There's certain restoration & paint mistakes I think look better than original & would probably do on purpose.
For instance:
For some reason, I really like seeing the upper accent line on '71 R/T tail panels painted argent to set it off instead of all black, as shown in the picture. I also like seeing full painted undercarriages on restorations instead of just oversprayed, blacked out tail panels on 72-74 Challengers, early style bumper brackets on 72-74 cars, unpainted negative battery cables, and really nice cast-iron color finishes on exhaust manifolds rather than overspray.
I also don't mind painted bumpers on E-body's either as long as the rest of the car wasn't done cheaply.
Are there certain mistakes that you like that make the car look better in your opinion?
1. 72-74 Challenger black on the rear tail panel instead of the argent and black
2. Full painted undercarriages
These two I couldn't agree more.
Here are some more:
I prefer the black painted 1970 Challenger grille vs argent. I like it painted like the T/A was.
I do not like the finish of organisol (spelling on that?) it looks awful correct or not.
All wheel wells should be undercoated. Especially if your car is a light color. It looks odd to me when you have a white car with a white wheel well.
admittedly I am an originality freak so I get why people put them back to factory spec. This is more "if i was building a car"
I don't like how sloppy the factory put on the seam sealer. Not a big fan of painted neg cable or painted bypass hose on small blocks. As long as everything is neat and clean I'm ok with it.
I'll gladly admit that's my mistake in your picture...I had some bad reference material at the time, however I do think it looks better too...
I just assembled this one this week with it "all black" :)
I always liked black instead of body color above the rear tailights on the 70 Challengers :bigthumb:
I generally like shiny surfaces and bigger engines. 100 extra cubes never hurt anyone.
like the TA has
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on May 21, 2020, 07:43:16 AM
like the TA has
I'm on the fence on that one, I think the T/A spoiler makes a difference too... :thinking:
...for comparison
:bigthumb:
The front grille is deep & black , I believe it looks better with the rear deep & black also . :bigthumb:
1) Painted negative battery cable. Painting over electrical components seems weird.
2) Painted manifolds. If you go through all the trouble to restore them, over-spraying them seems like a waste.
3) Screw-in gas cap. Unless you're driving a Vanishing Point challenger, the flip gas gaps just seal the look for a challenger.
4) Driving around with a blank in the factory clock location when you could have the awesome perfect-fit tach that goes in there.
5) Driving around with 14" Ralleyes when just about any 15" wheel will look more proportional/better.
6) If you don't like the argent grilles, try massaging on some WD-40. You'd be surprised.
7) Placing the trunk decal on straight instead of crooked. It was never "intended" to be crooked, although many were shipped that way (including mine)
That's all I can think of.
Dual side mirrors look way better then one single. I left my Challenger original with just one but my Dart is getting two.
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on May 21, 2020, 07:55:53 AM
:bigthumb:
The front grille is deep & black , I believe it looks better with the rear deep & black also . :bigthumb:
Looking at the posted pictures, I'm starting to agree with you :unbelievable:
I can't make myself install new stickers crooked. There was some chance they got put on straight so I just assume my car was one of the lucky ones. With that said, basically all of my original stickers were some sort of crooked. :looney:
I'm a stickler for originality, however if I owned an original 4 wheel manual drum car I wasn't restoring to OE gold trailer queen standards, I would have to update it to power disc brakes. I'd never use one of those jelly bean shaped GM style master cylinders some of the aftermarket brake conversion kits for Mopars have though, a Mopar master cylinder only!
Electronic ignition is a good update too, but need to try to hide the unit not bolt to the upper part of the firewall as is often seen.
I don't know much about the Plymouth side of things, what is commonly incorrect but looks good on cudas/barracudas?
Install hood pins. I had someone try to steal my shaker hood in the 1970s but I must have scared them off. Hood was open and some things were partially unbolted. I installed hood pins in factory location and installed locks. Before that and after the thwarted theft, I put a chain and padlock behind the grill up through the hood latch and had to crawl under to access the padlock behind the valance. I've also seen the result of a hood popping open at highway speeds. Not pretty. I like hood pins.
Terry
:iagree:
I like some things about hood pins, the safety aspect for sure, When cruising at 75+ & the hood is moving around pins are good... But I'm not a big fan of them visually...
I do prefer the tail light panel black..
On some cars, a black shaker looks better, in my opinion. My FY1 car has had a black scoop, since before I owned it, 45 years ago. I was toying with the idea of shooting it argent, for correctness, but my wife strongly expressed her opinion. It stays black. I guess I'm glad she cares about it, that much!
That looks perfect on your Yellow & Black car :twothumbsup:
I'm a big fan of building a car the way you like but only one thing that I don't like is putting the wrong stripe on the car. To me that identifies the year. Hockey stick to me is the cleanest looking stripe but I hate that it was only on the 70. To bad it wasn't an option for all years.
Mine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one...I'm biased as i wish they had some of the options the 70/71's had.
1. 72 rallye tailpanel treatment
2. flip top gas gap
3. Other colored side stripes (as long as they were previous optioned colors)
4. Pre 72 steering wheels
5. Electronic Ignition
6. Stock disc brakes added
7. Dual mirrors
8. 70/71 sun visors (they are just better)
9. Any other stock radio
10. Spoilers. pedestal or T/A
11. Hood pins
For some reason i don't care for the blackout hood on 72 and up cars. Nor do I care for incorrect badging of the rallyes. I also dont care for painting hemi orange on engines for 72 and up. Its not an R/T and that's ok. Embrace the Rallye!
Quote from: Chryco Psycho on May 21, 2020, 07:55:53 AM
:bigthumb:
The front grille is deep & black , I believe it looks better with the rear deep & black also . :bigthumb:
Definitely
That's why my Challenger's a$$ is black...not argent.
I also like the gold pentastar on the right fender...so I added one to mine (not my car in the pic...just an example)
Disc brakes are a must
electronic Ign for sure also
Dual mirrors especially on SE cars
Bigger wheels... And wider tires. And not to an extreme level but I like the wheel to be almost flush with the side of the car and to fill out the wheel well a bit. I have a pair of 14x5.5's for my car, but they'll probably never go on.
Also, thicker sway bars, torsion bars and a firm feel steering box. The stock power steering is way too strong.
I also converted my car to have front discs.
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I think I'll be one of a few maybe but the side mirrors on the 70 Challenger bugged me and I'm not really OCD . I used the later mirrors so they are the same side to side or pardon the pun " mirror image"
The plastic blinker housing, that is mounted in the lower valence, on the 72-74 Cuda /Barracuda wasn't painted originally. I think it should have received the same dark argent as the grill.
This may be blasphemy to some I realize, but here goes....I like the 71 front valence used with the 72-74 grill as shown in this Sox & Martin photo.
QuoteMine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one... Embrace the Rallye!
Then please stop referring to it as a "frowny face" car. I hate hearing that. They have never looked that way to me. :alan2cents:
When I was building my Gran Coupé I wanted it to look like a Cuda so I painted the tail panel black and used Cuda trim. I just like that better. I also used Cuda badging on the rest of the car. I have since seen the light and put everything back to Gran Coupé trim. The mistake I made was drilling the power bulge hood for the Cuda 440 badges. I wish now I would have left the hood blank.
I prefer the chromed 15" magnum wheels to the 14" w/trim ring my car came with
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1881/3559/products/319-3815-A2_2a191368-9b6d-4c02-ac68-5b38716d79e9.jpg?v=1571609317)
(https://www.69roadrunner.net/mopar/data/attachments/21/21154-a84933ed460209360b998bdc0684ad13.jpg)
Quote from: Burdar on May 22, 2020, 05:38:23 AM
QuoteMine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one... Embrace the Rallye!
Then please stop referring to it as a "frowny face" car. I hate hearing that. They have never looked that way to me. :alan2cents:
SNARL (https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dramatic-close-snarling-lioness-baring-260nw-1669067158.jpg)
Quote from: Burdar on May 22, 2020, 05:38:23 AM
QuoteMine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one... Embrace the Rallye!
Then please stop referring to it as a "frowny face" car. I hate hearing that. They have never looked that way to me. :alan2cents:
Sorry burdar! Didn't mean to offend. I should add the "air quotes" to the term as that is how I feel as well. I think we are kind of the Rodney dangerfield's of the lot and I take it as a bit of pride actually to defend them.
As a proud 71/72 B body owner it's a feeling I've learned and defended for many years. I'd watch as people would stroll right past my original paint 71 EL5 roadrunner to go look at the 68 -70 cars.
I'm a proud defender of the later generation of E's and B's!
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Quote from: Bullitt- on May 22, 2020, 06:01:39 AM
I prefer the chromed 15" magnum wheels to the 14" w/trim ring my car came with
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1881/3559/products/319-3815-A2_2a191368-9b6d-4c02-ac68-5b38716d79e9.jpg?v=1571609317)
(https://www.69roadrunner.net/mopar/data/attachments/21/21154-a84933ed460209360b998bdc0684ad13.jpg)
That's funny! I actually prefer the opposite! I'm going to be selling the 15x7 magnum 500's to back to the 14x6's. Are those trim rings available?
This is a fun post! The thing of it is everyone has got a little different style but a common thread I see is that the changes were either offered or close to original tweaks.
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14 inch trim rings are unobtanium as well. I don't get the trim ring deal. Every car needs 4 of them. Mopar guys routinely pay double what GM or Mustang guys will for a part. Yet no one will make the correct, darn trim rings.
Quote from: PLY474 on May 21, 2020, 08:18:55 PM
This may be blasphemy to some I realize, but here goes....I like the 71 front valence used with the 72-74 grill as shown in this Sox & Martin photo.
I love that! I have wanted to do that for years, but that 71 piece is so dam pricy!!!
To go with what many have stated I like the darker tail panels. Exception to that is mine. Y5 yellow. Dark contrast is too great and does not look good.
Agree with not mixing years strips.
Late year bumpers pulled in like 70-72 vastly improves look.
Stickers IMHOP all should be placed on straight. Regardless of actual. This was intended design.
Example of bad is my jack lable. Full upside down. "Factory".
Quote from: YellowThumper on May 22, 2020, 08:40:36 AM
To go with what many have stated I like the darker tail panels. Exception to that is mine. Y5 yellow. Dark contrast is too great and does not look good.
Agree with not mixing years strips.
Late year bumpers pulled in like 70-72 vastly improves look.
Stickers IMHOP all should be placed on straight. Regardless of actual. This was intended design.
Example of bad is my jack lable. Full upside down. "Factory".
I like those factory absurdities. When I put the decals back on my cars I always try and put them on there like I don't care. At an angle, some air bubbles etc.. Never upside down though.
Another one I thought of but not seen on here swapping the rear valence for one with exhaust cut outs. On both the cuda and the Challenger it really makes the rear end of the car. Unless it's a T/A or AAR. In the few cars in my area, I think all of them have done this change when restoring the car. I see it as one that is fairly easy to change back.
QuoteAnother one I thought of but not seen on here swapping the rear valence for one with exhaust cut outs.
I added dual exhaust to my 318 Challenger Rallye. In retrospect I wish I hadn't.
Quote from: Burdar on May 22, 2020, 05:38:23 AM
QuoteMine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one... Embrace the Rallye!
Then please stop referring to it as a "frowny face" car. I hate hearing that. They have never looked that way to me. :alan2cents:
:iagree: Thank you for speaking up!
Quote from: 71383bee on May 22, 2020, 06:35:20 AM
I'd watch as people would stroll right past my original paint 71 EL5 roadrunner to go look at the 68 -70 cars.
IMO, the '71 Roadrunner is the best one ever made.
I wonder if current model mustang owners get the 'frown face' derision applied to their cars. It's very similar styling.
Quote from: dodj on May 22, 2020, 11:40:03 AM
Quote from: 71383bee on May 22, 2020, 06:35:20 AM
I'd watch as people would stroll right past my original paint 71 EL5 roadrunner to go look at the 68 -70 cars.
IMO, the '71 Roadrunner is the best one ever made.
I wonder if current model mustang owners get the 'frown face' derision applied to their cars. It's very similar styling.
Mustang is fish face...
Quote from: dodj on May 22, 2020, 11:40:03 AM
Quote from: 71383bee on May 22, 2020, 06:35:20 AM
I'd watch as people would stroll right past my original paint 71 EL5 roadrunner to go look at the 68 -70 cars.
IMO, the '71 Roadrunner is the best one ever made.
I wonder if current model mustang owners get the 'frown face' derision applied to their cars. It's very similar styling.
I hear you dodj. I hope you realize that I'm mocking the derisive monikers here. I'm a loud and proud late B and E owner! I loved my 71 runner! N96 with the louvers...it looked badass. I also had a nice FC7 383 Super Bee. Both outstanding examples of what the later B body platforms were but it was all too clear when it came time to sell or get judged at a show. If there was a general b body or charger class and a 69 was there, the car would not place regardless of originality or condition. I've seen the same with our E body's too. Its not a surprise that our cars struggle in the E body classes if an earlier year car is present. Against a nice real car its warranted but I've scene re-badged clones and others get more notoriety then a nicer original 72 and up car. Its unfortunate but people like what they like. The monikers i shrug off as its mine and I know its badass and I got friends! :cheers: For the record the majority of folks on this site are very supportive of these outstanding cars for which I'm grateful for. Especially you Burdar i truly meant no offense.
As for a mustang i honestly don't know or really care what people call them. I think the earlier "new" styles looked better than the current versions so i can sympathize with the comparison. I think for our cars its a bit more sad as the model was dropped in 74 and the last few years were more and more restrictive versus the earlier years. Its a red badge of courage thing for me...I'm very proud to own one of the more rare versions of the last stand.
This thing is straying from topic here but again I meant no offence here and we are brothers in the fight! :console: :drinkingbud:
I quite often swim against the tide. The 71 B-bodies are the best for me as well. The 68-70's are the most popular but I like the more modern feel of the 71's, the similar to E-body styling, along with the crazy amount of options available before everything dropped out in 72.
Challengers without woodgrain insert on inner door panel. My convertible was early 70 without and it just looked wrong.
Quote from: RUNCHARGER on May 22, 2020, 07:53:55 PM
I quite often swim against the tide. The 71 B-bodies are the best for me as well. The 68-70's are the most popular but I like the more modern feel of the 71's, the similar to E-body styling, along with the crazy amount of options available before everything dropped out in 72.
:iagree: I far prefer the 71 B bodies to the 68-70
Quote from: Burdar on May 22, 2020, 05:38:23 AM
QuoteMine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one... Embrace the Rallye!
Then please stop referring to it as a "frowny face" car. I hate hearing that. They have never looked that way to me. :alan2cents:
I've owned both a 70 Challenger and now a 73 Challenger and I've never understood the frown face description. I just don't see it. :dunno:
Get rid of those damn rubber bumper guards or what I call bumper boobs on the 73-4 . Can't tell you how many times I've walked into them! Of course I just spent a fortune finding them and restoring them on the 73 I just finished. And then immediately walked into them!
Funny, a lot of the factory "mistakes" that are listed here, for me, it drives me nuts if I see them corrected in a car that has been restored. Especially when people add radial tires on a "restored" car, or my personal pet peeve is when people apply the seam sealer in a nice neat straight line... :pullinghair: It was sloppy....that's what's cool about these cars, they were NEVER perfect... :console:
Quote from: 71383bee on May 22, 2020, 06:40:38 AM
Quote from: Bullitt- on May 22, 2020, 06:01:39 AM
I prefer the chromed 15" magnum wheels to the 14" w/trim ring my car came with
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1881/3559/products/319-3815-A2_2a191368-9b6d-4c02-ac68-5b38716d79e9.jpg?v=1571609317)
(https://www.69roadrunner.net/mopar/data/attachments/21/21154-a84933ed460209360b998bdc0684ad13.jpg)
That's funny! I actually prefer the opposite! I'm going to be selling the 15x7 magnum 500's to back to the 14x6's. Are those trim rings available?
This is a fun post! The thing of it is everyone has got a little different style but a common thread I see is that the changes were either offered or close to original tweaks.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree. I like the trim ring on the magnum but I put it on a 15x8 rim
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200523/55d4d2b4bc67936c69ac90f55c42eb08.jpg)
Also will note the my brother has a 73 Challenger and I never thought it looked like a frown face. I guess I can understand why people don't like the term cause its a cool looking car.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's a neat look with the trim ring :bigthumb:
Quote from: Mr Lee on May 23, 2020, 06:32:43 AM
Quote from: 71383bee on May 22, 2020, 06:40:38 AM
Quote from: Bullitt- on May 22, 2020, 06:01:39 AM
I prefer the chromed 15" magnum wheels to the 14" w/trim ring my car came with
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1881/3559/products/319-3815-A2_2a191368-9b6d-4c02-ac68-5b38716d79e9.jpg?v=1571609317)
(https://www.69roadrunner.net/mopar/data/attachments/21/21154-a84933ed460209360b998bdc0684ad13.jpg)
That's funny! I actually prefer the opposite! I'm going to be selling the 15x7 magnum 500's to back to the 14x6's. Are those trim rings available?
This is a fun post! The thing of it is everyone has got a little different style but a common thread I see is that the changes were either offered or close to original tweaks.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree. I like the trim ring on the magnum but I put it on a 15x8 rim
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200523/55d4d2b4bc67936c69ac90f55c42eb08.jpg)
Also will note the my brother has a 73 Challenger and I never thought it looked like a frown face. I guess I can understand why people don't like the term cause its a cool looking car.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hey flat dad. I've commented before I love the 15 road wheels you have they look great!
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Quote from: worthywads on May 22, 2020, 08:28:02 PM
Challengers without woodgrain insert on inner door panel. My convertible was early 70 without and it just looked wrong.
:iagree: It's not a good look with the woodgrain missing.
Quote from: Squire Edgar on May 22, 2020, 10:41:41 PM
Quote from: Burdar on May 22, 2020, 05:38:23 AM
QuoteMine are geared to the frowny face cars as I own one... Embrace the Rallye!
Then please stop referring to it as a "frowny face" car. I hate hearing that. They have never looked that way to me. :alan2cents:
I've owned both a 70 Challenger and now a 73 Challenger and I've never understood the frown face description. I just don't see it. :dunno:
It's not hard to see.....the 72-74 literally look unhapy when you look at them from the front. Everyone sees it, not everyone is bothered about it. :)
Frown face challengers are cool, but it's quite clear that the Chevy Vega/Pinto grille styling of the grille hurts the value. It can be partially corrected by leaving off the chrome trim that outlines the frown and helps to blend it in better.
This picture is what comes to mind every time I see a 72-74 Challenger grille. I just can't unsee it.
Quote from: kawahonda on May 23, 2020, 11:25:06 AM
This picture is what comes to mind every time I see a 72-74 Challenger grille. I just can't unsee it.
Ohh that's a sad comparison...our beloved Mopars being compared to Chevy Vega....ouch.... :'(
:iagree: The Vega is in the top 10 worst cars ever made. Unlined aluminum block guaranteed to be toast by 75,000 miles. Good looking body though.
To reverse the question asked to introduce the subject: One of the pet peeves I have is seeing people purchasing an expensive rproduction battery to make their under hood look authentic, and leaving the modern ''Warning'' tag on the positive post!
Or one of those batteries sittng next to a polished aluminium radiator... I understand they work better, but at least paint it black so it blends in better if everything else is stock-appearing...
There, I feel better now... :D
Ben
Ben, I thought you were going to mention rear spoilers being installed backwards ;) :bigthumb:
Quote from: anlauto on May 24, 2020, 06:51:15 AM
Ben, I thought you were going to mention rear spoilers being installed backwards ;) :bigthumb:
That one will always remain a mystery... that picture is definitely from when the car had just arrived at the dealership...
But I won't replicate it, for sure!
Funny story, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed one of the special nut-within-a-nut that holds the spoiler was a little bit loose, and as I was pulling out tools, I was thinking, maybe I could take this opportunity to turn it around... NOT!
Ben
Quote from: headejm on May 23, 2020, 08:53:33 PM
:iagree: The Vega is in the top 10 worst cars ever made. Unlined aluminum block guaranteed to be toast by 75,000 miles. Good looking body though.
(Off Topic) Auto History Fun Fact - Vega's were shipped by rail vertically, nose down.
HOLY SH*T that's crazy :o I have NEVER heard of that before :rubeyes: WOW
Quote from: PLY474 on May 24, 2020, 10:53:45 AM
Quote from: headejm on May 23, 2020, 08:53:33 PM
:iagree: The Vega is in the top 10 worst cars ever made. Unlined aluminum block guaranteed to be toast by 75,000 miles. Good looking body though.
(Off Topic) Auto History Fun Fact - Vega's were shipped by rail vertically, nose down.
Thats pretty cool. They can pack a lot more on the train that way. I guess they were short enough.
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Something about Dodge fans that make them dis on the 72-74 Challengers. I've never been able to put a finger on why butI have heard reference to the frowning grill for decades.
Somehow, I don't think the Shelby boys have the same issue in the Mustang camp...even though the later Challenger grill is an almost dead copy of it.
Quote from: Mr Lee on May 24, 2020, 02:03:35 PM
Quote from: PLY474 on May 24, 2020, 10:53:45 AM
Quote from: headejm on May 23, 2020, 08:53:33 PM
:iagree: The Vega is in the top 10 worst cars ever made. Unlined aluminum block guaranteed to be toast by 75,000 miles. Good looking body though.
(Off Topic) Auto History Fun Fact - Vega's were shipped by rail vertically, nose down.
Thats pretty cool. They can pack a lot more on the train that way. I guess they were short enough.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I still can't get over it....I had to Google it...found more pictures...
I do not like the markings that the factory did and every one is doing on restorations.
A nice painted rear axle, and then it looks like someone let a 3-year old with a paintbrush draw on it...
Looks horrible.
I Like the 72-74 grille better when the area around the headlights is blackened , it looked better for sure when the chrome went outside of the headlights & across the hood also
Quote from: PLY474 on May 24, 2020, 10:53:45 AM
Quote from: headejm on May 23, 2020, 08:53:33 PM
:iagree: The Vega is in the top 10 worst cars ever made. Unlined aluminum block guaranteed to be toast by 75,000 miles. Good looking body though.
(Off Topic) Auto History Fun Fact - Vega's were shipped by rail vertically, nose down.
Look at all those Daytona Clone back windows... Wheres my sawzall??
Yes I ten to agree with soundcontrol about the resto marking ,I know they need to be there but not a big fan
Not a big fan of the sloppy body color over spray, undercoating and seam sealer under a finely detailed car, but that's just me. I once told someone who ask me about some of the stuff I was doing when restoring my car "I refuse to half ass my car just because that's the way ma mopar did it". :alan2cents:
I remember looking at a beautiful superbird but I can't remember exactly where on the car it was but the sealer was so sloppy. I very nicely asked why it was like that and he said that's the way it was from the factory. As I walked away I thought to myself you did a beautiful restoration and made it look bad on purpose? That I'll never get. My GM buddies are great for doing all the chalk marks over everything. I always bust on them and say the car looks great except for the 2yr old you let loose with a crayon all over your car.
I love the chalk marks and factory markings. I put them on all my vehicles. Working on the Duster right now.
Hood pins in the wrong place bother me a lot.
This is only my opinion why have a cars engine bay painted black if it's not a black car . It then looks cheap like what Ford and G.M did to there cars. IMO :thumbdown:
I have yet not seen any restorations duplicating the factory welds! :)
Factory seam sealer on my spare tire mount. (not sure about the cotter pins. I bought the car that way.)
Plated trunk catches that are installed after the decklid is painted.
Don't care for painted trunk catches especially when they are adjusted after painting, leaving a bare color paint spot on the underside of the decklid and\or latch.
Quote from: Skdmark on May 25, 2020, 12:29:54 PM
Plated trunk catches that are installed after the decklid is painted.
Don't care for painted trunk catches especially when they are adjusted after painting, leaving a bare color paint spot on the underside of the decklid and\or latch.
I agree with what you're saying but I found this on an original paint AAR Cuda. :dunno:
I have a decklid off a Challenger with the early 70 jacking instructions that appears to be in original paint in my parts stash. The catch on it is also plated. However, I have seen numerous other original paint cars and references to it being painted.
The ICCA judging guide says the trunk catch can be either unpainted or painted.
Maybe it depends on which factory and/or SPD. :dunno:
Question
When Chrysler sent out a car to make its rounds for the press to review, did they make sure stuff like decals were perfectly straight, no overspray, no inspection marks, etc.?
Quote from: soundcontrol on May 25, 2020, 06:22:27 AM
I have yet not seen any restorations duplicating the factory welds! :)
Wow! Ya think that's factory? Looks like they were Mig welding there. Wonder why
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Quote from: Mr Lee on May 26, 2020, 04:55:25 AM
Quote from: soundcontrol on May 25, 2020, 06:22:27 AM
I have yet not seen any restorations duplicating the factory welds! :)
Wow! Ya think that's factory? Looks like they were Mig welding there. Wonder why
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Maybe not, but nothing is repaired in that area, and I know previous owners back to the early 80's, and they didn't do it...
I'll add another to the list. As far as incorrectness goes...
I saw a Challenger at Carlisle last year that had super shiny stainless window trim. It made the car really catch my eye and draw me to it. I don't know what it's "supposed" to look like, because on every Challenger I've had the trim was beat up, but I doubt it ever came from the factory shiny like a mirror.
(And I don't think anyone has mentioned paint jobs. Most of us don't want a paint job with orange peel and runs in the paint. I think the paint jobs of today are quite a bit nicer than 50 years ago)
If you go to the main site 'home', go to the 'how to' videos and you will see three videos by Cody that show you how to polish up that window trim....
Quote from: dodj on June 07, 2020, 07:04:44 PM
If you go to the main site 'home', go to the 'how to' videos and you will see three videos by Cody that show you how to polish up that window trim....
Yup. Thanks. Saw them already and have put them to use. Been polishing trim for days. Just about done now.
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:clapping: :worship:
VERY nice!
Good job: I go against the grain in that is one of the jobs I really enjoy (other than the mess it makes).
I'm in the middle of polishing stainless as well, however I don't have the patience to sand all the way to 1500 or 2000. I've been doing 180,220,320,400,600,800 and 1000. Then the gray polishing compound followed by the green. The first piece of trim had a very long, very deep scratch almost half way along the piece. Sanding that out almost drove me insane. It made me appreciate just how nice my Challenger trim was to start with. This Dart trim is really scratched up.
Yesterday I bought some fine roloc discs and fairly aggressive sanding discs for my small angle air grinder. I sanded out a deep scratch and feathered it out with the air grinder before starting the hand sanding. That made life SO much easier and quicker. You have to have a light touch though so you don't take too much material off.
Quote from: RUNCHARGER on June 08, 2020, 07:23:17 AM
Good job: I go against the grain in that is one of the jobs I really enjoy (other than the mess it makes).
I could send you a box full?
Quote from: Burdar on June 08, 2020, 08:43:23 AM
I'm in the middle of polishing stainless as well, however I don't have the patience to sand all the way to 1500 or 2000. I've been doing 180,220,320,400,600,800 and 1000. Then the gray polishing compound followed by the green. The first piece of trim had a very long, very deep scratch almost half way along the piece. Sanding that out almost drove me insane. It made me appreciate just how nice my Challenger trim was to start with. This Dart trim is really scratched up.
Yesterday I bought some fine roloc discs and fairly aggressive sanding discs for my small angle air grinder. I sanded out a deep scratch and feathered it out with the air grinder before starting the hand sanding. That made life SO much easier and quicker. You have to have a light touch though so you don't take too much material off.
Yup. I agree. I dont think you need to go to 1500 either. 1000 is fine. Like you, I also got some 2" sanding discs for the die grinder. Smart move. The hard part (for me) is getting all the scratches out from the previous grit that I used. It was driving me mad. They kept showing up and then I'd have to go back.
Check out this site. They make some nice 1/4" mandrels with 2" round sponge backing pads with velcro and these fiber sanding discs that don't clog up. Wonder Weave discs. they make grits up to 3000 I think. Cool stuff and reasonably priced I think.
https://woodturnerswonders.com/
Quote from: Flatdad on May 21, 2020, 06:24:03 AM
There's certain restoration & paint mistakes I think look better than original & would probably do on purpose.
(...snip)
Are there certain mistakes that you like that make the car look better in your opinion?
Fender tags. Back side should be painted off the car, then installed.
Hood Hinges. Entire hinge should be painted off the car in both open and closed positions.
Master Cylinder. Should be painted in cast iron grey prior to installation.
Dash pad, cowl, and back of dash. Should be painted prior to assembly.
Trunk striker. Deck lid should be painted prior to striker installation.
Door interior. Inside and bottom should be shot in epoxy primer.
Seat frames. Seat springs, and frames should be painted prior to buns.
Headliner rods. Paint them.
Instrument light bar. Paint both sides.
Door hinges. Epoxy primer off the car, especially the back.
There's a theme here. I know it's not concourse correct...but for an everyday car, every exposed metal surface should have some kind of corrosion resistant covering. It drives me crazy that my Cuda started to rust after it left the paint shop. I know that MOPAR was saving cost by leaving some surfaces unpainted...but rust is never charming.