Colorado Belvedere Convertible progressing

[Dick Koch]

Ain't nuttin wroung wid dat. (Saints talk). I will take a look at my parts car, I think I may have the wiper knob and bezel.
Dick.

[rogerh]

With the two of you going at your restorations full-bore, a question comes to mind:
How will you deal with the car's exposed nuts and bolts? I see the bright bolts holding John's heater box to the firewall...
With my car, I sandblasted, then painted the raw metal, as opposed to having them all plated with cadmium or what-have-you.
This method did not last for more than a few years, as the Keijs will soon discover.
I also took some short-cuts with the sheetmetal, specifically the headlight buckets, and front "pan" (above the airscoop), thus, in time, the surface rust re-appeared..I did not have access to, nor the talent to use, a paint sprayer. And POR-15 was not in the budget!

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Hey Roger, the bolts I used on the heater box were media blasted in my work bench media blaster and then painted a Eastwood detail color (can't remember which shade) and then I clear coated them. Hopefully, they should hold up pretty good in the elements. POR-15 is expensive at $45 a quart and I am on my 4th quart. but time will tell how it will hold up. From all the testimonials I have heard it should do well.

Colorado climate is pretty dry so not very many problems with moisture. But road debris, sand etc. does do a good job on micro-blasting all painted surfaces pretty good when driving. On our regular family cars we put a clear painted Bra coating on the front end sheet metal paint. I just did it to my new 2010 Hemi Ram Crew, the 2007 version I had before had it done but had no micro blasting evident after 60,000 miles in 3 years. The Clear bra coating does a good job. I am undecided whether to do this to the convert. It cost around $200 and is barley noticable. I would have to take off the front chrome pieces to do this right. We will see how the dollars are around to this.

Was hoping to get my large Gary Goers order yesterday or today but nothing showed up. Shoot! Maybe Monday....

John Q.

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Happy Saturday for me! Gary Goers shipment arrived today! It is like Christmas here unwrapping the box! All the window fuzzies, convert header hooks for the sunvisors, weathstripping, convert top WS, snubbers galore!

Now its time to put them all on the car and get cracking! Where is Matthew when you need him!!!


John Q.

[Faulkner]

Where is Matthew when you need him!!!

Matthew is standing on the dock with binoculars...

Dan

[rogerh]

Oh Dan, that was so ON TARGET!
John, watch out for those visor hooks...lots of hassle to repair them when/if the threaded shaft snaps off. When mine broke off, I glued in the replacement. (Note to Matthew)
Tom Fox disassembled the header stainless and tapped into the broken shaft, adding a screw from the back to re-attach it.
Matthew, how will it be for you to accept delivery of car? Is your name on the title? father set it up so you can sign for it and drive it back home?
Roger

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Roger, the Visor hooks was the first thing I installed so I can finish putting in the Windshield inner trim. Tom told me the same thing and now I know why! Those very short plastic threads on one of them just does not hold to well. I will have to do the same thing to my car and drill it out and put a better stud in it. One held pretty good but the other one just spins and won't snug up any.

Putting in the glove box snubber/bumpers is giving me some trouble. I don't have my glove box in and it looks like I will have to grab the pointy end and pull it through so it seats. Tried just to push them on or even squeeze them on but they are harder to install then it looks. Probably the same for the gas cap snubbers to when I get to that part.

Lots to do ....back out to the garage!


John Q.

[rogerh]

Yep, gotta coax those snubbers thru with wire-nose pliers or tweezers...they don't like to be PUSHED!

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Thanks Roger, that is what I will do tomorrow and use needle nose. I may call upon you for some other helpful hints on some of these final details.

Being that my car is so late in coming together this year, I have decided to go ahead now (as long as the fenders are off) and put on the Disc brake set up I have for it. I am putting on J body (80-81 Cordoba/Mirada) Spindles/Rotors on the convert. I know most people install the AAJ set up but I am going to try this setup and see if it works.

There is a guy on the FL site who installed this on his 58 Plymouth with no problems and besides...I will be using all MOPAR parts on it rather then some of the Chevy/GM stuff that AAJ uses for his conversions. I know from some of you that the AAJ setup does work on our cars by keeping the old original drum spindles by using a spacer etc. But I wanted to try this rounte. I will let all know how this disc brake set up works (or not) Once I get the car on the road.

The temps are cold outside here in Colorado with a low of 23 tonight, So it is time to add some heat to the gargage again. Now I have to find my Propane heater unit....We all can't be as lucky as Dick Koch is in Florida and its nice weather. Or just being Dick Koch for that matter!

John Q.

[Dick Koch]

What! you kidding it was 63 here this morning, where the hell is my P-Coat? I can't seem to get to my car lately what with all these car shows. My club show friday (110 cars), Yesterday (130 cars), today ( ? cars). The real good thing about the show today is it right next to the beach in Jubiter, Fl. Oh well maybe next week sometime after I replace the radiator and flush the tranny in my son-in-laws Chevy (UGH) truck. As to installing rubber bumpers and such i spray mine with silicon and they seem to go in a lot easier, besides the silicon is good for them.
Dick.

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Thanks Dick! Another good suggestion about the silicon spray and Roger's needle nose should get these snubbers in place today.

Suppose to be sunny and 46 today and by Thursday back in the high 60's, So realy not to bad here. Nothing that a Hoodie and a propane heater can't warm up with in the garage. A P-coat would work too!

John Q.

[Ron Keij]

John, I am so sorry that you are suffering in the cold!! We just arrived in Florida and right now I am writing this message under a palm tree The weather is excellent here and I had to turn on the AC in our rental Mopar, at home I don't even have a working AC and I don't miss it. All you need in the Netherlands is a turbo switch on the windshield wipers I read an article on the internet that the army is helping civilians to prevent their homes from flooding. Dick Koch is such a lucky guy to live in a climate with all year car shows!

Our convertible has arrived in the Netherlands today although it is not in the port of Rotterdam yet. It is waiting it's turn in Vlissingen, the city close to me where I also picked up the hardtop It should arrive tomorrow in Rotterdam and Matthew is planning to pick it up Friday, hope he makes some pictures

Ron

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Ron, We are all happy to have you recieve your new to you rag top Plymouth. But with all the rain you guys get.... I don't know if a convertible is the right car for you! If you tire of it, please send it back to the States to have it dry out in Colorado!

Glad you are under a palm tree and enjoying the sunshine there in Southern Florida, I have an Uncle and a cousin living in Flordia and they both love it there!

Make sure Matthew does take a lot of pictures of the new arrival and hope to see many video's of it cruising around in the Low Coutries Highways! Does Marjo own a scarf? She will need it for those breezy drives!

John Q.

[rogerh]

This is my 1,958th posting.
matthew and Ron and marjo, i am excited for you!

[Faulkner]

This is my 1,958th posting.

Go ahead, Roger. Do it! It won't hurt. Break through.

Dan