Slight progress

[Z28Canuck]

Looking real sharp Larry! You are doing a fantastic job on it. To me the grab bar is specific to the car and should stand out pronounced in yellow rather than blend in to the dash in black and not be as obvious but of course the main thing is what do YOU like best? Either way looks really good. You'll be turning a lot of heads with that beauty! Keep up the great work! .

 

[richscorvettes]

Rich this is a photo of the handel with the cowl vent closed and pulled slightly to seal against the rubbers
Larry,
Looked at the picture of the handle's position. On mine, when the vent is closed, the handle is horizontal and, when open, it is vertical. You should find that it will go into that position when it locks in place. My guess is that you might be seeing some resistance due to the new vent rubber.

On your question about the gauge cluster and grab bar colors, I think either yellow or black works fine for the grab bar but I definitely like the yellow gauge cluster to tie into your body color.

Rich Lagasse

 

[John Mcgraw]

Larry,

Rich is correct, the handle should snap up to the horizontal position when in the closed position. When you look at the geometry of the handle, you will see that it goes over-center in the last little bit of movement before it goes horizontal, and locks the vent closed. I would vote for an all black interior, but you need to do what pleases you! The problem that I ran into on mine was where to change the color. Don't forget that you still have the heater cover and package tray to install. I painted my center console red, but then realized that to make it look right, I would have to paint the heater cover red as well, and I just couldn't abide the red heater cover! I decided to lose the package tray on my car, since it never was very useful, and allways is getting in the way of passengers knees.
I finally just painted all the dash components to match the beige color of the dash pad, and I am glad that I did.

Regards, John McGraw

 

[Duntov-097]

So here is it with the yellow grab bar


BE honest I respect you opions highley.

IMHO ditch the yellow gauge cluster and the yellow grab bar. They both look kind of "ricer" to me. A couple of kids at work have gone that route in their interiors and I don't care for it. If you had some other custom yellow in the interior it might work but with the stock type interior I don't think it works. The contrast with the yellow and black will look great with it not broken up.

Well you asked for my honest opinion so don't be ad

What the hell do I know anyhow ? I went and painted my car orange of all colors. Had a tech at a Chevy dealership tell me today "that is an awesome car but I hate the color." Nice, made me feel good. Lucky for me the other 20 guys looking at it loved it. Do what you like. Thats all that matters. If I listened to everyone else I would have done mine red or black.

 

[I_R_DA_ONE]

Put in a black intior with yellow piping around the seats and it will look good
Mike R

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thank you all for the Honest opinion.I am reserving my desicion untill I install the kick panels and heater cover and door panels.


The body shop asked for the car today and I borrowed my brothere in laws flat bed to deliver it,(I loaned my car trailer out and of course it was not returned to me when promised) any ways here is a photo of the car on its way to the body shop

You know this car has fought me tooth and nail during the building of it.As you guys know I purchased a used trunck for the car.I paint stripped the underside of it and left the flakes of paint on the top of it.2 o clock today I get a call from the body shop to pick up the lid its FINISHED. WOW I am thinking these guys are fast.

Here is a picture of my trunk lid I picked up today

It was finsihed allright. Just about the entire lid I can peel. I am working this out with the supplier I purchased it from wish me luck

 

[BarryK]

oh geez Larry, that sucks!
this paint job is really giving you a hard time

 

[67HEAVEN]

:crazy No words. :crazy

 

[Z28Canuck]

So sorry to hear you going through this after all you've been through lately. Unbelievable! Hope this gets resolved favourably for you right away. Take care

 

[Stan's Customs]

Hi Larry...Congrats on the fine work on your car .

In regard to the dash colors...I doubt that you will be absolutely sure what you want till you have more interior to balance the image as you mentioned. It is very difficult to coordinate tastefully with hard contrasting colors such as yellow and black...especially without getting the "ricer look" as mentioned by Duntov. Same goes for the yelow piping...good for some things but comes off real hard yellow on black......but of course that is what you are dealing with and therein lies the dilema......

Our philosophy when building a car is that we never use more than 2 colors excluding chrome and rubber/vinyl(black)...and if when the finished I walk away from the car ...wait a few seconds and turn around to survey it. If all I see is a car...then we are done. If something jumps out...then I'm not...I have to correct the problem. Sometimes difficult to do.....but its a little thing that has worked for us.

As I mentioned till you have the interior more intact with the colors you are using ..balance will change swiftly with every piece you add. My initial thought on the dash cluster would be to experiment with the black and tone down the contrast on the gauges. I'm thinking that gloss black will be too hard on the dash as is the yellow ...that can be softened with semi-gloss black on the dash...and perhaps balance the left and right sides with dull aluminum behind the speedo and tach to match the aluminum insert behind the grab bar on the passenger side. We use the neutrals that compliment chrome (dull aluminum) and rubber/vinyl ( semi-gloss black ) for contrast problems often with better results than you would expect on first thought.......

Hope this is of some use ...I have spent days agonizing over ways to make a smooth transition on these bright colors, and know how it naggs on you till you get it right....

Good Luck and Best Regards...


Stan M.

 

[IH2LOSE]

and if when the finished I walk away from the car ...wait a few seconds and turn around to survey it. If all I see is a car...then we are done. If something jumps out...then I'm not..


Stan

I know you understand what I am saying about balance,Your sentance above sums it up better then I could ever say.When I stare at the interiour as it is today.the dash panel just pops out at me and I dont want it to do that.as pictured above with the dash bar yellow,the dash cluster is less noticable. As for the panel that the speedo and tach is mouted to,I think I treid ever finsih you could imagine on that panel with the yellow paint( I even learned how to use the eastwood turning finish) and was able to get a nice dull matt finish on the aluminum plate to make the dash inset with my belt sander.BUT it seemed that the black leather was the best with yellow.If I repaint the cluster black it would be a matt/satin low gloss (like the hood on a 69 Mach 1) and at that point I would have to go back to the brushed silver look the belt sander gave me for the tach and speedo plate. (alot of work to do )Also when it was a silver plate the bezels on the speedo and tach kinda got lost on the plate.

Once I get the rest of the interiour together I will make a choice regaurdless of the work invoulved.

Thanks again

I just finalized my seat installation and some where along the line I have made a mistake. with the posistion of the seats,posistion of the steering wheel.position of the angel of my steering column.the top of the steering wheel impeads on my vision of the top section of my speedo and tach. I spent hours setting this and in choseing the diameter of my wheel and thought I had it perfect.It seems at this point my only choice may be a slightley larger diameter steering wheel. Its not a major problem,most people will not notice it,But I pained over the locations of everthing and cant figure out what has changed

John McGraw if you read this How did your work out? is it all visable

PS I love the way my car feels it fits me perfect with the exception of the vision impedement with the speedo.

Right know I am trying to re set my brake pedal lower to the floor and closer to the firewall for a more comfortable feel so I can use the brake with out lifting my foot off the floor board (I have to do this for saftey because of my legs)

 

[vintagecorvette]

What size steering wheel are you planning to use? Is the custom gauge unit that you have made a different height than the stock unit?

On a 1956-62 car they used the 18" steering wheel, if you use a smaller one it cuts in to the view of the gauges.

Well that is what I found with my 1957. The original wheel allowed me to see the speedo anything smaller cut into my view. oWEN

 

[IH2LOSE]

What size steering wheel are you planning to use? Is the custom gauge unit that you have made a different height than the stock unit?

On a 1956-62 car they used the 18" steering wheel, if you use a smaller one it cuts in to the view of the gauges.

Well that is what I found with my 1957. The original wheel allowed me to see the speedo anything smaller cut into my view. oWEN

Its not the custom gauge cluster as the top portion of it is just the way the general made it.The steering wheel is 15 1/2" in diameter but I lowered where the column went in thru the firewall to allow clearence for the power break booster and the first steering universal joint,and to raise the steering wheel off of my lap and to put a stronger batter on it so it fealt more like the feel of a modern car .I just took some photos I will post them shortly.

I also re set the seat postion and reclined it a bit and can see the gauges slightley better.I will have to check my notes I may be missing a spacer on the way I have the front of the seats mounted. Maybee I just need to add a spacer on the front of the seat mounts

 

[IH2LOSE]

What it looks like as if I was driving it

Here is a picture from the side view showing how much room I gained (or think I gained) from the custom cluster and lowering the column thru the firewall

 

[John Mcgraw]

Larry,

I did not get anything done on the car this weekend, I had a bunch of stuff to do on the house that has been building up since I have been off my feet!
I have not mounted the seats for the final time, but I expect to do so in the next day or so. I think that mine is going to look just about like yours does. I set mine up so that the ring of the wheel would line up with the top of the cluster. I raised my column up in the cluster as far as the steel support would allow me to. I considered notching the cluster support to allow me to raise the column another 1/2", but decided it was not worth the work!
As long as it does not obstruct any of the numbers on the tach or the Spedo, I will be happy! I don't think that you are going to get any better with a 15" wheel, especially since both of us moved the wheel closer to the cluster, which just makes the problem worse. Just learn to slouch down in the seat! LOL Here are some pics of the carpet installed. The pics just do not do justice to this nice square weave, wool carpet!
Regards, John McGraw

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1354178

 

[IH2LOSE]

John the creme of the dash area is outstanding and a great choice it blends in with the carpet perfect.


I did not understand what you meant by wool,Now I know and it looks great.

as for the emergency brake bezel,Did you figure out how to mount it? I took some plate aluminum (like the bezel) and made several slices in the rear of it (latererly) and was able to bend nicely to be able to follow the contures of the tunnel.I just need to do it to my bezel now.

From you photos on the carpets.It looks as thought the floor area goes in last.Will mine be the same? If yes then I am going to install all of my carpets with the exception of the floor area.

What are you doing with the trunk area. same carpets?

After installing my dash pad I have a new respect for the fellow who did yours and rich's out of leather

Speak to you soon.

I did NO work on the car on Sunday as I had to work the entire day from 6 am till the night at a street fair promoting the fireplace buisness.

 

[John Mcgraw]

Larry,

You are correct that the floor carpets are the last ones to go in. The tunnel piece nearest the glovebox and the front tunnel piece in front of the center console go in first followed by the center tunnel piece that the shifter mounts in, and then the floor carpets. I have not yet made the bezel for the E-brake handle, but am anticipating that I will make it out of .060" aluminum and bend it to fit the shape of the tunnel. I am fabricating panels for the sides and the front of the trunk area out of the same material that I used for the door panels, and then padding and upholstering them with matching material. I am going to use the carpet only on the trunk floor.

Regards, John McGraw

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

Heh Larry,

Just wanted to say the Solid Axle looks good. Hang in there. These Fiber galss Monsters can really pi_s you off. Sometimes they fight you tooth and nail.

But all the more sweeter when done. I am enjoying watching your car transform and be reborne into your expression of the art of the Corvette. It's great to see the Generals First American Sports Car come back to life in your hands.

Keep up the Most Excellent work ..and expect to get into more fights with the car. But....as long as your here on the forum you can vent...

 

[IH2LOSE]

Mark a sincere thank you for the word of encouragement.

You know its real nice to know you guys are in my courner. To me it really feels like a team effort on this car

 

[Viet Nam Vett]

Mark a sincere thank you for the word of encouragement.

You know its real nice to know you guys are in my courner. To me it really feels like a team effort on this car

Oh it is a team effort... Belive me. With out you guys to get advice from and Vent at ..I would have never started my conversion. This forum and its Fantastic people have saved me tons of money and given me the best advice you can get anywhere.

I remember working on my car nee deep in grease and running into a problem only to run in and jump on the puter and head out to the forum for the answer. Then....later come back in and wipe the grease of the keys...:L

Also having John Z...... Bill Bradley...SWC Duke.. and many other experts to numerous to mention is a blessing to the Corvette Community...


So...we keep going till we finish and get to drive our cars on that beautiful blue sky warm day with a big smile from ear to ear..

Yes.....It Is Worth It..!!!