[OVERULD]

Making progress on the project. I've ordered a bunch of additional parts - here's a list of the major ones:

New Gardner Exhaust system from manifolds to chrome tips.
New Ames Performance Engineering FN390 2.25" cast ram air manifolds for D-Port (Drop-Shipping to Central Connecticut Coatings for Cast Gray Ceramic Coating)
New tachometer gauge and harness to replace the clock.
New Lens for gauges
All new peanut lamps and other lamps for dash lights.
New trunk mat with jute backing
New floor mats
NOS Passenger Grille
Heater Hose Kit with tower clamps
Heater hose support brackets for inner fenders and front of engine block
Door handle decals in body color

Yesterday, MPR got started on the plug for the antenna hole



Today, he got it welded in and started filling and prepping.



Also got the rust out of the driver side fender and found more rust holes on the inner portion of the fender. Not sure how this even got there. It had built up to the point of actually deflecting the outer skin up a little.



Got the inner patch panel made. Will fabricate an outer as well and then seal between them to prevent it coming back.



Starting to get some traction on this project. Hoping to have the big stuff done in time to take the car to the BOPC show on May 6th.

BJ

[Judge273]

Pretty darn awesome to see progress. Open checkbook too...love this hobby!

Where did you find the door handle decals in body color?

[unruhjonny]

good catch on the replacement gauge lens - I totally forgot about that one...

[OVERULD]

Originally Posted by Judge273

Pretty darn awesome to see progress. Open checkbook too...love this hobby!

Where did you find the door handle decals in body color?

Mike, no kidding about opening the checkbook! But man is this car going to be a fun cruise-in car. I've got my 1973 high school graduation cap tassle hanging from the rear view mirror, and my college Fraternity decal and University of Tennessee decals on order for the back window - recreating my Big Man On Campus car from 1975! Having a blow-up print of me and the original car made to show then and now.

I found the decals at Firebird Central.com. The closest color they had was "Brown" but MPR says he can paint them to match the Fire Coral Bronze.

Here is a link. https://www.firebirdcentral.com/1970...p/stn-2292.htm

BJ

[77 Canamman]

GM sold the door handle tape in colors, and also in basic white with instructions to paint them to match your vehicle.

[Judge273]

Thanks BJ sounds good!

[OVERULD]

More progress today. The NOS grille for the passenger side came in by UPS today. We knew that the front upper fascia had to be removed to get the grille inserts out, and also so that we could remove the filler panel for painting, so MPR took it off yesterday.









Lots of fasteners and screws hold that filler panel in place.





I knew the lower fascia had some old cracks on the driver's side that had been repaired with metal strips and rivets in the past. MPR is going to remove those as needed and use some of the newer epoxy bonding materials available now to build that area back up and we'll throw some color on it, then clear the whole lower fascia before putting it back on.







Passenger side looks fine - but was the metal strip brace factory or added when the other side got repaired?



Tried to get a photo of the part number and date code of the upper fascia, but may have to wait until we take out the Grille to get a better shot. Look at the 1-12 number sequence - was that a date code of sorts? Circle which month it was made in?



MPR got the driver's side patch in. Here is the inner patch tack welded in place



And coated with rust inhibiting coating from above and beneath before top patch gets welded in.



Top patch in place, ready to weld



And working on the filler and prepping for primer



Found this connector disconnected from the temp sending unit at the rear of the driver side head.



This one was added at some point, and the wire disappears in to the wire loom behind the alternator. Gauge on dash works. Wonder why they did it this way? Would probably like to reuse the original. Are they readily available? I can try plugging it back in and disconnecting the other - see if gauge still works? And where is a good place to get the foil tubing from the heat shroud to the elbow on the breather snorkel?



Are the two white fuse holders behind the alternator original or added?



More later.

BJ

[njsteve]

That valance is polyethylene and a plastic welder can fix it properly. Commercial body fillers and adhesives don't work too well on reparing them. Here is my thread where I rebuilt two of them for my 72. (A much more difficult job).

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ne#post3331728

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ne#post2718904

[unruhjonny]

those fuse holders are original to 1973/1974 engines;
be VERY careful with them, the white plastic becomes brittle over time to the point that many cars have had these removed.

[OVERULD]

MPR was a busy man today!

He got the lower fascia repaired, primed and ready for paint.





Windshield guy stopped by to pull the trim and check how the old windshield was bedded and check the condition of the clips. All looks good - just waiting for the new windshield with the antenna embedded to arrive



Driver side fender repair ready to be primed



And Primed, ready for paint!



Passenger side fender repair where the old antenna was - ready to be primed.



And primed, ready for paint!



The hood has been buffed and prepped prior to getting some color next to the fender repairs and then cleared. It will go back on the car for the fender paint. MPR will blend the color across the hood and let it fall across the top of the fender, then the fenders and hood will be cleared. He will block and buff in a way that keeps that finish consistent with the best finish we can get on the rest of the car as he restores this single stage metallic paint on the rest of the car.



We are going to clean the engine bay tomorrow and Saturday, and hope to shoot some color on Monday.

BJ

[Bentwheelbob]

Damn....this is like speed dating. Hat's off to you and MPR, everything is looking great. Good luck.

[Held for Ransom]

I don't think they ever coded the header panels. There should be a sequence number written on it though. Did the early panels have the metal brace for the filler piece?

The lower valance looks beat up. The metal braces were there from the factory. It's nice to see the plastic sleeves on them (I've wondered why they were applied).

[77 Canamman]

Preheater hose:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PONTIAC-TA-455-400-350-V8-FORD-AMC-JAVALIN-PRE-HEATER-HOSE-TUBE-18-X-2-96024-/391327447857?fits=Make%3APontiac&hash=item5b1ceefb 31:gQ0AAOSwv-NWU0Vc&vxp=mtr

[OVERULD]

Thanks, so 2" is the correct size? I haven't measured it yet but will tomorrrow.


BJ

[OVERULD]

MPR got some color sprayed today on the header panel-to-bumper filler panel and the lower valance. One coat of adhesion promoter. Second coat gray urethane sealer primer. Three coats PPG base color. Three coats PPG 2021 clear. Tomorrow we get dirty scrubbing the engine compartment whilst consuming cold adult beverages. Love old Pontiacs!

















BJ

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by OVERULD

Thanks, so 2" is the correct size? I haven't measured it yet but will tomorrrow.


BJ

2" is correct.

However,

depending on the year, this material was also used. 1977 used the bright aluminum tube. Not sure in 1974.



Also, some cars had a lower pinch clamp at the shroud. Don't know when that was phased out.

[OVERULD]

Bagged and wrapped, ready for paint tomorrow!





Also got a shipment of parts today - including the new trunk mat to replace the well-worn original. I'm a little concerned that the die-cut openings are not going to line-up. I put pencils with the lead tip at the right edge of the die-cuts on both mats. Anyone had this issue before?



BJ

[OVERULD]

Paint was applied this morning, followed by three coats of PPG clear.









BJ

[The Boss]

Damn you guys are moving quick!

[OVERULD]

Chris,
My Pal Robert, or MPR, responded thus: "Robert don't play! I quit school because of Recess - it was a waste of my time! I'm a one-man shop and we're production-based around here!" Gotta love his work ethic! He's fun to watch, only slows down when a cold beer is in his hand.

BJ