Captainkirk's Duster project
Don't know where we come from // Don't know where we're going to // But if any of us should have a reason // we would be the last to know ...
Steppenwolf
Straight out of the chute, this project got off on the wrong foot. Once I got the engine stripped down to the bare nubs, I realized I didn't have enough money to complete the block work. Start it, yes. But this was more than a simple dip-and-hone. I'd left the crank in its cast-iron cradle to keep it from warping, but had removed the pistons and rods. Good thing I decided to open it up; several of the compression rings were stuck completely closed and one oil control ring broke as I removed the piston. I bagged and tagged everything and covered the block up on the stand, and set to work on the engine bay.
My first attempts at cleaning the rust spots off were wimpy and futile. I used an air grinder with 3M RoLoc discs, but it was like pissing on a forest fire to put it out. I tried to work around the K-frame, but it slowly dawned on me that it , along with the rest of the suspension, would have to come out, if I was gonna do this right.
Right then and there, the magnitude of this project smacked me right between the eyes.
Again, the hurdle was all mental. Once you've made the decision to shoot or not shoot, all that's left is the squeezing of the trigger.
I squeezed it.
Meanwhile, the lifeless carcass of the motor had sat unmolested through the winter as I saved up my pennies and dimes for the engine work. In the spring of '06 I finally called Tony and told him I'd be delivering the block.
I went to pull the crank, and was properly horrified to discover a film of rust on the rod journals as well as the cylinders. I silently (well, OK, aloud , though nobody was within earshot) cursed myself for leaving the opened-up motor sitting so long. My bad. The crank had been the one and only pristine part left on the motor ..nice going, doofus.
I delivered the motor to Tony and set upon the suspension, removing the entire K-frame and everything that attached to it, including the torsion bars in about a two week span. By this time, I'd found the FABO (For A-bodies Only) website, and the help the members gave me was (and remains) invaluable. After some suspenseful moments with the torsion bars, I got everything, including the K-frame, out.
Now I had room to work on this thing. I climbed in, sat down on an overturned 5 gallon pail, and got busy.
Now, this was the ticket. It went on like flat black paint; in fact, that's what it looked like. So, I bought a couple cans and headed home, gung-ho to try it out.
Now; how to get rid of the rust and the rough surfaces? I pondered this a while. Sandblasting? No . I'd have sand in every nook and cranny of the garage (not to mention the car). Chemical stripper? You're nuts. Too much mess, plus you've gotta neutralize it. Electric drill with wire wheel? Naaaah . Too much surface area. I'd have to buy em by the gross (the wire wheels, that is). DA sander? Body grinder? Yeah, right . Look at all the humps and bumps everywhere . That'll go over like a lead balloon.
In the end, I settled on the old tried and true ..sandpaper. Regular old 100 grit rough-cut paper. I was amazed at how quickly it cut down the rust and peeling paint to bare metal, and smoothed out the rest of the paint. Once I'd got the rust off, I went over everything with 320, cleaned it off with denatured alcohol, and started spraying. It was a vast improvement. As fall and winter were coming on, I knew the rust converter would keep until spring, when I could shoot a coat of primer sealer. Maybe by then I'd have made up my mind for sure on a color.
The problem is, the li'l red minx looked so hot! I guess I need to keep telling myself that this is a new project; not the minx or the Duke, but an individual with a persona all its own. I wouldn't even be worried about it at this point in the game; except that I have to decide on a color and shoot the engine bay before the motor goes in. What I mean is , I need to convince myself that painting the engine bay Winchester Metallic Gray is the way to go. And I know that it is. I just miss that red car so much sometimes .
1) Engine, ready to yank like a bad tooth
2) Another shot
3) A dismaying sight...looks like I have my work cut out for me.
A TALE OF TWO DUSTERS
.PART II
Don't know where we come from // Don't know where we're going to // But if any of us should have a reason // we would be the last to know ...
Steppenwolf
Straight out of the chute, this project got off on the wrong foot. Once I got the engine stripped down to the bare nubs, I realized I didn't have enough money to complete the block work. Start it, yes. But this was more than a simple dip-and-hone. I'd left the crank in its cast-iron cradle to keep it from warping, but had removed the pistons and rods. Good thing I decided to open it up; several of the compression rings were stuck completely closed and one oil control ring broke as I removed the piston. I bagged and tagged everything and covered the block up on the stand, and set to work on the engine bay.
My first attempts at cleaning the rust spots off were wimpy and futile. I used an air grinder with 3M RoLoc discs, but it was like pissing on a forest fire to put it out. I tried to work around the K-frame, but it slowly dawned on me that it , along with the rest of the suspension, would have to come out, if I was gonna do this right.
Right then and there, the magnitude of this project smacked me right between the eyes.
Again, the hurdle was all mental. Once you've made the decision to shoot or not shoot, all that's left is the squeezing of the trigger.
I squeezed it.
Meanwhile, the lifeless carcass of the motor had sat unmolested through the winter as I saved up my pennies and dimes for the engine work. In the spring of '06 I finally called Tony and told him I'd be delivering the block.
I went to pull the crank, and was properly horrified to discover a film of rust on the rod journals as well as the cylinders. I silently (well, OK, aloud , though nobody was within earshot) cursed myself for leaving the opened-up motor sitting so long. My bad. The crank had been the one and only pristine part left on the motor ..nice going, doofus.
I delivered the motor to Tony and set upon the suspension, removing the entire K-frame and everything that attached to it, including the torsion bars in about a two week span. By this time, I'd found the FABO (For A-bodies Only) website, and the help the members gave me was (and remains) invaluable. After some suspenseful moments with the torsion bars, I got everything, including the K-frame, out.
Now I had room to work on this thing. I climbed in, sat down on an overturned 5 gallon pail, and got busy.
***
I had tried using brush-on rust converter on the bare metal pitting once I'd removed the surface rust. It hardened to a rough, hard black finish, but I was not happy with the end result. I happened to be up at the hardware store, looking for something different to use, when I saw a new product; Rust-Oleum spray-on rust converter.Now, this was the ticket. It went on like flat black paint; in fact, that's what it looked like. So, I bought a couple cans and headed home, gung-ho to try it out.
Now; how to get rid of the rust and the rough surfaces? I pondered this a while. Sandblasting? No . I'd have sand in every nook and cranny of the garage (not to mention the car). Chemical stripper? You're nuts. Too much mess, plus you've gotta neutralize it. Electric drill with wire wheel? Naaaah . Too much surface area. I'd have to buy em by the gross (the wire wheels, that is). DA sander? Body grinder? Yeah, right . Look at all the humps and bumps everywhere . That'll go over like a lead balloon.
In the end, I settled on the old tried and true ..sandpaper. Regular old 100 grit rough-cut paper. I was amazed at how quickly it cut down the rust and peeling paint to bare metal, and smoothed out the rest of the paint. Once I'd got the rust off, I went over everything with 320, cleaned it off with denatured alcohol, and started spraying. It was a vast improvement. As fall and winter were coming on, I knew the rust converter would keep until spring, when I could shoot a coat of primer sealer. Maybe by then I'd have made up my mind for sure on a color.
***
The problem with the color thing is this; I want to paint this car the color it was when it left the factory; Winchester Metallic Gray. Thats the color of the doorposts, the underside of the deck lid, etc. And thats the color it should be. Its a nice looking color, although somewhat rare, from what I understand. All the more reason to go with the original, right? So what's the problem?The problem is, the li'l red minx looked so hot! I guess I need to keep telling myself that this is a new project; not the minx or the Duke, but an individual with a persona all its own. I wouldn't even be worried about it at this point in the game; except that I have to decide on a color and shoot the engine bay before the motor goes in. What I mean is , I need to convince myself that painting the engine bay Winchester Metallic Gray is the way to go. And I know that it is. I just miss that red car so much sometimes .
1) Engine, ready to yank like a bad tooth
2) Another shot
3) A dismaying sight...looks like I have my work cut out for me.
