Assembling a car is not as easy as you might think
01-04-2009, 02:34 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,751
Assembling a car is not as easy as you might think
I remember not long ago when 4reboy got his Mach I back from paint, I wondered why it took him so long to get it put back together. Now I know. Putting it back together is harder than taking it apart. Let's see, today's mistake was after I put the valance on last week I discovered today that you have to put the bumper on first. So off comes the valance, on goes the bumper and back on goes the valance. But, today marked a milestone...I put the license plate back on the front. Of course, while I was down there doing that and glanced up at the lower stone guard I saw two holes obviously missing screws.
Am I boring you guys with my reassembly tales? Well, too bad...I'm going to keep it up.
Still need to tighten down the valance and put the screws in the bottom of the grill, attach the bottom of the bumper guards and fix (yes FIX) the New Old Stock turn signal which was defective!
Am I boring you guys with my reassembly tales? Well, too bad...I'm going to keep it up.
Still need to tighten down the valance and put the screws in the bottom of the grill, attach the bottom of the bumper guards and fix (yes FIX) the New Old Stock turn signal which was defective!
01-04-2009, 02:57 PM
#2
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: TX
Posts: 1,282
That is a SWEET color. I like it more and more.
You didn't mention what a bitch it must be to work with parts that have final paint. I can't imagine.
BTW, did you have to leave any tension across the valance to pull the lower parts of the fenders to line up with the valance ends? When I mocked my car up back in November, I was having trouble getting things to line up.
You didn't mention what a bitch it must be to work with parts that have final paint. I can't imagine.
BTW, did you have to leave any tension across the valance to pull the lower parts of the fenders to line up with the valance ends? When I mocked my car up back in November, I was having trouble getting things to line up.
01-04-2009, 03:51 PM
#4
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,751
Moonweasel,
Actually, they lined up pretty good, but the fenders and valance are original...no repop parts. The bottom of the passenger side does have a bit of a gap. I think I may have actually bent the front bottom of the fender a little when I had it off the car. As far as the color, thanks. I actually did not car too much for it when I bought the car, but in new paint it looks nice and it is one of the less common colors from 65. As far as assembling painted parts I just have to careful with the heavy clumsy stuff like the bumper, since this is a one man job. The body shop told me to drap a shop rag over the ends of the bumper where they wrap around the fender to avoid scratching the fender. That was an excellent suggestion on their part.
Oxnard,
You sound like my wife. She has a thing for putting things away. She still has not come around to understanding that a coat hanger and the back of a chair can actually serve the same purpose.
Actually, they lined up pretty good, but the fenders and valance are original...no repop parts. The bottom of the passenger side does have a bit of a gap. I think I may have actually bent the front bottom of the fender a little when I had it off the car. As far as the color, thanks. I actually did not car too much for it when I bought the car, but in new paint it looks nice and it is one of the less common colors from 65. As far as assembling painted parts I just have to careful with the heavy clumsy stuff like the bumper, since this is a one man job. The body shop told me to drap a shop rag over the ends of the bumper where they wrap around the fender to avoid scratching the fender. That was an excellent suggestion on their part.
Oxnard,
You sound like my wife. She has a thing for putting things away. She still has not come around to understanding that a coat hanger and the back of a chair can actually serve the same purpose.
01-04-2009, 05:08 PM
#5
4th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 1,019
You are right, reassembly can be a pain.
When I painted my dash, it took me about 1 1/2 hours to take everything off. But taking off is simply removing bolts / screws, etc.
Putting everything back on took me probably about 6 hours or more due to having to get things lined up, being very careful not to scratch anything (which I did anyway with the glove box door, LOL) and figuring out how some things went back together. I had never taken the heater controls apart and didn't pay that much attention when taking them out. Had to scratch my head and cuss for a while to figure out exactly how that went back together.
I feel for you...but the paint looks great. Take your time and keep after it.
When I painted my dash, it took me about 1 1/2 hours to take everything off. But taking off is simply removing bolts / screws, etc.
Putting everything back on took me probably about 6 hours or more due to having to get things lined up, being very careful not to scratch anything (which I did anyway with the glove box door, LOL) and figuring out how some things went back together. I had never taken the heater controls apart and didn't pay that much attention when taking them out. Had to scratch my head and cuss for a while to figure out exactly how that went back together.
I feel for you...but the paint looks great. Take your time and keep after it.
01-04-2009, 06:03 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: TX
Posts: 1,282
Honeygold,
My car had'nt had a valance installed since the late 80s, so Im thinking that the fenders were just slapped on. I am going to try loosening their bolts a little bit the next time I am in Ohio to work on the car, THEN connect the valance.
My car had'nt had a valance installed since the late 80s, so Im thinking that the fenders were just slapped on. I am going to try loosening their bolts a little bit the next time I am in Ohio to work on the car, THEN connect the valance.
01-04-2009, 06:52 PM
#10
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 377
I had a 65 back in college and I am pretty sure when I painted it I just took the bumpers off and put them back on afterwards without removing the valance. Maybe I am "misremembering" but I think the bumper can be put on with the valance still on. That has been a good 6 years ago so maybe someone can give some input here because I am about to start reassembling within the next week and I put a new valance on 2 weeks ago and I am hoping to just put the bumper back on without taking the valance back off.. BTW, the Ford tooling valance seemed to line up pretty good. It was worth the extra $40 to get that instead of a repo but if it was a fender the $250 difference might mean something to me.