Swingin' '73 Dart
Thanks for the comments jtisdale. pettybluedart - I've done longer road trips, although usually on my motorcycle. I did a 15,000 mile 18 day trip in '07 on my motorcycle, and went through Montreal.
Today started too early, 4AM! My wife had to go to China Lake Navel Station on business, and had an early flight.
More seat work, please remember this is temporary!
Drivers side. The listing was rotted away, and the vinyl seat cover had torn at the seam. I added a piece of vinyl (maroon, because I had it) and made a new listing out of a doubled over piece of cotton fabric (again, because we had it). My wife and I both quilt (her more than I) and we have a HD sewing machine that we use for quilting. It also works pretty well for the occasional upholstery project.
Here is the new piece of vinyl sewn in to replace the missing seam.
I sewed a couple patches over some tears on the drivers side, again using the maroon vinyl.
Back side of patches.
Front side of patches.
As you can imagine, wrestling the cover around to sew this on the machine was a PAIN IN THE A**! :-D I chucked a small wire brush in the drill and took care of the worst of the rust on the frame and hit it with some primer and then some metal flake black spray paint (I think my son bought this can years ago...) Sorry, no pictures of that yet.
Someone called yesterday about the wheels and tires, so I decided to pull them off. I could only fnd 3 of my 4 jack stands (to be honest I cannot remember the last time I saw all 4 at the same time) so I ran up to WallyWorld and bought another set. $20 for a set of jack stands seemed a better idea that a stack of wood... :toothy10:
Dude, where are your wheels? That's on of the 3-pack of jack stands I've had since circle track race days (early 90's).
As you can see in that picture, I also pulled the bright wheel molding off all 4 wheels (it's for sale in the sale area). The fender trim molding with black insert is going away as well; I'm not sure about the lower rocker molding yet.
With the car up on stands, I crawled underneath to look at some stuff. I wasn't sure which trans I had, but with some input from this board I now know I have a TF904.
A leaky TF904 it looks like, one that needs a skid plate!
And the rear is a 2.76 7 1/4".
Nothing but junk yard fodder here.
Also, the "new" exhaust on the car was done in the usual low-buck way. Notice the weld closest to the camera, with the blow-thru. The back weld (to the floor pan) has broken.
Ah yes, this is what we love about old cars!
Over the weekend, I decided the direction I'm taking this; old Trans AM race car returned to the street. Racing bucket seats, 8 point cage, plain painted door panels, no rear seat, painted floors, full Auto-Meter gauges, eventually a 4 or 5 speed manual (or maybe just a floor shifted auto with one of the shifters that look like a 4 speed). Stiff suspension, with roll bars front & rear with 15" 50 or 60 series on rally wheels with no trim rings..... Of course, this is not going to happen overnight, but at least I'm starting to get a vision of what i want it to turn out like. I blame autoxcuda. :D And my Dad, who took me to the '77 Trans-Am race at Seattle International Raceway (now Pacific Raceway). Dad was a big fan of Bob Tullius who was in a Jag that year. The jag and the american iron pretty much got whooped by the Porsche's at that race. Still, dad and I had a great day watching turn 3A, and it introduced me to racing that wasn't in a straight line.
Ken
Thanks for the comments jtisdale. pettybluedart - I've done longer road trips, although usually on my motorcycle. I did a 15,000 mile 18 day trip in '07 on my motorcycle, and went through Montreal.
Today started too early, 4AM! My wife had to go to China Lake Navel Station on business, and had an early flight.
More seat work, please remember this is temporary!
Drivers side. The listing was rotted away, and the vinyl seat cover had torn at the seam. I added a piece of vinyl (maroon, because I had it) and made a new listing out of a doubled over piece of cotton fabric (again, because we had it). My wife and I both quilt (her more than I) and we have a HD sewing machine that we use for quilting. It also works pretty well for the occasional upholstery project.
Here is the new piece of vinyl sewn in to replace the missing seam.
I sewed a couple patches over some tears on the drivers side, again using the maroon vinyl.
Back side of patches.
Front side of patches.
As you can imagine, wrestling the cover around to sew this on the machine was a PAIN IN THE A**! :-D I chucked a small wire brush in the drill and took care of the worst of the rust on the frame and hit it with some primer and then some metal flake black spray paint (I think my son bought this can years ago...) Sorry, no pictures of that yet.
Someone called yesterday about the wheels and tires, so I decided to pull them off. I could only fnd 3 of my 4 jack stands (to be honest I cannot remember the last time I saw all 4 at the same time) so I ran up to WallyWorld and bought another set. $20 for a set of jack stands seemed a better idea that a stack of wood... :toothy10:
Dude, where are your wheels? That's on of the 3-pack of jack stands I've had since circle track race days (early 90's).
As you can see in that picture, I also pulled the bright wheel molding off all 4 wheels (it's for sale in the sale area). The fender trim molding with black insert is going away as well; I'm not sure about the lower rocker molding yet.
With the car up on stands, I crawled underneath to look at some stuff. I wasn't sure which trans I had, but with some input from this board I now know I have a TF904.
A leaky TF904 it looks like, one that needs a skid plate!
And the rear is a 2.76 7 1/4".
Nothing but junk yard fodder here.
Also, the "new" exhaust on the car was done in the usual low-buck way. Notice the weld closest to the camera, with the blow-thru. The back weld (to the floor pan) has broken.
Ah yes, this is what we love about old cars!
Over the weekend, I decided the direction I'm taking this; old Trans AM race car returned to the street. Racing bucket seats, 8 point cage, plain painted door panels, no rear seat, painted floors, full Auto-Meter gauges, eventually a 4 or 5 speed manual (or maybe just a floor shifted auto with one of the shifters that look like a 4 speed). Stiff suspension, with roll bars front & rear with 15" 50 or 60 series on rally wheels with no trim rings..... Of course, this is not going to happen overnight, but at least I'm starting to get a vision of what i want it to turn out like. I blame autoxcuda. :D And my Dad, who took me to the '77 Trans-Am race at Seattle International Raceway (now Pacific Raceway). Dad was a big fan of Bob Tullius who was in a Jag that year. The jag and the american iron pretty much got whooped by the Porsche's at that race. Still, dad and I had a great day watching turn 3A, and it introduced me to racing that wasn't in a straight line.
Ken
