Update and questions

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SBurney
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 4:04 pm

Update and questions

Post by SBurney »

I’m trying to get the car ready for paint, as well as headliner and Landau top replacement. The bumpers and all exterior trim has been removed, the headliner and mouse nests-I mean insulation-has been removed, and the Landau bars are off of the top. The seats have had the foam and covering replaced (they look great!). The interior parts have all been repainted. Here are some before/after pics of the speedometer.

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So, I have some questions on how to proceed:

1) I want to take the vinyl top off before I have it painted in case there are any rust issues to address at the body shop. If I take all of the trim off of the car, is there any danger to the structure or glass during transport?
2) The top has been replaced once before. The Landau bars have had the middle screws ground off and the bars were refastened to the car with pop rivets in each end. Is there a way to replace the screws without replacing the entire bar?
3) I’ve replaced/repaired just about everything I could think of while the dash is out. I would like to reinstall the dash and steering column before paint, partly so I can drive it onto the trailer, partly so I don’t have to worry about scratching the paint if I were to reinstall them later. Is this a good idea, or should I wait?
4) When I do reinstall the dash, should I attach the instrument cluster and speedometer first, or install the dash, THEN attach the instruments and speedometer?

Thank you for any guidance.

Steve
Steve Burney
1965 Special Landau, originally purchased by my Grandmother. The only car she ever bought that
she thought was worth what she paid for it.
VTCI #12702
Thunderbird Registry #64708
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sseebart
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Re: Update and questions

Post by sseebart »

I have a hardtop, so can't address 1 & 2, but I have had my dash out, so...

I would install the dash before paint so you can drive the car. I don't think there's much risk of scratching the paint with the dash install, but making the car driveable is worth something.

I installed my dash fully assembled. Trying to install the cluster after the fact just adds complexity. Be sure to protect the steering column when you install it--it's extremely easy to scratch during installation.

Your project is coming along nicely--congrats!

~Steve
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paulr
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Re: Update and questions

Post by paulr »

I would agree with Steve's opinion about the dash 100%, though I've never done it that way (the whole thing put together).

Having done this a few times on a couple cars I'm comfortable putting in the dash first, and adding the speedo and instrument pods afterward. There are sharp trim piece corners and a nice painted steering column that you don't want running into each other. Wrap all these things in thick layers of plastic bubble wrap (the kind for packaging) and secure with tape. The steering wheel, of course, stays off until the end.

I imagine you can drill, fill and replace the rivets with any method you want.

The levant grain vinyl on your MY65 was not tucked under the glass, front or backglass, so you will-should be able to peel it off without losing the glass seal, assuming the latest top installers did it according to the manual instructions as per factory. To be sure, just take off some of the trim pieces and you will be able to see everything. Life does get complicated above the doors as pertaining to the roof rails and the way they integrate with the vinyl. I can't recommend you study the Osborn Body/Trim book enough on this one, especially if you want the installation to work like the factory installation worked and keep rain and rust out of your life and your car. In fact, if the last top installers were not perfect in the smallest detail, I would look for trouble under the roof rails--it's a good hiding spot.
Good luck.
Attachments
IMG_2769.jpg
IMG_2765.jpg
Paul
VTCI 12014
Registry 45122
'64 Landau HT
"Beer, now there's a temporary solution!" ~Homer Simpson
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paulr
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Re: Update and questions

Post by paulr »

I forgot to say that's nice work on the speedo pod!
Paul
VTCI 12014
Registry 45122
'64 Landau HT
"Beer, now there's a temporary solution!" ~Homer Simpson
SBurney
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Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 4:04 pm

Re: Update and questions

Post by SBurney »

Thanks for the guidance, guys. I guess I’ll work on getting the top off this weekend.
Steve Burney
1965 Special Landau, originally purchased by my Grandmother. The only car she ever bought that
she thought was worth what she paid for it.
VTCI #12702
Thunderbird Registry #64708
SBurney
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 4:04 pm

Re: Update and questions

Post by SBurney »

OK, the top is off, and I’ve been studying the Shop Manual and trim installation guide on the subject. I’ve looked and looked, and think that when the top was last replaced they decided to discard the top cover side retainers instead of reinstalling them. Here are some photos I took of the drivers side drip rails, and it looks like roof, not sealer covered retainers. Can anyone offer guidance on the subject?

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Image
Steve Burney
1965 Special Landau, originally purchased by my Grandmother. The only car she ever bought that
she thought was worth what she paid for it.
VTCI #12702
Thunderbird Registry #64708
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losendos
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Re: Update and questions

Post by losendos »

The speedometer looks great! How did you refinish the numbers?
-Patrick
1966 Town Hardtop
VTCI #12691
Past Birds: 1986 Turbo Coupe 5-speed, 1965 Convertible
SBurney
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Re: Update and questions

Post by SBurney »

Thank you for the compliment, Patrick.

A picture is worth 1000 words, so here are some photos. The tape was cut over the numbers with a SHARP X-acto knife. The final step was to go over the outline of the numbers with a silver paint pen from Michael’s.

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Image
Steve Burney
1965 Special Landau, originally purchased by my Grandmother. The only car she ever bought that
she thought was worth what she paid for it.
VTCI #12702
Thunderbird Registry #64708
Rt.146
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Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:40 pm

Re: Update and questions

Post by Rt.146 »

I noticed the rust under the vinyl , my 66 Landau must have the same rust problem, my thought is to do away with the vinyl and paint the roof, which in the future I think I will do, that should solve the rust problem somewhat more than just putting vinyl back.
SBurney
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Re: Update and questionss

Post by SBurney »

Surprisingly, it’s not rust. I think it’s a combination of body color overspray and old adhesive.
Steve Burney
1965 Special Landau, originally purchased by my Grandmother. The only car she ever bought that
she thought was worth what she paid for it.
VTCI #12702
Thunderbird Registry #64708
User avatar
paulr
Posts: 1800
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Seattle

Re: Update and questions

Post by paulr »

Rt.146 wrote: Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:59 pm I noticed the rust under the vinyl , my 66 Landau must have the same rust problem, my thought is to do away with the vinyl and paint the roof, which in the future I think I will do, that should solve the rust problem somewhat more than just putting vinyl back.
Sure a good looking car (from your other post). Although I can't spot much detail by your photos, the '66 TL you have there has one of the best original factory combinations; the vinyl top is a signature component to that model. If the general shape of that car is any indication, I think you'd find little to no rust under that top. Roof rails and where the pillars meet the deck are the usual trouble spots, if any.

Changing a landau roof to a painted hardtop involves more body work than just paint; and, again, just my 2 cents, but the model is altered.
Paul
VTCI 12014
Registry 45122
'64 Landau HT
"Beer, now there's a temporary solution!" ~Homer Simpson
Rt.146
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Re: Update and questions

Post by Rt.146 »

I will think more about removing the vinyl roof in favor of painting, as it is I would like to see what is going on under the vinyl, though that project is for another day. Right now I'm removing the dash, I never thought I could have so much fun, going good so far, will find out how good it is when I try and put it back together.. Your speedometer came out looking great.
survivor66
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Re: Update and questions

Post by survivor66 »

Rt.146 wrote: Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:59 pm I noticed the rust under the vinyl , my 66 Landau must have the same rust problem, my thought is to do away with the vinyl and paint the roof, which in the future I think I will do, that should solve the rust problem somewhat more than just putting vinyl back.
My uncle was a Ford engineer and he made a lot of money from his suggestion that Ford could save a lot of money by not painting under the vinyl tops. I took on the job of painting a pock marked rusted vinyl top roof. It was a lot of work and if it came up again it'd be a quick sandblast skim coat of bondo and new vinyl.
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paulr
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Re: Update and questions

Post by paulr »

survivor66 wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:29 am
Rt.146 wrote: Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:59 pm I noticed the rust under the vinyl , my 66 Landau must have the same rust problem, my thought is to do away with the vinyl and paint the roof, which in the future I think I will do, that should solve the rust problem somewhat more than just putting vinyl back.
My uncle was a Ford engineer and he made a lot of money from his suggestion that Ford could save a lot of money by not painting under the vinyl tops. I took on the job of painting a pock marked rusted vinyl top roof. It was a lot of work and if it came up again it'd be a quick sandblast skim coat of bondo and new vinyl.
Although I can't prove it, my car might be a case in point. The previous owner DID replace the vinyl and in so doing they DID paint the roof under it at the same time they painted the car. But under that paint, there is no trace of the original factory paint, just primer. Someone tried to tell me they sanded it off--seems unlikely as the rest of the car was a sprayover.
Paul
VTCI 12014
Registry 45122
'64 Landau HT
"Beer, now there's a temporary solution!" ~Homer Simpson
Rt.146
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Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2017 7:40 pm

Re: Update and questions

Post by Rt.146 »

As sseebart puts it "mission creep" after reading the many post on dash removal and the labyrinth of hoses and vacuum canister and what ever other goodie could be fixed or updated, out came the dash, first benefit I was able to spruce up the speedometer like SBurney did, that is where I got the idea.
Then while I was at taking the dash out, the door panels, seats front and back already removed I stripped the rest of the interior. Not satisfied with that I removed the vinyl roof, which was a good thing because there is some rust, slightly more than surface rust , though not something I believe will be too difficult to take care of gotta watch that "mission creep" it does creep up on one..
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