FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

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Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Mon Oct 18, 2021 9:44 pm

~ Fit the hatchback in place and discovered damage since it was stored without bubble wrap since we repaired it way back when. I got foam pool noodles for future bottom protection.
~ Used Dynahair short strand.(.about a tablespoon full) to address a couple of issues. Door jambs and hatch jams have to be repainted the correct color.
~ The base coat of Mazda 46V will have its midcoat sprayed to help it cure for a max of 8 hours before we apply the mask stencil for the black the GT stripe so as not to damage the base coat. We hope there will be minimum adhesive residue before the final coats of pure clear go down.
~ The side bullet mirrors were disassembled and primed and painted black and reassembled, wrapped in bubble wrap.
~ The Camry rear wing is next to prep.
~...At The End of the Day, It's still just a Vega.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida


Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Sun Dec 12, 2021 7:40 pm

~ Sluffin off the past 4 weeks on another "orphan" project. Getting a re-education on 3.5 and 5.5 in floppy drive pin designation. Which orphan? The Timex/Sinclair 2068 that never had disk drives. Lots of fun 35 yr old disks...Why? Why a Vega? LOL. There is a micro SD card for storage now for that family of computers and I have a lot of software to archive to the new storage medium. I have recently become aware that there is an engineering connection between GM Cammback design engineers and the Timex Computer Division. These orphans may be related in some odd way.
~ I'll get back on the Vega soon. It aint gonna finish itself. Happy Holidays...be well.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Sat May 07, 2022 8:33 am

~ I've been repairing a spare krinkled front fender so that I might perform a test spray out to hone my painting skills before I attempt to paint. I had been working on this fender ALL wek long and finally had it spot puttied and ready for Sealer Primer on a parts frame outside of my shop. Wouldn't you know it...a high wind came up and flipped the fender onto the asphalt, scratching my work in several places. People asking me...when is your Vega gonna be done? My reply is..This Year!
~ Back to the drawing board on the seats..the ones from the Pontiac G6 sit too high, can't use the tilt wheel without hitting my knees. I'll use them in the '82 S-10..whenever I get to it.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Wed May 18, 2022 9:23 am

~ The repaired..(somewhat) spare fender got painted. wet sanded. and polished and came out very close to what I had expected. The 2020 Mazda 46V paint color( Soul Crystal Red) I have discovered has (2) different formulas for its basecoat. One in the Diamont (BASF) is labeled as "fine" the other is labeled "dark". The dark...what I used, has non-uniform in size black flakes along with the fine aluminum flakes. I looked at the final result under a strong magnifying glass. I went to the Mazda dealership to look at a "real" factory paint job to compare and saw very uniform in size black "specks". I contacted my paint store and learned of the different base coats and showed the empty can to the clerk who informed me that I had used the darker of the two.
~ I purchased 8 more ounces of the base and midcoat, this time with the "fine" flakes. plus another gallon of thinner...totalling 150.00...the other paint, for the test sprayout, I had paid 150.00 for 4 ounces....The new paint is an Akzo product, supposedly the same as Glasurit, a european paint.
~ I have the hood and hatchback ready for painting and I will attempt to paint the underside of the hatchback and the underside of the hood with the 8oz kit, which makes 12oz plus thinner and activator making 16 oz. Since it is so hot here in FL , we will be using a slow-reducer.
~ There are many videos on U-tube describing thie difficulties with applying this paint. One tip , verified with my paint pro, was to use a criss-cross spraying technique to make sure the flakes do not shift around and stand up. If the flakes stand up, they will require more midcoat and more clearcoat to "bury" the flakes so that during wet sanding you dont catch the tips of the flakes and leave little white spots.
~ We estimated that I will still need a gallon of this paint to spray the entire car after the jams are done at a cost of close to 1000.000.
~ We...John and I, will be erecting a modified covered canopy to paint the car here at home.
~ We intend to wait a full 24 hours after the midcoat dries to apply the reverse mask for the GT stripes around the wheel well and lower door panels which will be in '08 Chrysler Brilliant Crystal black.
~ Chin spoiler will be in that black as well as the hatchback wing.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:51 am

~ We painted the underside of the hatchback yesterday and buffed it. The 95+ temperatures were brutal. We got minimal trash in the clearcoat..3 coats. Re-attached the hatch with the pins, halfway in ..temporarily.
~ Moved the hood ...for the first time in over 2 years...to the paint room from my rehersal studio, to kill the cat-p*$$ on the hinge arm..(damn cats)..we will have to re-seal it with sealer primer before we paint the underside of it...today.
>>>The Mazda 46V Soul Red Crystal came out real close to what we are looking for, however, after seeing one on the road yesterday, it just doesn't have the "glow" that the real Mazdas have with that color. The Mazdas are painted with a water based paint, we are using urethane based paint. One of the major Mazda repair shops in Orlando told me that they use Sherin Williams Automotive paint..3 stage. We have used Dyna-Coat and it is close. We are not sure whether our issue is with the base coat or the mid-coat. There are several videos on the U-tube that describe painting this color...all are slightly different...No, it is not the same color we used in the engine bay, but we think they will go together...hopium.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:30 am

~ I shouldn't have let it sit in epoxy sealer primer without paint for so long...small pimples are beginning to show themselves in the rooftop.
~ Backed it out of the garage and had difficulties getting the 4-sp Saginaw back into neutral.
~ My mechanic guru and I had a discussion about the T-5 Borg Warner that he has in a vehicle across the street. Not sure if it is a world class or not. The subject came up about a new improved shifter for the 4-sp Saginaw then we had concerns about the torque arm. I have seen folks refer to it as a torque "tube". mine is not tubular, it is more " ] " shaped. I have a feeling that the "Driveline" thread will be my go-to source for info on this.
~ "August is traditionally a "HOT" month."
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Wed Aug 31, 2022 6:54 am

~ We fixed the pimples and pits and re-sealer primered the rooftop....Note to self: Do Not Feed (or water) the shop cat on top of the vega.
~ In order to re-seal the entire car, we will have to hang the doors so we took a good look at the passenger window glass which has a metal strip along the bottom that keeps it in the track. This metal strip was rotted and unavailable.
~ Called my vega boneyard to see if he was still there, he said I could come out and get another window glass (40.00). Looks like I'll be in the boneyard today retrieving a piece of glass. Wearing snake boots.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

Re: FrankenVega / FrankenCosworth

Postby 74_Vega_GT » Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:01 am

~ Found a bottom side window channel on a 73 vega with the glass broken, removed the glass remnants, prepped the channel for fresh rubber.
~ Next step is to remove the old window channel from the good glass without breaking it to re-attach the newly restored window channel. I will try a heat gun to soften the rubber first before trying a flame.
~ Measured the seats in a C5 Corvette that a buddy drove over to my house...-16inches rail width...they should fit. Looked on Craigslist and found a pair for 150.00. Need to reupholster both seats but with an embroidered "VEGA" insert rather than the Corvette insert. These are electric seats.
~ Since the underside of the hood and hatchback are painted, and the door sills are repaired and painted from where we damaged them screwing with the Pontiac seats, we will hang them soon as well as the doors.
>I Love the H-Body forum and am grateful for it and all its members contributions, disclaimer below is directed at search engines.
> Photographs posted by this user (74_Vega_GT) are the sole property of this poster. Any use without express written permission is prohibited.
1974 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback
1982 Chevy S-10 longbed 2.8v6 A/C
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Black
2005 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Coupe,Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Silver Sapphire Blue
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Roadster N.A., Aero-Blue
2008 Dodge Ram Longbed, Brilliant Crystal Pearl Black
74_Vega_GT
 
Posts: 455
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:40 pm
Location: Central Florida

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