polara71
Old Man with a Hat
You should try it anyway. It is the premier Chrysler event. If you ever find the money and time buy a ticket and fly into Philly or Harrisburg , we'll pick you up
What's your opinion about keeping your c-body 100 percent original?
- Thread starter 1978 NYB
- Start date
You should try it anyway. It is the premier Chrysler event. If you ever find the money and time buy a ticket and fly into Philly or Harrisburg , we'll pick you up
Mr C
Senior Member
My 10 cents- I strive to maintain factory character but entertain modifications with a nod to reliability, minor style tweaks.
ie. painted woodgrain on my T&C instead of Di Noc. maintains the "right" look (I think these big wagons need woodgrain to look "right"), but no fading/ shrinking/ wrinkling. I converted the Lean Burn, but kept the computer etc there to show what these cars were like from the factory.
I put 440 four barrell decals on fridge magnets for the air cleaners on my Imperials...I can have them or remove them at will, depending on my whim. I replaced the power antennas with manual telescoping antennas so that I will have the uselullness of telescoping antenna (car covers, car washes) while never needing to periodically replace/ service the power antennas that always seem to give you grief.
ie. painted woodgrain on my T&C instead of Di Noc. maintains the "right" look (I think these big wagons need woodgrain to look "right"), but no fading/ shrinking/ wrinkling. I converted the Lean Burn, but kept the computer etc there to show what these cars were like from the factory.
I put 440 four barrell decals on fridge magnets for the air cleaners on my Imperials...I can have them or remove them at will, depending on my whim. I replaced the power antennas with manual telescoping antennas so that I will have the uselullness of telescoping antenna (car covers, car washes) while never needing to periodically replace/ service the power antennas that always seem to give you grief.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
How in the world did you find someone to simulate the wood? Beautiful job!
Mr C
Senior Member
I did it myself. First I found a "stain" that is used on steel security doors. Then I practiced on a piece of sheet metal stock bowed to simulate the car's side contour. Once I had the techniques down, I moved to the car.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
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Holy shizzle! My hats off to you, nice job! Some deep talent on this slice of the web...
rexus31
Senior Member
That's bad ***!
Greg B.
Senior Member
I wonder how that would look on a 1978 NYB??? LOL!!!
cm23uoc
Old Man with a Hat
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Great. I knew about the existence of such a wood grain painting technique, an older paint guy showed me the results of such brushing technique once, they learned this during apprenticeship.
Did you brush this and sand, clearcoat and buff it, or airbrush it ?
Some of the french Mopar-powered Facel Vegas had the dashboard done that way.
Did you brush this and sand, clearcoat and buff it, or airbrush it ?
Some of the french Mopar-powered Facel Vegas had the dashboard done that way.
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bluefury361
Old Man with a Hat
100%.....?
It's tough, (and very expensive), to keep 100% original, even with a well maintained original survivor.
A time warp car from back in the day would be mostly a muesum piece... nice to look at.
I like the term "period correct appearance". Our appreciation for how these cars looked when new is mainly why we love them so. The addition of period correct, OEM options and accessories is a great way to update your car to how you would have liked to order a new one.
For a car that will be driven upgrading the tires to radials, improving brakes & suspension etc, is a no brainer. Let the car catch up to technoligy.
But really.... Do what ever you want...!
ixie:
It's tough, (and very expensive), to keep 100% original, even with a well maintained original survivor.
A time warp car from back in the day would be mostly a muesum piece... nice to look at.
I like the term "period correct appearance". Our appreciation for how these cars looked when new is mainly why we love them so. The addition of period correct, OEM options and accessories is a great way to update your car to how you would have liked to order a new one.
For a car that will be driven upgrading the tires to radials, improving brakes & suspension etc, is a no brainer. Let the car catch up to technoligy.
But really.... Do what ever you want...!
ixie:
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This topic is one that I have been spending a few sleepless nights mulling over (I'm the type of guy I can't sleep when I have something on my mind, but when I do, I wake up the next morning with the answer). Lets face it my car is a basket case, but that isn't going to stop me, because the car owes me nothing and I really truly do love everything about it (good and THE BAD). So because I'm at the point of having to nearly rebuild every part of the car in some way, shape or form, this question has been coming up fairly often. I do have a decent stock of Stock components for my car (nearly 2 of everything), but all of the mechanical I am re-doing, I do not want a concurs show car, I would honestly be afraid to drive a restored car of that caliber, so I want a nice driver, something that looks good, runs good, and that I'm not afraid to take out and beat on a bit.
So I'm part of the 99.9%, as I'm going through my car I'm trying to keep factory colors, but I'm trying to keep the car drivable, I'm keep my 4 wheel manual drums, they are easy to service and It's not like I'm taking my car out road racing, I'm keeping the Lap belts (I will be rebuilding the buckles to ensure that they will stay latched in the event of an accident), Eventually I may go to an electronic ignition, but who knows, as I go through the car it has little touches that are hardly noticed but make it mine and make it unique.
Nick
So I'm part of the 99.9%, as I'm going through my car I'm trying to keep factory colors, but I'm trying to keep the car drivable, I'm keep my 4 wheel manual drums, they are easy to service and It's not like I'm taking my car out road racing, I'm keeping the Lap belts (I will be rebuilding the buckles to ensure that they will stay latched in the event of an accident), Eventually I may go to an electronic ignition, but who knows, as I go through the car it has little touches that are hardly noticed but make it mine and make it unique.
Nick
Sounds like you have a great plan. Can't wait to see it finished.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
I do the beat I can to keep a mostly original car, original or period correct.... A car that needs work, metal, engine, interior, I have little trouble modifying the car
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
There's "modifying" and there's modifying".
There are people that would say installing radial tires when OEM was bias ply was modifying.
At what point does modifying become necessary to unnecessary.
From 14" Bias to 15" radial...OK?
To 18" low profile?
To 22" O-ring????
There are people that would say installing radial tires when OEM was bias ply was modifying.
At what point does modifying become necessary to unnecessary.
From 14" Bias to 15" radial...OK?
To 18" low profile?
To 22" O-ring????
I can see converting to radial tires no questions asked. There are some 18" wheels that look good or great on certain C-bodies. I can't say that I (myself) can think of a single C-body that would look good with 22's IMHO.
Fratzog
Old Man with a Hat
As someone who as taken this approach with a 70 Polara ragtop I applaud you. WRT the drum brakes my apprach has been to treat them with respect and not to expect them to perform like those on my modern daily driver. That means an extra one or 2 car lenghts in all cases. It can be a PO when the knuckle draggers look at the bone stock points 318 and say "what that boat needs is a 440". So far I've resisted kicking anyone in the nuts. But all that goes away when you see her pretty as the day she came out of the factory or cruising with the top down. Keep the dream going!
Mr C
Senior Member
I used a brush technique, then clear coat. I did not buff because leaving the clear coat a little orange peely created a satin look that the woodgrain cars had when they were new.
Wildaugust
Senior Member
Personally, and this is just my opinion, I think that a Slab or a Fusie, especially a 2-door, can still look really good with "modifications" while Formals probably look best if done closer to "all original".
As for wheels and tires, going from 14" to 15" is probably a nessecary upgrade these days. To me it would still be original if the same style factory wheels were used. Depending on the look I wanted, I could go as far as the 18 inch aftermarket wheels on a C-body or other full size car of that era. I couldn't see myself using 22" wheels on anything. To me they look too comical on every vehicle I've seen them on.
As for wheels and tires, going from 14" to 15" is probably a nessecary upgrade these days. To me it would still be original if the same style factory wheels were used. Depending on the look I wanted, I could go as far as the 18 inch aftermarket wheels on a C-body or other full size car of that era. I couldn't see myself using 22" wheels on anything. To me they look too comical on every vehicle I've seen them on.
bluefury361
Old Man with a Hat
WRT the drum brakes my apprach has been to treat them with respect and not to expect them to perform like those on my modern daily driver. That means an extra one or 2 car lenghts in all cases.
This is excellent advise. It's so easy to forget these boats won't react like a modern car while braking and handling even though the huge drum brakes are very adequate when a little common sense is applied.
On a recent road trip in the 69 300 I had a semi emergency situation happen and had to lean on the drum brakes pretty hard. They stopped the car straight and true from 60 MPH without squacking a tire.
I have a complete disc brake set up on my parts car that I was concidering swapping onto my 300 but don't know if it's worth the trouble now.
This is excellent advise. It's so easy to forget these boats won't react like a modern car while braking and handling even though the huge drum brakes are very adequate when a little common sense is applied.
On a recent road trip in the 69 300 I had a semi emergency situation happen and had to lean on the drum brakes pretty hard. They stopped the car straight and true from 60 MPH without squacking a tire.
I have a complete disc brake set up on my parts car that I was concidering swapping onto my 300 but don't know if it's worth the trouble now.
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