Lavron's '64 Build Thread

The Era of The Square Body Racing Comets
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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by Jims65cyclone »

Drilling a small hole at each end of any cracks that don't go all the way around is a good idea. It relieves the stress concentration at the end of the crack to keep it from propagating further.
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comethead
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by comethead »

PC7 is good stuff! I repaired my Cyclone steering wheel with it.
It’s been used and out in the sun and I’m starting to see small cracks...but I don’t think my prep work was very good. I should have notched the cracks deeper.

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1965 Caliente HT- 289/4 speed
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

Ok so I made a video, the audio is atrocious, I should do a voice over on it because you can't even understand what I am trying to say most of the time (it was because of the wind), but it is what it is for now. Again if you even watch it, I apologize, I promise to do better next time :roll:

https://youtu.be/uzHIrgpb2xM

Hopefully that link works.

See Ya,
Mike
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

If you watched the video and saw me talking about my roof problems, the place with the black primer is where I have been experimenting with what I am planning to do on the rest of roof.

Currently (in my head) this is my plan to make it presentable (filling the rust pits before painting it) and maybe so it won't rust any worse for a while.

My thoughts is to run a wire brush over the entire roof (most likely a piece at a time because I don't want to clean any more than I can get covered in a couple hours each day), then use some sort of rust remover on the roof (vinegar or a commercial product) make sure each pit is cleaned thoroughly (thinking even about maybe a little spot blaster if I can find one that doesn't need large volumes of air) that will be tedious :roll: . Then use a little POR15 patch (it is a real thick POR15) and use a toothpick to put in each pit or simply spread it in the holes, after it dries grind it back lightly and paint rust converter over the area, after dry DA sand the area with 80 grit and use filler over the area then finish as normal.

I will see how my test area works out before I go on, this is a picture of the area that has black rust converter sprayed on it in the video, I got the rust off and the black in the pits is the POR15 PATCH.

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When the weather permits I will sand this area with the DA and do some filling with body filler, finish and prime it again.

See Ya,
Mike
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

Went out today and tried to straighten the crooked wiper bezel, I guess it is not crooked at all, that is just where it mounts.

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Of course I lost the wiper arm while doing this and it is really a 2 person job to get that thing back up there and the nut on it, so I ended taking the gauge cluster out so I could reach around while holding it place. Oh well I guess I really needed to take the cluster out anyway.

Correct me if I am wrong but it did not appear to be a way to remove it without unplugging every individual gauge and removing every light? I have never had the cluster fully out of the car before just pulled back. The Speedometer cable was not attached to it for some reason, I do not remember removing that.

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Mike
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Groover
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by Groover »

Your video looked good to me. What's not to like. It was a video of a 64 Comet.

I think if you want the cluster out, then yes, you have to disconnect the wiring from every gauge, etc. The wires are too short. I usually just lay it on the column when I need in there, but if you want serious access, I think you just have to disconnect it all.

If I were you, I'd get that good dash pad off the parts car and out of the sun/rain.
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

Groover wrote:If I were you, I'd get that good dash pad off the parts car and out of the sun/rain.
There is no dash pad just a bare metal dash, I do need to cover that car however.
Groover wrote:I think if you want the cluster out, then yes, you have to disconnect the wiring from every gauge, etc.
Yes I just took it out and it is in the closet now, for the most part it is a good cluster, just needs a few scratches fixed and rechromed, made me nervous removing it because I did not want to break it.

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Mike
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

Been wearing my plumber hat this week working on getting our guest house ready for guests, had to fix a leaky toilet tank and do some overhaul on the water heater, my other niece (not the one getting married, yet) is coming into town and her boyfriend is going to stay in the trailer because we only have one guest bedroom in the house. I remodeled the living room year before last for company :roll:

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But I still stole a little time for the Comet, did a little more work at removing the rust on the roof, I decided to work on just half and am thinking about making a video when I do the other side, but don't hold your breath if that is something you are interested in seeing :oops:

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I was using a little commercial rust removal product today just to test it out, it actually did not do too bad but it will need some more application to get it "clean", my next step may be a little wire brushing before doing a second application.

I also did more on the trunk lid because it is convenient to reach while I am there and have rust remover in my hands.

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I know it doesn't look like much here but most of the rust has been removed, I may hit it with the DA sander next time after I take the trunk lock out and figure out how to remove the last of the barrel clips for the badging.

Not much but at least a little more started.

See Ya,
Mike
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

A couple of more hours on the Comet today, I got most of the rust off the drivers side roof.

I treated it with some more rust removal product after wire brushing the worse spots a bit.

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I DA sanded it again and did a vinegar wash with a red scotchbrite, didn't seem to take a picture after that step except from the side here after I had rinsed it.

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It did not do too bad and I ran out of time so I went ahead and cleaned it and sprayed a couple of coats of rust reformer on it.

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I will try to keep chipping away at it, mostly my goal right now is to get as much rust off and something on there to protect it so it won't rust any worse.

See Ya,
Mike
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RideAndShoot
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by RideAndShoot »

Looks good! What rust remover are you using? Seems to work pretty damn well.
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

RideAndShoot wrote:What rust remover are you using?
It is Rustoleum Rust Remover (Think that is the name, I got it at Walmart) I have a spray bottle of gel and a regular bottle of liquid, I used the liquid today and applied it with the scotchbrite as well (earlier I had used the gel) Seriously the vinegar/water mix did as well as the commercial stuff.

I really did not intend to remove the paint but it so thin it pretty much came off with the scotchbrite.

Happily I am at least half way done with this job and will see if I can put a good technique together on the other half and share what I learn.

On a bad note I was checking the bottom of the trunk lid today and the rust is worse than I thought, I may still try and fix it but might start looking for a replacement.

See Ya,
Mike
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

OK another little video, pretty much like the other one but a little shorter and hopefully done a little bit better :roll: I am trying to practice so I can make a half way decent video eventually. (No wind today and overcast skies made for better quality)

I mostly talk about the roof and what I am planning to do to "repair" the rust in the trunk lid, will be a hack job for sure because I am going to try and find a replacement lid eventually so this one will be good to practice on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upjgq_kHr_0

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Mike
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Rocket989
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by Rocket989 »

That stuff seems to work pretty well!! I'll keep an eyeball out for a deck lid around here.
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

OK, here is what I did to mostly de-rust the second half my roof.

I have been limiting the time I spend so I can get other projects done so I am shooting for 2 hours or less at a time, this took a bit more time :roll: (3 to 4 hours) I am not quite done because because I ran out of Rust Reformer spray before I had the coverage I wanted.

Anyway, now you get to see my moonscape roof in all of it's naked glory :P :lol:

First thing is it was cold when I started, I mean freezing cold, my Comet was covered with ice, but I forged ahead.

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I wire brushed the roof and these are my weapons I choose.

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After wire brushing, at least if nothing else I got rid of the ice :P

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Even though it was still a bit cold (too cold for the chemicals to work optimal) I applied a coat of Rust Dissolver.

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I used the Scotchbrite pad and wore a rubber glove, after washing this off (it had warmed above freezing) I used my DA sander with 60 grit, this is before I started.

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Rustoleum has a gel form of the Rust Dissolver so I used it next along with some of the liquid, I don't know if you are supposed to do that but it seemed to work ok.

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Somehow I can find a picture after this step, but I believe I used the DA again and then applied some vinegar/water with the pad and it cut most of what was left of the rust pretty good.

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I rinsed it again, dried it and then cleaned it with wax and grease remover.

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I had just a little bit of POR15 Metal Ready so I sprayed it on the roof and it converted what was left of the rust in the pits.

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I cleaned it again and sprayed the RustConverter Paint on.

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I will buy some more RustConverter this week and try to put another coat or two on the roof after I Scotchbrite the whole thing.

Not a perfect job but maybe it will protect it some until I can repair it.

See Ya,
Mike
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lavron
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Re: Lavron's '64 Build Thread

Post by lavron »

You are probably saying to yourself, "NO, NO, I don't want to see your rusty roof again!" Well it is pretty much rust free now and I wanted to show you what it ended up looking like because I told you last time I ran out of time and paint.

Today was the only nice day we are supposed to have, or have had all week so I took a couple of hours out from mowing my yard (a little break) and filled a few of the pits with glazing putty, when that dried I DA'ed the roof with 120 Grit, cleaned it with grease and wax remover and sprayed it down with Klean-Strip Phosphoric Prep & Etch, rinsed it off and this is how it looked.

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I was pretty impressed, the phosphoric acid cleaned and etched the roof and converted the iron oxide to iron sulphate (well that is what they say) it will no longer be red but black, it still flash rusted but supposedly if you do not rinse the phosphoric acid off and let it dry it supposed to protect it from rusting, I can't confirm that.

After rinsing it and drying it I wiped it down again with the wax remover and sprayed the Rust Converter on it a few good coats.

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I actually now only have a few pits and they are shallow so I am hoping the high build primer will fill them :?: but for now I am done, I think the roof will be ok until I get around to finishing it, next I will probably do the same to the trunk lid.

Yes I am eating my elephant :roll:

See Ya,
Mike
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