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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I bought an NOS Formula hood from PerformanceYears site member "The Boss," (chris) today. Definitely a great guy with some really nice cars! I went out and picked it up this morning. This will be the next project - it needs some (hopefully minor) repair work. It has been sitting in his shed for several years and before that in someone else's parts stash. Its a very nice hood, other than it being the victim of bad storage practices, most likely when it was new. Someone way back when, stood it on the windshield end and both of the fragile fiberglass corners were broken off. Ugh!
I decided to go for this NOS hood, as mine is heavily bowed up in front of the hood hinge area (a common problem with Formula hoods), some of the defroster grills are cracked, and there are stress cracks in my hood that look like they were badly repaired at the scoop bases in the front. Probably from someone closing the hood way too hard, a few hundred times. Now I can devote less repair effort on a nicer, flatter hood. The hood is made of the same white molded glass material as the spare shaker scoop that I repaired a couple years ago. That shaker coincidentally had a similar sized section of its corner broken off. I used the bondo fiberglass filler gel and it came out really nice. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...pics/99416/113 http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000468.jpg Driver's side corner: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000469.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000470.jpg Passenger side corner: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000467.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000466.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I brought the hood to the Tuesday evening Votech class and had some fun. I used the Bondo Fiberglass Resin Gel repair compound which is a fiberglass resin mixed with fiberglass powder in it.
I made a tracing of my good hood on the car, locating the template at the last molded alignment bumper about 5 inches from the back of the hood. This way I could align the tracing with the damaged hood in the same spot. The repair compound works great. I ground down the leading edge of the break by an inch or so so there would be a longer mating seam for the compound. I taped some cardboard underneath to hold the goop and applied it "liberally." I also used a small piece of fiberglass mat and mushed it into the mixture for added strength. http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000486.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000487.jpg I then did like Michelangelo did with his sculpture of David: When asked how he could sculpt something so realistic, he said "I simply remove everything that isn't my subject." So I followed his guidance and I carved away everything that wasn't the hood. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img] Here's is the preliminary view with the stencil underneath. Still have a ways to go. http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000494.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000493.jpg After getting to this stage I then used a Dremel tool and ground grooves across the seam area and reapplied the firberglass gel. I will also do this from the top as well so it gives two sepearate layers of "finger joints" above and below the seam, strengthening the bond so it is not just a flat surface to surface bond, but a sandwich of several bonds overlaying each other. |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I can definitely say the repair is pretty strong. I enlisted one of my kids to help me move the hood out of my truck this morning. As I was getting inside the truck, facing the "pointy end" of the hood, when the hood shifted forward. One of newly constucted tips slashed me across the bicep, cutting right through my shirt and leaving one helluva welt across my arm. So I guess it passed the "Slash Test". [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Looking good Steve!
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Since everyone's pet peeve on the 70-72 cars is the wrong style fender support structure on the 73 and up replacement fenders, I decided to convert the passenger side fender that was installed a year or so after this car was originally built. I have an original-owner engine compartment shot that shows the replacement fender in place with the brace mounts sticking out like a sore thumb.
I was able to obtain a donor inner fender support structure from a 70-72 fender thanks to another member of the Performance Years board and brought it all to the final night of the votech class yesterday. Here is the passenger side fender marked, preliminarily cut and the two spot welds cut, where the incorrect raised brace mount is: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000576.jpg and this is the original driver's side fender with the correct flat area in its place: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000577.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Here is the donor inner framework that was removed from a 70-72 fender. It is thick heavy gauge steel, not sheet metal.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000573.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000572.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I used a cut-off wheel to carefully trim up to the upper wrap-around area of the fender sheet metal and then went underneath (after removing the inner fender), and cut the remaining portion away. I also used a spot weld cutter to detach the fender flange from the inner brace (the two holes visible in the photo).
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000580.jpg Underside view: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000579.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I then marked the same sized section from the donor frame and used the cut-off wheel to remove it. After some final trimming, grinding and sandblasting, it primed with weld-through primer and clamped into place.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000584.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000587.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
We then welded the topside and underside and ground away the excess.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000589.jpg Here is the semi final repair in primer, prior to any final cosmetic bodywork. Now it looks like correct year fender for 1972. http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000592.jpg Much better than the "sticking out like a sore thumb" 1973-81 replacement fender. |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I got the section painted and reinstalled the inner fender. Here is the finished product. Looks like a 1972 fender once again.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000603.jpg As compared to the actual 1972 driver's side fender: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000604.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Nice!
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Great work Steve! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Some more tinkering on the NOS Formula hood today.
I used a Dremel tool and a file wrapped in sandpaper to reproduce the factory cut outs in the scoops. I formed the rounded edges on both ends by using a Chevy fuel pump push rod wrapped in sandpaper. It was a perfect fit for doing the curved edge areas. It was very difficult to keep the same 1/8" inner edge as the original. The reason is that there are molded-in decorative grates in the scoop area that you have to transect. Some of the edges of the grates remain and some have to go, to maintain a consistent permimeter on the curved inner surface. Here is the original Ram Air hood cut outs. The metal grates slide into a slot from the underside of the hood and are held in place by two screws. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...9-p1000606.jpg And here is my version on the NOS hood: https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...-p1000610a.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I finished the other fiberglass repair work on the missing corners by the windshield and the chipped front corners. I also spent a while grinding and fiberglassing the three cracked defroster ribs. I used a Dremel tool to make a deep groove, 9/10ths of the way through cracked area and then used the fiberglass gel repair to fill the trough I made. It worked out nicely. I even trial fitted the press-on stainless steel edge molding. (That was rather nerve wracking as you have to tap it in place with a rubber mallet to seat it fully).
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000619.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000617.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000618.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000621.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000616.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
With the help of the wife and daughter I swapped the NOS hood onto the car (that was entertaining to say the least). I then set the hood in the right spot and readjusted all the gaps on the fenders. I noticed that I had both peaks on the hood at too high of an angle so I had to add another 3/8" of an inch of the fiberglass gel to the underside of the tips and then sanded away the top sides until they matched the contours of the fenders, exactly. I then recruited the wife and daughter to once again to pull the hood off so I could do the finish work on the added material on the bottom side. After getting the hood off, they promptly went shopping.
That gave me time finish up the underside and also trial fit the screens into the scoop openings and drill the two mounting screw holes. There are actually built-in bosses that the screws go in to on the inside of the scoop area. There was also a bunch of excess bonding adhesive from the original manufacturing process that had to be ground away so the grills would slide into the factory slots. Dremel time once again. Once the "hood crew" returned from their shopping spree they assisted in installing the hood back on the car. Here is the finished product before I drop the hood off at the local bodyshop to get it prepped and painted black. http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000625.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000628.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000627.jpg And this is the best part: the hood is dead flat with no bow in the center like all the other 40+ year old hoods out there. Right now I have the original hood sitting on four drums spanned by 2x4s with 30 lbs of weight in the middle to try to flatten the old hood back into shape. We will see what happens. http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000629.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000630.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Steve,
It looks great! Have you considered doing the paint yourself? You have done the tedious work already, why no take the victory lap? Jason |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
As always, I really enjoy your work Steve. How bout a Corvette next? [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
Tim |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SuperNovaSS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Steve,
It looks great! Have you considered doing the paint yourself? You have done the tedious work already, why no take the victory lap? Jason </div></div> The votech classes ended last week so I need to actually have a professional do it. (I am having the shop where my votech instructor works, do it.) |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I drove the car over and dropped the hood off yesterday at the painter's shop. I then went home and bribed the wife and daughter into helping me reinstall the original hood back on the car since there is supposed to be a cruise night this weekend and maybe I'll take it out somewhere for the first time since I bought it. (I have been driving it - almost 600 miles so far, since the engine was finished, but with no particular place to go.)
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Hood in progress. The painter sent me these cell phone shots from earlier this week. He said the hood is much nicer than he thought and only needs minor surface work. (Fingers crossed). The main areas that need smoothing are the seams where the lower part of the scoop joins the upper part, along each side. There was a noticeable bonding seam.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...rk/image6.jpeg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...rk/image5.jpeg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...rk/image1.jpeg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...ork/image.jpeg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...rk/image2.jpeg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...rk/image3.jpeg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...rk/image4.jpeg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Nice...I love Formulas!!
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Best looking GM hood ever made. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
Steve, are you heading to the POCI show next month? |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
There is something more than just vaguely feminine about the shape of the scoops on that hood. Maybe that's why guys like them so much. It's a great view from the driver's seat. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]
I am going to the Performance Years open house this saturday in PA. May go to the TA Nationals in August. Dont know schedule yet, with daughter getting ready to go off to college. That takes precedence. I also have to teach her how to drive the manual trans in the Formula as I promised, before she heads off to college. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img] ....and then replace the clutch.... |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
She's painted! Now awaiting curing, color sanding and buffing.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...otopainted.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Nice! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/drool.gif[/img]
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I think I will just keep bringing him one panel every few weeks and trick him into doing the entire car...or at least from the doors forward. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Just got back from the Performance Years Show in Hatfield, PA. It was about a 100 mile roundtrip. The car ran great and the A/C was blowing cold. 700 miles on the engine as of now.
A local friend of mine brought his Quetzal Gold, 72 455HO, four-speed, A/C equipped, Formula and we caravaned there and back. The new hood is on and the paint looks much better than the rest of the car...now what do I do? http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000669.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000670.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000666.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...k/P1000671.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Sharp Steve!!!
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
BTW, I tried out my new A/C oil spray deflector shroud on the trip today. It worked great. I got tired of the oil spray on the underside of my hood and inner fender from the A6 A/C compressor. Any one who has a GM A/C car knows exactly what I am talking about. The front seal is a terrible design and no matter how many seals you replace or how many compressors you swap out, they all still spray that line of oil all over your engine compartment.
It took me about an hour to make. I used some extra sheetmetal left over from the old trunk drop-off. I bent it to fit and then riveted two pieces of ABS plastic to the ends like mudflaps. I cut out two slots that align with the existing two upper mounting bolts that bolt the compressor to the bracket. All I have to do is loosen the two bolts a couple turns, slide the shroud between the bolt shoulder and the bracket and then tighten with a 7/16 socket on an extension. Once I get to the show I can easily remove it and look all stock and original again. And the best part is that there was no oil on the underside of the hood or the inner fender. It looks like an invention from Baron Von Franken-shroud but it works great! http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000677.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000678.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000679.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000680.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I need one of those [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I just got a heads up from the Performance Years site. The car took first place in its class (which I can only imagine is the 25 footer, and beyond, paint class).
That was quite the shock! I guess the paint looks so bad, people think it is original. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img] |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Here's a couple shots someone took at the show and posted in the event album on PY:
You can even see the textured "gravel guard" that was applied back in the early 1980s - look at the lower 8 inches of the front fender. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...mg_0203_vi.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...mg_0204_vi.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Today's question involves the factory trim clips for the body side moldings. These are the moldings that run along the middle of the fender, door and quarter to deflect other car doors.
I was lucky enough to pick up an NOS fender piece off ebay and it actually had the factory clips in the package! Now I need to find some duplicates for the rest of the car since someone, along the way replaced them with push in plastic clips that don't hold the trim securely enough against the body. Here's some close ups of the NOS factory clip: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000692.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000691.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000690.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000688.jpg The shiny gold clip is close but not close enough to work properly. When mounted into the back of the trim piece, you can see that because the retaining wire is not mounted in the same spot, it moves the stud off of center where it needs to be to mount correctly on the car: http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000702.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/P1000695.jpg Does anyone have an idea of where I can get some more of the correct clips? |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
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Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I think I found them:
http://stores.restorationspecialties...%29/Detail.bok |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
My daughter recently asked for lessons on how to drive a manual transmission. Today was the day for the "road test."
It was a rather hysterical time. It was as if Mel Brooks directed the whole thing. Everywhere we went some strange animal would pop out. It included two completely unrelated flocks of turkeys with a dozen chicks, deer that climbed up trees, groundhogs, flying squirrels, blind joggers, and a dead skunk. She actually did very well, only stalled a couple times, and remembered to press in the clutch when she got to a stop, most of the time. Now it's time to go take the car apart and replace the clutch, again. Here's a shot of one of the turkey flocks impeding her travel and forcing a down shift. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...5-turkeeez.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
I spoke to the guys at Restoration Specialties and they commented that I had the clips installed wrong. The attached wire is supposed to be bent back upon itself to serve as a retaining spring. Once you do that, the shiny replacement clip does in fact work properly. I bought 30 of them and the accompanying nuts.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...3-p1000726.jpg |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Took the daughter out on another driving lesson. She did much better. This time it was rabbits. On our 20 mile drive, four different bunnies (well, maybe it could have been the same rabbit stalking us) ran alongside us and then tried to dart out in front of the car.
We even tempted fate and drove past a local ranch where they raise bison and cattle. I fully expected Alex Karris A.K.A. "Mongo" to be blocking the road riding on the back of a Brahma Bull. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...5508-mongo.png |
Re: The New Project: Part Deux!
Thanks to Tom (Tom406) and Rick (SS427) and the "Pay It Forward" classified section, I have a nice, date code correct 5470409 Delco dual bleeder, master cylinder that just happened to come off of another 1972 Firebird. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...der#Post531958 I took it apart and tried honing it myself but the bore was a bit too pitted. I ended up sending it to Whitepost Restorations to have it sleeved. It was $175. It took about a week. I got it yesterday and I installed it today. It was not an uneventful day. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/rolleyes.gif[/img] They say timing is everything. When I took the repro dual bleeder master cylinder off I noticed that the rear reservoir was rather low. Very strange since not a lot leaked out when I removed it. I didn't think much of it at the time. I then bench-bled the new master cylinder and installed it. I then bled all the brakes. Twice, starting at the farthest rear cylinder. I had the car on jack stands so I could get to everything and eventually do a running test. I started the car to check the brakes with the wheels spinning. I put it in gear. I then stepped on the brakes and the rear wheels kept spinning - no braking at all. Very strange since I just bled the brakes and I thought I bled them enough. The front brakes were holding tight but the rears were not doing much of anything. I bled the rears again and then they worked properly...for a few minutes. I went and refilled the master cylinder and then tested the brakes again...no rear brakes. Really, very strange now. I thought maybe it was the combination/metering valve had activated but the pin was in the correct neutral position. So I pulled the rear wheels and the drums and saw that the driver's side rear wheel cylinder had just started leaking inside the drum. Great timing for a complete part failure! Luckily the autoparts store was open and had a pair of rear wheel, brake cylinders in stock so I threw them on and everything works fine now. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...9-p1000730.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...0-p1000731.jpg Thanks again, Tom and Rick. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img] I owe you a frosty, cold mug of DOT 3. |
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