Great! So it’ll be ready to assemble soon.
I’ll be there July 5th! Expected ETA between 2pm and 3pm. I’m thinking pizza so we can eat and work at the same time 
Think steak Matthew, you can eat while giving Dan instructions and watch him work.
We both need to work!
Don’t forget I’m getting old Matthew! Hell, I’m catching up to Dick 
Some more nibbling away at the elephant…
The wheel argent I bought is pretty close to the paint Dick used on the splash pan, and I can’t wait on an Eastwood order…
…so on it goes
The front bumper, before I started. Because I always do everything Dick tells me to do, I brushed it…
…ospho’d it, and put rust encapsulator on it. I had to go with black, can’t wait for Eastwood
…but a coat of hi-temp silver covered it nicely
The splash pan is on, and I’ve got two bolts in the valance - but I had to mow the lawn before the storm hits. And now, the old man is ready for his power nap
About reanodizing, I said:
Well, the grille piece I got from Ed came back. It’s not perfect; but then, neither is Faulkner 
So this will have to do.
Still looking good! Can’t wait to see it all back together.
I expect we will get to work ASAP when I arrive
You’ll be needing some “Zzzzz’s” first, Matthew. Don’t overdo it!
I took the day off, and got Faulkner roadworthy:
Nice work on the valance, Mr. Koch!
The front bumper, never replaced, is showing its age - but, still holding up. Notice the outer bolts are left off for the soon-to-be-mounted bumper wings
The headlights are still not working, but I wanted to get the car to the paint shop for some minor fixups today, so I can paint the interior tomorrow. I’ll get the headlights sorted out on the flip side.
This was the first time I’ve driven Faulkner any significant distance (6 miles) in almost four years. He handled beautifully - the transmission shifted fine, the motor ran strong, and the steering was like a dream (thanks again Dick! Two burgers and frosties for you). The 318 did run a little warm for a 90-ish degree day, though, as usual - or, at least the gauge said so. Even so, in bumper to bumper traffic it never got off the “M” in “TEMP”.
And the gas gauge worked fine as well! I’ve only had a couple of gallons in the tank since I installed it, which budged the needle to tell me it was working. Before I set out, I put exactly 10 gallons in the tank, and the needle parked at half full. Accurate enough for me! Funny, though, this replacement float must be more responsive to tank sloshing - the needle jumps around quite a bit, unlike the factory one. I can live with it!
I don’t need zzzzzz’s at 3pm 
hopefully.
It’s looking really good so far. You are almost done. Don’t finish it, wait for me
Far from done, Matthew! I’ll be leaving the trim to you. Gotta focus on the interior now… Can we move Carlisle to August? 
I love this vinyl/fabric spray paint from Dupli-Color. It dries super-fast and colors the vinyl perfectly; but wow, the tufted fabric really soaked it up. I went through 6 cans painting the package shelf, the console armrest, and the two pieces of the back seat. Time to order a bunch more cans.
Just getting started
This is the paint
lower rear seat came out nice - but still could use another coat
The upholsterer had saved the seat buckles when he redid Faulkner’s upholstery, but never put a belt between them. I taped the buckles and turned them so I could paint underneath them
"Faulkner, meet Martha. Martha, Faulkner…"
Some more painting today, before company arrives for dinner on the deck…
some finished projects
What’s covered will get painted bronze
Martha does her part to help
Some more interior painting today. The door handles needed some repair work before painting…
No pix of door panels, but they are nearly complete - need a bit of touchup here and there. I tackled the hubcaps:
This is Tom Fox’s idea! You should sue, Tom… What I liked about this stuff, is you put it on with a bit of soapy water. You get to slide it a bit before it sets up, in case you don’t set it right on first attempt
This is the 3M product
Faulkner was ready at the paint shop (again) - they told me, though, that he wouldn’t start. The battery appeared to be dead as a doornail. They weren’t sure if it was a 12V system or not (fooled by the TarTopper!), so they didn’t chance giving it a jumpstart.
When I got there, we put the jump box on - still nothing, not even a click. What the heck?!? I thought, d*mn, I’m going to have to get him towed again. But you know, the ignition switch was pretty loose in the dash (I had removed the heater plate). Here the BAT and ACC terminals had come off the switch as they over-turned the key. I’m lucky there wasn’t an ignition fire! Fumbled around and got the terminals back on, turned the key, and he roared into life. An uneventful drive home, turning heads everywhere.
Faulkner on the street, waiting for Martha to clear his rightful throne in the garage
Rear seat, Matthew? and rear arm rests? As long as the door panels and rear upper panels are off - shouldn’t we be able to get to the clips from inside the car?
Easiest to do it is to put the sides in first and the rear seat last.
Ooooooh, I can’t wait to put it back together!!
Yeah, got that. But, the upper rear panels can be put in with the lower panel and seat in. I’m asking - if I leave the door panels off, and the upper rear panels off, the rest can go in without getting in the way, correct?
I think so
OK - by kneeling on a mat, and contorting my hand behind the headlight switch, I can find the release button. I push it all the way in, pull the knob out, and…
…it hits a stop. I tried twisting it while pulling, but still no love.
Is there a trick I am missing? I have a new switch - and, I have a used knob and post. Should I just sacrifice the old, and cut it off? Time’s a wastin’…
