Nick's "lvndpst" Restoration (and Slight Modification) Thread

95BlueStallion · Apr 30, 2019

Rubber transmission mount is in. I had to ditch the exhaust hanger to fit it without loosening the engine mounts or dropping the exhaust and trans cross member though. Oh well, this is the first car I’ve attempted to keep that hanger and the rest were fine without it. I’m going to call it weight savings.

Another fun topic. I love NOS parts. Especially when they come in the original box. I found NOS bumper guards for my F250. The front end is pretty flat and plain, so these will give it a touch of character. The box has a dated sticker on it. I was 8 years old on that date.

Lastly, today I had to do the inevitable heater core bypass. When I went to install the passenger SFC, I noticed antifreeze dripping. Luckily the carpet is dry, it was just dripping from the evaporator box drain. Not pulling the dash out right now, so for the time being it’s:

That little U hose is from an LS application, and has the correct 3/4 size on one end, 5/8 on the other. Got it from Mike’s BFFs at Summit for cheap. It’ll do for now.

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 30, 2019

95BlueStallion said:
Rubber transmission mount is in. I had to ditch the exhaust hanger to fit it without loosening the engine mounts or dropping the exhaust and trans cross member though. Oh well, this is the first car I’ve attempted to keep that hanger and the rest were fine without it. I’m going to call it weight savings.

Another fun topic. I love NOS parts. Especially when they come in the original box. I found NOS bumper guards for my F250. The front end is pretty flat and plain, so these will give it a touch of character. The box has a dated sticker on it. I was 8 years old on that date.

Lastly, today I had to do the inevitable heater core bypass. When I went to install the passenger SFC, I noticed antifreeze dripping. Luckily the carpet is dry, it was just dripping from the evaporator box drain. Not pulling the dash out right now, so for the time being it’s:

That little U hose is from an LS application, and has the correct 3/4 size on one end, 5/8 on the other. Got it from Mike’s BFFs at Summit for cheap. It’ll do for now.

And until the end of time....

Or until you decide that having a heater is worth taking the whole dash out..( which usually occurs between the months of October, and April) which usually is the worst time to be in a cold assed garage, taking your dash out.

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

CarMichael Angelo said:
And until the end of time....

Or until you decide that having a heater is worth taking the whole dash out..( which usually occurs between the months of October, and April) which usually is the worst time to be in a cold assed garage, taking your dash out.

Yeah, I’ll definitely be doing it at some point, just not right now. I need to paint my dash as well. It would be ideal not to paint it while in my car.

hoopty5.0 · May 1, 2019

Since the advent of the Youtubes, there have been alternative methods that get you in and out faster. I think theres a way to do it without removing the whole dash.

Excuse me while I fall down a youtube rabbit hole.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2019

It's called cutting in an access panel in the firewall.

Mustang5L5 · May 1, 2019

I need to change out my EVAP core. Not looking forward to that. Only thing keeping me from putting AC back on the car.

Pulling the dash isn't that bad....I can take them out completely in under 2 hrs.

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

hoopty5.0 said:
Since the advent of the Youtubes, there have been alternative methods that get you in and out faster. I think theres a way to do it without removing the whole dash.

Excuse me while I fall down a youtube rabbit hole.

I’m stuck at a crossroads. Part of me wants to pull the dash now, replace the heater/EVAP cores, and paint the dash while it’s out. Another part of me just wants to drive the car.

I am almost considering continuing to wait on driving while I revamp the interior (apply dynamat, finish my double din radio, paint the dash), and do some more chassis bracing. Am I crazy for wanting the car “done” before I actually start driving it?

hoopty5.0 · May 1, 2019

95BlueStallion said:
I’m stuck at a crossroads. Part of me wants to pull the dash now, replace the heater/EVAP cores, and paint the dash while it’s out. Another part of me just wants to drive the car.

I am almost considering continuing to wait on driving while I revamp the interior (apply dynamat, finish my double din radio, paint the dash), and do some more chassis bracing. Am I crazy for wanting the car “done” before I actually start driving it?

That was always my downfall. Id start small projects, then they'd slowly gain magnitude and duration. Then, before you know it, it's been on jackstands for eons and there's no logical end in sight.

Id wrap it up for a while and drive it. Then tackle small bits. But maybe youre more disciplined than I am. My last silver car started out the way it needed to: small projects and I drove the sht out of it for a couple of years. Then it went off the rails.

stanglx2002 · May 1, 2019

Do you have all the parts to do everything now or can get them asap? If so, then I vote to just do the project to be happy when you do drive the car.

If you don't have the stuff then for sure punt and just drive the car.

Mustang5L5 · May 1, 2019

95BlueStallion said:
I’m stuck at a crossroads. Part of me wants to pull the dash now, replace the heater/EVAP cores, and paint the dash while it’s out. Another part of me just wants to drive the car.

I am almost considering continuing to wait on driving while I revamp the interior (apply dynamat, finish my double din radio, paint the dash), and do some more chassis bracing. Am I crazy for wanting the car “done” before I actually start driving it?

I vote drive it. Driving season where you and I live is short, so get out and enjoy the car while you can. Do small projects that you can get done quickly, and start buying parts for the bigger projects to perform over the winter.

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

See this is why I’m stuck. I’ve basically gone over two years without even driving the car. As of now it feels “half finished.” Although I would have fun driving it, I hate that the silver GT plastics are half painted, the dash is half painted (by the previous owner), I have no A/C, radio... I think I may just keep working on it so that when I finally bring it out, it is something I am proud of.

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

Still need to finish grinding and painting the undercarriage as well. My SFCs are still currently bare cause I need to do it all at once. So many little projects. Going to start with the GT plastics and underside of the car. Then the interior can be handled whenever.

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

stanglx2002 said:
Do you have all the parts to do everything now or can get them asap? If so, then I vote to just do the project to be happy when you do drive the car.

If you don't have the stuff then for sure punt and just drive the car.

I have everything as far as paint and radio projects. Ordering a heater core is no biggie. Can get that anywhere. So the parts certainly aren’t holding me back.

Chassis stiffening, I’d like a strut tower brace, rear tower brace and a pan hard bar. That all looks to be about $600, so I’ll have to save a few pennies for that stuff.

stanglx2002 · May 1, 2019

95BlueStallion said:
I have everything as far as paint and radio projects. Ordering a heater core is no biggie. Can get that anywhere. So the parts certainly aren’t holding me back.

Chassis stiffening, I’d like a strut tower brace, rear tower brace and a pan hard bar. That all looks to be about $600, so I’ll have to save a few pennies for that stuff.

Then it sounds like do the 1st line of items and drive the car while you save the other pennies

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

Well, try as I may with my wax on, wax off, I can’t get my old headlights/parking lights looking new. I sanded, rubbed and polished the headlight and parking light in the below pics. I can’t get the lenses separated from the housings, and there is a noticeable difference from the couple NOS lights I’ve obtained.

I tried sticking the parking light in the oven and warming it, and it won’t come apart. So again, for now (or maybe forever), I have repro’s coming from LMR. Lots of customer pics look like they fit just fine. One day when money falls from the sky, I will send my OEM lights to Kevin to get the royal treatment. For now I have too many other higher priorities.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2019

For christs sake.
He puts a buffer on the lens.
Whether it's a kit from Mothers using a drill motor, or a sho-nuff pad on a buffer. Put a machine spinning a pad at 1500 rpm against that lens, and add a mild abrasive between the pad and lense, and that bitch will look like new.

You cannot generate enough heat by hand rubbing the lens to soften the substrate enough to allow the compound to do the job, without spending countless hours of mindless rubbing. The machine does that. That is what the guy in tenessee is gonna do, and that is what will cost you a buttload to get done.

95BlueStallion · May 1, 2019

That’s exactly what I did to the outside. 2000 grit, then rubbing compound with the drill, then polishing compound with the buffer. The outsides are great. It’s the insides that have the remaining yellow.

CarMichael Angelo · May 1, 2019

95BlueStallion said:
That’s exactly what I did to the outside. 2000 grit, then rubbing compound with the drill, then polishing compound with the buffer. The outsides are great. It’s the insides that have the remaining yellow.

Oh,...and what makes you think it's better to spend the money on sending them off and paying for a recon instead of just buying Chinee replacements?

95BlueStallion · May 2, 2019

I had read over and over that the knock off don’t fit well and look wonky. I’m pretty sure Kevin gets the factory lights apart and reconditions inside and out.

CarMichael Angelo · May 2, 2019

95BlueStallion said:
I had read over and over that the knock off don’t fit well and look wonky. I’m pretty sure Kevin gets the factory lights apart and reconditions inside and out.

Two things then:
#1. If you box them up, pay for the shipping, and Kevin will take apart the headlights, polish the inside, put them back together, and ship them back to you...how much do you think thatll cost?
#2. And if you read the 22 out of 24 reviews over and over, you'll find that 92% gave this 90.00 complete set of lights 4-5 out of 5
https://www.cjponyparts.com/headlig...MIo4XbsOP84QIVDSsMCh01iwp5EAQYASABEgKHc_D_BwE

Nick's "lvndpst" Restoration (and Slight Modification) Thread

My assy trans to myself

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

My assy trans to myself

mechanicus terribilis

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

My assy trans to myself

mechanicus terribilis

CT Material here

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

My assy trans to myself

My assy trans to myself

My assy trans to myself

CT Material here

My assy trans to myself

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

My assy trans to myself

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

My assy trans to myself

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

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