Upgrades and repairs for the Aquamist car

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by CJay, Jul 6, 2019.

  1. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    So a few weeks ago I was at a car show and a passing thunderstorm hit. The rear window in the car leaks bad! The water was coming in like a freaking faucet. I had a few microfiber rags and kept the deluge at bay. The rear window always leaked but that day was the final straw for me!
    I went home and ripped the window out. The channel was remarkably clean. There was one small rot hole the size of a quarter in one corner which I ground and filled with some Dura glass. Painted the metal piece just under the glass that the corner "eggshells" screw to. And yesterday, my friend Eric the glass guy showed up and glued the back glass in. Just waiting on clips from CARS and I can put the polished moldings back on and finish the job.

    I had a dead shock in the front, so I bought a set of AC Delco gas shocks from Rock auto and painted them GM shock gray. I even bought a set of FW and FX code decals. Put them in today using Steve Caruso's repro lower mounts. Man do they look good! And with the rear wheels off, I scrubbed the back of the rims and the inside sidewall.

    The original upper radiator hose has looked like it was about to give birth for the past few years. So about a year and a half ago I bought an NOS upper hose from Dave Johnson under the condition that I put it on my car and not hoard it. LOL! So while I was on a roll, I ran in the basement and slammed the new hose in along with one of Dave's stamped breather hoses. Looks awesome!

    After I got it back together, I tweaked the timing on the car, swapped out the advance springs for a little quicker curve, adjusted the secondary air flap spring, and took it for a test beating. Nice...big difference.

    Polished out the rear bumper. Even took out the tail lights and plate bracket to polish all the areas you cant get to. Polished the paint behind the rear wheels too and got all the black marks and other junk the rear wheels kicked up on the quarters.

    And...last but not least, I finally got rid of the red paint on the rear drums!! Once upon a time, the car sported Cragar S/S's and red painted drums. All these years later, the red paint was still visible on the drums. Took the drums off, scrubbed them and painted them in Rustoleum satin black.
     
  2. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    "I went home and ripped the window out"

    That's some grown man strength.
    Put up some pictures when u can
     
    johnnybuickgs likes this.
  3. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Actually didn't take much effort to take the window out. The glass had never been out and the seal was pretty dried out.
     
    johnnybuickgs likes this.
  4. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    What did you use to make it loose and break free?
     
    johnnybuickgs likes this.
  5. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    Sorry I was confused I thought it was the back windshield
     
  6. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    This-

    [​IMG]
     
  7. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    It was. Rear glass
     
    Donuts & Peelouts likes this.
  8. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    Wahwhawha wait wait wait. What's that called.
     
  9. Donuts & Peelouts

    Donuts & Peelouts Life's 2 Short. Live like it.

    When I saw that tool I figured it was some type of glass that is glued in place and not the other.
     
  10. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    Duraglassing rust holes? What's next? Fiberglassing the floor?
    :eek::D
     
  11. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Not much else I could do with it.
     
  12. Dr. Roger

    Dr. Roger Stock enthusiast

    I'm also guilty of duraglassing pin holes around the back glass. Take it to bare metal, slap it with fiberglass, then cover it with epoxy primer. As long as I can't stick my finger in the hole, fiberglass is fine. Just ask all those Corvette owners.
     
  13. drspencer

    drspencer Well-Known Member

    What's the best way to polish my chrome bumper that has a 1" diameter spot where it shows rust?
    Thanks
     
  14. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    0000 steel wool and some metal polish should do the trick. Obviously, if the bumper shows rust, that means the chrome plating is compromised in that area. So it will probably start to rust again. With my car, the bumpers just get dirty and dingy looking
     
  15. copperheadgs1

    copperheadgs1 copperheadgs1

    Jason glad that hose made it in your car finally!
     
  16. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    So did the wheel! It's my new spare
     
  17. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    New day, more projects....

    Took the car out again and filled it up with 10 gallons of Cam 2. Finally burned up the last remnants of that winter blend fuel. I know...it's already July!

    The car had developed a little valve train noise in it over the past couple years. Just the tell take worn aluminum rocker noises, so today I did a little digging into it and removed the driver's side rocker assembly for inspection. It's got 69 and earlier rocker assys with 70 and up hollow pushrods. The pads on the rockers have some wear to them. Valves look good as do the pushrods. Wanted to make 100% sure it hadn't been converted to solid pushrods for whatever reason

    My plan is to upgrade to the TA stamped steel rocker assys and throw in a set of new pushrods in it. Hopefully I can order them tomorrow and have everything here by next weekend.
     
    Brett Slater, 1972Mach1 and sriley531 like this.
  18. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I may be in the same boat in terms of noisy lifter/valve train. My TA front cover still supplies great oil pressure but a set of those rocker arms, etc., might not be a bad idea.

    Nice to see you giving the Aquamist car some attention.
     
  19. Steve73GS

    Steve73GS 73 GEE YES

    Jason,
    I live pretty close to you and saw you said you put cam 2 in your car. Can I ask where you got it? I've been looking around and am having trouble finding places that sell it. Tks.

    Steve
     
  20. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Hey Steve! I went to the Conoco station in Lake Grove on Middle Country Rd right by the mall. $9.49/Just east of Moriches Rd
     

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