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Projects 1965 Comet Caliente Convertible Project

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 65CometRagTop, Jun 12, 2012.

  1. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;looks good!! I bet you are anxious to get it in paint!!! Then assembly begins!!! ROY.
     
  2. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Thanks Roy. Yes I am preparing the work area for paint. I have the wheels still to sand but I think that is it. I will do one last light sanding over everything, wipe it down and then paint. Of course now it gets cold so I will have to wait for a warm morning. I’m a little nervous about painting since I have never done it before but excited at the same time because after that I can ASSEMBLE!!!
     
  3. cyclonedoug
    Joined: Sep 30, 2011
    Posts: 16

    cyclonedoug
    Member
    from PA

    Thank you for posting the updates! Too cold out here in Central PA to do anything so it is great checking in on this project and it's progress. Great thread!
    Doug
     
  4. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Doug thanks. I thank my lucky stars every day that I live here. Well maybe not so much when I get in traffic but still the weather here has been great. Sorry the weather has put a damper on your builds. What a great list of cars in your signature line. Very cool.
     
  5. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Many days of sanding and … we are still sanding but for the last time. Great three day weekend and we painted for all three days. This is the first painting I have ever done and I got about half the amount done using twice the paint but I am very happy with the outcome. This stuff sucks up the paint. Very few runs and the paint laid flat. Relief …

    Picture one … Friday afternoon prepare the booth that means everything that was inside is out and covered and then line the garage.

    Picture two … First day is a lot of little stuff. It Doesn‘t look like much but that is two coats with 20 minutes to half hour between coats.

    Picture three … Day two lots more sanding and the inside of the doors and the front fenders are done.

    Picture four … That is me. The nice thing about all of these day is there was a slight breeze blowing which was perfect for ventilation and for drying but not enough to blow stuff around. I have the garage door open for all of this and had no problems with debris. Really the perfect weekend.

    Picture five … The outside of the doors and the hood and a few other pieces are done. I’m out of paint and time.

    I still have the trunk, the rear fenders, the door jams, the dash and the cowl to do. What I did took two quarts so back for another two.

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  6. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;one step closer!!!!Are you using the area where the FFC usually hides? ROY.
     
  7. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Roy,

    Yes the FFR is in the first picture stuck between the house and the fence all bundled up tight. I don’t like it being there but you have to make the best of the space you have. Hopefully next weekend I will finish the paint and then reassembly begins. What have you been up to. Hopefully car things and not plumbing.
     
  8. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;KNOCK ON WOOD the plumbing is done!!!!! I took the Comet to the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona last month,no more of that for me!! Going to Irwindale Thursday to make a couple of passes,have not been on a track since October!! Good luck on your painting,hope the weather holds!!! ROY.
     
  9. Mike51Merc
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 3,856

    Mike51Merc
    Member

    Jeff:

    Seeing you spray is making me jealous that your project (which is much, much, greater than mine) has caught up and passed me like I'm standing still (which I am).

    I'm going to blame it on the weather. Long Beach is just so much better than Northeast Pennsylvania.

    Now I'm jealous about the weather....
     
  10. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Mike,
    I feel for you guys back east. That is some awful weather. Sorry it affects your build. I am taking advantage of the weather as much as I can and appreciate it every day.
     
  11. flynbrian48
    Joined: Mar 10, 2008
    Posts: 8,220

    flynbrian48
    Member

    I continue to be impressed with this project, it really looks great.

    Brian
     
  12. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Brian,

    Thank you. I went to your website now that is impressive. My good friend has a 58 Tbird coupe.
     
  13. flynbrian48
    Joined: Mar 10, 2008
    Posts: 8,220

    flynbrian48
    Member

    I used a 302 HO/AOD, from a totaled '88 Mustang GT, and recycled everything, much as you have, in it. Even the radiator and exhaust, wiring harness, fuel lines, etc. So, your Comet and my 'Bird have a lot in common. I'm trying to get the 'Bird done for Autorama in Detroit '14. We'll see...
     
  14. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Brian,

    Looks like you like the donor concept too. Good luck on making it to the Autorama.
     
  15. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    I am done painting and I am relieved. It actually was fun but with the equipment I have and the space I have it was a LOT of work. I see why shops have such big paint booths. The result is not perfect but I am happy with it. Below are a few pictures. It will be nice to start putting things together. It was also nice that NASCAR waited to show the rest of the Daytona 500 until I was done and everything was cleaned up.

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  16. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    A couple of pictures of the painted body.

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  17. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;you have made MAJOR strides on the Comet in a short time!!! Getting closer all the time!!! ROY.
     
  18. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Roy,

    Thanks I am happy with it. The paint sure makes a big difference. Now it’s time to get the money out and buy some parts. All new rubber including tires, carpet, convertible top, seat covers, …
     
  19. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;it ALWAYS seems to come down to money!!!!!!!! ROY.
     
  20. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    It’s nice to start putting things together on the car. I started on the headlights and found that the head light retainer rings are a problem so I change them to a screw retainer rather than hanging them on the head light bucket spring (Picture 1 and 2). I bent the tab on the retaining rings and welded threaded tabs on the buckets. Seems to work well. I may need to adjust the bucket springs to get the headlights to adjust correctly.

    I ran the main wiring loom thru the wheel well so I made a cover to protect the wiring ( picture 3 and 4).

    Got one fender hung (picture 5).

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  21. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;good progress! The long screws are what align the headlights,the springs just keep everything from falling out!! ROY.
     
  22. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Roy,

    Thanks. The retainer ring used to pull on the spring so since it no longer does that it seems that the adjustment screws have to be in a very long way to put any pressure on the spring. I will have to see what it looks like when I adjust the head lights.
     
  23. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Well it’s getting there. I got the rear bumper on during the week and I spent a lot of Saturday stripping the front bumper that was painted and then buffing it (Roy thanks for the bumpers). After finding how much chroming is I have adopted a new saying. “You can’t buy this kind of patina. It takes years in a snow bank to get this kind of finish”. I am Spending a lot of time finding what I have and what I don’ t have. Luckily what I don’t have is mostly nuts and bolts but I need to fab a few brackets. Below are a few pictures.

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  24. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;yes,getting bumpers rechromed can break the bank,those look fine.I think Will painted them when he wasn't sure if he would go with fibergalss!!!Do you have a grill?Do you have the front bumper end braces that go to the fender? ROY.
     
  25. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Roy,

    Yes I have a grill and the end braces for the bumpers. The bumpers you got me came with a lot of that stuff plus I had some things from the 1966 bumpers that came on the car. I still have to go to Hillco to get all the fasteners for the trim so that is holding me up a little.
     
  26. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Worked on the grill. Most of the brackets were gone or made out of tin can sheet metal so I made most of the brackets and attached them to the grill. I then cleaned and painted the grill and buffed all the ribs to get them to be bare metal. Not perfect but looks good at 100 MPH (picture one). I’m still working thru missing, broken or unusable bolts, missing or unusable brackets, cleaning and buffing parts. It’s quite the challenge but I love it. Worked on the wheel well trim and got that buffed and in place (picture 2). I ended up repainting the steering column (picture 3). It was rattle can black and I didn’t like it so out comes all the paint stuff again, mix up a batch, painted and then clean it all up again. I am glad I did it but I hope that is the last time for that.

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  27. cyclonedoug
    Joined: Sep 30, 2011
    Posts: 16

    cyclonedoug
    Member
    from PA

    I love getting the reminders to check back in on this project!!
     
  28. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;WOW,the grill and wheel trim [and all the trim] look GREAT!!!! You are getting closer to DRIVE TIME every day!!!! ROY.
     
  29. 65CometRagTop
    Joined: Jun 17, 2010
    Posts: 284

    65CometRagTop
    Member

    Thanks Roy.

    Last couple of weeks have been busy so I didn’t post last week. I been stripping and polishing trim. It’s good for the hand and arm muscles. With a car project there is no need for a gym membership. First picture is before and after on the side trim. Then I finished up the rear lights, rear trim, fuel tank door and trunk weather stripping (picture 2). Those rear light bucket seals are a pain. I then finished sealing the fuel filler area inside the trunk and installed the cover then put the lights in the light buckets. Next I had to build a tool to get the trunk hinge torsion bars installed. Sure made it easier with the tool and the inside to the trunk is done (picture 3). Last thing last night I got the trunk lid on. Progress it sure feels good.

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  30. 65COMET
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 3,086

    65COMET
    Member

    Jeff;Looking more like a complete Comet every post!!!!!! ROY.
     

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