Thanks!
We will have summer here soon enough so Ill see how the heat affects the dash, maybe it will settle a bit. however its really not too bad unless you know its supposed to be flat then it bugs ya.
Thanks, Appreciate the kinda words! I know its not to the level of some of the builds here but its been a fun project so far and I have so much more I want to upgrade or modify once its complete. It should continue to go through different stages or versions of itself and provide lots more enjoyment in driving and wrenching! I love having the freedom to change from original if desired and not feel bad about affecting its value since she is plain jane as they come.
Next on the hit list is seats and door panels. I am torn on which way to go here and have been holding off as long as possible trying to decide. I will probably work on the door glass first since it needs some attention before reinstalling.
I had to swap the top stainless trim from another window since mine was pretty scratched up along with being loose and falling off. That was was easier then expected surprisingly. What was more fun is finding all the hardware, stops and slides that go with the glass and how it all went together, remember I did not take this car apart so its been a challenge at times to make sure its going together correctly. I found my passenger side glass to be scratched pretty good so I will need to try and find a good used one. I really dont want to have to take it out later if I dont have too.
I still have some adjusting to do I think. Its harder to roll up then I think it should be, also with the door closed I cant get it all the way up so its probably leaning in at the top a bit too much. Hard to tell if its simply because all the rubber is new or its out of adjustment or both! I got sick of adjusting and readjusting so left it as is for now.
In other news I took it out on the road for a 4-5miles to shake it out a bit and get a feel for what will need attention in the future. I couldn’t go far with no plates on it and the tires are of unknown age but at least 20+ years old. It did feel good to get it out on the actual road and gives some satisfaction to all time invested.
I feel your pain on the windows, that whole setup is ridiculous. Hard to get everything 100% right. I cleaned and greased the crap out of my tracks, installed new regulators and rollers here and there, spent a lot of time adjusting, and they are still kinda difficult to roll up, and don’t seem to want to go completely to the top (relating to the vent window frames). Pain in the butt.
Same here. That last bit at the top is is the worst. mines worse with the door closed. I am hoping with everything together it will open up the rubber a bit to fit itself, maybe not. Maybe Im asking too much from a manual crank 50yr old setup! Everything was cleaned as good as new, lubed and regulator is a NOS even. Ya move one adjustment and mess up another. so yeah I considered them being installed as a win for now! The fight will continue another day!
Had some fun with the passenger side glass this weekend. Scott Taylor hooked me up with a good used door glass to replace my scratched up orginal. I tried a different order of assembly this time which was a big mistake. I fought it much harder then I should have! But the good news is alignment on this side went much easier this time for some reason. I did not have the extra time to go back and readjust the driver side but I want to try the order in which I did the passenger side and make it better. My only grip on the passenger side was after putting on the belt molding it got way harder to roll up or down.
On the driver side I had a good NOS driver regulator that came with the car, on the passenger side I did not have that but the original was not in bad shape expect for the rollers. Replacement rollers are easy to get but need the correct riveter to assemble which I do not have. I simple ground off the backside of the original rivet, knocked it out and replaced the roller. reassembled with the original rivet since it fit better int he hole already there and tack welded the back side to hold it. Not concourse but a good solution if you dont have the proper tool to mushroom these solid style rivets.
Not much progress lately but I did get the rear panel behind the seat installed. I used nut zerts instead of tec screws or rivets for easy removal. Still need to do something with the bottom section to prevent it from rattling then I can cover it with sound deadener
I was worried about the rear of the car being too high for a while but with everything disassembled it was hard to tell how it would sit once parts go back on. Still have the interior to install but do not think that will settle much. The front coils are 1” lower and the rear packs are 4.5leaf packs courtesy of the previous owner. The front height I’m good with, the rear I’ll probably need to lower to match but really need to get wheels and tires on it first.
After a longer then normal spring we now have summer in full swing. 100+ degree days for the next couple months so not sure how much garage time Ill put in. Being in the pool drinking a cold beverage splashing the kids sounds like more fun!
Here are a few things Ive been working on with it lately.
found a nice spot to mount the amp so no holes are drilled in the floor. I am thinking about building a panels in the trunk to create a “finished” look. They would hide the back of the seat and amp, fender areas and fuel tank. Be finished in carpet much like a modern vehicle. I could build in tie down points to carry tools, jacks etc, etc. Everything would have its place and not be bouncing around in the trunk. Just an idea for down the road. For now I think the amp fits here well and all wiring is easily to hide.
Working on a couple ideas of refinishing the door panels. Not being able to find any decent panels in black Im going to have to dye mine black. Im waiting on new backing panels to swap everything over first then dye. Im also checking into upholstery shop options to see how much it would cost to mimic the decor panels but cost might be a factor.
Ran into a minor setback a few weeks back. I found my new repro dash to be coming apart at the ends for some odd reason. WCCC got with the manufacturer and they sent a replacement no questions asked after seeing the pictures so kudos to both of them. I have yet to install the new one.
Been working on the exhaust a little, I just had to get rid of the crappy rotted out glass packs. Being this was a single exhuast car orginally I found someone hacked in a second pipe and hung glass packs instead. They even drilled into the floor for a hanger, so I need to fix that. I used a factory style 2.25" h pipe and summit cougar exhaust kit. Its a cut to fit style so its not a bolt in affair but the whole setup including upgraded mufflers only set me back 300bucks so I wont feel bad about changing it around later. I did have an issue with the tailpipe fitment that Im still working out. In the mean time just stuck some dumps on after the muffler. This is all a somewhat temporary setup as I will probably change it again whenever the engine gets replaced.
Also got a deal on some wheels so those may go on sooner then later but replacing the dash pad is on my hit list the next free day I get
SEM Landau Black is your friend. Use their vinyl prep stuff as well. It turns out very well for an aerosol. Nothing that an upholstery shop makes by hand with a sewing machine is going to look right. You can also get SMS to build you new panels, which are nice, but the cost is high and the wait is long.
I have a cabinet full of SEM products since starting this project! They work great and have done a few things with them already like the a-pillar pads and knee pad on the dash. Also did the padded decor windlace. I actually found a satin black I like better then the Landau. the Landau is too glossy for my taste and the satin dulls the shine just enough for my taste.
The reason Im considering having a upholstery shop do the door panels is Im really leaning towards a TMI pro series replacement set of front seats. I could have them done in the same material the seats come in then match the rear seat to that. My original seats are toast and by the time I get the vinyl kit, foam and pay a shop to fit the foam to the covers and install Im at the cost of the TMI seats. the TMI have much nicer bolstering and are more comfortable then the originals.
On Father’s Day I got to spend some time in the garage with my oldest. It’s hard to catch the attention of a toddler for very long but being under the cougar, handing me tools along with using his own did just that. He was all in and made sure I was doing everything correctly! He got pretty good at handing me the tools I needed as well. Gotta say it brings back memories of working on my dads cars at a young age. I hope these memories stick with my sons as well and I am honored to be able to teach them these type of skills.
I didn’t finish the big block routed power steering line install like I set out to do but that’s ok as this quality time was well worth it.
No I did not but I have very vivid memories of that happening to me as a child! Problem is today I have much brighter LED flashlights for him to shine in my eyes! Come to think of it I probably built my base swear vocabulary from those days!
Funny thing is my wife tells me I cant yell at him for the flashlight, I told her its a right of passage for a boy! So it will probably get me in trouble at some point
Thanks, Spent lots of time working on that grille, its not perfect but happy with the results. They are worth the time to make straight as its such a huge focal point on the car.
Been a bit warm to work in the garage lately so I have been putting off swapping my dash pad since thats a time consuming project and I dont feel like sweating my ass off in the garage all day doing that! Waiting on funds to be able to order what I want to finish the interior so starting to get gridlocked on what I can work on. Been tinkering with small stuff that needs attention like ditching the 90s T-handle valve cover hold downs, moving the MSD box, repacking wheel bearings and replacing an axle seal. I need to replace the bent oil pan too so thats next on my cheap things to do list.
I did finally pull the trigger on wheels. Its been a long process of deciding what I wanted and shopping for a deal. Over memorial day I found a set for 70bucks off which was also just before the tariffs increased the price so the timing was right. While I would love to run an USA made forged wheel my wallet just can support that currently. These are made by american racing under the US mag marketing and actually seem quite well made. Although a popular wheel style its not quite as popular as the torque thrusts. I think these will fit the overall look Im going for well. Planning to run 245/45R17 rear and 225/45R17 General Gmax RS tires for now. Eventually I may and cram more tire under there once I finalize a ride height.
I do need to lower the car a bit. The rear needs to come down at least 2" to match the front 1" drop. I will probably just toss some springs at it to get by until I can spend the cash on a S&T coilover setup. I need to keep my eyes on the prize to get it put back together and drive able before doing too many modifications towards my ultimate vision.
Tires are on order so waiting for those to show up before I can mount them
This is true and when it comes to being able to visually see progress. Whats challenging is the nitty gritty grind of the small stuff when you dont get to visually see much improvement over time
I think he’s one of us, fellas. 
Everything was cleaned as good as new, lubed and regulator is a NOS even. Ya move one adjustment and mess up another. so yeah I considered them being installed as a win for now! 
The fight will continue another day!
Waiting on funds to be able to order what I want to finish the interior so starting to get gridlocked on what I can work on. Been tinkering with small stuff that needs attention like ditching the 90s T-handle valve cover hold downs, moving the MSD box, repacking wheel bearings and replacing an axle seal. I need to replace the bent oil pan too so thats next on my cheap things to do list.
