Finally getting to it!!! 1970 Duster 340

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I would love to have a 340 car but till then ill enjoy yours
 
Next on my list will be polishing the stainless trim around the winshield, rear glass and drip rails. I ordered a buffing wheel and I think I'll get a stand at Harbor Freight to go to Harbor. I should be good to go after that! I also want to try restoring my Rallye wheel trim rings. They have acquired a few dings and scratches over the years and I would like to see if I can spruce them up a bit. I'll post more before and after pics once I get going.
 
FJRdoc said:
Next on my list will be polishing the stainless trim around the winshield, rear glass and drip rails. I ordered a buffing wheel and I think I'll get a stand at Harbor Freight to go to Harbor. I should be good to go after that! I also want to try restoring my Rallye wheel trim rings. They have acquired a few dings and scratches over the years and I would like to see if I can spruce them up a bit. I'll post more before and after pics once I get going.
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I may have shared this before but if not, you'll probably find it very helpful with the next round of resto. :-D

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm
 
Thanks for the link Leanna. I was aware of Caswell but I didn't know about the "Intro to Buffing and Polishing" booklet. I printed it off their website and I will be reading it this weekend. It looks like a very informative read.
 
Glad you like it! It's served me well over the years. I didn't print out the whole thing but do keep the buff/compounds chart handy in the shop. Hit me up if you run into any problems along the way as you get up to speed.
 
Fjrdoc if you don't mind me asking do you recall what grit sand paper as I'm on the same process on trying to save my kick panels thanks
 
seventyswinger
I used extra fine sandpaper (320) and then hit it with 4-0 steel wool. Herb's paint doesn't really hide imperfections so you want the surface pretty smooth. When I do my next panel, I probably will use superfine before the steel wool just to make sure that the surface is nice and smooth.
 
I worked on restoring my Rallye wheel centers this weekend. I scoured the local paint, auto, and home improvement stores looking for a textured light argent paint. Finally found some Rustoleum Textured Silver Metallic paint at Home Depot for about $6.00
My original centers were looking pretty tired. The Rustoleum matched areas that hadn't seen much wear and tear. I am very pleased with how nice they look.
Next step will be to tackle refinishing the trim rings. I think that I will go with the original 14 inch Rallyes up front and some 15x7 or 8 in the back. Dusters definitely need some extra meat under the rear fenders to give them a wider stance!

Before and after.

All 4 finished

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I'd like to hear some tips on getting the windshield molding off, I plan to polish mine soon too. Your car is looking great !
 
Thanks Fish and 340Wedge. I am very happy with how they turned out. This was the first time that I removed windshield molding. I bought a molding removal tool and basically followed some video tutorials on YouTube. It wasn't hard to do......just take your time.
 
I thought about having my original master cylinder refurbished for use on the Duster. I got a price of about $160 to have it completely gone over. Instead, I opted to go with a master cylinder from a 1973 Duster with power brakes. From what I have researched, the smaller piston size should help with better braking. I figured that I would sacrifice 100% originality for better safety. I located a new Bendix unit from Rock Auto for about $60. It arrived bright and shiny but I decided to paint it black like the original. I also purchased an adjustable master cylinder push rod from Dr.Diff to reduce some of the pedal travel. The master cylinder push rod is a quality piece of work.

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Two of my seat medallions had broken studs on the back. I've been looking for replacements but haven't been very successful. I thought that I would try my hand at salvaging them. The studs measured the same thickness as an 8D nail. I used my Dremel to grind down the remaining portion of stud and remove/ roughen the back surface. JB Weld Quick Set was then used to hold the nail in the correct position. Once it set, the surrounding area was filled with regular JB Weld for maximum strength. The nails were then trimmed to length and beveled. I believe that the repair should hold........only time will tell!

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I thought that my fellow FABO buddies might enjoy these pics of the last inspection sticker that was on my car before I took it off the road. What makes the sticker special to me is that the mechanic who signed it was my uncle! My Unc lived about 1/2 mile from where I grew up. He occasionally helped my father and me do work on the car when we were in a bind.....or in over our heads. I didn't even remember that he had inspected the car but it was a neat find when I removed the windshield.

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That's awesome -- don't ya love cartifacts?? :-D ... I've found some cool stuff in mine over the years, the most notable being two near perfect parking passes from USC for the spring and fall terms of 1973. They were in between the ash tray lid and the console top when I took it apart.
 
I had my Rallye rims and spare tire rim powder coated for durability. I scuffed the back surface of the Rallye rims and painted them with semi-gloss black for more of an original appearance. Looks like the next project on my list will be restoring the stainless rims. I'm sure it's going to take a lot of man-hours to get them looking like new. Each completed sub-assembly is one step closer to completion! :blob:

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FJRdoc said:
I had my Rallye rims and spare tire rim powder coated for durability. I scuffed the back surface of the Rallye rims and painted them with semi-gloss black for more of an original appearance. Looks like the next project on my list will be restoring the stainless rims. I'm sure it's going to take a lot of man-hours to get them looking like new. Each completed sub-assembly is one step closer to completion! :blob:
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Silly question, but why didn't they coat the whole thing?? It's good you decided to paint the remaining bare metal because you may end up with some "creep" eventually (where rust develops all over the whole part underneath the powder because the entire part wasn't encapsulated in it).
 
Leanna
I did have the Rallye wheels completely powder coated with the silver color. I scuffed the back side and rim in order to paint over it with black. Sorry for the confusion.
 
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