Florida "Key Lime" 76 Duster Build

-
God Bless the "Legendary" interior company.....But have you PRICED some stuff lately? They want nearly $400. for a pair of the REAR door panels (you know....the "little ones"....!!!!!!) Mine were ratty, and I hemmed and hawed until I just decided, tonight, to redo them myself. Here goes.

First, do NOT think this is "too hard".....it ISN'T. WATCH.

I had some white pleated vinyl left over from my custom interior on the F-100 project.....I measured it, and had enough for all 4 door panels. I also have some self adhesive backed Mahogany Veneer that I bought for this car, to redo the upper portion of the panels.....SOoooooo, I quit cryin' and started flyin'.

I laid out my patterns as pictured, making sure the lines were "level" with the old trim on the panel. I then cut and tabbed the edges so I could fold them over, securing them with Weld-Wood contact cement. (don't use "spray" glue...it isn't strong enough in my experience). After folding into the glue, I taped the edges just to hold them down while I continued to work (didn't want to catch an edge on somethin').

Next, I glued the vinyl to the front of the panel, being sure again to be STRAIGHT and true with the pleated line. I then cut out a piece of Mahogany, using the upper portion of the panel as the pattern.....I attached the mahogany, pressing it firmly into place, then trimmed the edges for a perfect match to the panel's shape. I masked off the new vinyl, snaded the top of the mahogany with a quick skim of 400 grit, thoroughly wiped the wood clean, and gave it a nice coat of clear acrylic lacquer to bring out the natural grain. I finished it off with a new chrome strip in the exact location of the old factory strip, and VOILA'........BETTER THAN NEW panels in my opinion. TOTAL COST of materials was appx. $20. per panel.....ONE TENTH of brand new replacements. (Total time for a pair, 1.5 hours including glue drying time). I can now hit the vinyl with a tiny touch of SEM or similar to exactly match the new bucket seat covers from Legendary.

I'll repeat the same process on the front panels. The edges of the wood that are clearly seen after installation will be sealed with a paintable silicone bead, perfectly smoothed over (making the edge of the old panel and edge of the new wood literally ONE edge), and color matched.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2466.jpg
    51.5 KB · Views: 307
  • IMG_2473.jpg
    43.1 KB · Views: 309
  • IMG_2472.jpg
    41.1 KB · Views: 292
  • IMG_2470.jpg
    53.2 KB · Views: 317
  • IMG_2469.jpg
    39.3 KB · Views: 290
  • IMG_2468.jpg
    54.8 KB · Views: 299
  • IMG_2467.jpg
    52.5 KB · Views: 317
  • IMG_2471.jpg
    48.5 KB · Views: 317
Your car is really looking sharp, I love that interior.
You've given it a cool custom look. :thumbup:
 
Thanks guys......... It's a labor of love fer' sher'.........The car has been givin' me fits, but I want to DRIVE IT pretty soon.......It hasn't seen the sun in over 2 years now.:protest:

The Legendary covers were finally stretched on last week, and the tracks are installed.........I'll put up some before and afters pretty soon. :blob:
 
I want to show 3 reasons WHY I picked this particular car to purchase, keeping in mind that I don't want too big a project due to limited finances.

First, the BRAKES and shocks were just overhauled....A BIG expense for the everyday Joe that can't (or won't) do them himself.

Second, the Vinyl Top and Sunroof were just overhauled! All they need is a cleaning to look brand new. Another big expense saved.

.and Third, the paint (though not in the door-jambs or the trunk area) was just redone....a backyard job, to be sure...BUT, as I said, it's 2K Urethane colorcoat.....easy wet sanding and buffing to get out the orange peel and rid it of imperfections..... The door jambs are EASY with some "fine" Scotchbrite pads, some prep solvent, a can of Lime spray bomb basecoat (available online), and a can of 2K clear spray bomb.....No equipment needed....as a matter of fact, I'm doing them right now.....I'll show you the results as the thread goes on.

I'll have to keep this in mind on our project.
 
and Third, the paint (though not in the door-jambs or the trunk area) was just redone....a backyard job, to be sure...BUT, as I said, it's 2K Urethane colorcoat.....easy wet sanding and buffing to get out the orange peel and rid it of imperfections..... The door jambs are EASY with some "fine" Scotchbrite pads, some prep solvent, a can of Lime spray bomb basecoat (available online), and a can of 2K clear spray bomb.....No equipment needed....as a matter of fact, I'm doing them right now.....I'll show you the results as the thread goes on.

Nice work, you're gonna make someone happy.

Just curious, you're buffing out the urethane, will it shine more than a gloss spraybomb without the 2K clear or is the clear just for durability?

This gave me an idea. 2k urethane could potentially be sanded to make a nice durable semi-gloss... might be easier than spraying a clear with flatting agent which is rumoured to be difficult.
 
I'm about to use a flattening agent (actually just a cornstarch mix of sorts...and what a mark-up!) on the black-out for the hood. If MIXED properly the first time, you'll get a nice even appearance like "hot-rod" flat or satin, depending on how much additive you use.

I'm not sure how you'd satin out a dry clearcoat without seeing the sanding marks......BUT, if it's possible, it'll be 1000 grit and UPwards that would give the best result overall.....then to maintain that look would be difficult, because every time you wipe the paint from then on, you'll actually be "polishing" it, even if it's with your finger...... Don't think it's an idea that would last very long, all things considered. Even the flatting will polish when rubbed or cleaned too hard, leaving you with uneven streaks.....You need to baby it.
 
I found some time today to get back on the Duster build for a while. I've been avoiding the restoration of the upper-back seat area, since it's covered with old ratty carpet and dusty contact cement.......Got it stripped though, then cleaned and prepped the steel "body" of the seat (after removing the upholstery, that is.....the seat cover is mere vinyl and foam over a piece of masonite backer....it's held onto the frame with 3 slide-lock tabs, and 3 screws).

After prepping the steel "pan" or frame piece, I gave it a generous coating of rust-proofing black gloss enamel....sticky paint, adheres great, and has a hard finish. The latches and hinges were cleaned and painted the same. After the paint dried, I installed new black carpet to match the rest of the interior, on the BACK of the steel seat pan......this part folds down to become your "load-deck". Trimmed the edges and sealed them with some transparent glue (to stop fraying of the carpet edge), installed a nice piece of chrome strip to separate the carpet and paint, put the upholstery back on, and VOILA' !

Now I'm ready to install the rear door panels, and the entire rear seat assembly!!! THEN, on to the console and buckets! The console will be the worst part......For 2 cents I'd remove it and do another Hurst Pistol conversion like I did in the Dart Sport.....FUN when it's 'dun, but a pain goin' in.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2482.jpg
    72.4 KB · Views: 217
  • IMG_2483.jpg
    38.6 KB · Views: 194
I installed the rear seat belts, snapped in the new custom made rear door panels, attached the plastic spring return cover, and then put the rear seat system in. Pretty simple job, but you need to be sure your upper seat 'latches' are seated all the way into their 'perches' before you tighten the 4 bolts for the seat assembly. After a few minute' adjustments, it looks great. I have a little hand painting yet to do on some exposed parts, but nuthin' serious.....I'll most likely match those wood hold downs to the color scheme as well.

I didn't think I'd like the overall look, BUT it's kind'a neat...especially folded down. Just right for a surfboard.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2485.jpg
    51.6 KB · Views: 197
  • IMG_2484.jpg
    46.7 KB · Views: 186
Well, after an actual 6 year delay (yes, the car has been sitting in the garage for the last SIX years since my last post here), I can get back to work on the project. I lost BOTH of my rotator cuffs since the last post, and suffered a head-on that totaled my beautiful Conversion Van and nearly broke my neck.....Anyway, I'm Baaaaaaaaaaack.

As I last said, I'd be working on the console. It was an ugly mess, with the usual pitting and bubbling of the alloy top, and to most enthusiasts, a total loss. The ashtray was absolute toast, and it looked as if all was lost....BUT, I never give up, especially when the alternative is laying out massive amounts of cash for new console tops. I chose instead to slightly customize what I had, using a trick I learned from some old school pros. I stripped the console down completely, cleaned it up with a scrub and rinse, then prepped the plastic for a new black satin finish.....Easy enough, but the tops needed a complete "overlay". I did a complete ashtray "delete" by making a template and cutting a top from standard 3/16" lauan. The thickness of the lauan serves to HIDE the massive oxidation of the existing alloy/chrome, giving the unit a new chance for life. When this was firmly attached with construction adhesive around the edges (and clamped overnite), I used the templates I made to cut new Mahogany Veneer overlays (real wood, not vinyl....it matches the custom door panels), and carefully applied it over the lauan.

IMG_2298.JPG


IMG_2299.JPG


IMG_2302.JPG


IMG_2303.JPG


IMG_2304.JPG
 
After carefully applying the veneer, I masked off the chrome for the clear lacquer topcoats. The Mahogany was prepped with 400 grit to smooth the fuzz,and wiped with a tack rag before painting. 3 Coats later, it was a match for the door panels, and looking like a totally different console....From junk to WOW, and no more ugly pits! Just some normal aging on the rest of the exposed chrome....that I can easily live with. I also restored the shifter display parts while they were out, and reinstalled them when the new tops were ready. Here's the finished product ready to go in the car, EXCEPT for the new carpet strips I'll custom cut and glue on beforehand. It'll be a one piece carpet strip, in the shape of a "dogleg" basically, that wraps around the back of the console body for a nice fit.

IMG_2306.JPG


IMG_2307.JPG


IMG_2308.JPG


IMG_2309.JPG
 
After carefully applying the veneer, I masked off the chrome for the clear lacquer topcoats. The Mahogany was prepped with 400 grit to smooth the fuzz,and wiped with a tack rag before painting. 3 Coats later, it was a match for the door panels, and looking like a totally different console....From junk to WOW, and no more ugly pits! Just some normal aging on the rest of the exposed chrome....that I can easily live with. I also restored the shifter display parts while they were out, and reinstalled them when the new tops were ready. Here's the finished product ready to go in the car, EXCEPT for the new carpet strips I'll custom cut and glue on beforehand. It'll be a one piece carpet strip, in the shape of a "dogleg" basically, that wraps around the back of the console body for a nice fit.

View attachment 1715536803

View attachment 1715536804

View attachment 1715536805

View attachment 1715536806
First, welcome back and I'm glad to hear your doing well!
Secondly, what an awesome car. You do beautiful work.
My son and I both have Scamp's. If you ever need any help or just want to talk Mopars give me a shout. I'm in DeLand, just a hop and a skip.
 
Welcome back. I was away for a similar period of time and recently woke up the hibernating frog. It is seeing some slow progress now.
Nice work on the console.
 
Yup....sure looks great all right. Can’t wait to see it in the car with the door panels.
And....welcome back.
 
Welcome back that backseat area looks amazing hopefully mine turns out half that good is the trim around the back Dash factory or did you make that
 
The black trim going right to left
Quarter window to quarter window

53DC87C1-FEE3-421A-B787-53C13B8AECCB.png
 
-
Back
Top