Project "Chihuahua" '65 Formula S Restoration "Estilo Mexicano"

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Pulled the radiator out in order to fabricate a radiator shroud that will closely duplicate the factory style shroud (after warming up to the normal 190 degrees, the coolant temperature at idle slowly rises to 200, 210, then 220-don't know how much higher it wants to go).

I pulled off the crankshaft pulley in the meantime because at idle I noticed a slight wobble with the drive belts down there.

I took the pulley to a shop with a lathe and the kid there fine-tuned the pulley so hopefully it got straightened out (I had hi-jacked the pulley from a core 340 I had purchased because it lined up better with the way the previous owner had re-installed the power steering pump and alternator).

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I installed a new DMT hood to radiator seal after having to drill four new holes in the hood because four of the eight staple fasteners were located about an inch from the proper location.

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My DMT hood (and cowl) swals lined up perfectly with the mounting holes on my 65 Dart hood
 
Update: Replaced the tiny hood to grille bumpers (purchased separately-don't believe they are included in the rubber bumpers sets sold). When the hood is closed, they really don't even come close to touching the top of the grille. Maybe after more than fifty years or so things don't line up like they did when factory fresh. I actually placed "c-clips" on the inside in an attempt to prevent them from falling out again.

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Thats weird yours didn't contact the grill. I had to shave mine down a tiny bit as they made to much contact with the grill! Where did you manage to get some new ones from?
 
The little bumpers were mailed from Sugar Land, Texas but I don't remember if it was via internet search, EBay, or some other souce.
 
Update: Preparing to finish off the inside of the trunk with some stainless steel pieces fabricated to replace the factory carton/cardboard stuff.

The smaller 2" wide piece (see: cardboard template in the photo that I used as a guide) will be placed on the inside of the trunk that covers the holes that allow access to the nuts for the "P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H" letters on the rear of the trunk lid.

The two larger pieces will be placed inside the trunk on either side of the lower trunk latch. Still need to decide on fastener type.

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After waxing the trunk I installed the "P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H" letters using some seam sealer on the inside where the PAL/emblem nuts attach to the little posts. The factory nuts had some black rubbery compound on 'em.

As expected, a couple of nuts didn't tighten as securely as the others. Hard to say if it was the nut's fault or the mounting stud's. I just left them on as best I could for now.

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Update: One bucket seat finished (driver's side). Still need new foam inserts but this will do for now. Local guy down the street has an upholstery shop he runs in his garage. He kinda cringed when he saw how small the pleats were in the factory style bucket, so I gave in and let him use the wider inch pleats (all the same to me). The factory seats were gold, so a previous owner must have put in these black factory seats (which meant the build sheet I found under the rear seat is not correct for this vehicle). The color I chose is "camel", which I prefer over gold.

The guy left out the board that makes a solid feel in the seat back (which I was not happy about). When he does the passenger side, I will make sure he puts it back like the factory had it supported and I'll copy it so I can replace it in the driver's side bucket some day.

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Update: (cont. from post #258 above) Finished installing the three stainless steel pieces in/on the trunk. Still need to find some more appropriate screws with flat/round heads. The four plastic push pins I can live with for now.

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Update: When the spare tire floor was repaired, we saved but did not re-install the hold down "bracket". For now I laid some foam in the floor and placed the spare (Uniroyal Tiger Paw 185/75R-14) in the space. The tire diameter leaves just a little space around it in the hole. However, the tire is higher than the trunk floor. The front tires are currently Sears Guardsman 185/75R-14 and the rear tires are Hancook P215/70R-14 (mounted on stock Mopar Rallye wheels).

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Update: Installed the door weatherstrip seals. I was glad to find they did not have a tendency to "pop" off and required no adhesive. Not sure yet how much length I will need at the top so I left it long. Of course, now the doors are slightly "ajar" in the rear corner where the seal has to overcome the resistance caused by the forward portion of the seal contacting the door first. I only had a little trouble getting the doors to shut. It will be interesting to see, with time, how the effort to close the door will decrease (I hope). Still need to screw down the trim I loosened in the process. I don't have carpet yet, so that won't be an issue for awhile.

I decided to raise the weatherstrip another 1/4" higher because (as shown in the first photo), it was a little too low (where the white paint is showing).

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Update: After first verifying that the console lamp and reverse lamps were functional, I installed center console which I did not "restore", just cleaned it up a little. I was surprised at how high off the floor it sits (photos #5-#7).

First I replaced the tiny rubber plug underneath the console that covers a hole for a fastener that holds a rubber bumper under the driveshaft tunnel. It has a small hole in the center where the small "tunnel bumper" fastener penetrated. It no longer "snaps" into the hole in the floor, so I applied some seam sealer and pressed into the hole as best I could (photos #1-#3).

The wiring for the reverse lights and park/neutral lock-out moves with the gear selector so that wiring needs to always have some slack. There is a factory hook/clamp to secure it somehow/somewhere, but I don't remember where it was attached (photos #3 & #4).

In the plastic bag along with the four fasteners for the console, I found a small bolt/nut. Not sure if that belongs with the console or is just a lost/random fastener I threw into the bag (photo #8).

The black shift knob requires a 3/32" Allen key to remove/replace the little fastener that ties it to the chrome shift rod.

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Update: Encountered an unexpected "glitch" when test fitting the rear window chrome accents--on the passenger side there is a body hole missing (must be due to the sheet metal repair that replaced a rusty corner). As carefully as I could, a measured/compared the hole in the corresponding driver's side and drilled a 1/2" hole, which is slightly smaller than the factory hole (used bits in increments of 1/8" steps). The hole is a little rough, but won't be visible when chrome is attached.

Because the interior trim is already fixed in place, at this point in time, it appears near impossible to attach the inside nuts that will secure the rear window chrome. Well, where there is a will, there is a way.

In the fifth photo, if you look carefully about one inch below the new hole, one can see a line that appears to be some kind of fracture/crack in the metal or paint. That defect was already present before I began this work today. In the last photo, one can see the rusty metal that had been cut out previously.

P.S. I later used a Dremel tool sanding disk to smooth out the rough edges (OCD me).

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Update: I brought out the door window frames to clean 'em up. I was surprised/disappointed to find one adjusting unit (slotted stud, nut, washer) was missing (photo #1). Before I fabricate or attempt to replace the factory parts, I will look thru my misc. fastener pile with the hope that the missing parts somehow ended up there.

The rubber gasket that surrounds the vent window seems to be remarkably still flexible. Since I don't have the funds/facilities to re-chrome the frame, I may just re-use the gasket and avoid taking the frame completely apart.

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If you can’t find the missing hardware, i have a couple of ventframes and can see if mine still has it
 
Update: More cleaning; after brushing with Dremel tool (lower photo); followed by white vinegar and then Naval Jelly (upper photo).

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Update: Continuing window hardware clean-up: general meticulous Dremel brushing and overnight white vinegar bath (photo #1), 24 hour setting with Naval Jelly (photo #2), and brushing with orange fiber attachment on electric drill (photo #3). Naval Jelly instructions suggest washing off after ten minutes which I don't follow when I find decades of rust and pitting. Obviously water drains down the outside of the window onto the mechanism inside the doors.

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dibbons said:
Update: Continuing window hardware clean-up: general meticulous Dremel brushing and overnight white vinegar bath (photo #1), 24 hour setting with Naval Jelly (photo #2), and brushing with orange fiber attachment on electric drill (photo #3). Naval Jelly instructions suggest washing off after ten minutes which I don't follow when I find decades of rust and pitting. Obviously water drains down the outside of the window onto the mechanism inside the doors.

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That's some tedious work. I just got done re-doing all those pieces for my 66 Dart. How were planning on finishing them?
 
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