Vent Windows and Stuff

Once the paint covered all the bare primer, it was amazing how much more inspired I became! Okay, so there is still a lot of color sanding to take care of, but there is also a lot of trim and seals that can be installed now.

The vent window assemblies were complete less the glued-on rubber seals, so I finished that part and began installing the windows. It was another visual accomplishment to fuel my enthusiasm.

To fuel it a bit more, I decided to make the back end look more finished, and the bumper, splash shield, and hinged license plate frame/gas-fill cover are now in place. The trunk lock and pot metal “V” passed a fit-check, but must wait to be fastened in place after color sanding the trunk.



Today, some of the last chrome parts went to the re-plating shop today. I should have brought them in earlier as I just realized the stainless-steel window frames will have to be attached to the glass before I can install the power windows.

Last week I ordered the mufflers and tailpipes from Waldron. I should have ordered them earlier too, as the quote is 8-weeks for delivery. They have the tailpipes in stock, but the mufflers are made in Canada and their factory just reopened after being closed for the virus, so I guess it wouldn’t have done any good to order earlier!

Exhaust pipes will have to be fabricated at a later time in a local shop, so my plan is to temporarily install flex-pipe so I can start the engine and sort out all the inevitable problems that are waiting to surprise and frustrate.

I look back at the last ten years of dreaming, designing, repairing, fabricating, learning, and changing nearly every part and I realize that only the basic sheet metal shell is anywhere close to stock, and it too has been massaged and/or altered functionally…if not so much visually.

Inside, the changes are even more extreme from floorboards to headliner, and everything in between. About the only things recognizable to a stock ’56 Plymouth owner would be the control knobs on the dash, but I hope I will have been able to make the changes look like they might have come from the era.

Paint Progress!

Yes, most of the car is finally one color! A few days after the D-Day celebration, I celebrated P-Day, and that is indeed worth celebrating!

I’ve not been able to post for a week as my Internet service crashed last Thursday and didn’t return until today. Online tech support couldn’t figure it out and the local technician couldn’t come out until today.

The problem was initiated by a robocall that bypassed my answering machine and tried to leave a message at the phone company, and that locked up the automated system. Then when online tech support tried to fix the mess, they corrupted the troubleshooting program. Fortunately, the tech that came out had just finished fixing the same problem for two of my neighbors, so I was back online in a few minutes.

The weather cooperated nicely the last several days and I was able to paint the fenders, doors, hood, and front gravel pan. The trunk lid a rear gravel pan are left to paint, but I hadn't properly mounted the trunk lid and had to wait for that before painting.

I'm satisfied with everything except the hood and I had been worried about it since day one. The underside surface was pitted, and it needed several patches to strengthen the supporting structure. It looked like crap after painting, but I wasn’t about to take too much time to make that part look nice, since the pad will cover many of the worst areas.

The top surface had also been damaged extensively by hail some years ago and I did a poor job of leveling all the tiny dents. Some can be removed by color sanding but I’m quite sure it will require more filling, leveling and repainting to look acceptable for even a daily driver. At least I will be able to finish the doors and fenders and then mount much of the exterior trim. If necessary I will locate a better hood to restore.

Anyone who has assembled a ‘56 grille knows what a pain it is to adjust all the parts to achieve a good fit, but I managed to accomplish much of that today, and it came out okay, if not perfect.

The paint will have to cure for another day before I can begin color sanding and it will be nice to get that part of the job done. I think I have enough sandpaper, but I’ll need to order a new buffer pad before I can finish final polishing.

I can’t wait to get back to the interior again!