[njsteve]

Running out of things to do at the moment so I decided to tackle the annoying unused and incorrect mounting hole in the top of the radiator shroud that comes standard when you buy the new/repro GM shroud.

Here's the before shot:




What I ended up doing was getting a 1/2" hole saw and boring out a 1/2" plug from the burned/melted original shroud that I've had hanging in the garage:



I then carefully filed the edges of the plug with a flat file and used a small rat tail file to file the hole in the new shroud. When I was satisfied with the fit of the plug, I placed a piece of tape on the underside of the hole and filled it with 5 minute sandable epoxy. I then pushed the plug into place. After it sat overnight I used my mini-mouse sander with some 240 grit and made the excess epoxy disapear. A few mist coats of SEM Laundau Black (my new favorite paint) and the repair is invisible.

[TA455HO]

Looking awesome Steve. Can you tell me what type of glue/adhesive you used around the edge of the headliner?

[TransAmRIP]

As usual Steve, great work!

[njsteve]

Originally Posted by TA455HO

Looking awesome Steve. Can you tell me what type of glue/adhesive you used around the edge of the headliner?

Just regular 3M spray adhesive from an auto parts store, nothing special.

[TA455HO]

That's what I figured. My local Wesco paint supply store fellow said it wouldn't hold for very long, but it's good stuff and the trim and visors really helps keep it all in place. The 3M™ Super 77™ Multipurpose Adhesive seems like it should work just fine as well as some of their other flavors.

[njsteve]

Fiddling around with some vintage parts I located years ago. These are a set of NOS Pontiac Trans Am mudflaps.



Lest you think I drilled holes in a brand new paint job, here is the method recommended by a friend in town who has a white, original paint 68 Shelby. He has similar white Ford mudflaps and has them held on when driving with these heavy duty Home Depot mini clamps. He's been running with this set up for a while now and hasn't lost a mudflap yet. I may paint the clamps black so they don't shine so much, but other than that they seem to hold the mudflaps in place quite firmly.

[70RAlll]

Originally Posted by njsteve

Fiddling around with some vintage parts I located years ago. These are a set of NOS Pontiac Trans Am mudflaps.



Lest you think I drilled holes in a brand new paint job, here is the method recommended by a friend in town who has a white, original paint 68 Shelby. He has similar white Ford mudflaps and has them held on when driving with these heavy duty Home Depot mini clamps. He's been running with this set up for a while now and hasn't lost a mudflap yet. I may paint the clamps black so they don't shine so much, but other than that they seem to hold the mudflaps in place quite firmly.

NJSteve- I am sorry to say this, but you have completely lost me(I am sure others feel the same) with these mud flaps.. You were doing so good but these mud flaps..... man oh man... I am just sort of a lost for words....you know... they sold rear bumper guards also for these cars, they looked like sh!t also, why don't you go ahead and put rear bumper guards on also.. you are going to think I am being a jerk by making this statement-and maybe I am, but I am positive others think the same just will not say it.. Man, your car is looking so pure and perfect... why would you start ruining this,after 4 years of work, by adding stuff like mud flaps.. keep it pure and clean line'd like it has been up to now... I am sorry to say this and hope you don't take it too personally.. Sometimes we get "tunnel vision" and ,at least with myself I do, and I always like to hear others opinions whereby they can see something I am missing because of my tunnelvision... I think this is the case with you and the mud flaps...So I hope you won't pe pissed too long with me, but man... these look like sh!t.....

[njsteve]

To put it bluntly - you can have your own opinion no matter how wrong it is. I bet you think rock chips looks really great and original on a car. I personally don't care for them. The lower portion of these cars are a magnet for road damage, especially the rear fender flares. Tell me your magic secret for preventing rock chips and I'd be happy to consider it. These flaps are not permanent, that's why I used the clips, not screw holes.

I drive my cars. I don't trailer them around in $100K hermetically sealed transportation cocoons and then have white lab coated guys move them from one show to another, like some "collectors" do. Other than body work, I do all my own work.

I've had a set of black plastic mudflaps on my 1-of-1 produced hemi '70 Charger R/T-SE for 23 years and no-one has complained yet. Hell, I even ran them on my 71 hemicuda ragtop when I had that car 25 years ago. Here's a couple shots of me beating the crap out of that 1-of-7 produced, ragtops at the Musclecar Nationals in 1986. Note the mudflaps:





I remove the flaps at shows when I get there, I use them on the car when I drive it home. I'm not out to win any awards because, at the end of the day, I get to drive my car home again - that's my award.


If you'd like, I'd be happy to end this entire thread here and not post anything further if it upsets anyone too much.