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My '70 SS454 build


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Well, after some more fender shimming, measuring and head scratching, I'm not satisfied with the gap at the front of the passenger side door. The driver side gap is about 1/4" and the other side is a little more, and it just doesn't look good. I'd like to reduce the driver side too, but that's as small as it can be and not have the door hitting the fender when opening. It seems the body lines on the doors and fenders of our Monte Carlos are the cause for a bigger gap there than is necessary on some other models.

 

I started welding a piece of steel rod to the door edge this evening. It'll be welded the full length on both sides. It'll take a good number of trial fits on the car to get the door edge finished, but I'll be happier with it.

 

Dan

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I have a friend who is doing a 54 Chevy metal woody wagon and he had to do the opposite to his tail gate. Grind it off and then re weld, you can never tell that has been done. Just about anything can be made to work if you have the skills to maneuver and manipulate metal and bondo. Really looking good there Dan.

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks, Larry.

 

I've been block sanding and primering. The most not fun part of any restoration, but I have several panels ready for final prime and then 600 grit. The others are getting close, but I haven't had time to do any sanding on the shell since I reprimed it a couple months ago. It's not looking like I can paint it before Spring.

 

I had the radiator top plate and the plate that the fenders bolt to blasted and powder coated.

 

I'm getting some parts ready to send to California for replating/recoating. I degreased the hood hinges today. They've never been painted and I'll have them restored to look original with gray phosphate. I used aircraft stripper to remove a coat of black paint from the level ride compressor tank and found it originally had black phosphate coating on it. I'm having the brake booster restored and since some of the air tanks were the same color as the boosters, I was going to have the tank plated to match. Now I'm going with the black phosphate on it.

 

Dan

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  • 1 month later...

OK, with overtime at work and working on my daughter's house/bakery, progress is still alive, but not like I hoped. Still blocking the body shell. I should be able to spray a couple small areas this weekend and that'll be the last of the blocking and primering.

 

It feels good to finally be close to painting. Hopefully, I can rent a booth this winter and shoot it before Spring.

 

Dan

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great pictures. I just bought a 1971 Monte Carlo. Has all the tell tale signs of a Super Sport. I found the ride leveler compressor brackets in the trunk. I was wondering what they were for. The rest is M.I.A.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The rebuilt and replated parts arrived from brakeboosters.com and I think Steve did a beautiful job. The parts look like new.

 

I assembled the level ride control valve.

 

Dan

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks Rob.

 

I've been sanding the jambs and body lines, and also double checking all panels for minor imperfections. I've found a few spots that still needed a little attention, but I now have everything real close to being ready for color. I took the hood to the paint booth and I was able to shoot the bottom of it with satin black yesterday.

 

Dan

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This is a fantastic build. I wish I had your eye and patience for detail. When you are done it will look like it did when it came off the assembly line. What color will this car be?

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How about  BLUE

Or How about this BLUE

Or How about this BLU E

Or even this BLUE

Then there is always this BLUE

 

You see, you can never go wrong with BLUE

 

rob

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Lol. The problem is that there are so many colors that look great on a first gen Monte. I think reality is that it's our cars that make the colors look good. I've decided it'll be a color that I can make future repairs on fairly easily, if needed.

 

UPS brought another box today. More necessary pieces to reassemble a car.

 

Dan

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've been making repairs on and cleaning the paint booth I'll be using. It was due for some maintenance. I'll be shooting the black on the rockers and lower fenders tomorrow. The paint supplier messed up my order and got the wrong clear coat and reducer for the base. The right stuff should be here Monday. I have what I need for tomorrow and I have the next 8 days off to spray the car. Finally....

 

Dan

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Paint supplier screwed up again. Long, ridiculous story. My wife made a 200+ mile round trip this morning to get the reducer I needed for the sealer, and I finally got to shoot something besides gray surfacer and satin black.

 

I hope to do the final masking tomorrow and possibly get the sealer and base on some outer surfaces. I shot the black on the rockers and lower fenders on Sunday.

 

Dan

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