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Veteran
Posts: 295
 
| I knew I was going to have a lot of work ahead of me when I got the motor and trans out but dang! This is a mess!
I'm slowly getting it clean but I'm finding things I need in the process.
I was going to replace whatever steering stuff it needed while it was in the air so I called PST. The main things I need are all the sway bar bushings...Not available.... If anyone knows a source I would greatly appreciate it. I don't know if Craig gets into that kind of stuff or mostly sticks to brakes.
The fiberglass or bakalite or whatever the air box is made out of that screws to the firewall looks pretty rough. You can clearly see the fibers all over it now. Any recommendations on what to do with it? Just paint it? I assume they were pretty close to black when new but that's just a guess.
Also my buddy pointed out that my valve covers say Chrysler on them. So I guess if I want it to look kind of original I'll need a set of Dodge 354 valve covers.
I'm starting a list of stuff I need, I guess I'll post a list that I need so far.
I'll be adding to as I go along.
Sway bar bushings
Sway bar link bushings
Wiring harness retainers
Poly motor mount rubbers (I can't use the 56 Chrysler mounts that are on the Hemi now)
Firewall grommets, there's the one big one for the wiring harness, the small one for the park brake, speedo, shifter cable and the oil pressure line. I'd replace the ones on the fenders too if I could get em.
I'm sure there are more but I'm drawing a blank at the moment.
I'll add items as they become apparent.
Thanks,
Wayne
PS, what the heck is the device on the underside of the car on the drivers side, kind of tucked into a pocket that has a plug that reminds me of a flasher connector. But I have no idea what it is. I'll try to take a pic of it.
Edited by jaded13640 2021-05-11 3:28 AM
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9900
  
Location: Lower Mainland BC | .
Wayne:
1. The heater plenum/box was made of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) and a few fibres should show. They were not painted. Personally (in my opinion), they look tacky when they are painted black.
2. There is no such thing as a Dodge 354. The only Dodges that got 354s were the 6 or 7, 1957 Dodge D501s and those engines were Chrysler-based. The "best" you could do to eliminate the "Chrysler FirePower" on your valve covers is to find and buy some 354 truck valve covers. Even then, there might be an issue if they do/or don't have the solid lifter bumps. Nathan (Powerflite) and Swept57 are the experts on these. (See below)
3. Keep your firewall in the "pink" (salmon??) if you can, unless you are changing the body colour. Avoid the ubiquitous black (in my opinion) 
My OE, non-painted 56 Dodge heater plenum:
Smooth 354 valve covers:
Powerflite - 2021-03-14 12:02 PM
D501 valve covers are not D900 truck covers. No truck engine ever came with the solid lifter bumps, or had the coil bracket attached to them. D501 covers are unique.
REFERENCE: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=70160&...
Edited by 56D500boy 2021-05-10 9:30 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1740
Location: Alaska | The small unit under the floor must be the headlight dimmer switch. It may need replacing and they are easy to find for not much money. |
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Veteran
Posts: 295
| Thanks 58coupe, mine seems to work fine but with the fender well off it would be a hell of a lot easier to do now rather than mid summer when it's back together.
By the way, I've determined I absolutely despise sandblasting... All that you can get for media that's affordable is Blackblast and man is that some nasty stuff to work with in an outside sandblaster. By the time I got it dialed in it took 3 50lb bags of it to do one fendwell and the radiator support. That stuff gets EVERYWHERE!!! My daily driver was the other side of a large pole building and there was black dust all over it. And it doesn't blow off by driving the car. And I'm haven't even gotten into how horrible it was getting all over my body. That crap found crevices I didn't know existed! LOL I shut it down, threw my clothes directly in the wash and jumped in the shower.
The other wheel well has a little bit of rust where you can't see it. I'll be putting POR to the test cause I'm NOT dragging the blaster back out for that! LOL
A lot of stuff has gone fine, I got a kit for PST for the front end, I've got my oil pump in the motor, the nicer oil pan is probably on the way and the engine bay and firewall and frame are mostly clean of grease. I'll probably have to wash it at least one more time with Purple power 2X. My buddy at the parts store found me some new front shocks for 22 dollars each and sway bar bushings for a total of about 13 bux. He just does it the old fashioned way, get's out a catalogue and goes by measurements, not application. I call on day that he wasn't in, the girl said the front's weren't available, sway bar stuff not available and rear shocks were available for 375 bucks! It sure pays to know someone at the part store that knows something about parts.
And of course I can't thank you guys enough for all your help over the years. Prior to getting this car the oldest car I'd ever owned was a 66 Newport...back in 1984.
To be continued...
Thanks,
Wayne |
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Veteran
Posts: 295
| How far down the tunnel do you paint in body color?
Past that first metal lip they slathered a bunch of undercoating to hide stuff. I'm removing as much of it as I can but this job snowballed into the job from hell. I'm only redoing what I really need to at this point. I can always put it back on the lift later and work on more but the body color has to be sprayed all at once. So how far under the car would it originally have been in body color?
Thanks,
Wayne |
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Veteran
Posts: 295
| How far down the tunnel do you paint in body color?
Past that first metal lip they slathered a bunch of undercoating to hide stuff. I'm removing as much of it as I can but this job snowballed into the job from hell. I'm only redoing what I really need to at this point. I can always put it back on the lift later and work on more but the body color has to be sprayed all at once. So how far under the car would it originally have been in body color?
Thanks,
Wayne |
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Veteran
Posts: 295
| I'm a little surprised I didn't get a response to this one. (how far under the car would it be body color?)
I can't tell if I'm supposed to paint the fire wall in body color only down to that lip that's visible on the blue car above or if I'm supposed to paint in body color any further down under the car.
I'm guessing it's "only down to the lip" because that's technically where the firewall ends and tunnel begins but maybe it's supposed to be painted a little further under...
Thanks,
Wayne
Edited by jaded13640 2021-05-28 5:35 PM
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 9664
Location: So. Cal | Originally, they did a poor job of painting the firewall and down low, it was lucky to get overspray on it. Today, most people who do rotisserie restorations will paint the entire floor the same body color. If you are doing a frame-on restoration it is best to paint a little under the seam so that it it looks like a continuous application of color from the front. Basically, paint until the floor panel becomes horizontal. You can paint to just the seam, but you will notice it if you look closely. |
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Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | The underside, floors and trunk of these cars were painted as cheaply as possible. A gray primer-sealer was used on the entire car, sprayed manually by a human. Coverage was okay, maybe. Then the floor topside would get a blast of paint. A rumor I've heard is the paint area would maintain a supply of leftover paint, mix all the colors together, and use that. It's probably not true, but then again it is difficult to explain the sometimes weird shades of grays, blues, and browns seen.
After that, the body was fully assembled and the exterior color was then sprayed. Again, by a human. Coverage was okay, maybe.
If you restore it with excellent paint coverage with no runs on the firewall down to the seam where it meets the toe boards, then you probably painted too much. The guy had about 10 seconds to stick his head in the engine compartment and spray enough paint around to make it look like it was painted. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 371
| I remember my '71 satalite and '65 fury the engine bays yep only down to the hump lip. My '60 fury not the bottom got sprayed paint and not the black gunk. I guess the paint weighed less? But thenit also has front fender mounted turn signals that I have not seen on any other '60 model and yet are the same ones used on a '68 gtx and by that time my '60 wasn't even running or driving, just sitting, without original engine in it to go to a big block and 4 spd. My '79 Lil Red express is all painted top & bottom even leaf springs and dif are body color.
The rotisserie deal is favored. Watching the Barret/Jackson the chassis cams always get a "looks good even the belly all painted". |
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Cleaning up and painting the engine bay on the 57 Suburban
