1970 Swinger 340 Hemi Orange 4 speed

-
Thanks guys! I'm on the homestretch of this grille now. I finished all the masking on it and painted it and it turned out pretty good. It wrinkled on me in two spots (on the top edge and one little spot on the bottom) for some reason.. Tomorrow ill sand the spots out and touch it up. Anyways here's some pics. Took about 10hrs to mask.

I also got my new park light bezels from Mike at BE&A and they're awesome parts! All the correct numbers are on them just like the originals. They are painted the 1971 style so I'm gonna have to paint them as well.

null_zpsc0abbf60.jpg

null_zpsc51b5d6b.jpg

null_zpsfe1297be.jpg

null_zps239f88ac.jpg

null_zps70e4f96f.jpg

null_zps7f3c3f5f.jpg
 
Fixed the wrinkled spots and now it's perfect! I have the light sockets soaking in evaporust and they've come out spotless (they were really rusted) I also ordered a gasket set for the parking light bezels just to get the ones that seal the light sockets to the grille (the parking light bezels only came with the front gaskets and I'm missing the rear ones)

Once all my parts come in it will be complete. I think I've got about 40hrs in this grille so far.

null_zpseb51252a.jpg

null_zps655f1d10.jpg

null_zpsa1eac704.jpg
 
Thanks! It's complete! I just need the gaskets for the parking light sockets (should be here Monday) this grille was definitely a challenge, but so worth it.

null_zps37a9ef5d.jpg

null_zps71d2b332.jpg

null_zpsec34d96b.jpg

null_zps5cfe055a.jpg

null_zps60ad554e.jpg

null_zps8e935976.jpg
 
Love a 70 EV2 Dart, but I might be a little biased, lol. Great work!!!!!

I'm practically eaten up with Orange I've had 4 Orange cars
a 1971 VW Super Beetle Convertible
a 1962 SS Impala
a 1971 Nova
and of course the Dart

I was also very happy to see how you had masked the grille for paint, I had no idea how I was going to prep it for painting!!
 
Thanks guys!

Haha, me too... I love the colour as well and it suites the body style perfectly IMO.

I really gotta get my butt in gear and tear the rest of the car down now and get it blasted before winter comes. I am going to pick up a storage shed so I can put all the parts in it. I'm scared of pulling it apart even more because I already have parts everywhere and I do not wanna lose anything. I figure a 10'x10' should hold everything.
 
I got the back of the car completely stripped and forgot to take a pic. This long weekend I'm gonna strip the rest of the car down and get it ready to be blasted for the following week if everything goes as planned. I had a lot of trouble getting the rear valence off.. It had about an inch of bondo behind the license plate and I couldn't figure out how it was held on there because the bolts were bondo'd over! It looks like my car had a trailer hitch at some point of its life (has holes in the spare tire well for what appears to be an old hitch) it explains why the rear valence was all smashed in from someone's attempt to back up to a trailer. I can't believe someone put so much bondo there!


I'm also rounding up a bunch of parts like the headlight buckets, turn signal hold down brackets, hood latch, truck latch, door latches, regulators, gas filler tube and a bunch of other various parts to get bright zinc plated by a local shop my work deals with. Any bolts that are salvageable will get redone in black phosphate.

null_zps54014277.jpg
 
Here's some other parts I bead blasted and painted. I sprayed them with an etch primer and then black enamel. I'm also dropping some parts of to get zinc plated tomorrow (the stuff in the bag) I had to buy another headlight bucket and mounting bracket for the drivers side, since the one on my car was bent up beyond repair that's why only one is pictured because I just got it today and have to blast and paint it. I'm trying to get all the original finishes on everything. My front hood latch appears to be black originally, is this right?

This weekend I'll hopefully have the car stripped and ready for the blaster! It's been a slow start on the car so far, but I've been keeping busy restoring little things during the week.

null_zps61389aec.jpg

null_zps9c6bc1c7.jpg
 
The holes you drilled in the bondo look like core samples in concrete!
I can't wait to see the car blasted and all of the work you are going to do this winter.
Keep it up, you do good work!
 
Thanks for the compliments! Haha yeah they went a little crazy with the bondo on this poor car..

Today I got a lot of progress done. I have about 90% of the car stripped down, I'm gonna leave the rear axle and front k frame in it so its a roller and easy to get to the blaster. I have to finish removing the gas tank, rear window, body plugs, shocks, gas line and brake lines/master cylinder then its ready for the blaster! I stripped most of the seam sealer as well. I have to remove the undercoating from the rear wheel wells too. I bagged every clip, nut and screw and labeled everything since it will be apart for a while and I don't wanna forget where everything goes.

The head liner was FULL of mouce crap and it was quite a mess once I started ripping it off. I hate mice!

null_zps89641c36.jpg

null_zps664e22ef.jpg

null_zpsd7b7f4c8.jpg

null_zpsfcf78301.jpg

null_zps1aea206d.jpg

null_zps6c28bfd7.jpg

Another little surprise
null_zpsd99a6898.jpg

Here's where one of the assembly workers left the roll of tape.
null_zpsa7dbca47.jpg

Frame rail, Torque boxes and crossmember are solid and have little very little pitting where the floor is rotten, except for that top piece.
null_zpsb8e37b10.jpg
 
I remember being at that stage, it was a very exciting time especially once it came back from the Blaster to really see what I was up against for Metal repair. Can't wait to see the post Blasting pics.
 
Yeah I'm excited to see what's left of it once its blasted, haha. I actually don't think I'll find anymore big surprises once its blasted, My dad and i went over it pretty good once it was stripped and we know where all the bad metal is. The only thing im unsure of is the trunk pan, it was tared and painted over on the top side (bottom side is perfect) so i dont know how pitted it is until its stripped. i have a full AMD trunk pan anyways.

I got the rear window out and what a PITA that was, its never been out before. The Dutch panel and all the pinch weld seams are perfect.

null_zps71c9986e.jpg

null_zps024973ef.jpg

null_zps389a2222.jpg
 
Tomorrow the car is getting blasted! It's going to be a busy day... Tomorrow afternoon the mobile blaster is coming out to do it, they're using glass to strip it and as soon as they are finished I've gotta clean it and epoxy primer it, so It doesn't have a chance of flash rusting. It's supposed to be 30* tomorrow as well, so it's perfect weather.
 
It's blasted! I'm surprised how solid the car is... The trunk pan is perfect. I paid for 5hrs of blasting so its about 95% blasted (didn't do the roof, just the edges) I am going to sand it since he was worried about blastin it because the roof brace wasnt supporting the roof skin. The guy spent about an hour stripping the trunk because someone covered it in roofing tar and it was a pain to remove. The underside is done as well and is solid! I'll get better pics this weekend. I have to epoxy primer it, I'm using DE49 RM epoxy primer.

The first few pics were during the blasting so that's why there is missed spots.
null_zps1019a661.jpg

null_zpsc3bad659.jpg

null_zps34f4c46d.jpg

null_zps47949b98.jpg

null_zpsfddb43d0.jpg

null_zps63046997.jpg

null_zpsfae9dae7.jpg

null_zps3711a124.jpg

null_zps251d7c19.jpg
 
I got some epoxy on it tonight.. I ran out of light and then motivation after working all day and then laying on concrete spraying this nasty stuff. I'll touch up the rest of it this weekend.

This is just to hold it from rusting as I pick away at it panel by panel. Like I said earlier, I'm going to spot blast/evaporust each panel as I go, and epoxy again. I am going to duct tape off all the holes in the front and rear frame rails and pump them full with evaporust as well.

null_zps60b6c417.jpg

null_zps47b37da6.jpg

null_zpse7335bac.jpg

null_zps072b51d3.jpg

null_zpsd498c948.jpg

null_zpsffc033cd.jpg

null_zps0ad71921.jpg

null_zpse5911cac.jpg

null_zps3a0b452c.jpg

null_zps645d51c7.jpg
 
Looks good, that's a big monkey off your back!
About how much did it cost you?
I'm just trying to compare prices down here with up where you live.
 
Great progress Hemiorangeswinger, that's some dirty work that's now behind you. I'm a little jealous, hoping to get started this fall.

Thanks! Yeah it's a relief and I'm glad the weather held out while getting it blasted.




Looks good, that's a big monkey off your back!
About how much did it cost you?
I'm just trying to compare prices down here with up where you live.

$900. Western Canada Soda Blasting did it. I believe they go down south pretty often.
 
You are moving right along. I hope I can be to the point of the car being blasted by the end of the year. Keep up the good work!
 
-
Back
Top