I have to do this too. Im interested to know what the correct bolts are.

Pete

Here you go. The speed clip measures 20 x 16 MM.

OK, I have to ask. I've watched this project grow from a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel to it's present state of excellencemanship. I made that up. What is the estimated date of completion? 2018?

duplicate

I wish I could shed light on that.... (see what I did there?) Kent is working very quickly and my Six is getting close to bodywork and color. I am not rushing him-he sets the pace and it well exceeds what I could have ever hoped for. I can't get back the 5 lost years as the car sat back east, but Kent is really working hard.

However, we then have to assemble my car. I have no idea how long that will take. I am hoping to get it home and driving in the Spring of 2019. But that is just a WAG on my part. The good news is we have most everything we need to assemble my car already as I have been accumulating parts all along.

We just got another box of my parts from Scotty. My original crossmember, rear bumper, tow hook, spare tire key (bolt), and a few other small parts. Glad to see that stuff arrive- thanks Scotty.

The next task I want to get started is getting the engine sorted. Remember I am putting an '87 3.2 in my car. Though it was rebuilt, it was never started. I am hoping to get it to a shop Jim has used for both of his engines to have them finish the assembly, bench fire, break-in and dyno it so when it goes into the car it is turn-key with no issues. Before we do that though all of the Motronic injection components need attention to make them look like new. I am hoping on this weekends trip to talk about that process and get that moving.

That is as much as I can forecast for now.

Lol...

Got the front fenders welded on.

More pics.

Wow!

This is a situation where my car looks great in the photos and even way better in person. Kent's work is absolutely amazing. Those who saw my car when I brought it to Kent know what I am talking about.

My brother told me on the ride home from L.A. yesterday as we were talking about how far my Six has come in the 6 months Kent has had it, that when we picked it up back east and loaded it into the truck, he was so shocked at the condition of the car and the "quality" of the work, he was afraid to say anything. Yeah, those days are well behind us and we can't wait for our next trip, hopefully the first part of May, to see the progress then.

Here I am after seeing the progress:

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Some more pics:

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Michael - I’m very happy for you. I’m sorry you had to go through so much turmoil to get here. My metal guy took a quick look at my car last week and said there’s a lot of work to do / re-do. It’s still in storage so once we pull it out, I’ll get a better handle on things.

Thanks Mark. I hope your car was done to a much higher standard, and I use that term loosely in this context, than mine was after all those years. I also look forward to seeing photos of your car as you received it.

In honor of my last trip to Kent's to see my car, I have now changed the title of this thread from "Getting it Straight" (the car was an absolute mess and nothing was straight) to "It's a Car Again". According to Kent, and I agree after seeing my Six, It is a car again. Thank goodness for miracles and Kent.

I forgot to mention while at Jim's we discovered I did not get my stub axles back when I picked up my car. They are 6-specific parts and are generally in the $500-$600 range to replace. I sent Scotty an email, including a picture of the difference between 4/6 stub axles, and he told me he would find and ship mine ASAP. I will keep my fingers crossed he has them sitting around and I get them back soon. Fortunately, all of the Six specific parts we did not get when I picked up my car, Scotty found in his shop.

Which is good.

That is the cleanest shop ever. Pride in work place, pride in work.

Looks super.
Happy to see you survived "the journey" as well.
Well done.

I can't wait to see that body in gold.

Working the cowl.

Cleaning and rebonding the under webbing structure to the hood skin.

More pics.

Amazing work as always. I need to do some similar work on my hood. What are you using for bonding agent? The green is liquid masking, I assume?

Edit: I see now that it is just masking tape. Looked too clean!

It's urethane. Bonds great and still flexible.

You ever going to get to drive her?

I sure hope so........Kent is working hard to make up for 5 years of wasted time and....while the car sat back east.

Progress pics.

Beyond the level of quality of Kent's work and how beautiful Michael's car is/will be is this, at least for me:

For in-progress builds, a blasted chassis looks so much better than one that isn't. Ask me how I know!

Back to this build:

Just wow.

Michael - I'm sorta local to you and I demand a ride, once this beauty is back on the road. I'll even ride in it if it's gold.

Yeah, not a problem. Your north of me by about 1.5 hours. I am extremely pleased with Kent's work.

Your car is looking great. Done right!

Thinking of this song:

George Harrison released a cover version of the song as a single, and released it on his album Cloud Nine

I got my mind set on you
I got my mind set on you,
But it's gonna take money,
A whole lotta spending money,
It's gonne take plenty of money,
To do it right, child,
It's gonna take time,
A whole lot of precious time,
It's gonna take patience and time, mmm
To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it
To do it right, child


Bob B

Lol...that's great.

Thanks. Yeah.... a whole lotta money.

Progress.

Very sad that these had been stripped and finished back east and they were already rusting under the material used at that time. Thank God Kent suggested we strip them and make sure they are correct before paint. They had multiple layers of build-up and Kent found areas where the material applied did not have good adhesion on both trunks lids. He believes they would have definitely lifted and created issues once color was applied. Pretty disappointing that everything I paid good money for had to be redone.

I had a lot of the same on my build. My painter had to basically strip down the entire exterior of the car. Had rust under the primer, some primer would scrape off with your thumb nail....WTH. Big waste of time and money. Things can definitely go wrong in a big way if people don't know they are doing. Glad you're finally on the right path. I'm getting there, but it's breaking the bank. ;p

At least you have a glimpse of the finish line now. Endevour to persever.

Really shouldn’t have happened to either of you. Since the cars were stripped down to bare metal, it’s not brain surgery how to prep and prime.

Thanks. Yeah, that's what keeps me going. Also, I am not a quitter. I love my car and want it done right and in my garage.

A gold car will need an especially pristine body!

Mark - I know you had the same issues I had with your car in the same shop..... so I know you feel my pain brother.

It's like getting kicked in the balls every time we find more stuff that was done haphazardly, incorrectly and just sloppily. I paid good money and that is what I got. When you hold yourself out to be an expert, there is no excuse.

Exactly, that is what Kent is working towards- and frankly, has already attained. Lawrence, sorry we did not get to meet at the Swap meet. I did see your car though. Nice-

Does the previous guy (Scotty B) still have a car restoration it seems ,reading this thread and the original one that he wasn’t any good at all

Yes, It was a long, expensive six years. When I brought my car to our shop, they couldn't believe it was worked on by another shop. When my guy showed me what still had to be done. I basically shelved the project for a while. It's been in storage for 2 years. I still have a long road ahead.

The primer issues is really strange.. I am not an expert but been around body shops my whole life ( my uncle runs a 1 man band since I was little) and have painted (bare metal) 6 cars myself. The epoxy prime is pretty straight foraward..

The one thing I will note is I never had any of the cars blasted but rather da'd. Prior to spraying primer

Kent any insight?

I learned from working in a body shop 30 years ago that you never trust what someone else has laid down as "primer" if you are going to do the final paint work. God and the person who sprayed it are the only two people to know what they did.

Nobody knows what they used to clean the surface either, which is what probably messed up the paint. I would guess that they used paint thinner instead of prep-sol.

Good point..