MA MOPAR BIT ME AGAIN or SO MANY MOPARS, SO LITTLE TIME

[1967 'cuda]

Life (and weather) continue to get in the way of progress on these projects. It's been struggling to get into the 50s this past week. With all the rain I haven't even taken the time to try any more tuning on the Roadrunner.

While I'm seeking shelter inside the house I've been looking into starting up a chrome plating business. I'd sent the 'Lil Red's air cleaner off to Sioux Plating a few weeks back and they estimated a cost of $100 to re-do it. I would love to have a lot more of my own stuff plated but can't justify the expense. If I had the ability to do plating myself I'd have things like shiny driveshafts and master cylinders. I might even become a chrome-aholic and plate K-members and suspension components. There's no doubt a point where it could get tacky, but a little more shine here and there would be nice.

The dilemma I have is still the expense. I've got the opportunity to purchase the equipment but it's not cheap. The only way it makes sense to me is if I decide to get into it seriously and set up a business so that it can make me money rather than cost me.

I called around to a few guys that I know that need plating work done. One friend recently purchased a 1930 Dodge sedan and the other has a mountain of used O.E.M. Mopar parts (such as arm rest bases and dash bezels) that could use re-plating. They'd both be willing to give me a shot if I had the equipment but it wouldn't be enough work to offset my costs. One other idea that occurred to me was to get hooked up with a few of the restoration shops so that I might have a steady flow of work. I can't expect any of them to commit until they're able to see examples of finished work, so the best I can hope for is a not-so-firm maybe.

I'd ordered a few airbrushes online to help with the Duster trunk. One of them showed up today. Years ago when I was doing sign painting I found that it was helpful to have more than one. I used to run a Binks single action and a Paasche dual action. I'll never claim that I was an expert with them but I became comfortable using them for some work that couldn't have been handled with a brush, larger gun, or rattle can. After 20 years I'm not expecting to impress myself on this mural.

 

[1967 'cuda]

Zero progress on the projects still. I've been too busy with working on other things.

For the past few months I've been trying to help a buddy of mine from Seward, Nebraska find a '69 Coronet. When he was young he had a '68 that he'd sold and he was hoping on tracking it back down and buying it back. We followed several leads but they all led to dead ends. During the course of the search we found and looked at a number of others. Some were 68s and some were 69s. There were Coronet 440s, 500s, R/Ts, and Superbees. As the prospect of finding his original car became less and less likely he decided to give up on the search and look for a replacement instead. He realized (after looking at several other cars) that he actually would prefer a '69. So that's what we focused on.

Several years ago he had done a nuts and bolts build on a '55 Chevy and wasn't shy about undertaking a project car but wasn't opposed to purchasing one that was already finished. Because he was willing to travel we did a search all across the country. The biggest obstacle with the cars that were a long distance away was that it is impractical (expensive) to view the cars in person prior to buying them. - And then there is the added expense of transporting them back home.

A '69 R/T had appeared on eBay that he missed out on. It had a 'Buy It Now' price of $7000 on it and was totally disassembled. It was nicely optioned but we were unsure of the condition of the parts that weren't shown. The sheet metal work was completed. Before he put in a bid somebody else snatched it up.

Another friend was helping in the search. Yesterday we went to look at a '69 Coronet 440 that he'd picked up in partial trade for a Dart convertible he sold. After some wheeling and dealing they came to terms and is now officially back as a member of the Ma Mopar club. The coronet 440s don't have the status of an R/T or a Superbee, or even a 500. They don't command the highest prices when completed either. So it won't be going back to original. He'll pick the options that he wants to have exactly the car that he'd ideally want. Most likely it'll get painted B5 Blue with a white tail stripe, twin hood scoops, get a black interior, and a built 440.

 

[1967 'cuda]

- Time for another 'no progress' progress report. This is one of the longest progress droughts that my cars have had to endure. I still wade out through the mess in the garage to get to my computer. Apparently I'm still loved. The mosquitoes survived being drowned or frozen and greeted me when I came in and sat down.

I guess I'm going into the plating business. Today I bought the equipment and I'm getting ready to order the chemicals. - Bright shiny chrome and gold as far as the eye can see. Maybe I should get one of those big gaudy chain necklaces to wear and gold plate my front teeth. Suddenly I have the desire to build a low rider. - Tru-spokes and whitewalls. Maybe a '64 Impala with hydraulics..... OK, enough of the nightmare I had last night. - But I did actually buy the plating equipment.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I talked to the guy that I'm buying it from tonight and he's planning on going over all the details with me when I pick it up. The system is self contained so that there won't be anything running into the sewer system. It's designed to catch all of the runoff for later disposal. I'll have to find out the proper way to dispose any residue. If I start out only plating my own stuff it's unlikely I'll be scrutinized at first but I want to make sure I've got all my ducks in a row by the time I get everything up and running.

I hadn't revealed all of the details of this plating setup. This isn't one of the conventional electroplating systems that most people are familiar with. Originally I had been considering going that route but changed course when I'd seen a video on Jay Leno's Garage hyping a 'spray-on chrome plating.

It sounded like a joke to me at first because I've wasted money before on aerosol chrome that was nothing more than shiny silver paint. But the video showed true chrome results. Since then I found that a lot of (if not all) European platers were changing over to similar systems because of environmental regulations. I researched several different companies that were selling systems and found that many had trouble with adhesion or yellowing, or finish. Naturally they all toted why each of their systems was the best. But after further research I found that most were pretty crappy. I'd remained skeptical until I looked into Spectra-Chrome. That's what the system is that I've bought. It uses a true layer of real silver sandwiched between 2 other chemical layers. This short video shows a wheel being done with it. There are some really amazing videos of it out there especially on their own website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gkHb6Lv5Y6Y


It's capable of plating over plastics and it's impossible to peel it off. The adhesion is so good and it's so flexible that you could actually coat leather with it. Done properly, the finish is flawless if the prep work was right. The value of the equipment I bought is around $20,000. I saved a bunch by buying this system used. The chemicals I still need will run me about $2000 more yet. It's not some cheap fly by night system and I really debated whether or not to invest in this. I managed to talk to a few guys with this setup and they claim that it's every bit as good as advertized. If everything works the way I hope it'll still take a long time to recoup what I've spent.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I searched for threads about Spectra-chrome on FABO and found a number of them where others were interested in finding out more info. There were a few comments I found that were negative. I'm hoping that the naysayers are wrong. - I'd hate to find out that my piggy bank died a horrible death for an unworthy cause. Time will tell.

One of the complaints I read was that it won't stand up to abuse. That was one of my biggest concerns when I was doing my research. I'd read complaints about several of the other 'spray chrome' systems peeling off. I watched a bunch of youtube videos showing those problems. It made me want to give up on getting into anything other than true electroplating.

I called up Spectra Chrome and talked with them. I may be a dummy but even I realize that it's not wise to take the word of a salesman. They assured me that if I used their system correctly I wouldn't have those problems. I wasn't convinced until I talked to 2 people that use Spectra Chrome's system. They each cautioned me about potential issues. They were firm believers in the system but each told me that the learning curve was pretty steep. Both guys had bought their setups with the intention of only using it on personal projects. - And both told me that their first attempts at using it didn't turn out well. But they both said that eventually they were turning out flawless work that you couldn't distinguish from traditional plating. - And both evolved their systems into viable businesses.

I'd researched more and found Sprint cars owned by the likes of Tony Stewart, monster trucks like the Gravedigger, and several Formula 1 cars were using Spectra Chrome. These aren't the type of people that are trying to cut corners with cheapo finishes.

I know that I've heard the proof is in the pudding. I don't know where the hell that saying came from but I understand that until I can actually produce a finished piece that holds up, even I will remain a skeptic.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I picked up the Spectra-Chrome system this afternoon. There are not enough chemicals with it to do any plating so I had some ordered by the gentleman that I bought the system from. I want to do some experimenting with it before I order a full chemical kit (around $1600) from Spectra-Chrome. They will not sell the individual chemicals to anyone that has not purchased one of their systems or at least a full chemical kit. I know that I will eventually need to order the full kit from them but do not want to until I'm practiced up. There is a one year shelf life to them.





The guy in the pictures is who I bought it from. I was a bit disappointed when I walked into his garage. I'd expected to be blinded by chrome everywhere. He did show me some examples of things he had done though.



The small roll around chair is part of an electroplating system that was included. I will be able to plate nickel, copper, and gold. While I was there we copper plated a nickel.





I did ask him about the disposal of chemical residues and he said that he had been collecting it for the past 3 years in a 55 gallon drum that he kept outside. Due to evaporation there was less than 15 gallons in it. He said the EPA would definitely frown on dumping it and that I should find someone licensed to dispose of what I accumulate. The stainless steel pressurized canisters beneath the table contain the mixed chemicals to be sprayed. The large white plastic containers are for the waste.

Not pictured is the water purification system and deionizer. He included them with the sale.

He had explanations for each of the problems that I've heard associated with this Spectra-Chrome. And he emphasized that the system is easy to use but the prep is 95% of the work. All of the sanding, smoothing and refinishing before the spray on chrome is applied is what's necessary for professional results.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I spent some time working on the design for the trunk mural today. I cut 4 sheets of red 'rosin' paper to match the size of the Duster's trunk lid. Then I played around some more with the sizes of the images I wanted on it. Lastly, I decided to add the old RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM logo.





It's time consuming but I need to turn the pattern I just made into a series of templates for the air brush. I'm hoping that by making 4 copies of this I can then cut out the portions that I'll be spraying. Different ones will have different sections cut out. By reproducing the entire image I'll be able to align all 4 templates. Keep in mind that it's been a lot of years since I've done this sort of work so the finished design may have a lot of flaws.

 

[1967 'cuda]

When I was young I believed that everyone that worked with air brush painting murals did them freehand. Now I know that some did but most did a combination of freehand and templates. Obviously scallops and lace require the use of a template or screen. I would guess that the best true artists didn't rely on templates as much (if at all). My two favorite artists were Frazetta and Vallejo. I'm no artist. I try to do the best I can with very limited skills.





The way that I'm doing this work I need to cut out the pattern that I made without damaging the surrounding paper. Then I will apply a very light tacky adhesive to the back of the paper and position it where I want to paint it. In these pictures you can see that I layed some sheet Styrofoam behind the design and began cutting out the lettering with a razor knife.







I've got 3 air brushes here now. - A very cheap single action Badger siphon feed, a MAC dual action gravity feed, and a Paasche dual action siphon feed. Most likely I'll be using 1 Shot lettering enamel.

Most of the work I used to do was by pencil sketching directly on the surfaces I was painting and then free-handing over the drawings. I had some decent results and a handful of the vehicles I did won paint awards. But they all seemed amatueristic to me when compared with the pros.

 

[1967 'cuda]

It was errand day today. I finally got all of the plating equipment unloaded from my truck and trailer. It will probably be a few weeks before I get everything set up and am ready to make my first attempt on a part.

I helped my buddy haul the '69 Coronet back to his home in Seward, Nebraska. We spent quite a while gathering up parts to go with it from various locations. Rather than a simple as is purchase, he was able to get a bunch of other parts included with the purchase. A good large pinion 3.23 posi section, an uncracked original steering wheel, a pair of factory sport mirrors, factory twin hood scoops, a center console, bucket seats, a new replacement right rear quarter panel, and other odds and ends.

 

[1967 'cuda]

Tomorrow is the big car show in West Point, Nebraska. I've been too busy to get any of my cars ready for it. According to the advertizing on the posters, Richard Rawlings of Fast & Loud is supposed to be there.



I'm hoping that they'll have one of the Gas Monkey Garage vehicles on display. I'd like to get a close up look at how well one of theirs is put together and detailed. Everybody makes jokes about them and I find it hard to believe that those guys we see on the show are really turning out quality work worthy of the prices they claim to sell them for.

I wish I was taking one of my cars, - probably the 'Cuda. Despite all the jokes, I'd love to have a picture of him standing next to my car to hang on the garage wall. LOL.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I decided to pull the trigger and bought a TCI stall converter from SBeeMan. The stall speed is rated at 3500-3800. I should start to see some more daylight under the front tires soon. According to the torque curve the 408 produces it should be about right. I hem-hawed back and forth about making the deal because I'd wanted to do more research on converters before deciding. With a big swap meet coming up in Fremont, Nebraska next weekend there was a chance I'd find a better deal. But when he agreed to drop the price I cringed and sent payment.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I survived another car show without taking home a trophy. - Of course, I cheated this time by not entering any of my cars. I never caught even a glimpse of Richard Rawlings. I don't know whether or not he showed up but I did see the 'secretary' from the show there. As far as any of the Gas Monkey cars... - well if any of them were there I was unaware of it. They did have that semi truck that they used in their Smokey and the Bandit episodes though.

 

[1967 'cuda]

More pics.

 

[1967 'cuda]

Still more.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I think that I've come to the conclusion that trophy winning show cars and true daily drivers are 2 different animals. I still enjoy going to the shows to see all of the cars and to shoot the breeze with other car guys but daily driving takes it's toll on a car. I've gotten a few gravel chips, there's burnt rubber from the slicks stuck to my rear quarters, bugs in my radiator, etc.

I think that I'm going to be more selective about which shows to enter my cars in from now on. I think I'll avoid the really big shows. There are too many 'built for show only' cars. - And there are so many of those aren't built by the owners. It's not as much fun talking with guys that have manicures. I need to see some grease under those fingernails. The car clubs that put on the local shows are predominantly filled with die hard bowtie members. It really gotten under my skin when I've seen them blatantly ignore 99% of the non-GM cars. (you know they do when the judges don't spend 1/10th the time inspecting the Mopars)

I really enjoyed the show I went to in St. Paul, Nebraska last year. I didn't win (of course) but I felt that the judges made decent choices on which cars did. There seemed to be more cars there that were owner built and driven. The street drags they put on afterwards were fun and were possibly what had drawn in more of the daily drivers. I plan on re-attending this show.

I also liked the High Optic Mopar show in Omaha. It sounds strange but I might have liked it more if there weren't so many Mopars there. I would normally have spent a lot of time checking out each of those cars at any other show. But they seem less special in a sea of hundreds of others. It was almost like looking at Camaros and Chevelles at the other car shows. Still, I'm planning on returning to this show.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I finally started shooting some paint on the trunk lid. I can tell that I'm not nearly as steady as I was 3 decades ago. Air brushing is always a layering process. Often it's not until all the various layers and details are added that you can really decide whether or not you like your designs. So far it's not exactly impressive. Doing stripes and outlines without a decent pinstripe brush is near impossible. A good clear coat over everything will often add depth and even up the finish enough to help flaws disappear. By the time the rest of the details are added I'm hoping it looks better. If not, - well it's just the drag car and I can always strip the deck lid and start over.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I still need to add some fine black lines between the white and the lettering. I may add in some shadowing yet.

1-Shot Sign Painters enamel never was cheap. I checked the prices on it the other day and about crapped my pants. It's 3 times higher now than when I used to buy it years ago. I read that the new cans aren't as good as the old ones they used to sell. They say that the color holdout doesn't last as well and that it doesn't flow out or self level as well either. I guess they changed the formula because of lead content or something. These cans are all 30+ years old inventory left over from when I used to do sign painting. With the exception of a few cans, - they're still good.

I'd read that they wouldn't have had to change from their old formula because the art application was exempt from regulations, but someone making decisions within the company did anyway.

I was having trouble with the edges of my template lifting when the air hit it so I weighted it down with several cans. I couldn't find an adhesive that would temporarily hold the paper in place. The spray adhesives were too strong and didn't allow me to reposition things. After doing the lettering I came across some glue sticks that are intended for children's school work. I am trying them on the edges of the cartoon image templates.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I'm still playing with the airbrush. I still need more detail and have to clean up a few lines. I love the chicken! The picture of the car will be a bigger challenge.

 

[1967 'cuda]

I'm still unsure if I'll put a background behind the image. - Maybe some corn stalks and a barn in the distance...

 

[1967 'cuda]

The TCI stall converter from SBeeMan arrived today. I wish I had a transmission jack. I'd like to get it put in later this week. THANKS SBEEMAN!! If it works as well with the 408 that I think it will, - I'll be in 7th heaven! (or at least pointed towards it when I leave the line)