Roadkill's 1983 Chevy Z28 - (Work Starts on Page 5)

[art b]

hardcore....

[Pod]

That's looking really impressive so far.

Fancy doing another car?

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Pod

Fancy doing another car?

Yeah - the Caddy's next.

Update . . . .

A little detail that few will notice . . . . .

(I've scraped-off the old - non-working heated element)

It really irritated me . . more than you could believe . . A 10-minute mod that I'm very happy with !



The pain-in-the-ar$e to prep and paint rear glass surround ready to go . .



Tailgate refitted tonight and the "IROC" spoiler installed.  (tailgate is propped up)



Nosecone and "light bar" re-assembled . . . (it's not being re-fitted yet due to up-coming engine work . . )



On hold, now, for a few days for the Wedding (and while I wait for more paint).

EDIT - Doesn't flash photo's just make everything look crap !?

[Andy]

Removing that heated screen looks great! And the detail on the surround, I need to do that.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

(I've scraped-off the old - non-working heated element)

How did you do that without scratching the window?

Quoting: Roadkill

EDIT - Doesn't flash photo's just make everything look crap !?

Naw, it looks great, you're a fast worker!

[Roadkill]

I'll get some pictures in daylight when she comes back out briefly before the Caddy goes back in the garage tomorrow . . .

[Roadkill]

As is the problem with Cellulose paint . . . It's suffered some "sink" in places.

Not a huge concern (as you have to look for it) but irritating all the same.  

It was always the plan (in my mind) to repaint her every few years as satin is a pig to keep looking good . . .

With all the hard work done, future resprays can easily be done in a day as I won't need to fully strip her down or do the shuts, etc . . .

One positive update, though -

Got the rocker covers re-fitted last night (so she's looking a little more normal) . . not much more can be done in the 45 minutes of daylight I have once I get in from work.

have ordered some new roller-pins for the door hinges . . . . need these before I can finish the doors . . .

[Andy]

Where do you get your bits from in the states? I know Rock Auto is available but I want a set of ht leads and the shipping alone is looking at twice the price of the leads!

[Roadkill]

Anywhere, really.  Most of the stuff I buy isn't stock, obviously, so I tend to use Summit and Jegs (whoever is cheapest at the time).

Rock Auto for stock stuff (bear in mind R.A add the tax in advance whereas many others don't - this is good as it'll cost less as you'll get no Parcel Farce charges on top AND you'll get it quicker)

I also use Ebay .com ALOT !

[Andy]

So if I order from Rock Auto its best to suck up the insane shipping charges.

What are Summit and Jegs like on shipping times? Do you always get caught with a bill for tax?

[Roadkill]

Shipping is generally good.  The longest wait - ironically - is the travel through customs this end (which you avoid by paying the tax/duty up front).

I normally get stuff within 2-3 weeks but have got cheaper/smaller stuff (eg £40 or less) within 10 days

I think you get taxed if the cost of the item (inc. P&P) is over £40 or something.

[Roadkill]

Some progress.

Thanks to Ian for assistance.

Got the Lower door hinges taken apart (not fun).  

Had to compress the door spring with a valve spring compressor (fiddly), then had to drill-out the roller-bush pins (not fun) to release the spring.  Followed by hammering out the hinge pin itself.

I now have the parts to replace the hinge pin and roller-bushes on both sides so both doors should close super smooth when I'm done.

I need to get these back together so I can paint the doors as there's too much risk of damaging fresh paint during the work . . .

Pics to follow . . . t'was very dark when we got finished.

[Roadkill]

What a battle it's been.

Got the back of the doors done without much hassle on Saturday in fine weather .... but that's where it all went to $hit !

Wind, rain, short, dark evenings.  Lovely.  Not.

Spent a combined 5 hours wet sanding to discover both doors are crap.  The finish was poor.  Partly because my brother had got bored by then and partly because Upol "beige" just doesn't go on as well as the "grey".

So I laid some more beige on it last night (no choice) and hit them hard again this afternoon.  Got a reasonable finish but had no choice but to paint regardless as the gun needs to go back.

End result was 4 coats.  Looked O.K.  Then the heavens opened and the temperature dropped.   Am hoping with the heater out there they dry O.K and don't "bloom".

Will find out tomorrow .....

Pics to follow

[art b]

well done on all counts,

it looks like you have more determination than all the rest of us put together

[Roadkill]

Stubbornness I'm sure many would call it . . .

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

Stubbornness I'm sure many would call it . . .

Quoting: art b

it looks like you have more determination than all the rest of us put together

I like reading RK's posts, they inspire me to get on with my own projects.

[Andy]

:mrgreen:

Have you or are you redoing the window weather strip? I can't work out whether its a door card off job or can be done in situ.

I should really start a thread of my own for my car. Seems everyone has one!

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Andy

Have you or are you redoing the window weather strip?

Yes, all of them.

The strip I think you mean is an utter bast@rd.  My window didn't go down far enough so I had to take it out to do it !!

[Andy]

Quoting: Roadkill

The strip I think you mean is an utter bast@rd. My window didn't go down far enough so I had to take it out to do it !!

Balls.

[Roadkill]

Yeah, not easy.   They put notches inside the door on the internal fold so you can get to all but 2 of the screws.   You may be lucky and your window drop low enough.  I still need to order mine so if you do want them let me know and we can share the shipping if you want.

[Roadkill]

Some Pics.

This one shows the fate of the back-up prep / paint booth . . . I managed to use parts of this to make one in order to prep and paint the doors . . . !



Using a valve spring compressor to dis/re-assemble the sprung-loaded doors hinges.



A close-up of one of the re-furb'ed hinges, with the area behind prepped and seam-sealered (which should've been done by my brother).



The Frankenstein prep/paint booth (MK 3) . . . Yes, that's a thermometer sticking out the top of one of the doors . . . .



Hinges painted.



Drivers door (un-assembled)



Passenger door (un-assembled)

[Andy]

That finish looks the tits!

Sounds a plan if its not too dear, let me know what the final price splitting it would be and i'll let you know. I plan on doing mine in very long stages and as finances allow.

I know at some point I really ought to do the t-top seals which according to most youtube videos is a bitch.

[Roadkill]

Speak to Fubar about that.  

[Big Mouse]

Nice work RK, shame the brother didn't do what was expected - but that probably wasn't a surprise was it

[Cunning Plan]

Very nice so far...