73 H Code Convertible Project

[cjstaci]

The wheel looks great! If you don’t mind sharing your expertise, what did you use to patch the cracks and how did you achieve the woodgrain finish?
I have a rimblow wheel that I would like to restore in the future , I feel confident in doing so but need knowledge of how to restore the woodgrain.

 

[Steve73QMach1]

Today was the big day to get the rim blow wheel installed into the convertible after refurbishment and color change to avocado. I am really happy with the way this turned out! Here’s a photo of the two spoke wheel compared to the three spoke rim blow.

 

[PoFoMoCo]

BAM

 

[Steve73QMach1]

The wheel looks great! If you don’t mind sharing your expertise, what did you use to patch the cracks and how did you achieve the woodgrain finish?
I have a rimblow wheel that I would like to restore in the future , I feel confident in doing so but need knowledge of how to restore the woodgrain.

I can tell you what I did with this wheel but don’t conflate my results with any kind of expertise on my part . I did some trial and error on an old practice steering wheel I had and decided to use what worked best there for my rim blow wheel. I used JB Weld two part plastic epoxy putty for the big separation on the wheel at 12 o’clock. It was manageable, cured nicely, and could be shaped/sanded easily. It also accepted the dye I used to change colors from black to avocado. I used a liquid two part epoxy for the smaller cracks in the wheel and to cover the chrome 1/8” tape around the circumference of the wheel. A rotary tool is really handy for grinding down the high spots on the epoxy. I used 220 and 400 grit paper on the plastic of the wheel itself for prep. Be very gentle with that process! The plastic is pretty soft. For the woodgrain, I used a walnut wood stain and a couple of different sized artist brushes to paint in a woodgrain effect on the wheel. That was the one of the last things I did on the wheel prior to clear coat. The epoxy ring over the chrome trim tape around the perimeter of the wheel was the hardest part of the whole process for me. Replacing the rubber rim blow switch was done after final clear coat. Patience is definitely a virtue for this project. Let everything cure fully for each step and avoid taking any shortcuts. Here are some of the supplies I used. I ordered the 1/8” chrome tape from a vendor on Etsy for about $8. I could not find the Plastic Weld locally and ordered that from Amazon for $9.

 

[Moderator73]

Got the new dash pad dyed and installed today. I also dyed the A pillar trim since it was pretty much gray from sun fade. The dye worked out great. The dash pad has a few molding flaws but I can live with that. It’s way better than it was.

Steve...on your Dash Pad, did you top coat the avocado dye with the satin clear coat dye or just leave it with the base coats of dye? Also, the metal Dash Cover...did you end up painting that by chance? If so what did you use? I'm very interested in how you approached this to achieve your beautiful result!
Thanks
Bob

 

[Steve73QMach1]

Bob - I left my dash with just the avocado dye. Like I said, it has held up well over the last year. Luckily the metal part of my top dash did not require anything but a good scrubbing. It’s amazing how much dirt gets into the grain pattern on that metal and ends up giving it a brownish appearance.

 

[Steve73QMach1]

I took the convertible out for a spin today since it was 82 and sunny. Not bad for early October in Ohio. I stopped by a Sheetz gas station that recently opened in my area for a fill up on ethanol free gas. Not many places carry that around here. It was $4.19 per gallon for ethanol free 90 octane so it was a bit pricey. They only had the one pump for it. I put about 30 miles on the car this afternoon and really enjoyed it. Due to a busy summer I didn’t get to drive it much over the last 6 months. Next project on this car is window felts. Mine are all dry rotted. While I have the door panels off, I need to lubricate the tracks too. The windows are a little jumpy.

 

[Moderator73]

Bob - I left my dash with just the avocado dye. Like I said, it has held up well over the last year. Luckily the metal part of my top dash did not require anything but a good scrubbing. It’s amazing how much dirt gets into the grain pattern on that metal and ends up giving it a brownish appearance.

Thanks Steve...that's great info. I didn't want to miss something trying to follow your lead. Your convertible is absolutely beautiful!
Bob