[hellerods]

It is looking very sharp Mark. What color will you paint it ? I like the white, but seems a little tame. Have fun at the show, I wish I were going myself

[marks73ta]

I tend to lean towards the white. But in a pearl type paint. Something with a little bit of life to it, more than just a plain white. I've also been thinking, if I do stay with white. I may do the interior in red. I was hell bent on and love black interiors. But I'm beginning to think red would be so different, with the white exterior. Most any other experior color would warrent a black interior again. Just some thoughts. Probably a ways off before anything happens. It would be easy to keep it plain old white for the time being and I could still do the red interior. Mark L

[twooldgoats]

Originally Posted by marks73ta

I tend to lean towards the white. But in a pearl type paint. Something with a little bit of life to it, more than just a plain white. ...... Mark L

I've been going through this with my '60. I will paint it white (the original color) because it's so practical in the desert with these old cars. I was going to liven it up with pearl, but I decided on flames instead. I plan to do the whole car first, then add the flames (coming out of the front wheel wells and halfway back the doors) as time permits.

I vote for a red interior, Mark. White with a red interior is a great combination. By the way, pearl is a separate coat all by itself--not part of the white. That's why I finally decided against it--time and money. With a pearl, you paint base coat, pearl, then clear, so it's called a tri-coat.

Jim

[Steve Barcak]

I got to see and look over the car with Mark yesterday and think it looks good on the outside just as it is. Great stance and very clean looking.
I would consider blue interior. Many of the SD Pontiacs ( Tempests, etc ), as well as later ones ( early TAs for an example) were white with blue interior and always looked great. My 61 Safari is also white with blue int.
I always looked at white with blue int as Pontiac racing colors.
Any chance of a blue interior consideration?

[marks73ta]

Hey Jim, thanks for the input and the info on the pearl paint.
Steve. The original interior was blue, plus blue or blue colors are my favorite. But I thought I would look at something different. Black has always been my choice of interior colors but it is used almost too much. I have a bolt with several yards of a soft black leather like vinyl that was originally to go into the interior. But, who knows. I still have plenty of time to think about it. Mark L

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

... I always looked at white with blue int as Pontiac racing colors...

Not to mention that they're official U.S.A. racing colors.

[Bill Eveland]

Mark, have you ever looked in to the front only seat upholstry kit from Kanter? They have plenty of colors to choose from and will send free samples.

[marks73ta]

No Bill, thanks for that tip. I didn't know anyone did that. It makes sense but I just never thought of it. We have a lot of upholstery shops down here that do really nice work for really reasonable costs. I had one estimate done a year ago. For reupholstering the front seat in plain black leather like for $200. But I hadn't made up my mind about what kind of seats I had settled on yet. Although that was a "weekly" special I'm sure I can get it again.
Kanter is a good source however, so I'll look into it.
Again, thanks Bill for the tip.

Mark L

[Bill Eveland]

If you can get it done for 200 thats great if you want black. The kit sells for 250 but at least have an option of pleats and colors . Local shop around here is real good but wanted 700 to do mine. So the cheap racing seats will be in for awhile.

[twooldgoats]

Originally Posted by marks73ta

Hey Jim, thanks for the input and the info on the pearl paint.
...... Mark L

I've been doing some more reading about paint (getting ready to paint my '60) and I discovered some more information about pearl paint. One book mentioned just being able to add the pearl to the paint and not shooting it as a separate step, so maybe you could go that route. My work with pearl was repair on new (or almost new) cars and we always did it in three stages (base color coat, pearl and clear).

Just to set the record straight. I don't like to be a purveyor of misinformation.

You must be making some serious progress, since you haven't posted in a few days. I'm on my last round of primer sanding before shooting final paint next week. See you at Pontiac Heaven (two weeks from tomorrow).

Jim

[marks73ta]

Hey Jim. Thanks again for the paint updates. The thrash on the car and doing the Central Cruise with that full day, 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, plus all the fun and sun kind of did me in. I guess I am getting old after all. I had to take a few days off from the car. I go and look at the car and go back in the house. Well I have to close up the floor around the shifter after cutting the bejesus out of it. So I pulled the seat today and will start rebuilding the floor tomorrow. I have to find a way to pump the water from the rear radiator to the front and back, so I'm working on that as I build the floor up. Guess I just have to buck up and buy a good remote electric pump. Looking forward to seeing you and your wife at the Pontiac Heaven show too. Not far away hey? Mark L

[marks73ta]

I had to build a shifter porch. Not pretty but it works. I'll grind down/clean up the welds and paint it. It'll get covered with carpeting along with the floor when the time comes. The top is a piece of aluminum diamond plate that has enough room ahead of the shifter to allow switches to be installed.





Originally I opened up the floor all around the frame rails and the cross member so I'm going to cut away the floor on a level with the cross bars that mount the seat in. Then close it back up with flat pieces of sheet. That will close up the floor.



I've already made the rear bulkhead but I made it all the way to the floor. But never really finished it. So I'm going to run a square tubing brace across from side to side about 1 foot off of the floor and build a box where the back seat was. It'll give me a shelf to put things on and a box with a lift up lid to hide things too. The I'll finish the rear bulk head down to the brace. It'll clean up that bottom area too. This how it looks now.



I have a remote 50 GPM water pump coming so I'll be able to do all of the coolant runs from the trunk to the front and back now. That'll be a big job too. Lots to do yet.

Mark L

[60man]

Looks good to me Mark...
One skill I wish I would have honed was welding...I can "Jack -leg" weld but thats it..
I don't weld on my race car..

[marks73ta]

Seriously I should not be welding. But I can't afford to have someone do it for me or for me to buy a really good welder. The really important stuff I take to a local hot rod chassis builder and I have him tig it for me. That way me and others on the highway will be safer. Mark L

[60man]

Sounds like me Mark.. I'll do non critical stuff...but rely on certified guys for important stuff. Fortunatly I have a few friends who are great welders and willing to help out..
Jack Gaydosh made road trip to install my swing out bar & do wheelie bars..and a few other items while here.....that way I know car will meet NHRA standards..and be safe
Jack is a great guy...and engine builder!!
Another friend just welded frame brackets for AllPontiac front plate..

Whoops...just reminded me..I need to pay Bob C.

Keep up the good work...

[marks73ta]

The world is full of bad people, but the really good people thankfully out number them. Seems you only hear about the bad. Thank you to all the great people out there. MArk L

[60man]

Originally Posted by marks73ta

The world is full of bad people, but the really good people thankfully out number them. Seems you only hear about the bad. Thank you to all the great people out there. MArk L

Amen Brother...

[mechanickeith]

Originally Posted by marks73ta

Seriously I should not be welding. Mark L

Boy...I can vouch for that!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[marks73ta]

I didn't way you could agree with me Keith!!! LOL.

Anonymous caller.

[marks73ta]

I went to work closing in the passenger side floor. Had to work it around the steel 1X1 tubes that the seat bolts to. You can see where I also had to jump the floor up so I can run the coolant from the radiator in back up to the front. The seat rear mounting tube was so low it was too tight above the ladder bar crossmember and would have forced me to run the cooling tubes into the trans tunnel, which bothered me in case I should snap a U joint. If if did it would have hit the water tubes and dropped water all over the place. With the floor popping up there I can run the water supply up and over the crossmember but under the floor away from the driveshaft. Then I used automotive chaulking to seal the weld joints and I used a brush on bed liner on top of that.





This is what it looked like before the metal was put in.



I'll get some sound deadener and custom cut and fit some carpeting. I just have to do the same to the other side now.

I'm also making a raised box where the back seat was. This will have an angle iron frame and a hinged wood top so I can store stuff under it and lock it up. It'll get carpeted to look like the floor and it will finish off the rear area much nicer.

Mark L