Erik’s 1970 Barracuda convertible project..... update!!

[HEMICUDA]

Blended properly.

[HEMICUDA]

Blending the back and rear corners that were buffed thru to the primer. 

[dodj]

If there are discs up front it should at least be able to stop reasonably well.. I'm sure Mike & his guys have done what they could with whats there.. I wonder if different brake pads would make a difference... There's some really good pads out there.. And garbage...

I put cross drilled and slotted Baer discs and ceramic pads up front. Made quite a difference.

[76orangewagon]

I am running 4 wheel drum brakes on my car but upgraded to a complete set up from a Muscle car brakes the kit included Thermo Cooled Drums and MCB Matrix Ceramic Brake Shoes,  High Volume Wheel Cylinders, Heavy Trick Spring Kit, Star Wheel Self Adjuster Combo Kit and front &rear Brake Hoses. They claim that the MCB Stage-III kit will give that Muscle Car or Classic Truck as much as 38% better braking than over the counter brakes.

http://www.musclecarbrakes.com/

[70 Challenger Lover]

I am running 4 wheel drum brakes on my car but upgraded to a complete set up from a Muscle car brakes the kit included Thermo Cooled Drums and MCB Matrix Ceramic Brake Shoes,  High Volume Wheel Cylinders, Heavy Trick Spring Kit, Star Wheel Self Adjuster Combo Kit and front &rear Brake Hoses. They claim that the MCB Stage-III kit will give that Muscle Car or Classic Truck as much as 38% better braking than over the counter brakes.

http://www.musclecarbrakes.com/

Have you road tested them yet? I've wondered how good their stuff is.

[JS29]

Not to judge or crank things up again but that paint was obviously rushed. It may have looked okay when first done and all the checking and sanding scratches happened as it gassed out. Anyway glad you're moving on.

I am not going to judge ether, but I had a quart of primer from PPG. for got the part #, it was sup-post to be a direct to metal epoxy. violet color, I used it on several vehicles, and did not see any problems. I don't recall how much time lapsed, but every place I applied it came back looking like what I saw in these pictures. needless to say, I had to eat those jobs. Were I bought that primer from didn't want to know anything. I don't use PPG any more, That store closed and I switched to Du-Pont and been happy with it.

[HEMICUDA]

Not to judge or crank things up again but that paint was obviously rushed. It may have looked okay when first done and all the checking and sanding scratches happened as it gassed out. Anyway glad you're moving on.

I am not going to judge ether, but I had a quart of primer from PPG. for got the part #, it was sup-post to be a direct to metal epoxy. violet color, I used it on several vehicles, and did not see any problems. I don't recall how much time lapsed, but every place I applied it came back looking like what I saw in these pictures. needless to say, I had to eat those jobs. Were I bought that primer from didn't want to know anything. I don't use PPG any more, That store closed and I switched to Du-Pont and been happy with it.

Nope, it was all in the clear.  I was hoping we wouldn't have to paint the entire hood & fenders, we DA'ed the entire hood to see if the "checkering" was no deeper than that then wet sanded and buffed what was left, we got lucky.  Like I said, the paint is the easy problem, all the work will be in the metal, body gaps, body lines and making it perfectly flat for paint. 

Like I've said before, I will never post pictures of customers cars "in process", Erik wanted me to post what was needed to make the car "local show acceptable".  When his car comes back next year, the updates will come from him only.

[Slotts]

Hey Erik,

I am so glad to see the first picture you posted at the beginning of this thread. Driving on the Grand Central Parkway!!! That IS what this is all about!

I will start with my initial contact with Erik on June 8th. Here was a rather unusual Parts Wanted post. https://forum.e-bodies.org/parts-wanted/25/urgent-request-nos-e-body-3-speed-wiper-switch-2770380-and-dimmer-switch-3420865/11631/

We did make contact that day and understood he was in a time crunch to get these parts installed before the car carrier was scheduled to pick up the car. Turned out the best way to get them there was to send to Erik directly, overnight on July 11th and arrived on July 12th. All good, right? Well, no...

On July 17th, I received an email from Erik describing some unusual electrical issues that directly tied into the restored dash dimmer switch and variable speed wiper switch that I provided and were installed. Both of these issues are referenced in that attached report.

With Erik's description of these electrical issues, I knew that more was occurring than could be expected from anyone trying to look into remotely with me on the phone. I have done that countless numbers of times with helping clients find something unrelated that was causing issues, get them solved and have the car back on the road, again.

Before letting Erik now about my intentions, next, I talked with my wife about seeing if she would be interested in a getaway weekend trip to Long Island. That was code for (I will drop you off at the mall and go to Erik's place to figure out what's up) and she thought that was a great idea! Both of us love being in the Big Apple, especially having diner on Mulberry Street.

With the addition of body issues that Erik described to me, and believe me, I am not a body guy, I knew he was in between a rock and a hard place and didn't know where to turn to next. I am raising my hand and letting everybody know that I recommended he consider contacting Mike Ross. Mike and I have known each other since dirt was still under warranty. He also has gone out of his way to point Mopar people with electrical issues to JS Restorations for help of which I can never begin to repay or thank him enough.

Those two talked and suddenly the plan changed from my wife and I taking a trip to Long Island to me making a solo trip to Litchfield, Ohio. Once the plans were made to deliver the car to Mike, my window of opportunity became August 10th to make a trip to Mike's shop. Erik also would be making the trip from Long Island that day to Mike's shop, so I had to get my little behind to Mike's shop early with the intension of having all the electrical issues resolved before Erik's arrival. I arrived there at 3:00 am and started by first meeting Kenny, who was expecting some guy to walk into the place. Thanks for letting Kenny know about my arrival time Mike or I may have been filled with buckshot! Mike was there too.

Note: I was armed with another restored 2947713 dash dimmer switch, a 2770380 variable speed wiper switch and a 2947305 headlight switch. The headlight switch was not part of Erik's request for parts wanted but had one in my back pocket.

I thought about not even mentioning this before writing but changed my mind. With the cost of two parts that I sold Erik without any sort of "drop everything and do these now upcharge" and the overnight shipping, that was and is all of any financial transaction that has occurred between us. Why? Because I had that familiar tap on my shoulder with the whispering in my ear of, "Take care of this person in need." Some may know what I am referring to. 

It was my pleasure to meet up with you Erik and shake your hand in person, along with Kenny and Mike again. Also, a guest appearance by Ross, who we have done business with made the drive from Akron that morning to see the progress on his car. Nice to meet you in person and shake your hand as well.

The following is what I documented while on site and the results that concluded with a fully functioning electrical system:

Jim

[76orangewagon]

Eric,
    I was at Mikes shop and saw your car the same day you drove in from New York but missed you by about an hour or so. When I arrived Mike and Jim were working away on fixing the steering column issues so I gave myself a self-guided tour and walk around of your car. I would like to share my un-biased opinion and assessment from what my thoughts were, this is not meant to cut down anyone or build-up others.
  Upon walking through the doorway into the well-lit work bay and seeing the car overall I was impressed and stunned at how beautiful the car looked. I mean come on... it's a 1970 Cuda' convertible painted In-Violet (Plum Crazy, for you Dodge Guys) with a white interior and top and then the body color painted steel wheels and poverty caps just added an extra WOW factor. I lifted the hood to check out the engine compartment and again was impressed by the details and cleanliness of not only the 340 but the overall engine compartment and components in general. I looked underneath at the front suspension and again thought very nicely done and well detailed, basically I gave a nice once over like I would at a car show when you see an interesting car and thought the website bashing seemed harsh. But then .....
   As I went to shut the hood something caught my eye and I noticed the checkering or crow's feet and the closer I looked the more of it I saw, then I walked down the side and stared at the door gaps and body lines... Ouch, big gaps and a body like that was off by 3/16" from the door to front fender...basically what was discussed online before so I won't repeat everything again but the harder I looked the more issues I noticed. Being that I am just an enthusiast in the car hobby and do not do this for a living it takes me awhile longer to pick up on flaws that professionals in the business see easily and stick out like a sore thumb to them but I eventually find things here and there.
    After an in-depth walk around of your car I can honestly say I would be very unhappy and can totally understand your anger and disappointment if I paid what I have read a few places that you paid for the quality of work you received, especially in regards to the paint and body. When I had my Duster a few years ago, that was a 6 year build and had a bad experience with the body work gaps, sharpness of body lines, ect...  and it really took the wind out of my sail so to speak about how I felt about the car. It's a shame and in my opinion the value of the car has taken a financial hit in regards towards higher end builds due to the finish work but the detailing and major sub components (Suspension, engine & rear end) are nicely done and you should be proud of those at least, unfortunately the hardest and most expensive part to fix at this point is the body work. When you are driving down the road nobody will ever notice what flaws are left they'll just stare in awe as you zoom past and even at car shows most of the hobbyists will give a quick look over (and under) then move on since the overall appearance of the entire car is visually stunning in that color combination. At least it's better now and you can enjoy it now that some of the issues and safety problems are fixed. I'm glad my car's body is where it is, I feel confident that it will be done right when I get it back.         

[76orangewagon]

I am running 4 wheel drum brakes on my car but upgraded to a complete set up from a Muscle car brakes the kit included Thermo Cooled Drums and MCB Matrix Ceramic Brake Shoes,  High Volume Wheel Cylinders, Heavy Trick Spring Kit, Star Wheel Self Adjuster Combo Kit and front &rear Brake Hoses. They claim that the MCB Stage-III kit will give that Muscle Car or Classic Truck as much as 38% better braking than over the counter brakes.

http://www.musclecarbrakes.com/

Have you road tested them yet? I've wondered how good their stuff is.

I have not tried them they are sitting on the sub assemblies waiting on the rest of the car to get completed..but I know someone that has the complete stage III kit and says it was a night and day difference from before to after. I needed to buy all new stuff anyway so it was a no brainer for me since 100% original looks is very important along with the safety upgrade potential.   

[70 Challenger Lover]

Thanks @76orangewagon   I like upgrading to front discs in most situations but my 71 Barracuda I've decided to stick with the stock drums. They work quite well right now but I'd love to upgrade them at some point down the road.

[HEMICUDA]

I would consider this a "minor" issue.  Trim not installed correctly, had to pull a couple windshield clips loose, not a big deal.  Before and after.

[ErikR]

Really glad folks can see how much Mike and Jim helped me out of a very bad situation on this life-long dream of mine to get my high school car restored.  This story goes a little deeper and I think that is worth sharing too.

It really took a while for me to get my head around the whole car, the good and the bad. I initially focused on the so-called minor stuff with problems, but then slowly became increasingly disappointed and upset with the big stuff - bodywork and paint. I had ZERO interest in wrenching on it and was not fully enjoying the car at all in that condition, so again this whole 'dream' went sideways quickly.

I jumped at the chance to get my car to Mike's shop. I knew it would need Jim's expert troubleshooting on electrics and Mike could handle the rest of the list to get me in a better place. I was flat broke at this point but also needed to get these problems fixed if I was going to try and live with the car.

The previous restorer eventually offered to have me take the car back, but obviously there was no way I was doing that as I have explained previously, and my car was already at Mike's shop. My invoice for all this additional work came to $3500 and the previous restorer refused to pay. I was scrambling at this point to cover the bill and the back/fourth transport from Reliable was another bill I had just been hit with.

Well I guess Mike and Jim got to talking again, they felt bad about the whole thing too so and they agreed to cover all the costs to fix my car. So a big shout out to Mike and Jim for stepping up on this and helping me out of a bad spot, and it's important that folks on here know that.

[Spikedog08]

WOW GOOD GUY ALERT TO MIKE AND JIM!      Very cool job guys!   

[HEMICUDA]

Really glad folks can see how much Mike and Jim helped me out of a very bad situation on this life-long dream of mine to get my high school car restored.  This story goes a little deeper and I think that is worth sharing too.

It really took a while for me to get my head around the whole car, the good and the bad. I initially focused on the so-called minor stuff with problems, but then slowly became increasingly disappointed and upset with the big stuff - bodywork and paint. I had ZERO interest in wrenching on it and was not fully enjoying the car at all in that condition, so again this whole 'dream' went sideways quickly.

I jumped at the chance to get my car to Mike's shop. I knew it would need Jim's expert troubleshooting on electrics and Mike could handle the rest of the list to get me in a better place. I was flat broke at this point but also needed to get these problems fixed if I was going to try and live with the car.

The previous restorer eventually offered to have me take the car back, but obviously there was no way I was doing that as I have explained previously, and my car was already at Mike's shop. My invoice for all this additional work came to $3500 and the previous restorer refused to pay. I was scrambling at this point to cover the bill and the back/fourth transport from Reliable was another bill I had just been hit with.

Well I guess Mike and Jim got to talking again, they felt bad about the whole thing too so and they agreed to cover all the costs to fix my car. So a big shout out to Mike and Jim for stepping up on this and helping me out of a bad spot, and it's important that folks on here know that.

I wasn't going to post that Erik, about the original restorer not covering the expense of Jim and I.   Shipping a car to Canada is not easy, with all that you've been through and the original restorer not stepping up, we felt inclined to do all the work "Pro bono".  Not sure, with all the issues, I would have let them take another shot at it either.  I look forward to seeing your car next fall, that way, you can sit with it in your garage with a cold one and enjoy it.