[njsteve]

Great - so he is surgically enhancing nipples now? Can't anything be left au-natural anymore?

[Bentwheelbob]

Getting it out took a bit of surgery. It was pretty far gone.

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

Has anyone used Rust Prevention Magic ("RPM") produced and sold by ECS? I tried it on the prop valve and will interested to see how it holds up. The prop valve was stripped, holes plugged, and then media blasted. Once it was blasted I hit it with the wire wheel. The whole thing then went to White Post and was rebuilt. It was delivered back to me exactly one week I after I mailed it out.

The RPM stuff is like the consistency of somewhat dry mink oil waterproofing. They recommend heating the part with a heat gun/hair dryer, and then applying the product with a stiff natural bristle brush. Let it soak in, and after the part cools rub off the excess. Once finished it has a slight waxy type feel. We are going to do a test sample on a piece of steel and leave it outside. I'll report back the results. Here's the prop valve before and after application. There is no visual difference. The lighting makes the part look shinier than it really is.

So here is the test sample after sitting out in the weather for one week. During the week of exposure it rained almost every day. The sample was bead blasted fist and then RPM applied to one half. There are several slight rust spots beginning to form on the RPM side, but all things considered, I am giving this a thumbs up for now.

[Bentwheelbob]

Well, a few things have gotten done on the Black Car, or at least on the parts I have. We've started stripping the engine down to clean everything up and get it repainted. The exhaust manifolds have been bead blasted, treated with POR15 Metal Prep, and then painted with POR15 High Temp exhaust manifold paint. After applying two coats with 24 hour cure time after each coat, I baked them on the grill for about an hour to heat cure the paint. The intake crossover and heat shield got the same treatment, and the intake has been beaded and is waiting for me to get some paint on the bottom side. The radiator shroud is also fully prepped and ready for paint as soon as it arrives.

Here's a few pictures

[Norwood]

Very nice Bob

[RamAir]

So that's what HO manifolds look like, I can't get an eyeball on mine. Awesome work.

[Bentwheelbob]

Need a little help. Should the exhaust preheater shroud be a manifold gray type color, or more of a galvanized/zinc silver color. I need to clean this one up and not sure what is correct.

Here is the one from the Black Car and the Gold Car.

[78 TA KID]

Bob, I know the exhaust preheater shroud for the 78 should be galvanized/zinc silver color. I assume the black car would be the same.

[RamAir]

[CODE][/CODE]

[Bentwheelbob]

Thanks Doug. A pictures worth a thousand words. That almost looks like stainless. Very even finish and not a spec of rust after 44 years...?

[RamAir]

I'd like to think it's untouched yet somehow the engine is metallic blue with chrome valve covers and unpainted intake.

[Bentwheelbob]

I wasn't questioning originality. Just remarking that it almost looks like stainless as opposed to some type of coated steel.

[RamAir]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

I wasn't questioning originality. Just remarking that it almost looks like stainless as opposed to some type of coated steel.

I didn't think you were. Make sure you keep me in mind for reassembly. Any progress with paint?

[njsteve]

Looks kind of galvanized, stainless-ish look. (yeah I realize this is the stamped version not the seperate welded multi-piece version).

[3tas4me]

I did the exhaust heat shield on my '79 T/A 400 by bead blasting and then painting with Eastwoods exhaust paint. The originals were plated, but the exhaust paint looks very similar. That being said, the shield for your crossover should also be the same.

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by RamAir

I didn't think you were. Make sure you keep me in mind for reassembly. Any progress with paint?

Nope. Mattison got a GTO in line before me and between that and the holidays there has been no action. He's thinking that things will start around first of February. I hope so, because I am going to run out of things to do before long.

I am still looking for a 4 core manual trans radiator with good tanks.

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by 3tas4me

I did the exhaust heat shield on my '79 T/A 400 by bead blasting and then painting with Eastwoods exhaust paint. The originals were plated, but the exhaust paint looks very similar. That being said, the shield for your crossover should also be the same.

Thanks. I'm painting it now with the same 2000 degree exhaust system paint that I used on the Gold Car. I agree on the heat shield, but really believe in the POR15 and all the exposed portions of the shield will get engine blue anyway. At least that was my rationalization.....

[3tas4me]

This is how my '79 heat shield looks today after blasting and painting it 10 years ago and putting over 10K miles on it since. It is holding up well.

[Bentwheelbob]

The exhaust shroud turned out pretty good. I bead blasted it, painted it with Rustoleum high heat exhaust paint, and heat cycled it 3 times in the grill in approximate compliance with the directions. The last heat cycle was on full blast for about 45 minutes. I also painted some of the other crossover related pieces with Eastwood high temp cast iron spray paint to provide a good undercoat for if/when the engine paint burns off. The Eastwood spray is really thin and difficult to get even coloring with.

[The Boss]

Damn!