[68bird400HO]

Originally Posted by keith k

For reference, on Van Nuys cars the VIN plate wasn't installed until after the dash was painted, so it would be black on a VN car...

Painted black or black phosphate plated? It seems the few 70-71 VN cars I have observed had more of the characteristics of the black phosphate plating.

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by Gator67

I have one, but I can't tell from the assembly manual how/where it should be mounted. Does anyone have a photo or description? I also need the bracket for it...I'm hoping someone has an extra I could purchase.

I figured out that the muffler sits on a tray attached to the inner fender (which I've located) but how is it secured to the tray?

[1970TA]

Mine just sits on it the lines are so stiff it will not move. But it could have something that holds it but I have not seen one on the cars I looked at.

[keith k]

Originally Posted by 68bird400HO

Painted black or black phosphate plated? It seems the few 70-71 VN cars I have observed had more of the characteristics of the black phosphate plating.

Agree the ones I've seen look more like phosphate plating then black paint....

[Gator67]

Originally Posted by 1970TA

Mine just sits on it the lines are so stiff it will not move. But it could have something that holds it but I have not seen one on the cars I looked at.

There seems to be an indentation on the muffler's coozy in the shape of some sort of clamp...but it could just as easily be from the way it was sitting in the box with other parts for the last 15 years.

[Gator67]

Two things came up yesterday...

First, the aftermarket weatherstripping that came with the car is garbage. It feels like cheap foam pipe insulation. Is there a good alternative to the $1,500 NOS sets I see on eBay?

Second, I do not have the correct alternator. Does anyone have a spare 1100903 they'd be willing to sell me?

[Gator67]

Still looking for feedback on the weather stripping.

I found a correct alternator and a/c muffler bracket.

Car now has steering and brakes--first time in over a decade. Most of the components on the firewall are now in place.

We fired up the motor with the original (but refurbished) 1112024 distributor, date coded wires and new plugs...no issues. It's now back at the shop where the car is being assembled. The motor should be back in the car by the end of the week.

[68bird400HO]

I think the Metro brand weatherstripping fits and seals well. It does have a lighter feel to it though.

[Gator67]

I have a like new set of Goodyear Polyglas G60 15s (reproductions).

Wondering if I should mount these on my JWs or sell them and spring for a new set of F's. I don't mind non-factory wider size and it would be great to save some coin, but I'm not sure if they'll rub or whether they'll balloon too much. Thoughts?

[Gator67]

Sometimes the simplest things are the most frustrating. Today it's pulleys that won't seem to line-up. In short, the crank pulley v seems to be about 1/8 inch further forward than fan pulley v and I don't know why this is the case. I'm hoping someone can tell me where I've gone wrong....

The timing chain cover is 9796346, and the water pump is stock replacement unit, 4.5 inches in height. The balancer is new, but it has the same dimensions as the unit it replaced. The pulleys are as follows:
480509XS AC
480513YM Power steering
480512YL Fan
480508XR Crank (this is a Parts Place reproduction on loan...still haven't scored a factory unit)

[njsteve]

Is the balancer bolted up and fully seated against the crank timing chain gear? It is some crazy torque spec if I remember correctly, like 125 ftlbs.

[Held for Ransom]

Let's hope Steve you tightened it to 160 ftlbs. I remember because standard torque wrenches only go to 150 ftlbs.

[Gator67]

I should be receiving the interior (Legendary), carb (Cliff), gauges (auto instruments) and alternator (Ken Bruno) in the next week or two.

I received the dash bezel from Randy Coombs. As you can see from the photo, it turned out great. I'll be replacing the bezel rings with some that have been properly chromed, however.

I finished the JWs, all five turned out great. The lighting in the photo makes the charcoal color looks darker than it is in reality. I also decided to run the G60s I have in my possession, at least for the time being. They clean up nicely with a little Bleche White.

I also included a photo of what I was confronted with when the project started. Everything you see on the floor, and on the shelf in the back corner of the shop, came with the car. The car was also packed with stuff as well.

There's a photo of the car with the front clip being fit prior to paint--the NOS chin and wheel spoilers fit almost perfect right out of the gate.

[Gator67]

I thought the frame of this front seat might be bent, but after breaking it down it looks like the previous owner's upholstery shop just did a poor job aligning the foam padding. I'll have to take a closer look but the frame looks absolutely straight.

Can't decide whether I should have the frames blasted and powder coated or whether I should just leave them be. Interior from Legendary should be here on Tuesday. I felt kind of bad replacing a perfectly good (and new) set of seat covers, but the ones that came with the car just looked too light (silvery).

I need to find two nice headrest escutcheons. Can't believe these aren't reproduced. Should they be painted interior color or black?

[Gator67]

The car came with new leaf springs which I used. I'd be inclined to wait to see if they settle down, but I doubt they'll lose 3 inches any time soon. Any recommendations for springs that will help her sit at a close to correct height?

[RicksGTO]

Mine came down a lot with the additions of the exhaust system, gas tank/gas, rear window, spare tire/jack and interior. The items that are fully over the rear axle or behind it have the most effect on it. I'd wait and see, also are those tires the same size as what you plan to run since that could take up some space too.

[Gator67]

I called Mr G, and it turned out after all these years he still had a few chrome gauge rings available. I bought them and detailed the insides with some black paint. I used some latex frisket as masking--I didn't want to risk lifting the chrome. They're not perfect, but they look very nice in the bezel that Randy Coombs did for me.

I also received the gauges from Auto Instruments. They did a super nice job. The after photo doesn't do them justice. I attached a before photo of the original gauges for reference.

I've been planning to use an NOS dashpad (shown in the photo), though I have an old reproduction that looks as nice and seems to fit better. I'm tempted to use that instead since it's already dyed the correct bright blue color.

[Gator67]

Finally got around to opening the box of door panels I received from Legendary. Overall, they look tons better than what came with the car. The material seems thicker, the backing is more sturdy, and the color is closer. They're not perfect--for example, the "curves" on the uppers are not as smooth as I would like (almost like the backing underneath the material folded instead of bent) but I'm not sure if I could expect better if I went through the hassle of exchanging them. I guess I'll be pouring through interior photos to see how these would stack up.

[1973Formula]

Lookin' good. Keep posting your progress.

[Gator67]

The underside of the hood has a little too much gloss in it, but it looks much better now than it did previously--for some reason, someone used a thick layer of bed liner type material.

The previous owner had the car painted but the front clip and spoilers needed to be finished. Thankfully the new paint seems to match up well with what's on the shell. The previous owner also had stripes installed on the roof and trunk. These will be removed and replaced with a set I purchased from Greg.