Captainkirk's Duster project

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Capn.. you have already enjoyed and shared many moments with the Duke. He has provided you with memories that cannot be diminished with time. Now it's your turn. Give the Duke your time, your love. The Duke is not unhappy that he cannot recreate the old memories, instead is very happy that you are giving him attention. He, unlike you, is not in a hurry. You, like him, should enjoy the experience of the restification.

The journey is often the best part of reaching your destination.

Grant

BTW, I feel like some type of relationship columnist here, and using HE/HIM instead of SHE/HER is a little weird... not that there's anything wrong with that!
 
OneOfMany said:
Capn.. you have already enjoyed and shared many moments with the Duke. He has provided you with memories that cannot be diminished with time. Now it's your turn. Give the Duke your time, your love. The Duke is not unhappy that he cannot recreate the old memories, instead is very happy that you are giving him attention. He, unlike you, is not in a hurry. You, like him, should enjoy the experience of the restification.

The journey is often the best part of reaching your destination.

Grant

BTW, I feel like some type of relationship columnist here, and using HE/HIM instead of SHE/HER is a little weird... not that there's anything wrong with that!
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Actually, I'm not in a hurry either. I'm just trying to jump-start the project that has sat dead-in-the-water for so long and make up for lost time, if such a thing can be done (?) Once I get on an even keel, I'll feel like I can throttle back a wee bit, lean back, and enjoy the ride!
 
whoolph said:
you got the right attitude Cap'n, plug away, don't lose sight of the prize. I envy you as mine is not in the barn as of yet . . . arrives Tuesday night from Iowa. Previous owner said the other night we almost had tragedy . . . he lives on a river and its at flood stage ... I've been doing a "non-rain dance" looking to the west since . . . . . Rog
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Keep dancin', Rog! A large storm front will be crossing Iowa today and heading for Illinois tonight. Any chance you could talk him into moving the car until you get it?
 
Captainkirk said:
Keep dancin', Rog! A large storm front will be crossing Iowa today and heading for Illinois tonight. Any chance you could talk him into moving the car until you get it?
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He said he'd protect it with his life . . . if it gets damaged, I may take him up on that!! lol
 
Boy, oh boy....do I need some encouragement tonight! I'm into (IMHO) the absolute PITS of a resto job....cleaning the rust from the underside of the body while lying on the floor while aforementioned rust deposits itself all over your head, face and body. If it wasn't for the dust mask I'd be filling the Kleenex with brown boogers and hacking up lungers all week!
Man, what a miserable job!!!
Scraping off the filthy grease....attacking the rust with Roloc disc, wire wheel, sandpaper, or a combination of the three....while lying in an ever-expanding pool of crud and rust! One of those rotisserie deals looks awful tempting about now! Not to mention my entire garage (car included!) resembles the Martian landscape with all the red dust deposited everywhere! Boys, I am NOT digging this part. Every night's work nets me about a square foot of cleaned and converted metal. At this rate it'll take all summer to finish. But, I figure, if I get the area treated and primed/painted where the engine/trans goes, I can bolt up the K-frame and front suspension long enough to get the car out of the garage; then I can finish the rest of it out in the fresh air. Aside from the rotisserie idea, how have you guys tackled this part of the project? Give me some 'toosiasm here.....I'm losin' my Mojo!
 
Capn, when I did mine I wanted a rotisserie but didnt want to drop to money on a 1 time use or store it after for years. What I did was built tall stands the car is bolted to and can roll around. It lifted it about 2 feet into the air and I could roll it out into the fresh air. I then bought a pressure blasted and it made short order of all the undercoating, grease, rust, grime. If your going to be in or around the Detroit area anytime you can have these stands

Ron
 
rcottick said:
Capn, when I did mine I wanted a rotisserie but didnt want to drop to money on a 1 time use or store it after for years. What I did was built tall stands the car is bolted to and can roll around. It lifted it about 2 feet into the air and I could roll it out into the fresh air. I then bought a pressure blasted and it made short order of all the undercoating, grease, rust, grime. If your going to be in or around the Detroit area anytime you can have these stands

Ron
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Thanks for the offer Ron! I, like you, don't want the expense (or storage afterwards!) of a rotisserie, plus I have the added disadvantage of having my driveway comprised of white rocks instead of concrete. Makes for rolling a rotisserie or small casters past the garage apron damn near impossible. I guess I'll just continue to ponder a solution and ***** until I find one (for now!)
 
Do you have room for one of those body rocker things? It attaches where the wheels go (to the suspension) then you can "rock" the car up on one side

just a thought
 
Captainkirk said:
Thanks for the offer Ron! I, like you, don't want the expense (or storage afterwards!) of a rotisserie, plus I have the added disadvantage of having my driveway comprised of white rocks instead of concrete. Makes for rolling a rotisserie or small casters past the garage apron damn near impossible. I guess I'll just continue to ponder a solution and ***** until I find one (for now!)
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Hey Cap'n . . . you da man laying on all those white rocks grindin' and a sandin' on ole Duke . . . keep up the good work . . . by the way I heard Iowa is under water . . . geesh . . . hope my Dart floats . . . Rog :toothy2:
 
Popdart said:
Hey Cap'n . . . you da man laying on all those white rocks grindin' and a sandin' on ole Duke . . . keep up the good work . . . by the way I heard Iowa is under water . . . geesh . . . hope my Dart floats . . . Rog :toothy2:
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Sorry to disappoint ya, Rog, but I'm laying on the garage floor which is solid concrete. If I rolled it out into the driveway, THEN I'd be da man lying in the white rocks, which I hope I can finagle somehow because I'm filling up my garage with rustyDusterdust. I am glad somebody else besides myself feels sorry for me, though!:toothy10:
Sorry to hear about Iowa-did you pay for the Dart yet? If so, you may be able to get it covered under homeowners insurance. (It IS personal property). I was sorta hoping you'd tell me you rescued it in time. But if not, look at the bright side....the price just dropped a bunch!
 
No progress since Saturday night. Why am I telling you this? Because I've steeled my resolve to crawl back under the Rust Belt tomorrow night and carry on. I've had a well-earned rest and now it's time to get with it again.
On a different tangent, my next step will be to find a suitable primer/sealer to go over the rust coverter and serve as a base for the paint. I haven't had much luck finding ready-to-spray rattle cans and may (reluctantly) have to break down and shoot it with the spray gun, though I know what a mess that's gonna make in the garage. Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it....
Lying on your back with rust peppering your face gives one a unique outlook on life and allows you to sort of meditate in an effort to drown out the shrill dentist-like whine of the mini-grinder and/or whirring of the electric drill/wire brush combo. I often wonder how I got started back down this road again, and realize it was Destiny of a different sort. After all is said and done, the L'il Red Minx with all her Naughty Girl ways came and went like a bittersweet, volatile, whirlwind relationship gone sour. Now, The Duke.....we go back a ways. Sort of like an old high school buddy who's still always around when you need him, he's always there. I think that's part of the reason I must see this through. I feel like I OWE it to him. Plus, not everyone gets to knock back a few beers with John Wayne several nights a week!
All things considered, Minxy was sort of a first love (in a car sort of way) and The Duke is more of a life-long friend. Maybe a bit like a hunting or fishing buddy, if you can relate. I had some wild times with the minx, but I know there are even better times yet to come, and that is hugely inspirational about now. It's easy to get discouraged when you view a project as a "job" or a "chore", but when you start to view it as hangin' with a life-long friend, and we'll see what we can get done together, it sorta sheds a different light on things (I'm sure there are plenty of shrinks out there who would love to discuss this with me in great detail!) but if I'm nuts, so are most of you out there nodding your heads in agreement with me. Cars are not people, yet they possess personalities, if you have the clarity to look deep enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go have a beer with John Wayne.........:toothy10:
 
If you use a gun, use an HVLP. It will make a lot less mess
 
68 Sedan said:
If you use a gun, use an HVLP. It will make a lot less mess
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Good point. I will......

So, if anyone had an excuse to renege on their promise, it was The Captain. Hard at work today cleaning, treating and priming (of all things!) corrosion on an aircraft. So I come home, go to pick up my one decent car (Dodge, of course!) from the repair shop where it had been looked at for a severe front end shimmy on braking. The guy calls this morning to inform me it's only bad rotors; did we want him to go ahead and fix it for some $400-odd dollars? Nah, that's OK....button it up; I'll fix it myself. So, after work, head out and pick up the car, stop at the Auto Zone on the way home for brake pads and rotors.....might as well do an oil change while I'm under there.....rip into it, stopping only for a quick dinner, then right back at it......oil change done, no leaks, brake pads and rotors changed, time for a quick test-hop; works great!....quick; back to Auto Zone before they close for the brake pad core credit. Once home, I scramble to put away all the tools scattered all over....crap, it's 9:30!!! I should really go surf the net, visit FABO, read my email and work on finishing that book I started. You can't work full-tilt like this, I tell myself! Besides, all that rust crap is demoralizing.....OK: I'm going in now. As I walk past The Duke, I poke my head under the gaping hole where the Grand Heart of Thunder once beat loudly and stare at my unfinished handiwork.....I recall my promise to you guys last night that I'd hit it tonight, and then John Wayne barks in my ear; "Saddle up! We're burning daylight!"

A long sigh escapes my lips as I crawl under The Duke and assume the position. An hour and a half later I emerge, covered in rust, reeling from the paint fumes, grinning from ear to ear. Tonight you win, Duke!

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Lookin' good Cap'n . . . you can see all the sweat and muscle ache being transferred to Duke's restored shell. I received my "project" last night . . . so I'm about 20 nights under the smile maker behind you. Yours is looking good, I envy your progress . . . don't overdo it now, this ain't a remake of "The Shootist", Duke ain't dyin' and yer ridding him of his cancer . . . Rog
 
Popdart said:
Lookin' good Cap'n . . . you can see all the sweat and muscle ache being transferred to Duke's restored shell. I received my "project" last night . . . so I'm about 20 nights under the smile maker behind you. Yours is looking good, I envy your progress . . . don't overdo it now, this ain't a remake of "The Shootist", Duke ain't dyin' and yer ridding him of his cancer . . . Rog
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LOL! It kinda looks like Duke in the last scene, where he's all shot to bits! I'm hoping to bring it back to the condition of John in, say, "Red River". That'll be quite an accomplishment!
You envy my progress? I took a perfectly good car all apart and spread it all over my garage! Sometimes I make myself wonder......:wack:
 
Captainkirk said:
LOL! It kinda looks like Duke in the last scene, where he's all shot to bits! I'm hoping to bring it back to the condition of John in, say, "Red River". That'll be quite an accomplishment!
You envy my progress? I took a perfectly good car all apart and spread it all over my garage! Sometimes I make myself wonder......:wack:
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I prefer "The Searchers" myself lol . . . Tear apart our cars and scatter pieces around the garage sounds like a plan . . . . could ya detail that a bit for me?? lol :scratch: Well we'll die havin fun . . . when I die they'll have to pry my cold, greasy fingers off my ratchet wrench :thumbrig:. . . .Well I gotta go up to Kroger's and get me a couple of boxes of ziplock bags . . . hope they have some cardboard too . . . . . Rog
 
Popdart said:
I prefer "The Searchers" myself lol . . . Tear apart our cars and scatter pieces around the garage sounds like a plan . . . . could ya detail that a bit for me?? lol :scratch: Well we'll die havin fun . . . when I die they'll have to pry my cold, greasy fingers off my ratchet wrench :thumbrig:. . . .Well I gotta go up to Kroger's and get me a couple of boxes of ziplock bags . . . hope they have some cardboard too . . . . . Rog
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So, it's details you want, eh? OK, watch carefully and observe;
1) Use any and/or all available space, including roof, trunk, and floor space under vehicle
2) Make sure you scribble in cryptic heiroglyphic abreviations that could only be deciphered with a Rosetta stone
3) As an alternate, use a dryboard or erasable marker that will quickly disappear with handling
4) Make sure to use regular sandwich bags, not Ziplocks, so your newly cleaned parts have a chance to re-rust adequately before use
5) Under no circumstances use any sort of organizational system for storing or segregating parts.
6) Last but not least; use of digital photography for reassembly purposes is strictly forbidden
Hope this helps.....LOL!

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I laffed hard this morning. :-DI like the one about sandwich bags . . . Hey, we all have the best intentions.

Looks like you have a plan . . . well . . method lmao . . .
Remember you are setting an example for us rookies . . . . YOU ARE THE MASTER!! :notworth:Keep up the good work Cap'n! . . . . Rog
 
You`re a better man than I , the bottom of my car is only presentable to the road. That `ll make for a beautiful job when it`s all done though. Great job!
 
Thanks for the compliments, boys! I don't know if I'd go so far as callin' myself the "master".....more like the blind leading the blind! But I have a mission set out before me, and all systems are go. So, go we will! Besides, YOU try telling John Wayne you can't come out to play.......
Tomorrow night I work on the logistics of raising this thing up in the air more, and moving the jack stands. As you can see from the last group of photos, the cleaning/priming operation is complete to the end of the forward unibody rails near the torsion bar mounts (where the jack stands are) so, time to move 'em and move on! I really hate this part (the underside) but it's gotta get done and I don't see folks standing in line to crawl under there, so.......
 
So, I went out tonite and bought another pair of hi-lift jack stands, with the devious plan of wedging them under the rear axle; thus lifting the ***-end of the car way off the ground. The plan is to then relocate and raise the front jackstands, with the ultimate end result (hopefully) being a chassis high enough off the ground that I can scoot underneath with enough clearance to work on the rest of the rust. Will I be successful? Who knows? Either way, I wound up with another set of jack stands!
Oh, the memories......
Laying on the concrete driveway at my parents' house; grinding away at the bottom side of the L'il Red Minx with an electric drill and a wire wheel while the skeeters hummed around me; hosing down the now-sparkling clean metal with yellow Rust-Oleum zinc chromate primer, and afterwards a thick, tarry coat of Westley's rust-proofing......not fun, but necessary.....trying to do the best job I could so I could keep this car forever (what a joke THAT turned out to be!) And, thirty-something years later, here we go again.....8)
 
WOW-what a difference! The jack stands I bought elevate up to 21". I was able to hoist the rear of the car way up, then raise the front jackstands all the way up; They worked so well I've decided to go buy another pair and really hoist up the front end; hell, you could have a picnic under there now!
 
Captainkirk said:
WOW-what a difference! The jack stands I bought elevate up to 21". I was able to hoist the rear of the car way up, then raise the front jackstands all the way up; They worked so well I've decided to go buy another pair and really hoist up the front end; hell, you could have a picnic under there now!
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I'll bring the chicken!!! lol Rog
 
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