The Headliner Is In

The upholstery work continues with the headliner. While not completely finished, these pictures give you an idea of the finished product. Momentum is building toward the completion of this 47 year project!

Thus begins work on the inside...

Exterior: 95% Complete. Time to "reflect" on the interior...

After decades of work and searching, the car pretty well looks like it is supposed to on the outside.  Hubcaps to come as well as the handcrafted side-mount covers for the spare tires.

 The same car...47 years ago!

A special thank you to David Daniels for the wedges to align the tail lights.

 

"The Dark Mistress"

Pardon the pun on "reflecting".  The insulation is now installed and it is time to make the car as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  Stay tuned for pictures of the interior magic crafted by the lovely and talented Sue Ryan...

October 2011 Update: We are wired and windowed

This is the first time the car has had working headlights (and really any working electric parts) since I've owned it.  It took a few days to get everything working right but we got it.  If you note the reflection of the windshield, you'll notice that the windows are in too!

I got a new wiring harness.  We wired the dash before installation.

Wiring turned out to be quite the project.  Next time we wire a car, we'll make sure to run the wires before installing the stancions.  Note the dim light in the picture below.  The car was designed to have metal to metal grounding from the reflector, to the headlight housing, to the stancion, to the body, to the frame.  In short: not ideal.

Solving the pesky grounding problem proved to be aggravating.  We finally settled on running a separate ground from the headlight housing to the frame.

The only electric left to finish are the tail lights which will be a quick installation once we receive the rubber mounts.  It won't be long until we get started on the interior.  Stay tuned!

June 2011 Update - We Have Cleared the Tower...I Mean Driveway

After a frustrating 45 year wait, the car now moves under its own power. With much excitement and anticipation, we drove it down the driveway and around the block and everything seems to be working okay. With minor adjustments, the car will run smoother and better. Now the focus will be on the interior to include the upholstery and electrical.

April 2011 Update - Front Fenders

Well, the engine is running but the radiator is out so I can't let you hear its beautiful "music."  Stay tuned...

I have permenantly attached the front fenders and placed the grille on just to get that sneak preview!

Enjoy!

March 2011 Update: Engine in and progress stalled...

We got the engine dropped in yesterday however, a faulty fuel pump has "stalled" our progress as you can see in the video.

July 2010 Update - White Walls

June 2010 Update - The less-magnificent becomes a bit more

The "shiny parts" are now starting to make their way on to the car!

"To chrome or not to chrome?"  That was the question.

Due to the very high moisture content where I live, powder coating was the answer we went with.

Once again, thank you to my Norwegian friend, Tor, for the hinges and latches!!!!

This trunk has never worked since I've had the car until now!!

The grille came out pretty good too...

And so did the hood ornament!

In other news, the engine crank has just been reworked and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  She might be coming back to life in the very near future so stay tuned!

April 2010 Update - Attached Fenders

April 2010 Update - Finished Roof and Attached Trunk

For the first time in 45 years, my car actually has an enclosed top!  All work was done by the lovely and talented Sue Ryan of Ryan's Upholstery (www.ryansupholstery.com) who also has the fortune of being married to yours truly!  You will also notice the fabric welt around the trunk edge that she did as well.

April 2010 Video plus pictures

Here's what she looks like out in the sun, trees in the back, etc...

For the first time since I've owned her, she has a roof...or at least part of one.

The inside view

  Some of the minor details are starting to get finished...

March 2010 Update: Body in paint!

It's finally back!  A 45 year wait for color is now over!  Enjoy...

March 2010 Update - Sneak Preview and then some...

We went to visit the car today to see how its coming along. As you can see, we getting near the finish. The entire body could be finished by the end of the month.

In other news, we have disassembled the engine in preparation for its rework and reinstallation.



We also got the rear fenders back this week. Keep checking back!