CptTripps' Restoration 2 - The Grey Matter Build, Back in Doug’s garage Options

[r_towle]

Powder coating a strut with the insert in place???
Does that concern you. Excessive heat??

[CptTripps]

Cut out the bottom and it will look like the steering yoke on a plane.
Hopefully your face will not come in contact with the modified wheel

Just like Knight-Rider! That's exactly where I got the idea. If I cut the bottom of this wheel, I'd likely jab myself in the wedding-tackle if I got in an accident. I do worry about my forehead on the center though.

Powder coating a strut with the insert in place???
Does that concern you. Excessive heat??

No...I lost the only wrench I had to remove them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

They're shot and have new ones at the house already. The guys there are going to pull/pitch them for me. I only taped them off so I could prime to prevent rust since I media blasted them a while ago. They'll be sand-blasted again before powder, so I'm not worried.

[CptTripps]

I'm "back in the garage" this weekend, and hopefully, can take the car to the sandblaster (finally) tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm re-working the center console. I picked up a JVC In-Dash nav system, and that frees up the dash area for the rest of the gauges. So I moved the switches down below. I'm also incorporating an 8" sub into the area where the back-pad normally resides. It'll throw against the firewall. Should be cool.

Here's what it looks like in my "digital garage"

[CptTripps]

Sent the steering wheel off to Alan Gun of Alan Gun Leather in Plantation, FL. http://www.aglausa.com/

I sent some pics and a description of what I was looking for. I got a very detailed reply that told me he was not only paying attention, but that he'd care about it too. So I sent it off yesterday, and he called me this morning to go over everything. I'm REAL excited to see what it looks like when I get it back. Should be perfect.

[CptTripps]

Just realized I have 65 days till I need to be on the road. So that gives me just over 9 weekends to bang out a VERY long list of custom stuff. I better get cracking!

::: heads to the garage :::

[mepstein]

Sent the steering wheel off to Alan Gun of Alan Gun Leather in Plantation, FL. http://www.aglausa.com/

I sent some pics and a description of what I was looking for. I got a very detailed reply that told me he was not only paying attention, but that he'd care about it too. So I sent it off yesterday, and he called me this morning to go over everything. I'm REAL excited to see what it looks like when I get it back. Should be perfect.

Will be interesting. He has a mix of good reviews and bad.

[CptTripps]

Well, it was a wheel that came with the car and I don't have a lot into it. So, for the $200 it'll cost me, it was worth the risk.

Got busy in the garage today. Garrett helped me put tools away and scrape the tar off of the interior.





Then I started mocking up the dashboard and center console.

This looks a little wide, so I need to measure with the seats in and see how much space I have to work with.

This is what I'm going for though. I'm not going to have dash pads at all, and plan on covering the metal with vinyl and Alcantara.

[914forme]

I would drop a drivers seat in there and see how the console works with your arm and the shifter. For Me I would be bumping into that stuff all day long.

[McMark]

I would drop a drivers seat in there and see how the console works with your arm and the shifter. For Me I would be bumping into that stuff all day long.

I thought the same thing. The back pad is about the same size as what you have in there, so that should be okay, but best to check. The center console comes close the accel. pedal. I dislike stock center consoles because of how they crowd the pedal, and I know I'm not alone. Something to think about.

[Mike Bellis]

Don't forget to install the throttle pedal before your final console design. This is one area I still need to refine to a more comfortable position.

[mgp4591]

Well, it was a wheel that came with the car and I don't have a lot into it. So, for the $200 it'll cost me, it was worth the risk.

Got busy in the garage today. Garrett helped me put tools away and scrape the tar off of the interior.

Then I started mocking up the dashboard and center console.

This looks a little wide, so I need to measure with the seats in and see how much space I have to work with.

This is what I'm going for though. I'm not going to have dash pads at all, and plan on covering the metal with vinyl and Alcantara.

Now you gotta keep the roof on- when it rains your dash and console are gonna get soggy... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[CptTripps]

Yeah, I've been thinking about pedal placement a lot. I started pondering that area, and I'm going to try cutting out an area like this. I can take most of that area out. That'll give me plenty of foot room.

[CptTripps]

Mocking up what I scribbled earlier...this should give my feet all the room they need, and still hide all the wiring. All I need is enough for the back of the Nav box, the rest is relatively small wiring to the switch panel.

[CptTripps]

I decided to do a lot of the welding before I send it to the sand-blaster. Reason being, the areas with rust aren't where I'm welding, and I'd rather have them etch-prime the whole tub so the primer gets in all the cracks.

Started the evening welding up the rear trailing arms. I'm not sure I have the tubes in the right spot. Their instructions said one thing, the pictures told a different story. I'm going to wait till my brake parts come back from powder before I finish this part up. I'll put the press together and get the hubs out later this week.

[CptTripps]

Then I started buttoning up the flares. I'd thought about AllMetal at one point, but McMark talked me out of that route. So I started the long process of filling about 200 gaps on two fenders tonight. I don't have any grind wheels, so that part will have to wait till I can run to HF tomorrow. Got the whole Passenger side welded up. I'll do the other side, and my Engman kit next.

I also fixed the only hole in the floor. There was just 2-3 places it perforated, so I cut a new piece and put the bends in. Welded up nicely. Again...I need grind wheels!

[CptTripps]

Last thing I did tonight was start pondering where the radiator will go and be routed. I think I'm making a case for running both down the pass long. I can get the other tube out of there, and fashion a steel "case" to put it in at the passenger's feet. Don't know...still thinking.

The Sciricco radiator I got is dual-pass all aluminum, but both hoses are on the same side. That's what got me started.

[CptTripps]

Something like this.

Is use a heat shield of some kind to keep the heat to a minimum. Both hoses would fit in the long.

Alternatively, I could run one through the long and the other through the center channel.

[CptTripps]

Spent 2-hours in the garage and got all the paint off. MUCH easier with a grinder and 3-4 3M disks!




BUT...it looks like I have a bit of a mess in the passenger front quarter. Thinking I may need someone to cut one off of a body for me. This thing is chewed. Going to take a lot of work...or a panel. Thoughts?

[r3dplanet]

Quick tax tip: if you hire Garrett as an employee you don't have to pay taxes on him. Not until he turns 18 anyway. Kids are an excellent source of cheap, tax-free labor.

Just saying.

[Chris H.]

Well dang...must be wrinkled just ahead of the flare weld line then? I'm sure someone has a fender in their stash with that section intact...