61 Silver
Well-known member
The frame is on order with Vette Products of Michigan and should be done some time in September. They told me that they have increased quality standards of there frames and this has created a longer lead-time than in the past. I plan on using Blair’s to restore the rear trailing arms; I completed this task on my 1965 but decided to farm it out this time. They will also check the differential and rebuild if necessary.
The 340HP engine is at RV Engines. He performs all the machining and supplies the parts and I complete the assembly. He has completed a preliminary inspection on the components and every thing looks fine. I will be rebuilding to stock specifications except for the head gaskets as per John Z advice. Should receive engine components sometime in August.
The paint is completely off the body. I am very happy with what was under the paint. There were only three minor repairs to the fiberglass. I should be able to block sand and fill in order to correct the bodylines in these areas. I plan on completing this task with in two week.
The interior is completely removed form the 63. This includes the wire harnesses, dash, and wiper system.
A friend that teaches welding is going to help me (teach me) how to restore the birdcage. I thought that there were only two areas to be repaired, but I found a third in the roof cage just above the steering wheel. I am going to have to break the bonding seam loose on the front and sides of this area and see if I can pry the roof panel up. If any one has ever done this repair, any tips would be appreciated. I hope to have the birdcage repairs completed by the second week of august.
I started to sandblast all the metal parts and prepping them for PPG DP-90 primer. I stopped because of the high humidity that we have had over the past week. The parts were surface rusting before I could accumulate enough parts for a paint run. I hope to start priming early next week.
I am currently in the process of stripping the paint form the engine bay. On the last two cars, I cleaned the engine bay with grease and oil remover, cleaned with thinner and sanded prior to painting. I was not happy with the results. I plan on using the same process as the exterior except for the black out paint. I know this will exceed the "as it left the factory" standard, but I really want this engine bay to look great.
I will post another update in a couple weeks.
Ray
The 340HP engine is at RV Engines. He performs all the machining and supplies the parts and I complete the assembly. He has completed a preliminary inspection on the components and every thing looks fine. I will be rebuilding to stock specifications except for the head gaskets as per John Z advice. Should receive engine components sometime in August.
The paint is completely off the body. I am very happy with what was under the paint. There were only three minor repairs to the fiberglass. I should be able to block sand and fill in order to correct the bodylines in these areas. I plan on completing this task with in two week.
The interior is completely removed form the 63. This includes the wire harnesses, dash, and wiper system.
A friend that teaches welding is going to help me (teach me) how to restore the birdcage. I thought that there were only two areas to be repaired, but I found a third in the roof cage just above the steering wheel. I am going to have to break the bonding seam loose on the front and sides of this area and see if I can pry the roof panel up. If any one has ever done this repair, any tips would be appreciated. I hope to have the birdcage repairs completed by the second week of august.
I started to sandblast all the metal parts and prepping them for PPG DP-90 primer. I stopped because of the high humidity that we have had over the past week. The parts were surface rusting before I could accumulate enough parts for a paint run. I hope to start priming early next week.
I am currently in the process of stripping the paint form the engine bay. On the last two cars, I cleaned the engine bay with grease and oil remover, cleaned with thinner and sanded prior to painting. I was not happy with the results. I plan on using the same process as the exterior except for the black out paint. I know this will exceed the "as it left the factory" standard, but I really want this engine bay to look great.
I will post another update in a couple weeks.
Ray
