Console Progress

In spite of near 100 degree heat, I've been able to spend some time in the workshop doing what I consider the fun part of  car projects...customizing the interior. I've changed my mind about details of the console design several times, but each iteration seems to be an improvement over the previous one, but that remains to be seen. It will probably undergo several more changes.

Yesterday, I sanded the etching primer on the body with hopes the wind is calm enough one morning in the next few days to apply a coat of epoxy primer and a couple of coats of primer-surfacer. I really want to get the painting done so I can install the engine and transmission. I can't move the car by myself with those heavy parts installed, and I much prefer to paint outside the workshop, so I'm at the mercy of Mother Nature for the next major steps.

New Arrivals

The reproduction '66 Fury, rear-dump, right side exhaust manifold arrived and it's a very nice casting. It fits exactly, so it should be good.

The replacement for the broken metal shear also arrived, so I can get back to work on the console.

While waiting for fence and roof contractors and the insurance adjuster, I did manage to finish the mounting brackets for the AC compressor and the alternator. Everything fit-checks okay, so I can cross off one more task, though they will need some paint touch-up.

More Non-car Problems

There’s nothing like home ownership to take away the fun time of working on old cars.

Since my last post the AC drain plugged and the AC shut down in 100 degree heat. The installer built the drain so it wouldn’t come apart, so I had to use a snake, air pressure and lots of Chlorox to get it to flow. This came after working on the new ice machine that died a few days after being installed.

Then yesterday, a wind storm took down my vinyl fence and destroyed my 16’ garage door. A large hammer and an hour of straightening panels and brackets allowed me to operate the garage door, but it’s a twisted mess that will need replacement.

The fence will need major repairs. I managed to cobble it together by propping with 2X4s, but it won’t withstand more than a gentle breeze in that condition, so I hope no more storms hit before I can get it replaced. A fence contractor is coming on Monday to give an estimate, but he can’t get to it for 2-3 weeks.

The roof leak  above the kitchen also made another appearance during the storm, so the roofer was out to inspect it again.  Looks like he’ll have to replace about 200 sq ft of shingles to make sure it’s fixed, but it will be at least three weeks before he can get to it.

I’m really getting to dislike this house!

This afternoon, I tried to finish the AC compressor mount, but the Ingersoll Rand metal shear broke another set of blades, so nothing got done. Since that’s the second one that broke, I ordered a different brand to replace it.

The only car work accomplished has been ordering and receiving a few more parts. Maybe tomorrow will go better.

Tach and AC Controls

Sometimes things actually turn out better than expected, so I’ll bask in contentment before the next “Oh shit” happens.

It was a lot of work, but I think I managed to come up with a design for the Vintage Air controls that looks somewhat like it might belong in a ’55-’56 Plymouth.

There are still a couple of things to tweak before it’s ready to mount, but for now it will go on the shelf until needed.

The slider for the floor shift arrived, so one more item to cross off the list.

I also ordered the right side exhaust manifold without a heat riser. The Chrysler Power intake manifold does not have a crossover passage to help heat the carb, so no need for a riser. The picture looks good, so I hope the part is of high quality.

Part Needed

Does anyone have an extra one of these you don't need? Either the one that says Lights or Heater is fine, as I will change the legend when I have them re-chromed.

I'm replacing the plastic Vintage Air control knobs with the stock style, but one was missing from the Fury and I need a total of four.

Parts I ordered are beginning to arrive, so once again I'll have plenty of small fill-in jobs to keep me going.

Anyone appalled by the rising price of 75-25 inert welding gas? When I began the sheet metal repair a couple of years ago, I filled a bottle for $14. The next one was $17, and the third was $20. It's now been nearly a year since the last refill, but yesterday I paid $39! The welding supply store has changed ownership, but that's ridiculous! Time to look for another supplier.

Cleanup Time

Despite not making a lot of progress on the car build, I sure can make a mess of the workshop! Not only is it messy, but I’ve misplaced several parts and tools, so I decided to clean up, organize a little bit, and see if the lost items show up.  

My upper cabinets still don’t have doors, so the shelves were filthy, but I do have them looking much better after cleaning, disposing of dried-out paint, adhesives, and sealers, and rearranging what was left.  (Question…Will I ever use up all those sample bottles of “Mother’s” detailing products handed out at car shows?)

I also installed a goose-neck light at the workbench and hooked up the Mopar AM, FM, CD player that has been mounted on a panel above the workbench for three years. I now have music, powered by the DC power supply my wife gave me for Christmas two years ago, and adjustable light where I need it for those close-up jobs.

If the parts I ordered for my car don’t arrive in the next couple of days, I’ll attack my bench stock bins. I’ve been squirrelling away small parts and fasteners for more than twenty years and it’s time to purge all the junk that was so important in the last century, but hasn’t been touched since!

Accessory Brackets

It’s ugly, but it’s tacked together. Sometimes it’s easier to modify a mounting bracket from a different car than to create one from scratch. This bracket is from a ’79 Aspen slant six. When done, very little of the original will be saved, but the spacer end has the usual Mopar spacing for the alternator and it bolts to the engine in a way that lets me relocate the alternator to the opposite side. Even after reinforcing, trimming and painting it won’t be pretty, but it should do the job.

The compressor bracket had to be made from scratch, and I have temporarily assembled the pieces and located them on the engine. Now all I need is the compressor so I can verify that everything will clear before I can weld and paint it

I've been tinkering with camera settings and the pictures look a little better.