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I've got the car insured for only a few more days then on to body work! I saw Clyde's ramps on one of his recent posts and decided to build a set. Got them mostly done, just a few tweaks to keep things from moving around while driving up the ramp(one wheel almost suspended in mid-air was pretty exciting!).
Cost: about $10 in deck screws and some sweat equity pulling apart some free wooden pallets, as well as dumpster diving at some housing projects nearby.

Rick

monzacoupe wrote:I've got the car insured for only a few more days then on to body work! I saw Clyde's ramps on one of his recent posts and decided to build a set. Got them mostly done, just a few tweaks to keep things from moving around while driving up the ramp(one wheel almost suspended in mid-air was pretty exciting!).
Cost: about $10 in deck screws and some sweat equity pulling apart some free wooden pallets, as well as dumpster diving at some housing projects nearby.

Rick

Did you go with a Wet Suit or Dry? I don't usually do the dumpsters for lumber, but a good scrap steel bin, and you had better not come between me and the metallic nuggets! Harry

I love the new platforms! Lot's of room to breathe down there! I had a chance to use them yesterday replacing a blown driver's side exhaust gasket...not as much fun as you'd think with the brake booster and headers still in place! I'm not sure why it would have blown in the first place but I got the new gasket installed along with some hi-temp silicon for good measure. That bottom bolt closest to the firewall was a bugger!

Rick

Started the body teardown with the driver's door. Glass is out, not sure how I did it but it's out! Trim is off, door handle is next, got some replacement ones to put on. I'll be taking the doors off to take to a body shop for a repair, I've never welded and won't be starting with this tricky corner to fix. The fun has just started!!

Rick

Nice! How are the bottoms? I've just started talking to a guy that makes restoration parts for Mavericks and Comets (floor pans, fender and quarter patches, etc). He seems interested in making Monza parts. Fingers crossed, he can help the community out!

The bottoms have some holes in them maybe 1.5" X 3" not terrible. Definitely repairable.

Rick

I found another build sheet for my car! Taped to the back of my passenger door panel. It's in EXCELLENT condition. top left corner says 82-23415 10-17, does this mean my car's birthday is Oct.17, 1980?

Score!

Odd that it was in the passenger door. That should be the date the car was built, more or less. Look at your trim tag and it should have a 10C which would be the third week of October. I know they changed from using "80" for the year to "A" at some point for the 1980 cars. If the trim tag has "80" then it is likely 10/17/79 vs 10/17/80. If it is has the "A" it may be 10/17/80.

Here is the trim tag and build sheet from my 1980 Sunbird.

I also know that the original owners bought my car in March of 1980 so I know it was not built in September 1980.

Your project is coming along nicely, I am glad you took the tip from my car ramps. You went about it a little different but the end result is the same. For those who don't remember here's mine again. Mine are made from 2 x 10's, they work great although they are heavy. You don't want to move them too far.

Clyde You're right about not wanting to move them very often!

My car was built Oct.17,1980 according to the trim tag.

I got the passenger door off last night with a little swearing along with a lot of hammering and WD-40, there were no bushing around the hinge pins. Normal or not? I can't see how there would be any room for bushings in the hinge.

Rick

No, that is not normal. There are bushings that fit into the door hinge and the pins slide into them. I don't know why you are not seeing that, that is the way they are. If needed, I have NOS hinge pins and bushings available.

Ok, I've found the bushings! Any problems re-using the pins and bushings? Or is it best to buy some new ones from Clyde? Clyde stay out of this...conflict of interest!

Rick

p.s. Clyde, just kidding! You're advice ALWAYS appreciated

replace them they are cheap and you've done the hard part!

283vega wrote:replace them they are cheap and you've done the hard part!

Rick I agree, those doors are HEAVY! And I can't add anything else, Brian summed the situation up nicely above. Harry