Cuda Capers: 1-27-07

FASTBACK340 · Jan 27, 2007

The restoration has finally begun! I have photographic PROOF that actual bodywork is being performed on MY CAR! I'm so happy I could **** nickles!

Left front fender had some rust repair that was well done. The entire car has lotsa dents though....

My body guy isn't too happy with the right side fender. Tons of rust etched into the metal. Since these fenders are made of "unobtainium" he has to make do. Extra work, but done right.

Some pin holes in the hood near the front from surface rust that has to be addressed too. He claims he can apply a wash/etcher that will prevent it from spreading. Can anybody confirm/deny this?

Another spot I have rust..... although it's not bad at all.

In the background you can see the owners big block Chevelle and under it is a Burgundy `57 Chevy that's being done too.

To say that I'm happy is an understatement !

HemiPar · Jan 27, 2007

Great start on the project. I wish I could get mine going. Maybe one day soon.

AdamR · Jan 27, 2007

Congrats John, I was just talking to Rumblefish about your bad luck ( good meeting your Rob).

I would think the etcher he's talking about would be something like you get with the POR15.

Also my Barracuda had the same rust spot on the cowl. I think its a lead seem.

FASTBACK340 · Jan 27, 2007

AdamR said:
Congrats John, I was just talking to Rumblefish about your bad luck ( good meeting your Rob).

I would think the etcher he's talking about would be something like you get with the POR15.

Also my Barracuda had the same rust spot on the cowl. I think its a lead seem.

I should give R/Fish a buzz next time I go out to see the car. It's in Deer Park, not *too* far from him.

As for the rust in the windshield area, he said it was a lead seam also, with some minor rust in there. Overall I'm happy to see ANYTHING being done. I have a good feeling about this. REAL good feeling.

65dartcharger · Jan 27, 2007

Great John! Mine's on it's way too. I feels better when you get down to bare metal. The other step would be when the rust is done. Can hardly wait!

memike · Jan 27, 2007

Look's very nice John, :thumbup:
I am glad it's going your way.

And the documentation on this great car is going perfect,

Glad you found the perfect shop. :wav:

daves66valiant · Jan 27, 2007

Rock and Roll John. Great to see progress on yours. I love shiny metal. The rust does not seem to be too bad at all. Hopefully, the rest of the car will be similar or even better than the front half. Keep us posted with the next "Cuda Caper"

EvilScamp · Jan 27, 2007

Congrats John your getting a little closer to driving that fish!

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

EvilScamp said:
Congrats John your getting a little closer to driving that fish!

A month ago I was ready to chop up that fish and have a yard-sale salad...

Yeah, it's begun. Now I just gotta keep grabbing my ankles and relax as I pay for all the bits-n-pieces. The body harnesses and TTI exhaust system are going to be the most painful....then the chroming. And of course our buddies over at Laysons, whom just got $300 from me for wheel well mouldings.

Thank God my wife is totally on-board with seeing this thing finished. Thanks for everyones encouraging words. No one is more tired of the bad-news stories than me. It looks like it might be going better now.

swedefish · Jan 28, 2007

Congrats FB340
Great news, you`ll be out on the streets in no time :thumbup:

AdamR · Jan 28, 2007

Im about to bite the TTI bullet also. $690 for a set of headers. I know from experience how well they fit though.

sheets55 · Jan 28, 2007

FASTBACK340 said:
A month ago I was ready to chop up that fish and have a yard-sale salad...

Yeah, it's begun. Now I just gotta keep grabbing my ankles and relax as I pay for all the bits-n-pieces. The body harnesses and TTI exhaust system are going to be the most painful....then the chroming. And of course our buddies over at Laysons, whom just got $300 from me for wheel well mouldings.

Thank God my wife is totally on-board with seeing this thing finished. Thanks for everyones encouraging words. No one is more tired of the bad-news stories than me. It looks like it might be going better now.[/QUOT

John it will all be worth it. What a great start :wav:

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

AdamR said:
Im about to bite the TTI bullet also. $690 for a set of headers. I know from experience how well they fit though.

I'm going with the full 2.5" X-pipe system for my Flowmaster mufflers besides the headers. O-U-C-H !!!!!!!!!

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

sheets55 said:
John it will all be worth it. What a great start :wav:

Thanks Dude! If you get a chance, read my posts in the archive section and you'll see how this @&^%$*& car has been torturing me for the past few years... Some of it was entertaining, but most of it was frustrating.

OldVart · Jan 28, 2007

Congratulations John! I'm so glad to see some progress being made on you car after all the headaches you've encountered along the way. Oh, and you might want to wash off those rolls of nickles and save them for the bodywork.

Cerwin · Jan 28, 2007

Haha, your tooo funny John, Im glad to finally hear that the ball is rolling and your happy again..

Do you know how long he intends to be working on your car?

And it doesnt look that bad, you found a rarity out on the island.. congrads.

do you have pictures of it before it was striped?

Congrads..
Cerwin

AdamR · Jan 28, 2007

FASTBACK340 said:
I'm going with the full 2.5" X-pipe system for my Flowmaster mufflers besides the headers. O-U-C-H !!!!!!!!!

Me too but I'm trying not to think that far ahead, LOL

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

Cerwin said:
do you have pictures of it before it was striped?

Congrads..
Cerwin

Here's the oldest picture I have of the car from 1999. This is pretty much the way it looked when I found her, several shades of beat-up primer. All I saw was a solid foundation. It was a 4 bbl. 360 at this time. And I was 45 lbs heavier then.

Then I replaced most of the trim with nice stuff and had this brillant idea to shoot my car 1 beat-up color. I tried to shoot flat black primer, which turned out to be black BASECOAT, and I obtained this lovely neo-ghetto finish you see below. This is the way the car looked last October when I pulled it apart. The car was F`UGLY!

Naturally I'd like to post a picture of a turquoise `68 Fastback to illustrate what I'm expecting, but after all these years I've never found a picture of a turquoise `68 Fastback! That is, until the day I bring it to the first show. Thats when ALL the others will show up....:toothy7:

Here's a Johnny Lightning I re-painted in supposedly L1 Turquoise.

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

OldVart said:
and you might want to wash off those rolls of nickles and save them for the bodywork.

Damn right! And once again, God bless my wife for willingly diving into this money pit with me.

EvilScamp · Jan 28, 2007

FASTBACK340 said:
I'm going with the full 2.5" X-pipe system for my Flowmaster mufflers besides the headers. O-U-C-H !!!!!!!!!

My brother got TTI's headers,3inch exhaust including the mufflers for his 72 Newport for evrything he layed almost $1200!
It's a really nice mandrel bent system.

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

EvilScamp said:
...... for evrything he layed almost $1200!
It's a really nice mandrel bent system.

<sigh....> I know. This is definitely a "You get what you pay for" situation. I had figured it out to be about $1,000 for what I need. So be it.

daves66valiant · Jan 28, 2007

Yeah, I bit the bullet pretty hard myself. I might have to get me one of those gangster mouth grills to go with the TTI bling-bling. They sure are pretty. You will love them.

70Duster440 · Jan 28, 2007

Taking the plunge feels good doesn't it? Now it's just a matter of hunkerin' down for the long haul and seeing her through.

And having a supportive spouse is worth their weight in gold!

FASTBACK340 · Jan 28, 2007

70Duster440 said:
Taking the plunge feels good doesn't it? Now it's just a matter of hunkerin' down for the long haul and seeing her through.

And having a supportive spouse is worth their weight in gold!

Just my luck...I have a light-weight for a wife! Where's a BBW when ya need one?

Yeah, I've been saving up for this. Spending is cool, but cruising is even cooler.

FASTBACK340 · Feb 10, 2007

Man, I can't BELIEVE the progress on my car! I dropped it off at the shop just over a month ago.

Look at it now:

This is my newest favorite person on the planet; Brett Cutrone. He's doing some great work. I can't BELIEVE the quality AND quantity....

Here I am in a state of shock... I was told this afternoon that I should have it home by the end of March. PERFECT timing!

I dropped off a pair of quarter panel skins that will be cannibalized as patch panels for my bondo quarter panel sculptures now residing on my car.

I'm at a loss for words to describe how happy I am with how smoothly this is rolling along. This makes up for all the bullshit I went through with the first shop. Needless to say, more details to follow. :thumbup: