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Messages - bodyman

2
Lounge / Re: IMPORTANT! Board Future - DISCUSS HERE
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So...this is where we are. Suggestions, comments, criticism welcome. There is no timetable for this, just throwing around ideas but we would like to get going this year.

Thanks everyone!

Like others have stated over on Chuck’s thread this is way out of my wheelhouse. The only thing I’d be good for in this situation is some dollars. My thought is do what you think is best and start a collection.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Got the windshield home without issue. I increased my odds by taking my Moms Subaru instead of my old f150, I’m sure the crossed fingers didn’t hurt either.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Quote from: Mikey97D – on
Looks amazing!

Are you planning on keeping the seat belts red?

Thanks! 

I have the right color grey belts for the front retractable ones, and dark grey belts for the back seat, which I expect won’t see much use. These seats are temporary until I get the original red seats recovered, probably very close to how these look now. I have new fox mustang grey plastic covers on order from LMR, going to try to make those work for the belt latch part attached to the front seats. I think these red belts in the grey plastic covers are original to the cougar they came out of. Going to try to spray these red ones with the SEM interior paint I have once I get the new covers figured out.

I’ve got a 4 hour round trip planned tomorrow morning to pick up the windshield. Hopefully I get it home ok, I probably jinxed myself as I already have the local glass company scheduled to put it in Thursday afternoon.

Other than that, just been taking care of some loose ends here and there. Started final sanding on the header panel, I’ll be spraying that and the spoiler and a few smaller pieces when we get out of this deep freeze in a week or so.

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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Some console lid repairs. Both spots where the hinge screws on were broken. Roughed it up a little and used some 3M 8115 to remake mount.





The original plan was to use black interior paint on the lid, but I ordered plenty of black vinyl for the shift bezel, so I gave it a go. The first try failed because the upholstery adhesive wouldn’t stick to the original red vinyl. Some 80 grit on the DA and some hand sanding around the edges solved that. Few wrinkles but fairly pleased with the results. Hopefully it holds up. 





Compared to the lid, the shift bezel was fairly easy to cover. Other than it sits up just a bit from the vinyl wrapped around the edge it turned out well.



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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
I’ve got more time in this than I care to admit, but a coat of primer and some vinyl and it may just work out. Vinyl should be here Friday, ordered 4 way stretch vinyl from Sailrite. The factory shift boot works with the opening moved.




8
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Quote from: Chuck W – on
After seeing it, I thought 3D  printing might be an option.  Might have to see if I can CAD something up.

It's hard to find them with those stupid mounting posts still intact. I don't think any of the ones I have onhand are unbroken.




Mine still has both mounting posts, but all but 2 of the little posts for the boot retaining ring are all missing. I think I have some little studs left that I can weld onto this one with my stud gun dent removal tool, and shape up some mounting posts and weld them on. Should be plenty durable. :mullet: 

I do think if someone were to design and print these it could be worthwhile.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
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That's one way to do it! You going to cover it in vinyl or leather?

My initial thought was to try to have one 3D printed. That’ll be plan “b”. Yeah, some sort of textured vinyl that matches the surroundings.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Was able to get the doors put on, and my dew wipes showed up early, so they are also installed. I would really like to get the windshield put in before getting the fenders on, so next week going to have to see if the guy who said he could get me one is actually going to get it in.



I found out my shift boot problem is actually a shifter location problem. I did moved the engine/transmission forward just a little for some firewall clearance, but it seemed like the shifter was still centered up in the trans tunnel hole good enough. Moving the drive train isn’t an option, so going to have to move the opening in the shifter trim plate to make it work. So far so good.



11
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
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I used the channel run from a Ford Ranger for my vent window convertible and that worked great. But I don't know if that works for a coupe door. It looks pretty close. Truck weatherstripping is plentiful and cheap so there's no harm in experimenting. The dew wipes should work great from a Mark VII.

I also commend you for getting new seals where possible. That's an overlooked part of restoration which most people ignore. Plus the cost is a huge factor...it's great to buy new but I've paid less for entire cars than the cost of new rubber seals LOL.

Chuck, Steele has those under p/n 70-2720-73. With sticker shock.
https://www.steelerubber.com/door-weatherstrip-70-2720-73

Yeah, you’re not kidding about the sticker shock. It was a close my eyes and hit send moment.

 Thanks for the tip on the ranger vent runs, the guys that had the tempo parts car probably have a ranger or two out there also.  What year ranger should I be looking for?

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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Quote from: Aerocoupe – on
What are you going to do for the window channel runs?

This is a vent window car, so I found some good used 93ish 2 door Tempo window runs. I’ve read that they work, haven’t tried them yet. Still need to find a run that goes into the vent window part, thinking maybe a ford pickup one might work. I do have one NOS ford window run I might use on the driver door, keep hoping I’ll stumble across another one. 

I also ordered dew wipes from Steele, they are for a Lincoln Mark VII, hopefully they work out. Those are 4-6 weeks out.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Couldn’t find the panel I was looking for so modified the one I had. Thin sheet of aluminum, glued on with headliner adhesive and some satin black trim paint.





A few $’s worth of seals arrived today. So far only installed the upper door seals, they snapped in fairly well.




14
User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
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I suppose that's a possibility. You know "Job 1" and all. Lol.

Does it have the early or late TBird emblems on the c-pillars and grille?


That’s a question I don’t know the answer to. Those are long gone, I de-badged the car when I repainted in 95. It must have been the cool thing to do at the time.
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User Rides / Re: My 85 TBird
Quote from: Aerocoupe – on
I have to ask. So I’m pretty sure there was a dash change in 85. Did you switch out the dash to an 83/84 style at some point and I just missed that?

I wondered if anyone was ever going to notice this car has the wrong dash. I did put a different dash in, but it’s the same style as the one I took out. It’s possible a previous owner changed it, but I have owned the car since 94/95. My best guess is that it’s a really early 85 and ford did what they did best back then, threw whatever parts the still had laying around at it.  The 10th vin digit is “F”.