Mike_B

Very exciting! I've got 4 sets of tail lights... Let me check to see if any are up to the task.

Where in Chicago are you located? I may want to take a look at these in person.

I picked up some silicon bronze .030 mig wire for non-structural patching. This is essentially brazing vs. welding but that’s fine for non-structural stuff and doesn’t warp the panels because the heat is much lower. I filled in a couple hole on the front fender from the old hood latches and it worked great. Easy fill, easy grind and no warping.

Something is getting loaded onto a truck... Can’t wait!

Snow day here today so I took some time to spot weld on the rear panel. Fitment is spot on and the new spot welder worked like a champ Squeeze the handle, flip the switch and count to 2.... spot weld! Now repeat.

I was really happy with the color match, very close to original. There is no white at all that is just light reflection. However, the original oxblood vinyl on the door panels and seats has a smoother appearance... I will reach back to the company to see if they have anything with less texture.

I got a sample from J&J Auto Fabrics. The material isn’t as smooth as the original. Way more texture... I’ll take a picture of it next to my door cards.

See “flasher unit” - 36

I may have a spare, I’ll check this weekend. Another option is to have Kooglewerks sew you up a leather one...

I’m in the same boat... I know that Rey had found some oxblood material for his black car, but I don’t remember the source.

I drilled out the spot welds for the remainder of the bumper brackets to expose the rust. A small patch was required and I test fit the rear panel. It was clamped into place and welded. I figured I would also test fit the rear panel. It fit nicely with body lines lining up as they should. It doesn’t look like the panel will require much finessing to get it to fit properly.

The rear panel is off... It was just beyond my skill set to repair, so it will get replaced with a factory replacement piece. The panel was leaded in around the tail light panel, so that needed to be melted away and there were about 10,000 spot welds that needed to be drilled out. I’m glad I pulled it though... There was rust hiding under the brackets used to support the rear bumper. That portion of the trunk floor will need to be patched.

3 1/2 years later and twice selling and backing out due to sellers remorse, an update! I’ve finally had some time to dive in again and start working on the ‘64 1800Ti. Finished up the sheet metal repairs on the interior and moved to exterior. There is still a long path ahead... The rear panel will need to be replaced. It is too bent up for me to make straight and I have a factory spare. The front door bottoms will also need patching. At least I know where all the problems are and nothing is hidden by paint anymore.

The early long-body 4-spd transmissions are 27" from the face of the bell-housing to the integrated shifter center where it comes through the transmission tunnel (no platform on the early long-body 4-speeds). How does this compare to the 5-spd setup?