Hey Chevykev.
I have just joined the forum to get tips on restoring my American car, so this is my first post. She's a 1960 Plymouth Belvedere, I've had her about a month and it's the most fun car I have ever driven!!
Nice motors I run an 89 blazer & the wife drives a 91 Pontiac firebird. see www.americanautoclubuk-derbyshire.moonfruit.com
We're area reps for the AAC UK. Had americans for about 20 yrs, have had mustangs, 76 cherokee, Dodge crewcab 4x4. always made my own bits for trucks, lightbars,steps etc.
I was looking at a Belvedere station wagon that was for sale in last months Custom Car with interest. I'm toying with changing the pickup as I now have two kids and we don't all fit in it. Lets see some pics.
I'm into yanks. Have owned 65 Cuda 318, 73 Cuda 360, 79 T/A 400, 73 SD455 bullnose, 79 D100 with a tuned 400 wedge (probably the fastest one), 36 Chrysler, model TT, Model A, currently have a T sedan. I'm in uni just now but will have a rake for pics to post.
Cheers
Gareth
My apologies for the delay, I was not aware this link was still active till a week ago or so!
This is my Plymouth, photo taken about 12-14 years ago (I have owned her about 6 months now), just after the last restoration. She isn't quite so pristine now, but runs beautifully and her structure is sound as a pound (dollar?). With some hard work and patience I hope to get her gleaming again.
Hope this post has worked . . .
Hi Chevykev,
The original intention was to have her ready for some shows this year, but I doubt that she will be. Currently my main aim is to have her bodywork done my August, I have a wedding booking then. I am a student and alas do not have as much time to work on her as I would like, so the main thrust is going to have to wait till June, at which point metal, sparks, solder, paint and coffee will hopfully be flowing freely! The tasks need doing are:
New gutters on roof.
Lots of little spots of rust in various locations.
The rear window needs removing and the window bay needs a clean up and probably a fair bit of metal welded in (if the rust stains on the headlining are anything to go by).
Some replacement steel on the trunk lid.
Four new doorskins need to be made (the BIG one! NOS/Repro skins are not available for this car)
Fin bumpers, wing mirrors, fin trim and various other bits need rechroming (alas, the only job that I feel I can't at least attempt myself! I am not so worried about the chromework, I have a few spare fin bumpers in better nick but the chrome really doesn't bother me too much compared with what it would cost to do)
A new 'Plymouth' Badge
And I am pretty sure that somthing needs new steel behind the dash, though I am not sure what . . .
And a Respray, which (because I am stubborn, stupid and ignorant) I am going to attempt myself. My thinking on alot of these jobs is that if I screw it up, I need to get it done professionally anyway, so I might as well attempt it myself. Anyway, I like a challenge
All of this is merely what I can see. As most people on here know, that's often just the tip of the iceberg. One advantage with the old girl is when I went to look at her, it was reasonably easy to see the 'insides' of her panels through the wheel arches, trunk etc, and her structure underneath seems solid (she's a monocoque, so I am not so sure about the roof members, but I am pretty sure if there was severe rust it would show up on the headlining).
If her bodywork gets done this year, a complete mechanical overhaul will be in store for next year. Mechanically she is superb, but there is no harm in a strip down and clean (parts for these engines are ludicrously cheap, millions of them were built), and it will give me the opportunity to get to know her innards a bit better. Those MoPar Slant Six 225s are tough lumps anyway!
So now I eagerly await summer and some free time to get tin bashing!!
I'm struggling to find the time to work on mine, I've got a big stash of parts to fit, new interior, nice chrome moon 1/4 sweep tach, Edelbrock performer eps manifold, hei dizzy to replace the mallory twin point and a nice set of period mickey thompson ally valve covers. I need to fab a decent rad shroud with twin fans and a proper thermostatic controller to replace the bodged on small electric one on there currently, the wooden bed floor needs stripping and varnishing and the engine ideally needs pulling and painting, plus the wheels need polishing and on and on and on.........