Roof autopsy today on The Ark

[rajeevx7]

  Roller coaster of a thread so far! Goes from “Praise the lawd no rust” to “New sheet metal fabrication to fix the rust holes”.

Glad it’s working out for ya! I’ve fabricated metal and done rust repair (far from a pro) and my attack has always been to stab/pick ALL suspect areas with a screwdriver. If it passes the test, then I thank god. More often than not, it punches through like paper and then you must decide to weld, patch or fiber fill. Gotta move from a mind set of “please don’t let anything be wrong” over to “let’s find all the god damn problems because I only want to do this once!”  Not for everyone, but the better shops have those kinds of people.

GL on the build!

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Roller coaster of a thread so far! Goes from “Praise the lawd no rust” to “New sheet metal fabrication to fix the rust holes”.

Glad it’s working out for ya! I’ve fabricated metal and done rust repair (far from a pro) and my attack has always been to stab/pick ALL suspect areas with a screwdriver. If it passes the test, then I thank god. More often than not, it punches through like paper and then you must decide to weld, patch or fiber fill. Gotta move from a mind set of “please don’t let anything be wrong” over to “let’s find all the god damn problems because I only want to do this once!”  Not for everyone, but the better shops have those kinds of people.

GL on the build!

Roller coaster indeed! I learned, you just DON'T KNOW until they start grinding. But Michael said "it could have been worse", and he was expecting such. They did a fabulous job, just insanely good. What a pity to cover that wonderful metal work with another vinyl top...

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Well I got something done today while The Ark waits at home for its turn at the upholstery shop. In addition to needing to paint the roof trim chrome I decided to clean up the rear reading light assemblies since the sail panels are in my den, these will be removed and recovered in the new headliner material when The Ark goes to upholstery. Fully cleaned and polished, contacts treated with DeOxit, glass cleaned, chrome polished, new bulbs installed, script freshened. One of the light adjusters was always loose, the capture was simply filthy with 49 years of schmutz, cleaned and now works properly, nice.

\m/
Laurie

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Nice work Laurie!  With our cars, there is ALWAYS
something else to do.

Mike

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Nice work Laurie!  With our cars, there is ALWAYS
something else to do.

Mike

Indeed.... now the chrome roof trim mocks me every time I step over it in my den. Its next...

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

OK, all the roof/rear window trim is cleaned, finally.

All heading to Hyannis Vintage Auto tomorrow, they're going to show me how to use their
high speed bench buffer to get the scratches out. Back home and a good wiping with paint thinner, tape off
the 'halo', spray paint in the shed, then into the house to dry. I won't bothering polishing the 'halo' until its
back on the car and dried from its spring bath.

Now its 14Jan when Paul's Upholstery will take The Ark in for the roof and headliner install. And he's making me a new button for the drivers seat and installing. Good thing I kept all those samples of the 028S interior from SMS, just enough to make a button! Then The Ark goes back to HVA to have the rear window re-installed and all the roof/window trim.

The restored visors are due back from Vinyl Specialties this week.

I really want this phase to be OVER....

\m/
Laurie

[35-709]

"I really want this phase to be OVER...."

  "The Ark is teaching me patience.The need for patience at times, with everything connected to the car... I was never good with 'patience'. I'm getting better at it... I'm trying."   

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

"I really want this phase to be OVER...."

  "The Ark is teaching me patience.The need for patience at times, with everything connected to the car... I was never good with 'patience'. I'm getting better at it... I'm trying."   

grrrrrrrrrrr.........

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

"fish eyes"

Today we learned about 'fish eyes' class. Happened to one of the pieces of trim I sprayed.
Michael said they all need a 2nd coat anyway, hope it goes away with the 2nd spray or everything
gets washed off with paint thinner, the Frog reapplied, and we start all over.

Sweet.

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Fini, nearly 6 hours today, never the F again. And the f'ing HALO will need a light buff with 0000 steel wool in a couple of days to bring the shine back. NEVER AGAIN. Hey, there are people, many are friends of mine, and most of you here, who take great care and pride in spending a week refinishing a clamp on their classic car. I'M NOT ONE OF THEM! I just don't have the patience. My back and shoulder are screaming from this. I want to clean/polish The Ark, fuel it, drive it to shows. THAT'S IT! Past that if Michael Amster and/or Hyannis Vintage Auto can't do it, it ain't getting done. This project has been dragging on for weeks, I'd rather have a root canal. F this. And I still have to paint the interior roof/rear window trim, not even gonna try hand painting, I'll have spray paint mixed in the proper color by the local guy Gary Amster recommended. Those of you who are Facebook friends know I cleaned up this post before I pasted it here. Now I know why the body shop wouldn't do this trim. Never again... SO MUCH RESPECT for those of you who do your own work and sweat the details. You have the time and patience, I have neither. I just want this phase to be OVER. <argh>

\m/
Laurie

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

Great work Laurie!!  Although this kind of work
can be tedious, it does give a great deal of
satisfaction once it's done.  At least it does for
me.  Congrats!

Mike

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Great work Laurie!!  Although this kind of work
can be tedious, it does give a great deal of
satisfaction once it's done.  At least it does for
me.  Congrats!

Mike

Thanks Mike... tedious? TEDIOUS? Waiting for my Keurig to brew a cup of coffee is tedious.
This? I'd rather be water boarded again, and again, and again.
I just noticed I never posted pics of the trim taped and being painted, they're below.
Unless I put them in another post, who knows.

\m/
Laurie

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I can relate to the tedious.

Just finished the rubbing down and restoring all the fibreglass side mouldings and installing them on my other car listed below.   But, boy, it is beautiful.

Thought it would never end.

Bruce.

[35-709]

Laurie, now that you are well versed in the process, I think you should do this for other car enthusiasts that don't have your skill set.  Great way to earn some extra cash and to expand your growing reputation in the automobile community.  Think of all the new friends you will make too.  This is an opportunity you shouldn't pass up --- trust me!

[cadillacjack]

After this I don't think anyone could pay her enough to do this project.  Like this project that the body shop knew they didn't want to do is because the amount of hours and work to do it properly.  Good on you for taking it on Laurie!
I know how you feel, I become distressed when my car is all torn apart but it will all be worth it when it comes together. We are all anxiously waiting for the post when its all done.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Thanks guys, and TRUST ME, there's not enough blow in Bolivia to get me to do this again.
I really appreciate the support.

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

BTW Rajeevx7, I love the blacked out 66. Sexy and sinister.

\m/
Laurie

[rajeevx7]

BTW Rajeevx7, I love the blacked out 66.

Many Thx!

That is hard work, especially when it comes to the +100lbs of chrome and stainless trim on these cars! It wasn’t something I relished doing either.....but, for ALL the Bolivian Blow....sign me up

I bought one of those Harbour Freight polishers and some of their grey stainless compound. Polishing isn’t as bad as dent/ding removal. Holy bananas I made some pieces worse after dent ‘removal’, before polishing. Talk about an art skill!

Your pieces look great and were worth the elbow grease.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

More pics, how about some music Lexi? \m/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgPqZmrJ380

And the exterior roof/rear window trim is DONE. Almost 40 hours just for this. The *HALO* got a buff with 0000 steel wool then the *HALO* got another polish with Blue Magic. And yes there were still a couple of spots that needed black paint touch up. Never again. Pics of the interior roof trim too, before and after, it will need a 2nd coat. And its gaw-juss! Tried to get this paint rattle canned, fail, being hand painted. These pieces will all be carefully loaded into The Ark's trunk in a couple of days. When The Ark heads to upholstery next week, the remaining pieces of interior roof trim will be immediately removed, I'll bring them home to wash and paint, then return them to that shop for installation. THEN The Ark goes back to the world famous Hyannis Vintage Auto to have the rear window and roof trim re-installed. THE END of Phase 1 of 2.

Never again. BUT if I had to, I would do it differently, I know where I'd make changes in the process.

*BARTENDER*!

\m/
Laurie

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Here's a tour of the ceiling of The Ark today, the headliner replacement is not a luxury, its a must.
Also brought the freshly restored visors out to the car to see how the colors will look, along with a piece
of hardscape in the paint I'm using for the ceiling trim..... I think its going to be stunning!

As long as I took the rear view down, it got a good polishing, and the thingy that hangs from the ceiling too.
First pic is the mirror polished on the right side, left untouched yet. Then finished.

Ark therapy...

\m/
Laurie

https://www.facebook.com/laurie.kraynick/videos/2036441616470977/