Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
The molding bar is an interesting feature.
Resurrection of my 1970 Chrysler 300 Convertible
- Thread starter Samplingman
- Start date
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
So I spent most of the past summer working the details of the wiring and the dashboard. I went through the wires best I could, replacing connectors, cleaning contacts and identifying what goes where. There are still a number of connections that I haven’t a clue about, but for the most part not so much a meaningless tangle of wires.
Refreshed cluster:
Of course after it was mounted back in place I was disappointed at how faded the dash pad ended up.
And the VIN tag was unacceptable.
So off it all came for a full SEM scrubbing and re-dye.
Refreshed cluster:
Of course after it was mounted back in place I was disappointed at how faded the dash pad ended up.
And the VIN tag was unacceptable.
So off it all came for a full SEM scrubbing and re-dye.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
The tag was the easiest part. I carefully taped and then used acetone to strip the old paint. Semi-gloss from Krylon and the correct rub on decal from ECS finished it off nicely. No rivet removal required.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
I then tried my hand at speaker and glovebox repair. The speaker is now usable, the glovebox liner not so much. Looks like I’ll go repro for that, the cardboard is just too brittle.
Nothing like the crappy sound of OEM.
Yes, that’s Shoe Glue, flexible and strong (or is that Strong and Flexible?)
Nothing like new sheer speaker fabric to finish it off.
Sorry, no after pic, but no one will see it anyway.
Not too shabby for four hours worth of work, LOL. Hey, it’s doing stuff like this that has kept the costs of this build reasonable (cost of my sanity, that is).
Unfortunately the glove box liner was just not worth the time and aggravation. Still doesn’t look too bad, just won’t bolt in anymore.
I’ll be getting one of these from Van’s.
Nothing like the crappy sound of OEM.
Yes, that’s Shoe Glue, flexible and strong (or is that Strong and Flexible?)
Nothing like new sheer speaker fabric to finish it off.
Sorry, no after pic, but no one will see it anyway.
Not too shabby for four hours worth of work, LOL. Hey, it’s doing stuff like this that has kept the costs of this build reasonable (cost of my sanity, that is).
Unfortunately the glove box liner was just not worth the time and aggravation. Still doesn’t look too bad, just won’t bolt in anymore.
I’ll be getting one of these from Van’s.
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Nadir Point
Member
Nice work. I'm toying with the idea of epoxy coatings to re-furbish unobtainium soft parts like that glovebox.
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
Your work is terrific! Mighty fine!
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
With all of this extra time on my hands I decided to take a look at the Dutchman’s panel. I knew from looking underneath in the trunk that there were some rust issues and sketchy repairs. A few years ago, the trunk hinge actually tore through the right corner gusset, so I knew that there was metal work in my future. Like an onion I began to peel the layers off and discovered some serious ugliness. Kids, this is no way to do auto body! Never pop rivet fresh metal over rusty metal and call it done!
Yikes!
Off to the metal pile!
This piece from the ‘73 will fix both the gusset and Dutchman’s panel on the ‘vert and the rear window channel on the parts car!
Yikes!
Off to the metal pile!
This piece from the ‘73 will fix both the gusset and Dutchman’s panel on the ‘vert and the rear window channel on the parts car!
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Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
The real metal work will have to wait until the spring time. Time to get the engine off to the builders.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
I had thought about sourcing plastic sheeting or heavy, non-foam core cardboard, and then flattening out the original, doing the bends, etc., but for $39 bucks from Van's seemed to be a no-brainier. The trunk dress-up like the Imperials would be a fun "after it's done" project, so I'll keep hunting for appropriate materials and patterns.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
Thanks, Rip! What's the status of your 'vert now that the engine is in?
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
The new engine is running really great. However, it has a low-speed part-throttle miss that I can't figure out. When I stick my foot in it, it runs great, but at low speed, it runs a little crappy. I suspect a vacuum leak somewhere, but so far I haven't found one.
71Polara383
Kid with ballcap
Looking good!
I need to touch the Brougham sometime soon.
I need to touch the Brougham sometime soon.
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Nice work on the dash!
Could it be the accelerator pump?
I had the same experience with one of my cars, and @david hill made the diagnostic. With the air cleaner removed and the engine off, if he cracked the throttle open, there was very little accelerator pump shot on initial pedal movement. Assuming that your float level is correct (I guess yours and mine both are, as in both your case and mine there is no other driving issues), my guess is that your accelerator pump might be defective.
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
Thanks for the suggestion. But the problem is not a hesitation or a stumble. It is almost like a single plug is not firing, but I know this is not the case. Plugs and wires are new, compression is good in all cylinders, and the problem is present with two different rebuilt carburetors. I'm gonna continue to troubleshoot by disconnecting and plugging all vacuum sources, until I find the problem.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
Have you tried changing out the intake manifold yet?
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
Well. . . No. . . I really hope I don't need to do that. The engine was machined, rebuilt and assembled by a pretty competent shop. But I will start the engine, warm it up and spray some CRC around the intake and see if anything turns up.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
It sounds like it has to be something simple. I get my short block and heads back on Saturday, but I won’t get to the final assembly and installation until after the new year. I still need to find a local guy to refresh the transmission. I totally expect issues like yours so I’m hoping you resolve it and report back your findings. Good luck!
live4theking
Old Man with a Hat
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The dash looks great. It sure is convenient having the metal pile to, huh.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
Thanks! I was very happy with the SEM system. I plan on using it for the interior panels as well. Yes, my mini junk yard has come in handy. It's amazing how much sheet metal one parts car can produce, but I plan on using every bit of it when I dive into the black car.
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