At the nwsoc’s fix-it day, replaced the motor mounts with the help of 3 other people. two were easy, the driver’s side was the most difficult. The original mounts were worn out and the engine would wobble and torque when rev’ed. That resulted in some metallic rattling in the exhaust and elsewhere due to vibration at speeds above 50. With the new mounts, springs, shocks and tires the car really feels tight and sporty.
And some additional photos by squaab99t:
Trunk panels have been covered and fitted to the trunk area. Sound deadening has been applied to the front kick panels and the roof. A look at the original ‘solar orange’ carpets.
The carpets have been cut and laid. They’re based on the earlier 1969 99 carpets rather than the newer style that the car originally had. The dash pad is wrapped at the front so it should not do that typical 99 wrinkle.
The original door panels were in bad shape due to water damage and mold. New panels were made using the same type of material that was used for the seats and follow the same style though with a fabric accent. At first I thought about leaving the ashtrays out, but then decided I liked them. The dash pad is also being done but will be slightly different than the original to avoid the typical winkle nearly all 99s get.
The car is now at the upholsterer. Work on the door panels has started, the fiber board on all of them was water damaged, though they can still be used as templates. I dropped off the carpet roll which is a wool material based on the early 99 carpets, rather than the later nylon. The window trim and lock strips have all been installed and look great. For the rear hatch glass I ended up using a 1970s chevy truck lockstrip (WLS-848) which included a seam cap that fit perfectly in the 99’s rubber seal.
The air dam has been sanded, primed and then painted with a 3M rubberized black paint.
Drove the car around North Seattle for about 1 hour or so today. Great handling and feel with the new shocks, springs and tires – A real improvement over the stock setup. The engine sounded great, shifting was good, brakes were better than ever. I did have a bit white smoke early on in the drive, but that cleared up in about 15 minutes. I was also burning 2 year old gas. I filled the tank with high test and that seemed to improve things quite a bit. It was a blast driving the car again after a 1.5 year rest. I took it easy, but it sure felt like she had not missed a beat since the valve job Troll Motors performed April before last.
I am hoping to be at the Swedish Car Show at the Triple X drive in in Issaquah on Sunday, February 17th.
The window channels I purchased from Restoration Specialities worked out perfectly. Fit very nicely and provide an excellent seal on the windows. The part number is AS1369.
yes .. its still coming together. Maybe Christmas?
