The Bitch is Back!

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

We have 70 Degrees forecast-ed for this coming weekend. I am so close to painting I can not sleep at night. I have the body work on the jambs left and about 3 super minor low spots that should be fixed. I hope I will be painting this weekend.

[Ridge Runner 1,112]

Yo Bob ! Have you figured out what type of paint you will be using ?  There is no way i am using water base on any of my cars .I was smart enough to buy paint for the 69 and the 35 before it went out but i didnt think ahead and i have about three more to paint .May make a trip to Nevada and get the good stuff.

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

R-M Diamont! Not water based.

[RPM 1,190]

Good stuff guys, thanks! The 1-3/4" is with the wheels straight, it's 1-1/4" at full turn.

 

The wheels are off a 2011 Mustang GT with 5k miles, they are spotless.

 

Ridge Runner your shop could not change in 50 years and still be cooler than $hit!

 

I'm president of the no progress club!

 

I'd love to have a house that looked normal from the outside, but was all shop on the ground level with about 1,000 sf of living space in the basement.

 

Paint. Argh! I was out of the business when the water based switcharo took place, so I missed the heads up. I'll probably do the drive also to get some good paint. Do they use the same guns for water and solvent based paint?

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

Water based paint require a different size tip set. It is thinner so what you would normally use a 1.4 on, might require a 1.2. I have not used water based yet but probably will have to eventually. Luckily I am in Idaho and they still sell solvent based paints here. I have read a lot of good and bad things about it. Basically it is more like latex. and there will be a huge adjustment to how it covers. Also it is a lot more sensitive to your environment. Especially humidity levels. It has less build so you bodywork will have to be better. I don't know much about it, but this is what I have heard or read. I guess it will be kind of like the transition from lacquer.

 

I have a friend that did a motorcycle tank with water based and it was very nice. It has also held up for 5 years now with no issues.

[RPM 1,190]

Thanks Silver_69_Coupe. Whereabouts in Idaho are you located? I've got a bunch of relatives buried in Idaho, Twin Falls and Coeur d' Alene.

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

About 10 miles south of Boise.

[RPM 1,190]

Other than residential, I've never had a bit of interest in electrical work on cars or appliances. My lack of interest kept me from learning much about it. I've always relied on a brother, friend and my son to help me out.  

 

Hemmed and hawed on what to do about the stock clock and bezel. Clock didn't work, bezel had wood grain that I wanted removed and painted to match the instrument bezel, aye! Did a Google search and located some repair vids. Each vid and write up said the sam ting. Easy fix, but you had to be careful. Lube the gear teeth with a light weight oil, sand the points with an emery board (that's another story trying to buy one at Walgreens, "what's an emery board?"), and lightly clean the spring with alcohol/acetone without touching the spring.

 

Completed the steps, hooked up some 12v power and voila, she works! It's still spinning 5 hours later, who knows for how long though. I'm calling bs that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

 

Removing the wood grain from the metal bezel was a beast! I'm guessing whoever designed the plastic woodgrain and adhesive was fired because after 45 years it still looked great and it had no peeling. Truly remarkable. I'm thinking of painting the instrument and  clock bezel a light grey, but darker than the silver gauges, to contrast with the black dash pad, lower dash, etc

[Ridge Runner 1,112]

I think i have three clocks for 69 -70 .I will have to tinker with them and see if they still work ,one did some time ago .

I want to go with a carbon fiber cover for the cluster  and clock bezel .

[RPM 1,190]

I've thought of doing the hydro graphics dip in carbon fiber on the gauge and clock bezel and the if I'm just pimp enough the wheels. If I could get the the right shade just maybe.

[latoracing 256]

Hydro dipping parts is way cool,  but that carbon fiber look on the wheels NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!  A subtle weave look on the dash, possibly. Now, if you could form up real CF parts for your dash, that would be trick.

 

I'm certain you are able to fix you clock, look at all the other hurtles you have conquered in your build. :)

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

Real carbon fiber is the only way to go. The stickers and paint are just not the same,

[RPM 1,190]

I received good news in the mail today from the Calif DMV. They finally ok'd my 2nd application after several months of runaround to use my 2 black with yellow letters and numbers plates. Calif has the Year Of Manufacture (YOM) program that allows you to put old black plates on 1963-69 cars that currently are issued newer blue or white plates.

 

A bit of background. Calif issued yellow on black plates from 1963-69 model year vehicles. When I bought my car in 1989 it had 2 black plates. Between 2 teardowns for paint, with the second taken down to a bare metal shell, 2 divorces and 5 moves 'ol Bob somehow lost the front plate. 

 

Meanwhile with the car being not driven I decided to not renew the tags, as opposed to paying $5 a year to non-op it and keep the car info in the DMV system. Not a wise move. When I went to register the Mustang 5 or so years ago the chickens came home to roost. Since the DMV had no info on my car, and I had but one plate, they issued me the current white plates. Imho, a 1969 California car needs black plates.

 

About a year ago I got a wild hair to get moving on getting a set of black plates. Ebay has many pages of them for sale, but the Scottish in me tried to find a cheaper way. I contacted several guys who had cars for sale on Craigslist they were parting out to try and buy the black plates. Finally gave up after many hours of searching and calling and bought a set of plates off ebay along with a 1969 year sticker.

 

California DMV has this brainless rule that in addition to needing the 2 plates, you need a 1969 registration year sticker on the plate. Unless your 69 car was built in 1968, it would never received a 69 year sticker as the registration for its first year would expire in 1970. My car was built in January 1969 with the first year sticker being 1970. Much too difficult for DMV to under this concept. Maybe they need some common core math.

 

I drag my paraphernalia down to the Auto Club to get the plates transfered. The clerk who waited on me was a neighbor gal who has helped me before work around the rules. She complimented me on the plates then said, only DMV does the YOM plates, sorry. Crap.

 

I go to the DMV, wait as the clerk struggles thru the application as it's her first YOM application, pay my $12 and leave after a couple of hours. Thankfully I had a reservation. They send photocopies of the plates and the application to a special group in Sacto who handles the YOM program.

 

About 8 weeks later I get a letter denying the plates because the year sticker on the plate (1969) doesn't match the year of manufacture of the car (1969). HUH? After a few calls to Sacramento a clerk says to re-apply. Cool.

 

Back to DMV and another clerk who's never done a YOM application. Of course. Fill out everything exactly the same, pay my $45, um...last time it was $12, here's my receipt. That helped, none. Left after 2 hours, thankfully i had a reservation. 

 

My plates aren't in the best of shape, but many folks have done a little metal work to them and had them looking swell.

 

And I did all this for black plates? Education is not free. Don't lose crap, and keep your cars registered. In my best Fred Sanford voice, YA BIG DUMMY!

 

Kinda goofy how something this minor can brighten your day.

​

[Ridge Runner 1,112]

I went through kind of the same thing with my 35 Ford truck when i decided to buy a real nice set of 1935 plates ,Put them in a mental melt down at DMV .And that was not really hard to do ,as they are already 3/4 of the way there !!

[RPM 1,190]

I'm afraid I'll jinx myself if I bad mouth the dmv as I've been pretty lucky there the past several years. I usually compliment them, show a bit of empathy concerning their workload and dummy customers, and use some self deprecating humor. It may not have helped, but it didn't hurt me any.

 

I believe I'll go with this shade of silver on the clock bezel for the instrument and clock bezels. I like the contrast to the otherwise all black interior. Yep, no carbon fiber for this Okie. I'm not thrilled the clock face is black and not matching the instrument gauge faces. Any thoughts, other than buying a new clock? 

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

Look for wind up alarm clock that is the same diameter and see if you can take the face out of it. Most of the time they are a thin plastic piece that can be removed and just set over your current clock face. Also that are a lot of hobby shops that carry clock kits that might have a face that will work..

[RPM 1,190]

Thanks Silver, I'll look into that.

[Silver_69_Coupe 31]

Here is an example of the concept.

 

The gauge motors (The Part that drives the needles)  are out of a Fox body Mustang, and the Faces are out of a Dodge Intrepid. The little window actually worked at one point but my Chinese Displays broke and they are glued into place. 

 

 

 

 

[RPM 1,190]

Been doing very little lately, mostly body work, primer and paint on the gauge and clock bezels. Busy days getting my daughter and her family moved to Vernal Utah for son in law's work. He's in oil, so with the Republic of Kalifornia not wanting fracking, you move to the work. Vernal is beautiful though.

 

My other time has been spent trying to get an adjusters license so I can take a job in Englewood Colorado. Passing the test, filling out the application and generally jumping thru their out of round hoops has been a bear. I was an adjuster for 18 yrs and never knew states issued individual licenses as I worked as an employee for Farmers. A gal I've known for 26 years works in management for a company who settles State Farm claims offered me a job. It pays pretty darn well, Well enough that I couldn't pass up the gig. But I don't know how long I'll do it. I'll play it by ear, who knows. I do know that the Mustang will be about 1,000 miles away :(

 

On the bezels, the outer edges will be black and the centers silver/grey.

[Ash 145]

The stang will always be there for your return or another day. That's what I like about my ponies over my wife's 4 legged ponies. Mine don't need daily keep and can get put aside if life needs to come first for a while.

[Ridge Runner 1,112]

I spent a week at Pikes Peak in Colorado with Don Adams Racing in 84 ,it rained every night and the humidity was enough to drown you during the day. Lightning every night . It was still fun though . Don't know if i would want to live there . Beautiful  country though .

You going to teach those insurance companies a thing or two about us classic car guys ?

[RPM 1,190]

You going to teach those insurance companies a thing or two about us classic car guys ?

 

If I've learned anything about insurance companies it's that it's like talking to a tire. They learn lessons the hard way, thru the checkbook.

 

The positive besides the cash in my pocket is that I'll be several hours closer to my 2 oldest grandkids :)

[stangnet33 88]

 I'm not thrilled the clock face is black and not matching the instrument gauge faces. Any thoughts, other than buying a new clock? 

If you are still looking for a white face for your clock look here. Though it doesn't say, it does come with the clock.

 

http://www.whitegauges.net/products/1969%252d1970-Ford-Mustang-White-Face-Gauges.html

[RPM 1,190]

Yes I am. Thank you, I'll contact them.

[RPM 1,190]

Some clear coat on the gauge and clock bezels and they'll be ready to mount. And because I have a secret desire to make all my one off parts into two off, I've started on another set of upper control arms. The first set are 1" x .085 4130 and symmetrical. These tubes are 1-1/8" x .095 4130, with the ball joint cup offset 1/2" to help with caster.  The current arms on the car are maxed out at 3 degrees caster. 

 

Bending the tubes on the JD2 bender with the Ridge Runner inspired hydraulic assist was like butter! So easy peasy! Thanks RR.