Restoration Commence.

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Jered

Jered

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Oct 20, 2010
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Prattville, AL
Well, first the backstory. The car is a 1973 Duster with a 225 Slant 6 that my grandpa purchased new. He then handed it down to my dad when I was about 10. Long story short, the oil pump seized and the engine cracked. I believe it also slung a rod. So it has sat for nearly 15 years. I talked my dad into letting me have it so that I could restore it and keep it as a family heirloom. Well today I had it moved to my house. Get this. Today is Saturday the 23rd of October. Monday of this week a new guy was hired at the place where I work. I was assigned to train him. After talking to him and getting to know him, come to find out he restores 66 and 67 mustangs. He's in his fifties and has been doing it for almost 30 years. So we talk about cars and I tell him about the Duster and he offers to drive 45 min out of his way, come and pick up the car, drive another 20 min to my house and drop it off at no cost, wouldn't even let me pay for his gas! I had been sweating the cost of getting it moved because my wife and I are expecting our second child. Talk about answered prayer. On top of all that, he gives me a portable garage knowing that I had no place to work on it other than the driveway. Anyways, sorry for the long story. I just had to give credit to God for his incredible blessings.

As for the car, it's a '73 Duster with a 225 Slant 6 as stated earlier. Engine plans are to drop in a 318. Exteriorly my biggest concern is getting rid of the rust before any further damage is done. Hopefully I'll find good metal underneath. Fortunately, as far as I know the car has never been in any accident. I'm planning on going with a different paint color than the original green. I'm leaning an extremely deep gloss black. That could change though because I also like Plum Crazy Purple and the wife mentioned red. We'll worry about that when the time comes. I do want to convert to a 70-72 grill and hood though. It looks more sleek and aggressive.

Let me know what you think. Below are some pictures from today, getting the car delivered to my house.

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My wife and daughter.
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The cassette tape in the floor board was absolutely hilarious to me.
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You have to be ready to dive right in! Im sure all of us can relate to how GREAT it feels when that new project hits our driveway for the first time. The fact that the car has been in your family since it was new makes it even more exciting. Keeps the pics of your prgress and enjoy the hell out of the build!!!!!
 
Best of luck on this project!! Sounds like you already got it!:cheers: Nice cassette, love that record. lol. Musta been your gramp's or your dad's, that one is the same year as your car, Im sure you will find some more interesting stuff as you go
 
The rust doesn't look too bad if it is only on the outside. Worst is when your have rust-thrus from the inside, usually first behind the front and rear wheels. I don't see that. It looks like the sun degraded the paint on horizontal surfaces and then they rusted. I would use a wire brush on a drill to remove it on the outside (safety glasses!), especially on the C-pillar, to see how pitted it is. If lucky, it will clean up to smooth metal fairly quick.

Once you get to bare metal, you can spray rattle-can primer. I suggest a "self-etching" primer. But don't paint over rust pits - they will return. If you can't brush out or sand the pits away, look at rust-converting primers to seal it in the pits. If you can't put in the effort yet to get it ready for primer, a neat product I just started using is Rustoleum Rust Inhibiter. It is a clear petroleum product in a spray can, I guess between WD-40 and the cosmoline grease they coat military rifles with. The advantage is you can remove it easily when ready to do a full job. I spray it on nuts and bolts after I wire-brush the rust, but don't want to paint and wait days to install (and lose them).
 
Congratulations on finding a new friend and a very helpfull and caring person.
I see a great Duster that is in good shape Jered, Looks like your dad enjoyed Pink Floyd like most of us, I like the fact that it's been in your family and will keep an eye on this thread.
Welcome to this great site and enjoy every minute you get to enjoy this restoration
 
Thanks for all the positive comments and tips. Has anyone heard of a product called Osfo, I think that's what it's called? That's what the guy that hauled the car recommended. I plan on starting next week. Any specific kind of wire brush Bill? Thanks in advance.
 
Cool, another heirloom and another '73 resto. Paint (and rust) looks a lot like mine before I buffed it. Not a lot of paint on those '73s.

You are going to want to use the Ospho on non- finish painted surfaces (think floorboards, chassis, etc) and strip that rust abrasively. The way rust pits the surface, it's a big risk that it will bubble later. My Beetle painted 8 years ago is proof.
 
Good luck,looks like someone like the indoor outdoor carpet,Pink Floyd is Mine and Cindy Fave band.when we first started dating some 26 years ago i had 74 Duster sweet cars.
 
Looks like a great project, and its awesome that it has family history for you!
 
Green1- The only reason it was strapped by the doors is because it had been so long since the door had been opened, when I got in to steer the car straight onto the trailer and got out to shut the door the button had gotten stuck and the door wouldn't latch close. Sprayed on some good ol' wd-40 in it and it came right out though after we had ran a strap from that door handle underneath the car to the other. Also $10 HD Sandblaster? More info please.
 
That is what my buddy was saying that Ospho stuff would do? I'm guessing from the name that it would be phosphorus based rather than tannin based.
 
The pressure pot style blasters work so much better. I have not used either the siphon or pressure style in open space, but I have used both styles in cabinet form. There is no comparison. Whether you spend $10, $60 (for HF small pressure style), or more, the media will cost way more than the blaster. Do some research. The siphon style is certainly worth having, but for that scale of job, you might want to spend a bit more upfront for better results. With either style, you want a quality water separator. That seems to make all the difference.
 
This is the sandblaster I recently got and it's served me extremely well. I highly recommend it. The exact same blaster is available with different name brands on it though, not just GRIP. I bought my GRIP one at the local Ace Hardware for around $125. It includes a rudimentary hood, 4 ceramic nozzles, and a funnel. You'll have to provide a filter. It has a built-in auto-drain moisture trap, but of course you'll want one off of the compressor as well.

http://www.dynamitetoolco.com/Grip-15009-10-Gallon-Sandblaster-p/grp-15009.htm

At the same time, I bought a really good moisture trap for the compressor, a Parker. It was about $44. This was in addition to the trap that was already on the compressor to begin with. It was probably overkill, but we had wasted so much time trying to get a siphon feed blaster to work at all, that I wasn't taking any chances.

I wouldn't recommend a siphon feed blaster at all, and I'll sure never use one again. What a waste of time.

Good luck, looks like a fun project!
 
Jered,

I buy a pack of ~6 assorted wire brushes for electric drills at Harbor Freight on sale (~$4.) Usually the disk ones work best, and the small ones for inner corners. When the rust is minimal, it comes off as fast as you move the brush. Sometimes it looks bad, but cleans up fast. If pitted, you can work a long time and never get all. Then have to look at rust converters and epoxy fillers (Bondo). As you work, some wire bristles disappear. Some fling towards your eyes, so wear good glasses, goggles, or face mask. Before priming go back over with sandpaper and/or Scotchbrite, and clean with solvents like alcohol, laquer thinner, MEK, or acetone. Also, first clean oil or grease with gasoline, kerosine, or mineral spirits.
 
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