!

Looking Awesome Dave !!!!!
 
Hey Beach Bum, I drive a '63 Dart GT convert, I'm appreciating the hard work you've put in on bring out the gorgious gloss paint job. Interested in products used to accomplish the deed (that's beside all the sweat & hard work) I saw Meguiars 105 ulta cut compound, and later in other photos Menzerna Super Intensive Polish... Meguiars I know where to get...but the Menzerna not so sure.. can you help out a Mopar gearhead and put me in touch with the company or a distributor where I can buy it ? I am assuming that you used the Meguiars to bring out the original shine with a finish coat treatment of the Menzerna product. ??? Thanks for a quick note to straighten me out. I might also help to know what paint process and steps you used to get to the beautiful finish shine.. Whatever you can spare in the way of info will guide me as I begin my project. Thanks, BILL-Cols, OH a/k/a HomSlr...on FABO
 
homslr said:
Hey Beach Bum, I drive a '63 Dart GT convert, I'm appreciating the hard work you've put in on bring out the gorgious gloss paint job. Interested in products used to accomplish the deed (that's beside all the sweat & hard work) I saw Meguiars 105 ulta cut compound, and later in other photos Menzerna Super Intensive Polish... Meguiars I know where to get...but the Menzerna not so sure.. can you help out a Mopar gearhead and put me in touch with the company or a distributor where I can buy it ? I am assuming that you used the Meguiars to bring out the original shine with a finish coat treatment of the Menzerna product. ??? Thanks for a quick note to straighten me out. I might also help to know what paint process and steps you used to get to the beautiful finish shine.. Whatever you can spare in the way of info will guide me as I begin my project. Thanks, BILL-Cols, OH a/k/a HomSlr...on FABO
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Thanks for the kind words Bill. As for the products and where to purchase I did some (more like tons) homework :read2: on a couple other websites to find the products that work best. I use www.autogeek.net as my product source for the Menzerna product line. The site also has how-to info and a forum. The Pro detailers seem to have the best techniques for buffing/polishing dialed in. Lots of good information at www.autopia.org as well. As with any forum you must be the judge of whether or not it is good info. Lots of hacks out there.

As far as technique, that is a very long process :clock:. Just think hours and hours and hours of sanding on each part to get it perfectly straight and FLAT. Flat is the key word here. I will quickly summarize by giving you the link to the website I used.

Follow these steps for painting http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/perfect paint.htm to a T and you will get the same results using Option 2. Of course this guy's clears are amazing to work with. I highly recommend SPI clears. One of the best kept secrets out there.

In option 2 of the paint job process in the above link, when flowcoating you will get the maximum amount of gloss sanding the clear with 400 grit then reclearing. This is according to Barry Kives the paint chemist and owner of SPI.

To flatten the clear you will need to start with 400-600 grit to remove the orange peel and any urethane wave on the larger flat surfaces. Be careful of course not to remove too much material and sand through the clear. The higher grits do not cut the panels flat. You can have the glossiest paint job but if you have orange peel and urethane wave it won't look like the photos I posted. Granted I have some urethane wave on the decklid because I used 800 grit to start with. Lesson learned.

AS far as bringing the paint to the desired gloss I already listed the steps I used. The basic process for buffing can be found on the above websites.

I learned most everything by reading tons of stuff on the internet and generally just doing my homework. There has been trial and error of course but that is how you learn. If possible your trial and error should be on spare hoods or doors. It also helps when you can pick the brain of others too as long as they are not idiots like the guy who tried to paint my car the first time.

Good luck with the 63 Vert

Dave




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Dave, excellent job, I can't believe how flat you got those panels, I can only hope mine comes out that good.
 
Dave, how is it going, how about posting some new pic's?
 
Tincup said:
Dave, how is it going, how about posting some new pic's?
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Gratuitous Pics just for you Tin:cheers:

Well nothing major has been happening on the car. Been busy with other stuff. I did manage to get the hood sanded out to 3000 and got half of it buffed out. Mind you the first two pictures are before any buffing just sanded to 3000grit.

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Weapons of choice

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I still have this little dinger to fix on the cowl. This really pissed me off when this happened because I had just finished sanding the cowl the say before to 3000grit as was ready to buff. **** happens. :angry7:

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1st very light coat of epoxy to seal the exposed metal. Will wetsand lightly with 800 and then blend in some base. Then clear the masked off cowl.

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Here's an awesome use for that big roll of Seran Wrap you get from Harbor Freight. Engine bay took 15 minutes to mask off completely.

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Also, got the floor shift steering column taken apart and some other odds and ends epoxied and ready for base and clear tomorrow.

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Last, I stripped the convertible frame and repainted it flat black. I tell you what, acetone reduced Rustomleum out of the cheap Harbor Freight siphon feed gun worked great for this kinda thing.

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I think that's all for now. Busy day tomorrow.
 
DAVE looking great, you are the MAN,,, i think you should consider writing an instruction booklet,,,or DVD,,, you would make a ton of cash,,,,ill be the first to buy,,,then take it to the guy you had painting the car cause he surely needs it,,,,
 
fstfish66 said:
DAVE looking great, you are the MAN,,, i think you should consider writing an instruction booklet,,,or DVD,,, you would make a ton of cash,,,,ill be the first to buy,,,then take it to the guy you had painting the car cause he surely needs it,,,,
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I'll leave the DVD's to the pro's who have been doing it much longer than me. The guy who tried to paint my car doesn't deserve it unless he has changed his egotistical attitude. I'll get plenty of satisfaction when I see the look on his face. :snakeman: Thanks for the thumbs up Don. 8)
 
daves66valiant said:
Here is a short history of the car. It was bought by the original owner from Mancini Motors in Mountainview, CA for a whopping $3100. It has been in California it's whole life and is in great shape. I bought the car in June of 2005 from a guy in Fresno that consigns/auctions old cars. It came with the original bill of sale from the dealer and the original certificate of ownership. He went through the car and got it running since it had been sitting in a garage for some time. Everything on the car was practically original except for the top which had been replaced at one time. No rust or body work that I have been able to uncover besides some surface rust.

I thought I would keep it all original as a survivor but those plans went out the window pretty quickly. The plans now are a new 340, 5-speed keisler tranny swap, 8 3/4 rear, subframe connectors, new wheels, disc brakes, new interior and B7 color and a black top.

The car came with new seat covers from Legendary and so that was my first order of business along with new carpet since I would be driving the car around until I got all the parts I needed for the swaps.

Then came new wheels. Unfortunately I did not get any good pictures of the car with the new wheels. I think they look great on this car. They are from Stockton Wheel Company and they are te 5 X 4 pattern. They were a lucky find on ebay $300.

Currently I have the entire body stripped and getting it ready for the paint and body shop. I yanked the engine out yesterday. It came out very nicely. Sorry to see that trusty little 273 go. I will be hanging onto it though. I am reusing the pulleys, brackets and possibly the exhaust manifolds. I'm still waiting for tti to get the kinks worked out on their headers.

I will updated this resto page when more work is done.
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daves66valiant
Dave, Saw your work on the Valiant progressing nice project car. I live in Columbus, OH & drive a '63 Dodge Dart GT convertible (somewhat of a twin to your basic chassis & model on the Valiant). I'm wondering if, in your travels, you might keep me in mind if you should run across or hear about a '63-'66 Dart Convertible parts car ? My e-mail is: [email protected], if you do. keep my an e-mail in your "saved" file marking it as a FABO member with an interest in the early "A" body cars..especially converts. What I need, which is specific only to the Dart cars, is the L&R rear outer corners of the convertible topwell (snap strip around the outer edge where top stores). These potmetal chromed pieces (Mopar calls 'Cover') connect the 'top of rear fender stainless trim' to the 'topwell surround stainless trim' (snap strip for boot) found only on Dart cars for '63-'66. Mopar p/n 2424116 & 2424117. Most needed would be the Driver's side rear outer corner from the topwell surround, Passenger side not as important, but would like to locate both, if possible. I'm sending this note to all threads connected to viewing your recent FABO posting with your pictures on the Valiant, for a possible 'Shot' of locating these pieces. Keep up the great work on bringing back a real beauty...can't wait until it's a finished product and ready for "Show". Thanks, BILL-Cols,OH ('63 Dart GT convert owner)
 
Johnny Dart said:
Looks good.....Wheres the Rum & Coke ? :hello1:
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Johnny: Following was thread sent to Dave on his Valiant,
daves66valiant
Saw your work on the Valiant progressing nice project car. I live in Columbus, OH & drive a '63 Dodge Dart GT convertible (somewhat of a twin to your basic chassis & model on the Valiant). I'm wondering if, in your travels, you might keep me in mind if you should run across or hear about a '63-'66 Dart Convertible parts car ? My e-mail is: [email protected], if you do. keep my an e-mail in your "saved" file marking it as a FABO member with an interest in the early "A" body cars..especially converts. What I need, which is specific only to the Dart cars, is the L&R rear outer corners of the convertible topwell (snap strip around the outer edge where top stores). These potmetal chromed pieces (Mopar calls 'Cover') connect the 'top of rear fender stainless trim' to the 'topwell surround stainless trim' (snap strip for boot) found only on Dart cars for '63-'66. Mopar p/n 2424116 & 2424117. Most needed would be the Driver's side rear outer corner from the topwell surround, Passenger side not as important, but would like to locate both, if possible. I'm sending this note to all threads connected to viewing your recent FABO posting with your pictures on the Valiant, for a possible 'Shot' of locating these pieces. Keep up the great work on bringing back a real beauty...can't wait until it's a finished product and ready for "Show". Thanks, BILL-Cols,OH ('63 Dart GT convert owner)
 
homslr....I'll keep a look out.


Got the repair on the cowl finished and it's sanded back down to 3000grit and will be ready for buff after a couple days in the sun to cure and gas off.

Finishing up the blend repair on the passenger side fender today. Final coat of clear going on in just a few minutes.

The steering column and collars came out awesome. As well as the 70 Duster springs I modified for the Valiant hood.

Hoping to get the convertible frame installed today if all goes well.

Sorry no pics at this time just a quick update.
 
Got the folding top on today. First time it's been on in three years. Feels like I'm acutally getting somewhere just seeing the frame back on. :)

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Sorry JohnnyDart no Rum and Coke. Bud Light leftovers from poker night. Will have to ask Memike if he's got any extra rum and coke for next time. :)
 
Car is coming along great...Dave, I have a couple of questions for you. Did you paint the car all together or in pieces? How many coats of clear?
 
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