Detailed Trunk and jack hardware. Trunk pan was better than I expected, hit it with a wire wheel and scrubbing disk on a drill then applied a couple of coats of POR 15 and Rustolium. Then applied a layer of Dnyamat type insulation , used a heat gun and roller to get it to lay down as flat as possible. Next applied Black SEM Etch Primer , Duplicolor spatter paint and flat clear over the insulation.
Pulled the engine brackets, fan and power steering pump, media blasted, painted and detailed last week. Used aluminum cast blast on the power steering pump bracket, Eastwood Silver Cad on the coil bracket, Have a correct Booster Valve and Radiator hose support/clamps and a few other bits on order. Will eventually convert to an OEM looking disk brake set-up and 15" Rally wheels from Steve Caruso down the road. Now starting the body work, still have not decided on the paint color, leaning towards Stratomist.
Hi Chris, Thanks for the props, still working on the body work, have a bit of rust repair/welding to finish, hoping to have color on it by mid October. Overall a little better shape than I expected, you never know until you take everything apart and grind off all the old filler. Cowl, Pans and Rockers are pretty solid. A little rust in drivers door, front area of right front rocker, top of passenger side qtr, front inner fender under battery and lower rear section of drivers side front fender. Replaced the right front inner fender well with repro from parts place. Lower rear qtrs were patched 30+ years ago behind the rear wheels and are holding up well, so will run with what I have. Removed all the filler installed during the first repaint in 85, metal finished and replaced with metal glaze a skim coat of Evercoat light filler using about 8-10% of what was used during the last paint job. Body was pretty decent and I'm not sure why the last shop used so much filler over the doors and rear qtrs. Hood and trunk are solid luckily and just has a few minor dents-dings. Media blasted-painted all the bumper brackets, headlight buckets-hardware , plated front and rear bumpers and zinc plated hood and trunk latches and all body hardware. Will post more pictures soon. Everything blown apart, way more filler than needed... Hinge pads and cowl are solid Rust on Drivers door Inner rear wheel well repair needed Top of qtr rust area After repair
Been a while since I posted, the body work has taken it's toll on my body and sanity, will turn the rest over to professional for the final blocking and paint. A friend let me use his place to do the work and helped out quite a bit. Wound up replacing both fenders and right door with rust free California parts. Sanded everything down to bare metal and used PPG DP + high build primers. Removed the inner fender panels and media blasted, shot with DP primer and PPG Duracryl 9266. Finally decided on the color, Diplomat Blue. Shot and polished the jams with PPG Shop-Line base and DC 3000 clear. May shoot the car in Dupont Chroma Premier, was not that impressed with the covereage of PPG base, in some parts of California we need to use BS low VOC paints that just plain suck. Will go to another county to buy the rest of paint. Hope to get the car back together by end of summer but I still have a long, long way to go. Had a two level cervical fuson in 2012, at 51, I just do not have the body to cash the checks my brain writes anymore. This will be my last car restoration, will go back to motorcycles to keep me busy after the GS is completed. Replaced right front inner fender and battery box Pre-fit front fenders Detailed frame while appart and replaced brake cable assembly At least the working enviroment was in a beautiful and remote setting Finally back at home in my garage
Back from the bodyshop. My painter used Standox solvent based base-clear coat system, I'm pretty happy with the results. F+R bumbers replated, all stainless tapped+polished. Will post a few more pictures soon. Waiting for pearl white Legendary seat covers, will install a new top when the rains pass and it will finally be ready to drive. I have done just about everything myself sans the final color coat and plating of course. I will have a professional install the top and seat covers. Still need to restore the center console and a few odds and ends. Added or in the process of adding these options, most purchased from forum members : Power Windows Date coded tinted glass (Auto City Classic) Sport Mirrors Tilt Steering Sport Steering Wheel Rally Guages Hood Tach Power Seat Lighted Mirror Disk Brakes FM Stereo + 8 Track 15" ralley wheels (when Steve has a set available) Options I may add in the future, still on the fence about them: N25 (I know not correct for 70) Gear Vendors Overdrive Power Trunk Rear Defog - If I can find the parts Trunk Light Power Trunk Power Locks
A few pictures of the power seat track purchased from Hector (Carhex). They are pretty easy to rebuild unless the lead screw assembly is damaged. I soaked the tracks in Evapo-Rust then applied a few coats of satin clear. I reproduced the side covers from 1/8" textured ABS, used a heat gun to form the bends, then glued them to some thin alum sheet metal, they look close to OEM. Just cleaned up the motor, replaced the brushes and belt and re-lubed the cables and drive gears.
Looks great! Do you still have your ram air Firebird? I love the way they look...especially in the color of your pic by your name. My brothers first cat was a 70 Formula 400 in Castillian Bronze
Thanks for the comments, Still have the 70 Formula, do not plan on ever selling it, Castillian Bronze on Sandlewood is a unique, rare combo, where did you and your brother grow up? My car came from the North SF Bay Area and was repainted blue at some point in it's life.
I made them myself, used some textured ABS stock and formed them using a heat gun, was not that difficult
Oh my...just gorgeous! We grew up in SoCal. My brothers Formula 400 had a black interior and no rear spoiler. That car was my first introduction to muscle cars...and I have loved them ever since. The stock exhaust note is awesome...and we surprised many 70.5 Z28's on Whittier Blvd back in the day! Thanks for sharing the pics with me...Your GS looks great, too! You do great work!!:beers2:
