Long Overdue Progress! Doors Finished 3/17/26

[BBShark]

Pretty much finished with this. No more nasty wiper well gash.

BEFORE



AFTER

 

[phantomjock]

Very NICE! Is that money on the dash to reference the "scale?"

Looking forward to the completed pictures.

Cheers - Jim

 

[rtj]

Nice, really cleans things up.

 

[BBShark]

Very NICE! Is that money on the dash to reference the "scale?"

I found that dollar under the seat in 2003 and a New Jersey Turnpike token under the carpet. I am going to put them back when I install the carpet. Not sure why because I don't expect someone will find it when they do a restoration in 25 years. The way things are going, I expect this car will be seized and crushed before then.

 

[SRountree]

Very nice work

 

[BBShark]

June 2020

Not so much visible progress this month.

In preparation of startup, I was able to finish plumbing the radiator/overflow/heater core and fill with coolant. No leaks! All wiring is in. Nothing on the interior except for buying carpet. Wiper well cover and windshield extensions done.

The hydraulic clutch is really kicking my ass. I installed the bracket and cylinder only to find that it interferes with the brake booster, so will have to modify that.

Next on the list is some welding of bumper supports and install braces. Install clutch, brake booster and throttle cable. Also finish parking brake. Start installation of carpet and mock up console.

June 2020

 

[MYBAD79]

Nice work.... now that you have this part fitting good, why not buy a gallon of mold foam and make a mold to replicate this ? Guess you can make the mold for under $100 and making a piece from fiberglass resin and mat would probably be $25 .... I would think these would sell for $150 a pop.... easily....

I just made C6 widebody conversion inner fender extensions, made one extra pair and then removed the form/mold from my stock inner fenders... installed my set ... then sold the second set I made for $200 within two days of posting it.... kicking my ass form not making a foam mold.... :smash:

 

[BBShark]

This wouldn't work on a 73-up long hood car because of the way the hood is made. I am making my own hood so I don't have that problem. Also the perforated metal screens are draw formed and my tooling to make them is temporary (and it lasted for only 2 parts).

 

[bobs77vet]

Thanks for the explanation, I can see where the diode would be helpful for high amp circuits that cycle a lot. are those C5 seats that you are going to use?

 

[BBShark]

Yes, I'm going to use C5 Sport Seats. Found 2 in great condition about 10 years ago.

Not much visible progress this month. I started putting the front braces and extensions on and found that they ultimately attach the the bumper and the bumper doesn't fit the car at all due to previous body work. So I will need to do some rework to the front end.

The clutch cylinder is still not done. This thing is the project will no ending! I need to do this before I put the booster in. So, it is pretty much holding up everything needed to make it a driveable car.

 

[bobs77vet]

those seats will be nice, i think we like projects that never end....

 

[BBShark]

I Have A Clutch!

Today, with the assistance of my wife, I finally bled my clutch. I did this by the book. Bench bleeding, install and bleed. The clutch cylinder has been kicking my ass for months.

However, I did have a oh **** moment. After we were done, I sat in the car and put it in gear (wheels up in the air). Then I tried to turn the tire (that I could reach with the door open). I was expecting the tire to be locked in gear without the clutch. Wheel rotated freely. Pushed the clutch, same thing. I was pissed. I had visions of the car on the back of a tow truck going to the transmission shop.

Then it hit me. Dooh!:banghead:

 

[bobs77vet]

so were the brakes on and it didnt rotate? or did it rotate because of the limited slip diff....

thats the best I got.

on my MGA the clutch disc hole for the spline shaft was not concentric and as the disc would turn it would wedge itself into the clutch plate.....that took me a while to figure out.

 

[BBShark]

Yes. The tire rotated. I was expecting rotation of the wheel would rotate the driveshaft. I guess I'm a little too quick to panic.

 

[bobs77vet]

yes, that will screw with you

 

[BBShark]

So after months of screwing around with the hydraulic clutch conversion, I finally have a clutch, brakes and throttle! So now I'm free to get this thing tuned. Oh yeah, I think I'm done laying upside down with my head stuffed into the footwell :clap:

Throttle:



Brakes:

 

[rtj]

:thumbs:

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

:thumbs:

 

[BBShark]

Yesterday I set up the engine parameters for the fuel injection and started the car. It ran with a 1100 idle speed and the temperature climbed to 210 pretty quickly. I shut it down at that point so I was not able to make any adjustments. On the positive side, the radiator fans work, the charging system works and there were no fluid leaks. :drink:

It's been a little more than a year since I assembled the body to the chassis and I was hoping to have it driveable within a year but I think I'm close!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

very cool! I had similar plans with my c3 but then I went to SEMA :sos:

 

[BBShark]

Made some brackets for the C5 seats.

 

[bobs77vet]

those are nice, I have been thinking about how I can make my C5 seat in my C5 passenger side go up several inches (convertible) so the Mrs can get in and out of it more easily (knee replacement) . right now I have to straddle the side walk and street so the gutter is several inches lower to make it easier to get in.

 

[BBShark]

I took the electric seat mechanism off of mine because they were too high for the C3. I was planning on using the C3 tracks but even those were too high. I'm thinking that raising them up in a C5 should be doable.

 

[bobs77vet]

I took the electric seat mechanism off of mine because they were too high for the C3. I was planning on using the C3 tracks but even those were too high. I'm thinking that raising them up in a C5 should be doable.

i wonder where i source the parts from, perhaps a handicap accessible products vendor?

 

[BBShark]

ACC Carpet Installation FAIL

I installed carpet in the rear compartment area of my 68 convertible. I spent a week cutting and fitting the area over the rear wheel wells. The ACC carpet I bought is supposed to be "molded" to the shape of the wheel well and area clears the frame. Pretty complex surface development. The pieces they supplied are not even close to fitting the contours. And they have no "give" to allow them to form to the contours.

This turned out so poorly that I am embarrassed to show anybody. If I would have hired someone to do this, and this was the result, I would have asked them if they were blind.

Also, the flat piece that goes in between the wheel wells is 4" too short!

I can't believe ACC gets away with selling this crap.

 

[bobs77vet]

are these the offending pieces? i was not very pleased either

 

[BBShark]

Yours looks better than mine. Here's a picture of the better side. The other side looks like one of those wrinkled dogs. It's really bad in the back. I was able to get the carpet behind the compartment doors to lay down by removing the jute backing and gluing the **** out of it. I cut the ears off because they were 4 inches short (you can see the gap in the back).

The only fix I can think of is to hide it behind a speaker box! Here is my foam core mock up to make sure it clears the stowed convertible top.

 

[bobs77vet]

I wonder if you could cut foam to build out the baggy areas. i bet if you sparyed that exposed area black ( or tan) you will never see it or even notice it


the good side looks better then mine did

 

[BBShark]

I glued the carpet on so I can't get behind it to add fill. By the time I get the speakers and set belt shoulder retractor mounted most of the offending installation should be covered up.

Next is figuring out how the install 3 point seat belts in a convertible.

 

[Red77]

I've seen some articles on the replacement carpets where there was much hot sunshine softening of the carpet involved with lots of gluing and rolling much like laying down Dynamat. Not looking forward to that down the road.