Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Close enough for a roller lolChevy lumina 115mm.
115mm=4.528inches.
My Dart Swinger Project!
- Thread starter Dartfreak75
- Start date
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Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Now just gotta figure out what to set the lumina on haha I'm running out of blocks and Jack stands haha
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Today's progress.
I got the wiper pivots reinstalled with new grease and gaskets and new bushings on all the linkages. That was a major pain in the butt. I think that was the maddest iv gotten while working on this project so far. Omg the bushing!!! EFF THEM BUSHINGS! I bought brand new one idk if it was the brand or something but they are hard as rocks not pliable at all. I started by putting them on the posts first but then I couldnt get the link over it so I took them off and put them in the linkage first but them I couldn't get them in over the posts. I ended up chunking them in a vice and pressing them in. But the top one on the left that goes to the right side I had to take loose because I couldnt fish the right side in with them connected
so I put the left side in with the link that goes to the motor and the right side with the link that goes to the left and after I bolted them down pressed them in with vice grips. It was a pita. It took me most of the day to accomplish that one task lol. However I did clean up the rear door panels and the dash bezels and I painted the glovebox door. I have to restore the bezels that should be fun. I cant wait to get that done its gonna look great. And I also worked on the steering column some more its starting to look like a manual column now. Still have some more work to do on it but its getting there
I got the wiper pivots reinstalled with new grease and gaskets and new bushings on all the linkages. That was a major pain in the butt. I think that was the maddest iv gotten while working on this project so far. Omg the bushing!!! EFF THEM BUSHINGS! I bought brand new one idk if it was the brand or something but they are hard as rocks not pliable at all. I started by putting them on the posts first but then I couldnt get the link over it so I took them off and put them in the linkage first but them I couldn't get them in over the posts. I ended up chunking them in a vice and pressing them in. But the top one on the left that goes to the right side I had to take loose because I couldnt fish the right side in with them connected
so I put the left side in with the link that goes to the motor and the right side with the link that goes to the left and after I bolted them down pressed them in with vice grips. It was a pita. It took me most of the day to accomplish that one task lol. However I did clean up the rear door panels and the dash bezels and I painted the glovebox door. I have to restore the bezels that should be fun. I cant wait to get that done its gonna look great. And I also worked on the steering column some more its starting to look like a manual column now. Still have some more work to do on it but its getting there
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
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Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Got a little bit done today despite all the rain we are having here. I got up this morning and it actually wasnt raining. I needed to mow so I got the mower ready and had to go get gas and by the time I got home it started raining lol so I started working on some stuff inside the car. Got the heater box removed and found some of my leak problems. Also found out my heater blower is locked up, something else to replace! Lol I cleaned the heater box out real good, got all the insulation off the firewall, cleaned the firewall with a airbrush and painted my dash trim. I attended to do the silver paint around the edges that was an epic fail. I got one of the sharpie paint pens, it sucks for this. It's all or nothing and it runs terribly and dont cover great. It's fine for the small edges but the wider spots not so much. I'm gonna try to fix it but it looks like chit now!
I discovered the easiest way is to paint the entire bezel silver, then tape off where you want to keep the silver and spray the rest whatever color you’re going with. I painted the leather textured area black and used carbon fiber vinyl to replace the wood grain.
I did use a silver sharpie on the heater control lettering.
I did use a silver sharpie on the heater control lettering.
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Thanks I may try that I may just sand it all down and start over kinda looks like crap now lol
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
I'm using them DMT woodgrain decals so the middle wont matter I can do it like you did. My heater control are separate so the letters wont be affected either
Looks great Kevin!
Got a lake nearby? How about a friend with a backhoe?
Seriously, got to be a meth-head scrapper that would come get it for free?
As usual my cheapo way was silver, black and brown Rustoleum. Lol
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Oh yea there are all kinds of meth head scrapers here. You must have been here before? Haha
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Thanks man I appreciate it
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
I got some more work done today. I got the heater box halfway put back together and got everything painted and looking nice I managed to paint around the original stamp on the heater box so it still has that original factor. I found some more rust in between the cowl and firewall that must have been where my leak was coming from. I had to cut a small section out and weld a piece back in and the I jb welded over it to seal it and for strength I'm gonna have to do some body work to it on the outside kinda looks crappy but I will fix it. Guess it's a good thing I didnt paint it yet huh?
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Today is the day!!
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Well it's been a crazy turn of events today. But more on that later. Here is the moment I have been waiting for, for a very long time. I am satisfied with it. Its not perfect but giving my experience, mediocre equipment, and the environment in which I have to spray it turned out really nice. I love the color I gotta spray some clear I didn't get time to do it today because of a crazy *** storm come thru (turn of events) now I have a total of seven trees down and one on my house. Smh so now I guess my priorities just changed from car repair to home repair.
Looking good man! Love the progress. So what gun, compressor etc are you using?
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Harbor freight 21 gal 2.5 hp compressor. And a 10 dollar purple harbor freight gun. The primer is Eastwood epoxy and the base is motobase burnt orange. I'm using spi universal ckear. I actually bought spi epoxy and clear. But got the Eastwood on a trade and decided I'd use it up first. More pics this thing is sexy in the dark kinda like me! Haha
I love how it changes tones in the light. In the sun it's a really bright orange but in the shade its almost a deep red. And keep in mind these pictures are without clear. It's really gonna pop with the clear on.
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Got my first coat of clear on in between cutting wood today. Man this stuff really shines with just one coat. Spi universal clear is awesome stuff even a newbie like myself can make this rusty piece of crap look good. The clear really shows all the imperfections but I'm ok with that.
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
Don't beat yourself up if it got a few bugs or something in it. I think you did great, and I guarantee you it looks better than it ever did from the factory!
kgip2k
Well-Known Member
Looking good. Keep going, will look d@mn nice when you get done.
Dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Yea I knew going into it it wouldn't be perfect it actually far exceeded my expectations! I'm extremely happy with itDon't beat yourself up if it got a few bugs or something in it. I think you did great, and I guarantee you it looks better than it ever did from the factory!
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Yep factory paint jobs had runs, and bare spots all over the place in the engine compartment. I think the way they duplicate that in exacting restorations is they turn Stevie Wonder loose with a paint gun and point him in the general direction of the engine bay lol
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Thanks for giving a 75 the love it deserves.
So many people overlooked and threw away anything newer than 73 that now you hardly see them around.
So many people overlooked and threw away anything newer than 73 that now you hardly see them around.
R4Sedan
Larry
Great job. Glad you did the Burnt Orange. Everybody that See's it on my car Love's it.
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