Steering Wheel Restoration - Finished!

This is the third and final entry pertaining to the restoration of the steering wheel. The first part of the restoration process can be seen by clicking here.

I give up! After approximately 40 hours of filling, shaping, filing, grinding, sanding, priming, wet-sanding and painting, I can't take it anymore!


The finish is not perfect for concours show quality but it is more than good enough for a daily driver and a casual car show. The problems were the large size of the steering wheel, the small irregular-shaped surface area and quick-drying nature of the lacquer paint. It takes a lot of time to paint the entire surface and overspray tends to flash over the already painted surfaces and that prevented obtaining a totally glossy surface.


My first attempts were made using DupliColor Engine Enamel because it has an extrememely hard and durable finish. I found it very difficult to get the desired finish without runs. More wet-sanding between coats.

I finally settled upon two coats of DupliColor Black Lacquer with wet sanding between the coats.


Below is the New Old Stock steering wheel that I will be installing in my pickup. Notice the profile of the ribs.

The ribs on the steering wheel that is the subject of this restoration project were severely worn down from many years of use. I decided to fill in what was remaining of the ribs for a better appearance.


As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

The Truck is Home - Finally!

Fresh from the paint booth at Maaco, Albany, NY. The truck was delivered Tuesday afternoon via flatbed truck. The color is the same as when it was painted in April 2007, 2006 Corvette Monterey Red.

Click on the photos to see larger versions. Click "Back" on your browser to return here.

Monterey Red is a three-stage paint which which has a red tintcoat under the clearcoat.


The cracked factory seams on the A-pillars were repaired by welding and filling. Hopefully, this time the repair is permanent.

Photos of the problem areas and the repair work can be seen by clicking here. Return to this page by using your browser's "Back" button.



The rear corners of the bed had cracked seams also. Patch panels were welded in. The seam that is visible is actually a false seam that was created to look like the factory seam.

Because the color is a three-stage paint which is nearly impossible to blend it was determined that it would be easiest to wet sand and repaint the truck inside and out.

Fred C. of Rhode Island supplied four original equipment 14" wheels. The crew at Maaco sandblasted and finished them with epoxy paint.


As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

Steering Wheel Restoration - Stage Two

In the previous blog entry I showed the condition of the steering wheel before the restoration process. I also showed how I filed the cracks to enlarge them to make it easier to work the filler into the cracks.

The photo below shows that same section of the steering wheel after it was sandblasted to remove the paint and clean out the filed cracks. That will make the filler adhere better.

Click on photos for larger versions. Click "Back" on your browser to return to this page.

I use PC-7 Epoxy Paste for many tasks. It has a 60 working time which is good for jobs that require a lot of tedious work like filling the cracks on steering wheels! When it cures it can be machined, drilled, tapped, sawed, filed and painted. It adheres to most everything and can be used to seal gas and water tanks, pressure tanks and even cracks in basement walls.

You can buy it in hardware stores, Home Depot, Eastwood and others. It comes in cans ranging from 8 ounces to 8 pounds.

I mix epoxy pastes, epoxy adhesives, wood fillers and Bondo body fillers on plastic laminate samples that I pick up at Home Depot. The small samples are very handy for small jobs. The large samples are great for tasks requiring more material such as this task of filling cracks in a steering wheel.

Unfortunately, the only large samples I have on hand have this black and white speckle pattern. It makes it a bit harder to see the PC-7 against the pattern. C'est la vie!

PC-7 is a very stiff product to work with. It is mixed using equal amounts from each can. A variation of up to 20% of either component will not affect the bond strength.

In the next blog entry I will have photos and descriptions of the filling and shaping processes. So, stay tuned!

As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

Steering Wheel Restoration - Stage One

The "Econoline Pickup Special" came with a white steering wheel in place of a black steering wheel.

From May 1, 1965 through July 20, 1965 Ford offered an "Econoline Pickup Special" version of the pickup truck. The truck was upgraded with Bright Body Side Molding, Falcon Wheelcovers, Chrome Bumpers, Chrome Driver's Side Mirror, Rear Corner Windows, 6.95 x 14 PR W.S.W. Tires and Special Poppy Red Paint. The value of these items was $251.90.

Since this was a Ford factory promotion program, buyers got the package free of charge or at least they were supposed to get it for free!

In this blog entry and two subsequent entries I will document the restoration process of this steering wheel. When it is finished it will be sold on eBay because I have a NOS (New Old Stock) steering wheel to replace this one.

These photos show how the years and environmental damage have been cruel to the hard rubber causing cracks to develop.


Click on photos for larger versions. Click "Back" on your browser to return to this page.



It is important to enlarge and clean out the cracks so that they can be filled with epoxy paste.



In the next entry I will post photos of the steering wheel after it has been media-blasted to remove the paint. Photos of the filling process will also be posted.

As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

Paint Update

I would like to thank all of the concerned blog watchers for their interest in this project. I have received emails wanting to know the reason why there have been no new updates to the blog. This is the latest status of the repaint for all of you concerned blog watchers.

Yesterday I spoke with Mike R. at his Maaco shop in Albany, NY. Mike wanted to install a new windshield before final painting to make sure the body work on the A-pillars did not change the windshield opening.

The windshield that was delivered by Harmon AutoGlass was mislabeled and a replacement took two weeks to be delivered. When they attempted to install the correct windshield it was discovered that the bodywork done to the left A-pillar caused the new windshield to be a bit too tight. The windshield went in with difficulty and the rubber gasket in the lower left corner was distorted.

The windshield was removed and taken back to the Harmon shop where the lower left corner was ground down a bit to make it less tight. It did not get back to the Maaco shop until the week of December 8.

The windshield was installed with no problem and removed. The truck was then given a second coat of base color, a coat of tinted clear and the final coat of clearcoat.

Last week upstate NY and New England endured a pretty serious ice storm that caused power outages throughout the region and Mike's three shops were without power for five days. Even though we live sixty miles north of Albany in a colder area, we were OK. We have a Guardian standby generator that runs on LP gas just in case we have a power failure. We didn't need it....this time!

The work that remains is to paint the small pieces such as the glove box door, instrument bezel, door access panels, ashtray and grill. The body has to be wet-sanded and buffed. The set of wheels that Fred C. of Rhode Island supplied for the project have to be sandblasted and painted with black epoxy paint.

This is the beginning of the busy season for body shops in the region because of snow and ice-related accidents. My truck has always been a fill-in project for the shop and has never been a priority for neither Mike nor myself. With that in mind, I don't expect to see the truck again until January or possibly later.

Now you know.

In the meantime, I invite you to check out some photos of my cute grandsons.

Email me: Ron B.

Hubcaps

I decided a long time ago that I didn't want to put alloy wheels on the truck. You may have a different opinion but I don't like the look of alloy wheels on older vehicles.

It is not a matter of cost. Having the stock wheels refinished along with the cost of hubcaps or wheelcovers in great condition is actually more expensive then even new alloy wheels! Am I crazy or what?

So, with that in mind....I have a great deal for some lucky guy.... or gal!

About a year ago I was the winner of an eBay auction for 4 NOS (New Old Stock) FORD Hubcaps to fit 13" wheels. That was the good news. The bad news was that I own a pickup with 14" wheels!

I do not have a use for them and it is time to make room on my shelves. I do not intend to make any money on these hubcaps. I would simply like to get back some of what I paid for them.

These hubcaps will fit 13" wheels that were used on Ford vehicles, Falcons, Fairlanes, Econolines etcetera in the 1960's.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY

The eBay seller stated these hubcaps were NOS. They were not. Pretty close in quality to NOS but not perfect.

These hubcaps were obviously installed at one time probably for a very short period of time. It is possible that they were used on a display truck in a showroom. But I doubt that they have seen any road usage at all. They are too clean. They were probably removed and put on a shelf and forgotten about for a long time.


As I previously stated, they are not perfect. There is some very light scuffing and a small amount of very light scratches and a couple very small dents that can easily be pushed out. I would recommend that they be repaired by someone who can do "paintless body repair," Dent Doctor for instance.

I paid $175 for the hubcaps and I would like to get $150 for them. PayPal is OK. For that price you will get USPS Priority Mail shipping with delivery confirmation. If you don't like them, send them back for a refund minus the shipping costs. How's that for a deal?

By the way, if you know of anyone who has 4 hubcaps of the same style in great conditon that will fit 14' wheels let me know. I have a few dozen in my possession but none look as good as these.


You can see larger versions of the photos by clicking here

If you are interested in purchasing these hubcaps please contact me

ENJOY THE RIDE !

Refinishing Parts

Most of the components that were removed prior to body and paint work are now restored. Parts were washed, media-blasted, primed and painted using Dupli-Color lacquers and Engine Enamels.

Some parts such as the defroster nozzles required different techniques. When the nozzles were removed from the vehicle they were just tossed in a box with other parts. After a couple years they got deformed. Fortunately, they are made out of a cheap cardboard material and were easy to repair.

I soaked them in warm water for a few minutes to soften the material and used thin strips of wood cut to the size of the defroster outlets and placed them into the slots as the cardboard dried. Perfect!

Then, I gave them a quick sandblasting to clean them. I noticed that there were a couple rips (green arrows) in the material and I used cyanoacrylate adhesive to repair the rips. I then saturated the nozzles with the cyanoacrylate to strengthen them. It soaked right in. If you attempt this method make sure that you use hand protection such as rubber or nitrile gloves.


Cyanoacrylate adhesive is sold under these names: Krazy Glue, Super Glue, instant glue and others.

All of the parts including the nozzles were finished with lacquer prime and engine enamel.




There are dozens of parts that have been finished just the those above. Now, where is that body so that I can start putting it back together!

As always, you can see larger versions of these photos at my Flickr page. Just be sure to hit the "Back" button on your favorite browser to return to this blog.

Email me: Ron B.

Body Work - Again!

"Why Maaco?" Some might be asking that question and this is the simple answer....no other shop would take on the restoration work. I can assure you that this was definitely not a $200 special!

Although the body did not have any rusted-through (body rot) areas other than the tailgate there were trim holes that I wanted filled with weld and many small dents. Mike R, the owner of the Maaco Shop in Albany, NY came to my house to appraise the work needed and decided that he would take the job if I was not in a rush. I wasn't.

Body shop owners would rather replace a panel or a door, paint it and move onto the next job. It's quick and makes money quickly. Working body panels with hammers and dollies, smoothing and shrinking steel takes a lot of time and experience.

Mike employed an oldtimer, Patrick, who had experience working with the soft steel common to 1960's vehicles. He could work on the truck between other jobs. Patrick told me whenever I visited the shop how much he enjoyed working on the truck!

Over the next two years Patrick worked on the truck and put about 200 hours into it. Mike charged $45 per hour. That came out to about $9,000 just for the labor. Add in the cost of materials and paint and the cost was well over my original budget.


Photo above....Mike is straightening the equalizer bar bracket that was damaged in the shop. Notice how the bed has been covered and masked to protect the spray-in Rhinolining. Work was needed to correct the problem of the tailgate rubbing on the edge of the bed. That is the reason for the primer.

The truck was delivered back to me and if you have been following this blog you will remember that I had it up on jackstands for quite some time in my garage. I removed the axles and springs over a period of a few months and had opportunities to closely inspect the bodywork. There were a few problems that needed to be addressed.


Photo above.... The holes for the F-O-R-D letters were mistakingly filled in by Patrick. I spent hours measuring and marking the locations to drill new holes. I miscalculated! I drilled the holes exactly 1/2 inch too low and that mistake had to be fixed. In the future I will grind the studs off the letters and use adhesive to mount them.

Below is the original factory seam on the left A-pillar shown with a crack that was painted over. The green arrows point to the crack.


Under the paint is the factory seam. Apparently, after it was repaired, it cracked again before it was painted.

The fix was to weld a panel onto the backside. Hopefully, that will fix the problem permanently.


The same problem developed with the right side A-Pillar and the same fix was employed.



The two photos below show paint cracks that are actually hiding a much deeper problem. The joint between the two pieces of steel was very weak and had to be reinforced by welding a piece of steel to the panels from the backside.


The photo below shows the repaired seam.

The left rear corner did not have the same problem as the right side did. The flexible seam sealer did what it was supposed to do. It flexed which caused the paint to crack. It is a problem that I will have to live with.

The entire exterior and cab interior was scuffed to accept the new paint. It will be painted with the same color, 2006-7 Chevrolet Corvette, Monterey Red Metallic Tintcoat (80U), which is a three stage color. After the base coat is applied, a colored clearcoat is applied before the the final clearcoat.

I am supposed to get the truck back within a couple weeks. Yippee!

As always, you can see larger versions of these photos at my Flickr page. Just be sure to hit the "Back" button on your favorite browser to return to this blog.

Email me: Ron B.

Glass Polishing

Polishing glass is not a quick job. You need the right tools,supplies, patience and a lot of time!

The photo below is of a piece of door glass for the 1965 Ford Econoline. It is quite difficult to take a photo that shows the clarity of the glass after it has been polished. You will have to take my word for the results. It looks pretty good! This single piece of glass took about two hours and about five dollars worth of supplies.


Eastwood sells a kit for polishing glass that includes the felt pad that you see below. It is made to be mounted in a drill. Eastwood claims that if you can't feel a scratch with a fingernail, it can be polished out with this kit.



Included in the kit is Rhodite Glass Polishing Compound. Rhodite is a natural occurring alloy of Gold and Rhodium. This Rhodite is extremely finely ground and mixed with water to make a paste.

Using the polishing pad in a drill is not fun. The drill is hard to hold and control because the pad wants to walk around the glass. The problem with the Eastwood pad is that it comes with a smooth shaft and I wanted to use my Porter-Cable Random Orbital Polisher.

I had a machinist, Josh W. of Kingsbury, NY create the adapter that is pictured below.


Now the Eastwood polishing pad can be used in my polisher. Much better!



Below is a 5-inch 3M Hookit pad that fits most polishing machines.


The loops on the pad and the hooks on the disks are similar to and work like Velcro.


3M makes films to polish glass. They range from coarse to fine. I used medium and fine to remove fine scratches in the glass. The main problem with polishing auto/truck glass is that except for the windshield, the glass is tempered. Tempered glass is extremely hard and it takes a lot of work and a lot of these films to get the desired results. It gets expensive.





While it is possible to polish glass including the curved glass in the corners of the pickup truck, it is a lot of work. Would it be better to send glass out to a shop to have it polished? Perhaps. But I am a glutton for punishment and there is a certain sense of pride attached to each and every part that I personally restore!

As always, you can see larger versions of these photos at my Flickr page. Just be sure to hit the "Back" button on your favorite browser to return to this blog.

Email me: Ron B.

Enjoy the Ride !