The Crusty Cuda: Whole lotta Shakin' (N96) Goin' on!

[njsteve]

Dave, do you recall ever seeing this J-hook contraption anywhere in the parts or did the heater box come in pieces? It's the J-hook that holds it up into the cowl. (Before I order a new one, I figured I'd ask since I don't see it anywhere.)

It goes where the arrow is.

I pulled the steering column and dash out today in order to start working on the dash components.

[RS_COPO_Canuck]

Good catch Steve!
People never seem to put those back in after removing the box.

[A12pilot]

Nope... no J-hook Steve. Never saw one when I removed the box.

Cheers
Dave

[njsteve]

No problem. Got one on the way.

[njsteve]

The used set of rear window stainless arrived yesterday from an ebay seller. Much nicer than described! Already polished, too!

I outlined the entire opening in blue masking tape and then gently snapped each piece in place which is rather tricky since they have to be connected together to do this because you can't get the last piece hooked to the first one if the first one is already snapped in place. Just slightly nerve-wracking.

[njsteve]

I also decided to reuse the original dashpad since there were only two minor cracks by the front speaker grill screw holes - a common occurrence. Since it is around $800 plus $200 core charge to get a reproduction dash... and none are available now, I decided there are better things to spend my money on...like vintage mag wheels.

I wound up using some JB-Weld epoxy and gently pushed it in to the cracks with a tiny screw driver. Once it was filled, I waited for it to cure and then sanded. I then sprayed the entire dash with SEM Landau Black interior dye (I LOVE that paint - I put that s@$& on everything!). Here's the results.

Not bad from a foot away or so and now I don't have to mess with transferring the vin tag to a new dash pad (Stupid Chrysler design - lets rivet the vin to a removable part!!!)

[njsteve]

I also got the dash carrier assembly disassembled. There was a lot of crustiness on the underside so I rigged up the pool cover siphon pump and a short hose and have it circulating the Evaporust solution via a spray tip, onto the dash frame. It all drains in to a sheet of plastic that ends at the bottom of a 7-gallon bucket. The siphon pump has to be fully submerged to work, so you want that at the bottom of the bucket inside the plastic sheet which acts as a funnel to direct all the runoff back to the bottom. I got the aquarium heater in there too. The kiddie pool is there as an emergency backup in case it all springs a leak.

[Canuck]

Originally Posted by njsteve

I also decided to reuse the original dashpad since there were only two minor cracks by the front speaker grill screw holes - a common occurrence. Since it is around $800 plus $200 core charge to get a reproduction dash... and none are available now, I decided there are better things to spend my money on...like vintage mag wheels.

I wound up using some JB-Weld epoxy and gently pushed it in to the cracks with a tiny screw driver. Once it was filled, I waited for it to cure and then sanded. I then sprayed the entire dash with SEM Landau Black interior dye (I LOVE that paint - I put that s@$& on everything!). Here's the results.

Not bad from a foot away or so and now I don't have to mess with transferring the vin tag to a new dash pad (Stupid Chrysler design - lets rivet the vin to a removable part!!!)

Nice repair job. Weird that Mopar riveted the vin to the dash,although rivited to the metal carrier on my 68 Dodge Charger it too is a removable part.

[Lee Stewart]

What car is under the floral blanket?

[njsteve]

My Grampa's 1971 Golden Anniversary Lincoln Continental Town Car.

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