What did you do to your car today?

[mjseakan]

FWIW I like it.

 

[Lazarus]

I also like the contrast. Maybe if you find the right color try the armrest pad by itself in blue to see if it looks good as an accent?

 

[Bentworker]

Got the new Summit steel timing cover and TMeyer 351C thermostat restrictor/ bypass plate and thermostat installed.  Filled it back up with coolant and so far so good!

Got to say the TMeyer restrictor plate and thermostat are a well thought out combo.  

 

[Vicus]

Disassembled the front brakes, changed the anchor plates, installed new wheel brake cylinders and hoses, got the air out of the system and headed for a test drive. Everything's fine again.



All new and functional. 



Test drive to the next ice cream parlor with a friend, following in a 67 Coupe.

As you see I live in a rural area and the way leads very often through the woods.

Frank

 

[Vicus]

Strange thing!  :classic_wacko:

I'm sure I posted a thread that I'm looking for back plates and I remember that I got two answers but cannot find this thread anymore. 

As I want to finish what I've started and tell what has happened, here is the short version:

I found a long-established car dealer here in Germany who, when a customer wanted front disc brakes instead of drum brakes for his Ford Mustang, did not scrap the dismantled drum brakes but stacked them in his spare parts store. In the last few days I have rummaged through the whole pile and finally found a single pair of the correct anchor plates. Fortunately, they were in a condition where I didn't have to recondition anything. As I've done the whole search by myself, the price he has asked for was very affordable.

Frank

 

[c9zx]

I'm glad you found the parts you needed, close to home. Chuck

 

[Bentworker]

Fuel tank is 100% installed.  Now I can drive it!

 

[Austin Vert]

Hi Idaho Chris,

Regards your center console color.

The black contrast is an option, and looks pretty good. However, if you wanted to color change it to matching blue, the only way to achieve this is to take your car down to a decent paint and panel shop that can either color match paint by eye of use a spectrograph analizer. The best paint to work with is auto acrylic Lacquer, but 2 pak solids can be ok as well. You can even get to choose the gloss level you want to end up with.  Your whole interior has a few different  shades of blue. Choose the one that you like the look of best and go with that.Also the upholstery has a very fine hint of metallic in it. This effect can also be reproduced in the made up paint. If you possess spray guns and a compressor, you could take on this refinish job yourself. If not, then leave it to a pro spray painter to refinish, as spraying plastics is always a tricky deal to get it right.

So forget rattle can paints, color matching is the only way to get a good match that you are chasing. Hope that helps.

Greg (pro spray painter) :classic_smile:

 

[Idaho Chris]

Hi Idaho Chris,

Regards your center console color.

The black contrast is an option, and looks pretty good. However, if you wanted to color change it to matching blue, the only way to achieve this is to take your car down to a decent paint and panel shop that can either color match paint by eye of use a spectrograph analizer. The best paint to work with is auto acrylic Lacquer, but 2 pak solids can be ok as well. You can even get to choose the gloss level you want to end up with.  Your whole interior has a few different  shades of blue. Choose the one that you like the look of best and go with that.Also the upholstery has a very fine hint of metallic in it. This effect can also be reproduced in the made up paint. If you possess spray guns and a compressor, you could take on this refinish job yourself. If not, then leave it to a pro spray painter to refinish, as spraying plastics is always a tricky deal to get it right.

So forget rattle can paints, color matching is the only way to get a good match that you are chasing. Hope that helps.

Greg (pro spray painter) :classic_smile:

Thanks for the advice Greg!  I do have a spray gun and compressor so I'll do some research and find someone that can mix me up a custom batch of paint.  I've gotten nowhere with the rattle cans.

I live in the middle of nowhere, so unfortunately that business is likely a two hour drive each way (Spokane).

 

[rvrtrash]

Thanks for the advice Greg!  I do have a spray gun and compressor so I'll do some research and find someone that can mix me up a custom batch of paint.  I've gotten nowhere with the rattle cans.

I live in the middle of nowhere, so unfortunately that business is likely a two hour drive each way (Spokane).

Chris, call KC Auto Paint on 4th in Coeur d'Alene. I've had good luck with them and they're closer than Spokane. Also less sales tax.  :thumb:

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I re-installed the center console for the third time.

View attachment 54606

I have tried two different batches of SEM interior medium blue paint on my center console but the color was a fair ways off from the rest of the interior and just looked horrible.  I have decided to go black on the console and the contrast seems to work well with my door panels and center gauge stack (I got rid of the fake wood look back in '79).

I'll keep searching for the correct color paint and if I manage to find it I'll try painting the console again.  For the moment though, the two tone blue/black is growing on me...

I have refinished many consoles and have never had an issue with the SEM paints matching. You should be using the paint not the dye. ABS hard parts use the paints that I have always had 100% perfect match with. You need to strip all the old paints off the console first using oven cleaner. Then wash with Dawn and hot water and then a wipe down with lacquer thinner before paint. Only two light coats are needed. If you put too much paint on you fill in the texture and will look odd for sure. I have never had a complaint on finish or color using the SEM paints. I get mine from NPD. I have a blue interior 72 Mach 1 that came with full length console but it has never needed to be refurbished. As far as getting it scanned and mix paint that would be a huge cost for just your console. Have been doing them for over 50 years started with 65 console.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I see lots of good advice to help Idaho Chris get his console sorted, but just like with most Windows utilities, there are at least 8 different ways to skin the cat.

I got lucky with mine since the interior was Deluxe Black, which lends itself to matching things up MUCH easier than with other colors.  Throw in years (decades) of age, sun fade & weathering, and now you have several completely different shades of (insert interior color here) going on.  The SEM colors are truly awesome, and work VERY well - that's what I went with... but it really only works IF you need to refresh ALL of the color in the interior... again, depending on which colors we're talking about.  It will most likely not match perfectly straight out of the can because of those age factors... which is why you're having issues matching things up, and also why Greg made the suggestion of getting the color-match done by someone with the right equipment.  Usually, a paint store and/or painter won't charge for scanning to get the right mix, but even so, it won't be much, and will save a TON of trial & error in the long run.  My paint shop guy had all of the same equipment and matched up the paint for my Jeep and Mustang perfectly - not a penny charged, either (of course, the paint wasn't cheap, so I'm sure it works out in the end).

Oven cleaner can be a mixed bag, depending on what you go with (again, so many different kinds to choose from - some can even melt the texture, as they're designed for metal surfaces).  Dawn dishwashing soap is an awesome degreaser, but just as bad if you don't get it all removed.  Lacquer thinner?!  I suppose... but I've never had to go with such a harsh evaporative chemical after getting it clean with with the dish soap treatment. 

SEM Products are also designed to be used as a system, with surface prep, adhesion promoters, texture enhancement, and colors.  I refinished all of my interior pieces (old & new 'repop' pieces) at the same to ensure they all came out the same shade of black (again, tough to mess that up, but there really ARE about 600 shades of black, just like with every other color).  The surface prep and adhesion promoter actually softens the plastic (yes, kind of 'melts' it a little) so the texture enhancement and paint actually stick a bit better, since you're not using primer.  I made a melty thumb print on a test piece to learn that little nugget (be careful handling the pieces throughout the process).

Thanks to my airbrushing experience, I've discovered House of Kolors Surface Prep pretty much replaces the need for anything else once the old surface has been stripped and cleaned.  It's a mild soapy-like degreaser than won't do anything except remove grease, oils, and other adhesion-preventing substances.  A good degreaser that is plastic-friendly is WAY better than harsh solvents.

Make sure to follow the directions, have as dust-free of an environment as possible, and use a tack cloth just before you spray the first coat of whatever, and you're golden.    

 

[Idaho Chris]

For the record, this is what I used on my console:



I used the full SEM system from cleaning, prep and adhesion promoter and of course a tack cloth before first coat.  The resulting finish on the console is absolutely beautiful including the texture.  Frankly it is as nice a finish as any of my previous car projects.

Unfortunately it just isn't the right color; it has a purplish tint and doesn't match the existing factory Medium Blue Metallic interior.

My car has been inside out of the sun under cover for most of the 45 years I have owned her.  The interior (as you can see from previously posted photos) is in fantastic shape.

It is clear that the SEM rattle can approach is not going to give me what I need.  I will take Eric and Greg's advice and seek a professional match from an automotive paint store.  Thanks guys!

 

[Bentworker]

Today’s episode of “What is that valve train noise”?  Rocker rubbing on the baffle…

 

[Bentworker]

I took the car out for a 40 mile drive yesterday.  Got it home and decided that I'd lock out the vacuum advance and go only mechanical to give that a try.  Took apart the distributor today, installed the vacuum advance delete kit and set my initial timing about 14 degrees / 34 all in.  Probably take it for a cruise later today and see how it goes.

My cam is moderately spicy at 279/289 duration that is why I'm giving 14 degrees initial a go on the Cleveland.

 

[Bentworker]

Installed a fuel pressure regulator.  Actually took a fair amount of tinkering to cram it in there.

 

[RC92234]

Stared into the darkness that is the passenger door trying to figure out how y'all remove the power window motor without the Ford recommended procedure of drilling new removal holes.  Every post I've seen that doesn't involve cutting access holes is along the lines of "easy-breezy:  remove door skin, add a little magic sauce, remove the motor".  Just trying to figure out the magic sauce.

 

[Hemikiller]

Stared into the darkness that is the passenger door trying to figure out how y'all remove the power window motor without the Ford recommended procedure of drilling new removal holes.  Every post I've seen that doesn't involve cutting access holes is along the lines of "easy-breezy:  remove door skin, add a little magic sauce, remove the motor".  Just trying to figure out the magic sauce.

Been a while, but I used to just unbolt the regulator from the door. Be sure to block or clamp the window up. 

 

[Vinnie]

I made a bigger hole around the other hole(s):



Gotta make a patch now:

 

[rio1856]

I made a bigger hole around the other hole(s):

View attachment 55198

Gotta make a patch now:

View attachment 55199

You're getting pretty good at this. :thumb: