Getting closer to the finish-'67 Plymouth Barracuda update.

[Gen2Cudas]

Evening all. I thought to add this to the bottom of the previous thread, but it has so many pics to wade through I thought I'd just start afresh on this aspect.

Car is leveled, trunk pans are being welded in as are frame ties- hope to have new pics of that work tomorrow.

I did want to share this rebuild/upgrade with the members though. . .

What you are looking at are rebuilt drivers and passengers door hinges:

 

[Gen2Cudas]

If you look real close, you can see the bronze bushings used in the rebuild.

This is a Dorman rebuild kit, part number 38381- Still Hanging in the Advance Auto Parts Store, just under $10 a pop.

These come complete with three hardened pins, two that are the right length for the upper and lower hinges plus bronze bushings if you feel the need to open up the inner hinge holes and press them in for a tight fit. Bushing is .408 inch, or 27/64 drill bit to open up the holes to accept the bushings. I recommend a drill press; I feel I didn't cut them totally straight up and down by hand. . .but they did go in as well as the pins.

 

[Gen2Cudas]

These are the hood hinges. They were showing the abuse of no/little lubrication over 43 years of use:

 

[Gen2Cudas]

I cut the rivet head from the main hinge strut and removed the disk/bearing surface that the strut had pivoted on.

Then, I ground off the remaining rivet material and used a drill press to drill through the retaining disk:

 

[Gen2Cudas]

Note the silver ring next to the disk- that was a part of an aluminum tube I had around. Cut that with a hack saw and sanded it until it fit over the bearing surface that the hinge bracket originally pivoted on:

 

[Gen2Cudas]

Now, the hole in the spring arm I widened to 11/16 inch to accept the new bearing surface, and pressed it into the spring arm with a standard screw clamp!

 

[Gen2Cudas]

I modified the retaining disk with a triangular grinding bit to countersink a hardened allen wrench style bolt partway into the disk, slid said bolt through the retainer disk, pushed the pivot surface through and into the spring arm/bearing surface, through the hinge bracket with a washer and lock washer and a 1/2 in. nut tightened down. I ground the rest of the bolt off with a table grinder for a low profile, so it has no snags as it moves underneath the fender:

 

[Gen2Cudas]

Result are two hinges that have little play, have a pivot surface that I can get a little grease into- just lock the nut down with a touch of weld and hopefully forget them for years.

 

[Tony Fields]

Lookin' good!