Saving a 71 340 vert

[larry4406]

If you have any detail pictures of using hardtop quarters on a vert in particular up at the belt line trim area I am interested.

[Finoke]

Great car MikeMikeMike! Keeps us posted on the progress! 

[MikeMikeMike]

Thanks. Hi Larry here are the only other ones I have that I didn't already post on CC. The belt trim is on it now but if you want a specific angle I can take a new photo after the holiday. Just let me know.
Thanks
MikeMikeMike

[Cuda Cody]

Sweeeeeet!  The steering wheel looks fantastic. 

[fc7cuda]

I had a request on the steering wheel. Basically re-groove the grain with a scalpel and rub in ebony stain. Wipe off excess and mix the other two to match original. Finish with a clear coat and you're good to go...

Thanks 3M, the wheel looks good.     Was that your first one, or was there a learning curve?

[MikeMikeMike]

That was my first and only steering wheel so it was a little nerve racking cutting the grain. The problem was parts of the wheel had original grain and color and the name Tricia engraved which I wanted to preserve while other parts had been worn smooth. So I tried to continue the grain patterns into the worn areas. I did have to wipe the stain off several times when it didn't look right. I also found that dabbing the lighter stain over the ebony allowed the ebony to bleed a bit widening the grain effect. When I used a brushing motion it didn't look as good.

The good part was it wiped off easily because I did try about 7-8 times before I felt the whole wheel looked correct. And I smudged it a couple times by mistake. 

Good luck!

[RUNCHARGER]

Nice job on the wheel all right!

[340challconvert]

Steering wheel looks great, like a natural wood patina!

[Chryco Psycho]

It will be fun to watch this build come together 

[MikeMikeMike]

Thanks @Chryco Psycho

I just got my grill back from my painter. I had originally matched the color pretty good I thought but getting that mica fleck glitter was always elusive as well as the rough texture. I happened to be buying the organosol from gibson restorations and decided to go ahead and buy their grill paint. I will have to take a pic of it out in the sun next to an original grill I have because wow, I thought it was pretty spot on.

Also, I found some more detail pics of the steering wheel since people seem interested. Here you can kind of see where the grain was re-cut into the worn off areas to match the existing grain (with ebony stain rubbed in already)...

[MikeMikeMike]

And heres a pic where I was in the process of testing mix ratios of the two lighter stains to match the color of the stain that was still on the wheel... You can see the new stain, the worn no stain area and the original stain area... This part probably took longer than the actual grain cutting...

[MikeMikeMike]

Here is a pic after the proper stain mix had been created and applied. The area just beside the masking tape is the original color and grain. You can see its fairly darker with slightly closer packed grain. The rest of the wheel in the picture is what I did.

[MikeMikeMike]

Zoomed in farther on transition...

Just putting these out there as after my original post I realized there had been an ongoing thread on the forum about this very subject. Best part about this way is anyone can do it with a wheel in similar condition with a couple simple supplies and as far as I can tell, its pretty spot on. My wheel wasn't cracked or anything though.

[Chryco Psycho]

nice job !!

[MikeMikeMike]

Thanks @Chryco Psycho

If anyone was interested here is a close up of the Gibson restoration grill paint and I was anxious to get the front put back on (hopefully this is the last time I have to put it on).