Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Cliff Notes Edition

[Davedacarpainter]

Here's a picture of my steering wheel when it was still blue. Notice those cruise control buttons and how they look like ass?

Looky what i found thanks to a guy on FEP. I don't know why I don't check ebay more often for these little things.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/401094458015?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Gotta get that!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

The steering wheel wrap though... Find a leather one in the color that you want. After the rest gets the Dave treatment, it will look like a million bux.

It is in spectacular condition other than the stain, here it is now.

Of course i've painted the middle pad as well. I have outlined it in silver too. It really looks brand new. When I get those cc buttons in, it'll be real nice.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

So I'm really busy at work all of the sudden.

Down side, not as much time as before working on my mustang.......

Upside, I can finally make some money! Making money is gooooood. Robby needs some new floor pans!

But i'll get something little done tomorrow in with a customer vehicle. These are my new handles and lock cylinders, they'll be the grey accent color tomorrow.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Here....let me just slip these in there.....

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Not real exciting, but here are the handles and lock cylinders painted the trim grey.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

You say it's not exciting, but those look phenomenal. Quit teasing us and show us the car already.

Sexy,yes?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I had to strip the left hand side drip rail moulding. It lifted when I was painting it. It is apparently a replacement part from somewhere in the car's past. It had unsanded chrome underneath the black on it. Oh well, it's stripped and sanded now!

I also got after one of the rocker mouldings. It was pretty dinged up. I hammered the dents fairly flat, sanded down the chrome surface and will do the body work on it next Monday. Then it'll get etch and primer.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I think we need start a new thread. This thread will contain the play-list that we'll make Dave listen to when it comes time to sanding this bad boy.

I'll contribute Gilbert O Sullivan...(Dave liked this one best while he was painting my car)


It's the least I can do Dave,...........to provide you w/ this catchy little diddy that you can whistle to while you work.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

So, more little stuff.

I got the seat belt b-pillar bolt caps painted black.

I did a little bodywork on the left rocker moulding and got it in etch and primer. I also filled that hole that the po rammed a screw through to hold the back end of the passenger moulding. It'll get the mud/primer treatment tomorrow.

AND.....I tore the instrument panel down. It has three pieces broken off of it. I'll take this a section at a time repairing it. It'll probably be about a week before it sees the primer stage. Once this panel is done, i will finally get the driver's door.

I got a question for you now, look at these next pictures, is that the amp switch on the premium sound system? It's in the correct place I believe. It wasn't connected when I removed the IP. The amp was there in the middle of the dash with an original harness connected to it.

BTW, I removed the frame of the IP and will sand it down and paint it black too.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

What do y'all think of these wheels? They're currently tripping my trigger.
https://lmr.com/item/WTK-1007RC/79-93-93-cobra-style-wheel-and-tire-kit

those wheels looked sweet on Jeffs coupe @TOOLOW91

 

[Davedacarpainter]

From Jeff's way back time machine thread. They do look Good!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I got my new cruise control buttons in yesterday, so I reassembled my steering wheel. Looks pretty nice to me.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

For you myopic people out there that couldn't get past the talk of the wheels in order to see my beautiful refinished "steering" wheel, I shall repost with before and after photos.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I did something finally. During lunch I did the bodywork on the rocker mouldings and reprimered them. Monday I'll block them out and paint them the trim color.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I blocked out the rocker trim and got the rocker guard sprayed on them. I have to let that set for a little bit, then I'll paint them the trim grey.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Alright, I got them painted and am very satisfied with how they look. My pictures aren't that great though. I know they look heavy duty orange pealy. That's just the rocker chip guard. I'm very cool with it. The picture shows them while the clear coat is still wet. The gloss died back to a nice eggshell. I'm very pleased with how straight they turned out considering the lack of time I put into them.

In this picture you can see my idiot ex-helper who is a painter now. Dumbass boy.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

So I got started on the IP. I picked four cracks to work on. The two that will be seen from the outside one by the right speaker hole and remake one peg the metal frame screws to.

The usual prep, I used a dye grinder to v out the cracks and started the repair on the back side, tomorrow I'll flip it and get the front. I made a tube with tape to make the peg and squirted the Panel Bonding Adhesive into that tube.

I had to use some zip ties to hold a couple of the cracks together.

I sanded the backside with 36 grit and did some deeper cuts criss crossing the cracks with the dye grinder. I used my dry wall mesh, sprayed some adhesion promoter and went to town.

That's it for now.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Oh yeah, here's my pretty rocker mouldings.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

The front side before repair. It's all sanded and prepped. At lunch I'll sling the PBA. No flex in those cracks anymore!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Goobered up