Palmer Moe-par 68
Well-Known Member
The Greenwood Car Show is arguably the biggest car show in the Pacific North West, with a count of over 800 fine classic cars. I have gone almost every year since I can remember, and have always dreamed of showing off a worthy ride there. This year, I finally got the chance.
With two weeks before the show, I had to get the car rolling and looking good, so that it would be presentable for the show. First that meant pulling it out of the winter cocoon...
First step is to fully seal the body in paint. This is Seattle, so I didn't want to take a chance with getting the car wet, especially since the forecast called for rain on the show date.
My expert painter(and father) put a pretty coat of a custom Plum Crazy Purple mix and it was left to dry for a week before sanding and putting on a second coat and seam sealing the floor. I used a household sealant that is effectively the same as factory, but much cheaper than 3M or an equivalent automotive product. Next step was to get the body on wheels and off the leveling jig. I ordered all new steering linkage, 24:1 factory manual steering box, bushings, gas-a-just shocks front and rear, MBM full manual disk brake conversion kit, and re manufactured A-arms. In addition, I rebuilt the leaf springs, lower control arms, k-frame, axle shafts, axle housing. All was installed a few days before the show, with paint still drying. I painted up the engine in a close to factory turquoise as well as the transmission in silver, just so it looks good, and added some of the shiny bells and whistles to it.
When I went to put the original 14" steelies on I forgot they wouldn't fit the disk brakes, so with three days before the show, I had to find a set of wheels and tires for under a $100, can anyone guess what they are?
The next step was to put on the bolt on panels, and make them presentable. Then, at 3:00AM it was finally on the trailer ready to be towed to the show.
My dad didn't want to take the chance of unloading the car without a winch or brakes, so my car was the only one on a trailer. It actually worked out well since people could look at the underside really easily. It was called a mad max car multiple times that day and it was one of the most popular cars at the show. There was a steady crowd around it the whole day. People would walk up to it, take a look walk a little further, then turn around and go check it out because they would be confused or intrigued by it. Little kids could climb up into it and play with the steering wheel, and they thought the fan on the front was a propeller and that it was what drove the car. Surprisingly a little girl even said Oh la la when she say it. 3 people asked if it was for sale, and I had to answer with a prompt no and never. I heard lots of great stories and met lots of cool people, and at the end of the day, it turned out to be a great day, and I'm not just talking about the weather. Everyone at the show wanted to see it there next year, and maybe even see it drive into the show. The family who runs the show was very impressed and excited to see a young man (17) such as myself doing something of this caliber. I was given an award for best work in progress, one of about 35 awards given at the show. I was not expecting to, and will have to do it again next year.
There is still a ways to go, but now since the show is over, I need to finish the body work and get it all purple. And so it continues...
-Mr. Moe-par
1968 Roadrunner, 1968 Coronet, 1968 Coronet, 1969 Dart
With two weeks before the show, I had to get the car rolling and looking good, so that it would be presentable for the show. First that meant pulling it out of the winter cocoon...
First step is to fully seal the body in paint. This is Seattle, so I didn't want to take a chance with getting the car wet, especially since the forecast called for rain on the show date.
My expert painter(and father) put a pretty coat of a custom Plum Crazy Purple mix and it was left to dry for a week before sanding and putting on a second coat and seam sealing the floor. I used a household sealant that is effectively the same as factory, but much cheaper than 3M or an equivalent automotive product. Next step was to get the body on wheels and off the leveling jig. I ordered all new steering linkage, 24:1 factory manual steering box, bushings, gas-a-just shocks front and rear, MBM full manual disk brake conversion kit, and re manufactured A-arms. In addition, I rebuilt the leaf springs, lower control arms, k-frame, axle shafts, axle housing. All was installed a few days before the show, with paint still drying. I painted up the engine in a close to factory turquoise as well as the transmission in silver, just so it looks good, and added some of the shiny bells and whistles to it.
When I went to put the original 14" steelies on I forgot they wouldn't fit the disk brakes, so with three days before the show, I had to find a set of wheels and tires for under a $100, can anyone guess what they are?
The next step was to put on the bolt on panels, and make them presentable. Then, at 3:00AM it was finally on the trailer ready to be towed to the show.
My dad didn't want to take the chance of unloading the car without a winch or brakes, so my car was the only one on a trailer. It actually worked out well since people could look at the underside really easily. It was called a mad max car multiple times that day and it was one of the most popular cars at the show. There was a steady crowd around it the whole day. People would walk up to it, take a look walk a little further, then turn around and go check it out because they would be confused or intrigued by it. Little kids could climb up into it and play with the steering wheel, and they thought the fan on the front was a propeller and that it was what drove the car. Surprisingly a little girl even said Oh la la when she say it. 3 people asked if it was for sale, and I had to answer with a prompt no and never. I heard lots of great stories and met lots of cool people, and at the end of the day, it turned out to be a great day, and I'm not just talking about the weather. Everyone at the show wanted to see it there next year, and maybe even see it drive into the show. The family who runs the show was very impressed and excited to see a young man (17) such as myself doing something of this caliber. I was given an award for best work in progress, one of about 35 awards given at the show. I was not expecting to, and will have to do it again next year.
There is still a ways to go, but now since the show is over, I need to finish the body work and get it all purple. And so it continues...
-Mr. Moe-par
1968 Roadrunner, 1968 Coronet, 1968 Coronet, 1969 Dart
