1973 Rebuild

[chaseincats]

14 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

I found this.

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-americamovil-us-revc&source=android-home&source=hp&ei=qxK3X5brCIPU5gKN6rP4Dg&q=abs+plastic+glue+classiczcars.com+&oq=abs+plastic+glue+classiczcars.com+&gs_lcp=ChFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocBADMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQqwI6AggpOgYIKRAWEB46BwgpELEDEAo6BQgpEMkDOg4IKRCxAxCDARDJAxCTAjoICAAQsQMQgwE6AgguOgIIADoFCAAQsQM6BQguELEDOggIABCxAxDJAzoFCAAQkgM6BQgAEMkDOgYIABAWEB46CAghEBYQHRAeOgcIIRAKEKABOgUIABDNAlDMFlijmAJg0KcCaAJwAHgAgAGtAYgBuhySAQQxLjI2mAEAoAEBsAEP&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp

Thanks, I'll look into this!

[Matthew Abate]

Using this stuff to get it black again. Looks pretty good so far. Going to give it another application and let it sit for another 24 hours. Then I’ll try ABS cement for the gouges. It’s probably going to need a pretty thorough sanding after that.

[Matthew Abate]

Well, everything I spent money on to get this fixed ended up being a waste. The roadster handle is totally different (if anyone needs one I have one to sell). The ABS cement didn’t really adhere well and came off during cleanup because it was much softer than the actual handle. The plastic restorer didn’t do the job because it wasn’t faded so much as much as it was cracked. What I thought was texture was the top layer of the plastic splitting (imagine a shattered windshield).

In the end, sandpaper ended up doing the trick. I started with 800 dry and stopped with 5000 wet.

Edited November 25, 2020 by Matthew Abate

[Takhli]

Considering it's age and the attempts you made to bring it back to original appearance, I think you've done a great job. Looks very nice, and the small imperfections will be hardly noticed, unless you point them out. Good job! 👍

[Matthew Abate]

Thanks, dad. I thinks it’s good enough. Any more and it would look... wrong.

[Takhli]

You're welcome, son. I've been reviewing your posts and want to compliment you, too, on your brake line installation. Great job there as well. I wish the Mustang was as clean as Dottie; I had to run lines through small passages in the fender wells, between the K-frame and chassis, and against other immovable objects. Having torn out the original lines six years ago didn't help, either. Good thing for the internet and photos I took before disassembly. 

Dottie is looking really nice.

[Matthew Abate]

Okay. It’s in and all the linkage is together.

 

I had forgot to mention how I solved not being able to get the rubber bushing cover.

it’s one of those caps from the end of a piece of black pipe from Home Depot. I just over there and grabbed one of the floor that was close to the same size, then cut it down until it was about the same length and drilled a hole in it. Problem solved.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Matthew Abate

[Captain Obvious]

Brake handle looks great.

I don't understand what you used for the rubber bushing though. Cap from a piece of black pipe? I'm not sure what you mean. Is this a product they sell, or something they put on the threaded ends just to protect the threads?

[Matthew Abate]

8 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Brake handle looks great.

I don't understand what you used for the rubber bushing though. Cap from a piece of black pipe? I'm not sure what you mean. Is this a product they sell, or something they put on the threaded ends just to protect the threads?

The white nylon brushing I used was the factory one that came on the car. You can see it peaking through the hole. The bushing cover I made was the pipe cap, but yes, it’s the protective black plastic on the threaded end, not an actual fitting. The ID of that fits perfectly on the bushing housing inside the tunnel.

If I were to do it over again I might make the hole smaller and the overall length longer by maybe an eighth of an inch. The one I made is the same dimensions as the factory one, but the hole is bigger than it needs to be.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Matthew Abate

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks. If you get a chance, can you snap a pic of that black rubber piece laying loose not on the handle?

I mean, I don't think I'm going to go pulling my brake handle apart again just to replace that rubber seal, but it would be nice to have options anyway.   

[Matthew Abate]

10 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

Thanks. If you get a chance, can you snap a pic of that black rubber piece laying loose not on the handle?

I mean, I don't think I'm going to go pulling my brake handle apart again just to replace that rubber seal, but it would be nice to have options anyway.   

Here’s what I took before I put it in:

On the left is my creation, on the right is OEM after 47 years.

by the way, you don’t have to pull it. You can remove the bolts holding it down and get to it. The drive shaft will be in the way, but you could theoretically get it on without pulling the handle.

Edited November 27, 2020 by Matthew Abate

[Captain Obvious]

Thanks Matthew. I think I understand what you did now.

I've had my parking brake handle out a couple times in the past to make some modifications to it and I never dropped the driveshaft, but I did have the seats out. Anyway, I don't remember how bad my rubber seal was, but it was at least good enough that I put it back in. I also don't drive my car in the wet either, so it doesn't matter as much.

Thanks again. and maybe I'll do something like that next time