I removed the grille, head lamp surrounds, air dam, fresh air cowl and saw a resemblance.
June 21, 2011
June 9, 2011
stripping down the car – session one
After some careful thought, consultation, second opinions et cetera .. I think the best route seems to be to strip down the car myself, get it media blasted and then have an independent body shop work on getting the car a new finish. Because there are several rust spots, media blasting will really help to make sure the car gets a proper foundation for a good paint job and even more important expose any issues that may be covered up with paint and bondo. Without taking care of the rust spots now, they’ll always be a problem.
Fortunately I have a good friend who has been in the business for about 35 years and has good contacts as well as tools/techniques and suggestions. We worked out a deal and got started on the car today. We should have it ready for Alternative Blasting sometime in early July.
(Took the door handle off to start working on the door and quarter panel)
April 27, 2011
water pump rebuilt
One of the known issues with the engine had to do with the water pump seals going. Besides water pumping out due to a worn seal, you also get water mixing with the oil which creates a ‘chocolate milkshake’. After looking around for rebuild kits (and not finding them) I talked with trollmotors.com in Georgetown. They took care of it at a reasonable price and within a few days. I was advised to bring it back for a valve adjustment after some driving.
April 20, 2011
a look at the damage
The main damage to the body is on the left fender, left rear door and lower left quarter. The fender will have to be replaced, but the door and left rear quarter can be pulled back out. These photos have high contrast to try and show detail of the damage which is still hard to see.
April 10, 2011
A closer look
The turn signal indicator lamps have deteriorated due to exposure to the sun, water and moss. They’re supposed to be reflective silver, but they’re bleached white and literally crumble when touched. This part is interchangeable with the 99 and 900 between 1977 – 1980 (I believe).
The same goes for the tail lamps, though the lamp housing is a little more intact. The lenses are compatible between 1977 and 1980. After 1980 they get a little larger.
But these aren’t really the major issues .. đ
April 4, 2011
1977 as found…
I went into Scanwest to get the backup light switch replaced on my NG900. The backup light switch, when grounded, will take out your windshield wipers too. It was raining, and I needed those. While in the waiting room I saw an advert for a 1977 99 GL.
I had specifically been looking for an older 5DR, so I took a card.
I came out to see the car on a Tuesday to see what I’d be getting myself into. The owner had kept good records but it seemed after a demoralizing collision with an SUV in 2006, it sat rusting and collecting moss.
The original paint is mostly intact, but the Earl Scheib finish was flaking away like latex house paint. There are several rust spots, but they appeared to be surface rust with the exception being the left front door water collector.
The left rear door and quarter panel were damaged, but they were such that it seemed they could easily be pulled/tapped out. The left front fender would have to be replaced.
A big job for sure, but these 5DRs often go to the crusher in favor of the Combi-Coupe and 2DR Notchback. With limited import numbers for this body style it only makes them rarer.
