EScanlon

Forget using a typical spray gun to spray POR. Even if you use their solvent/thinner to reduce the viscosity... it just does not spray... through a regular spray gun. I tried several guns, and even thinned a batch until it finally sprayed and ended up using more solvent than POR. For me that was a dead end. It DOES level out well, especially if the temperature is warm. Humidity DOES play a very important role and I've even seen it "foam" due to excessive humidity in the air. I brushed it on using those cheap disposable brushes available at Harbor Freight (that way no need to waste money on cleaning them up), and the only problem I had was that the brushes would sometimes shed a hair or two. (If that is a problem, get a wire about the thickness of a large paper clip and using your utility knife try to "cut" the end off at an angle. Do that several times around the diameter of the wire so that you end up with small barbs of metal angling out from the main shaft. Those barbs will hook onto to the hair and allow you to pull it off the paint.) For those areas where I absolutely HAD to spray the POR, I was going to use my "Body Shutz" gun as it's a simple venturi feed air blower when I discovered that Harbor Freight sold one for a couple of bucks. Sadly that item is no longer available through them, but it is easy enough to replicate. Get your normal, run-of-the-mill air blower with replaceable tips, and unscrew the tip. Get a piece of tubing that can be threaded to replace the tip and drill a hole towards the opposite end of the tube from the threads and braze/solder/epoxy a small tube that just barely juts into the air stream, leaving the outside of the tube long enough to attach a piece of PVC tubing to. Once assembled, connect the PVC tubing, putting one end into the POR can, and the other to the air blower, and the air blower to an air hose and spray away. It's a very simple venturi tip attached to an air blower. You may want to attach a weight to the end of the PVC tubing to keep it IN the POR. With the one I used I was able to spray the inside of both rear fenders, the plenum underneath both quarter windows, the rocker panels from the inside of the car and the fresh air ducts in less than an hour. Additionally I used less than a quart of POR. If you were planning on top-coating the POR, you can either do it as it is setting, or use the Tie-Coat primer or their Etching primer. Both of those primers have been specially formulated to "bite" into cured POR. Using a different brand of primer would require that you scuff the surface well enough to achieve mechanical adhesion, and believe me, POR is extremely HARD to scuff. Hope this helps E

Body-flexing is causing that joint covering compound to crack. That body flexing, as mentioned, can be due to excessive horsepower for the car, or spirited driving over uneven surfaces at speed. However, it may also be due to another set of spot welds elsewhere in the car having given way and therefore allowing that part of the car to flex more than it should. It should be noted however, that this particular joint is a known problem site. Additionally, repairs to other parts of the car, being done without proper support of the main body can cause this same situation. A complete rocker panel replacement, floor pan removal and re-installation, are but two that come to mind. But, as Graeme points out, Seam Sealer, caulking, even Bondo or spot fiberglass are NOT a substitute for a proper mechanical joint. The lead cracked due to the flex in the joint, and lead is used both for it's hardness AND it's malleability (i.e. flex), but excessive flexing is what caused it to fail (whether due to range or cyclic flexing). FWIW E

But "Foam in a can" IS future RUST from the inside. All that foam will do nothing but trap the moisture on an already non rust-protected surface (per the original PO's post, #5). Treat the inner surface with a good rust preventative or at least a good coating of paint and maybe foam in a can won't be trouble down the road. But anywhere where you can expect moisture from condensation, that foam in a can is bad news. 2¢ E

That picture is missing one of the cables. There are FOUR cables in a 240 Heater Control. E

I'll have to pass on giving you an answer to this. Not that I don't think it's a valid question, but I can't explain the driving factors behind that mind set. To me, repairing or refreshing the car is more important than repainting unseen areas to match or fool future viewers/buyers. If someone wants to paint the interior surfaces with the same paint as the exterior, I don't have a problem with it. I just simply don't see it as a vital requirement. FWIW E

If you follow the directions, rarely have I seen a problem nor heard of someone having a problem... regardless of the product. I have heard of people using the democratic fallacy* (not political) to arse-ume that they can substitute something else and it will be "just as good" and then report having problems. (* The Democratic fallacy: Because I am entitled to an opinion, it is equal to those who have experienced or studied the subject. Therefore I can ignore what they say and rely on my arse-umptions. This is NOT a political statement.) Having sprayed too many GALLONS of Epoxy primer to even think of counting them, I know first hand it's adhesion properties and it's corrosion properties. It's adhesion is unarguable... over properly prepared surfaces and even some improperly prepared surfaces. Whether that's bare metal, primer, paint or whatever, it will stick well. However, it is not a rust proofer. It is not an encapsulator nor is it a rust convertor. POR, Zero-Rust, RustMort etc are simply NOT in the same category as Epoxy primer. Applying Epoxy over a Rust encapsulator is an excellent idea, as long as you prep the surface to accept it properly. Whether that is a chemical process or a mechanical process, it must be done. That being said, I have absolutely no problem applying Epoxy over bare, acid etched metal, and agree with you that it is a perfectly good use for it. I've done exactly that and will do it again whenever the occasion arises. However, when the metal has already shown some rust, and it is impossible to remove it completely, or I'm going to be "spot-treating" as you mention you would be... I'll paint the whole surface... with POR or the like. To me, it simply isn't worth the trouble to prep the individual areas. It's easier, and in the long run, faster to treat the complete floor/interior with POR than to spot it only to have to then finish with Epoxy. However, I concede that I won't do that on the EXTERIOR of the car. POR, and the other rust converters/encapsulators are generally thicker and of a finish consistency such that it would be totally impractical to try to use it as a substrate for an exterior paint job. The list of Options you cited in your first message point out that you have questions/doubts as to some of the characteristics of Epoxy, POR, Rust Encapsulators, Under-Coating and Sound proofing/attenuation. I'm just responding to your doubts/concerns as to using POR vs. Epoxy. Ron says much the same in his post: Exactly. Three excellent points. E-coating vs. Epoxy; Cost of each and Epoxy vs. POR/Rust Bullet effectiveness. While it is best to use ONE method throughout, sometimes you work a car in pieces/sections and you haven't much choice but to address items on a piece meal basis. But as Ron mentions, the most important thing is good adhesion and compatibility. You might argue the individual items/points, but you asked for opinions. That's what you're getting. For my 2¢ POR the whole floor, then use some form of sound deadening, whether Dynamat, or other bituminous coating and finish it with a good carpet. (Lizard Skin / Rhino Liner are different products that try to combine various characteristics into one and their cost reflects it.) I don't think painting the floor to match the exterior is necessary. FWIW E

You've got it backwards. ITEM 1: Epoxy primer is NOT better corrosion protection. If it were, then we wouldn't EVER have had a rust problem on ANY car it's applied on. POR ENCAPSULATES and SEALS the rust, it's not a converter. The Metal Prep Acid Wash is more of a "converter". ITEM 2: If it's NOT good enough to SEAL light rust, then what makes you think it's good enough to protect un-rusted metal? Epoxy Primer is first and foremost a PRIMER. ITEM 3: Epoxy primer isn't rust-proofing, although it does provide superior adhesion and protection than standard primers it doesn't replace what POR, Zero Rust or Rust-Mort are designed for. Those products are designed to render inert what rust they cover and at the same time provide a degree of rust-proofing that Epoxy isn't designed for. POR properly applied will adhere BETTER than the Epoxy. If you time the application of POR and your top-coat, you can actually apply your finish color on top of the POR. POR when cured can be so hard as to require thread tapping of any machine thread you might have covered with it. Epoxy will let you "force" the screw thread to start, POR will actually strip the screw (I've done it). I would clean the bare metal using the POR process (Marine Clean followed by Metal Prep). You need to scuff the painted areas properly to achieve a surface that the POR will stick to. If it's shiny, it won't adhere. Then paint the whole floor surface with POR. Let it cure, then apply your choice of tar-mat sound deadener, Fat-Mat, Q-Pad, Dynamat, Brown Bread et al. Now you can top coat everything that's left with your choice of color to match the exterior, but IMO you'd be wasting money on this step. FWIW E

Bare metal should ALWAYS be etched before anything else gets sprayed on top. Whether that etching is done by using a metal prep solution (phosphoric acid bath) or it's contained in the primer (self-etching primer, whether that's an epoxy primer or not) it is the primary way of getting primer to adhere to the metal. After it's been etched, or primed with self-etching primer (again, epoxy or not), then you can build up with Filler Primer, Bondo, or go to a Sealer or even to a Base coat of paint. Take note that the acid bath, or self-etching primer, while it does help reduce the incidence of rust, it is not by itself rustproofing the surface. Given enough time the metal WILL rust through the primer if it hasn't been top-coated. FWIW E

Now that you've been told what you could do, the first thing you should do and that is EVALUATE the worthiness of the vehicle. It doesn't matter what you want/wish to do if the car is about to fall out from under you because of RUST. Once you know or have assessed the rust problem, and I've yet to see an East Coast car NOT have some if it wasn't a trailer queen, then you can determine what you want the car to be/do for you. Then if you're going to keep the car on the road, address the SAFETY components first. Then once you're safe and sound, THEN you can determine what to change/modify. FWIW E

Ahh, Steve, .... I think Dave was asking Jerry if that's what it took to fix it. I'm sure Dave is happy you fixed yours too. E

Old felt pieces at the bottom of the door plenum speak of a detached window felt channel. That says you should have heard or felt the window rattling when it was at it's lowest position for some time. FWIW E

There are two sheet metal grippers on the body that catch the lower edge of the Tail Light Surround (that's their accepted name, Tail light panel is more commonly understood as being the inside piece.). Those little grippers have barb/teeth that bite into the metal and hold it in place. Unfortunately, these are Unobtanium or so I've been told, and sadly, they are overlooked too often when repainting. FWIW E

bump to current

Or you could just use a rubber mallet to give it a whack or two. That works if the dent is on the floor itself and not on the frame rail. If the dent is in the frame rail, then it's a completely different approach. FWIW E

This was your first clue that the wiring was off. Sorry, but this is wrong. You changed the coil. Ideally ALL the wires would have been replaced EXACTLY as they came off, but then you wouldn't be having trouble. Double check the wiring. Somehow you're providing UNSWITCHED 12v+ directly to the coil. Unswitched power is not a normal part of the ignition circuit, so SOME re-wiring has occurred someplace. This is the reason your coilis getting hot with the ignition switch off, you're basically connecting a + source directly to a - ground AT the coil terminals. The negative post on the coil should be grounding THROUGH the distributor and not directly to ground. FWIW E

Not if you take the time to straighten the wires and lube them properly. I did mine 9 years ago, still functioning properly on the OEM Console mount. More often than not, due to improper placement of the sheathing and/or bends introduced while mounting the console that the wires get hard to operate. Pull the wires out of the sheath, examine the wire itself and using a two pairs of pliers or some form of clamps (I used a sheet metal vice-grip) straighten out the wire until it's as straight as you can get it. It will take a few light bends from various angles to get it straight. Check the sheathing, it should also be free from major bends. Lube the sheathing before you insert the wire and you should be fine for years to come. That article that discuses a transmission mount for the choke lever is for the "Series II" console, as the "Series I" also had the slot for the Hand Throttle. FWIW E

Jan (Pomorza); I don't know at what point your understanding drops off, so I'm going to explain it in very basic terms. Hopefully noone feels they've been slighted by what/how I explain it. I'm writing this in hopes that ANYONE who reads this thread in the future, that needs to read down to this point, will at this point go... ding!!! I get it!! The door handles on the 240, 260 and the 280* (up to 7-76) used the SAME Left Hand and Right Hand door handles. While the micro-fiche DOES show different part numbers for each, in practice owners who have had both handles out of the car and compared them side by side note that there is no discernable difference before the rod and rod linkage are inserted. (* in the US Market) It may be that it was intended to have the RH and the LH be different, but nobody seems to know what that difference IS or is SUPPOSED to be. As such, if you look at the handles, you will note that (see picture) the Hinge points have a lever that protrudes into the body on both hinges. It is on that lever that the Rod that actuates the door latch mechanism is connected to. On the LH side (the driver's side) that rod is on the RIGHT hand lever. On the RH side (the passenger's side) that rod is on the LEFT hand lever. Since the handle mechanisms are essentially the SAME, all you have to do to swap the current LH door handle into a RH door handle is swap the location of the rod, that is from the RIGHT hand lever to the LEFT hand lever. Conversely, to swap the current RH door handle into a LH door handle is swap the location of the rod, that is from the LEFT hand lever to the RIGHT hand lever. The door handles are now configured for the OPPOSITE door that they came off of. Does this clarify this? FWIW E

The horn relay (at least on the 240) is INSIDE the passenger compartment. Check the wiring harness going down the steering column as it approaches the foot pedals. If the wiring for the steering column (and therefore the horn) is getting pushed and possibly grounded by the accelerator pedal, that's where it would probably be making contact. As far as the gas gauge fluctuating, you might check the ground for the rear end of the car. It's located INSIDE the Hatch area, and may have been painted when they painted your car. (Looks great by the way. Glad the work was finished satisfactorily.) HTH E

Check your Hazard Switch connections. FWIW E

Based on the OP's first post, where he mentions that the rust is occurring from the inside out, and the fact that the hood's metal backing is mostly spot welded /caulked all the way around the last inch or so of the hood, and that the support metal at the corner IS the point of attachment for the hinge mounting tabs, if he's experiencing rust-through... those areas of the hinge support are bound to be compromised. Even if the rust is only on the extreme leading edge and outermost corner of the hood, where the exterior skin metal is unsupported by the support metal, by the time you cut and replace those corners you will have more dollars invested than a simple prep and spray on a rust-free hood. It won't be easy to cut and replace metal that close to the support metal. If upon removing the hood skin at those corners, it uncovers rust on the support metal, then you have to address that... which adds money to the repair bill. The OP's concern is to maintain the originality of the original hood. If he's willing to spend the money... go for it. But it will be a REPAIRED hood which will likely require that the bodywork effected on it be done on BOTH sides of the hood in order to hide the repair.... or he'll suffer the visibility and the depreciation of the repair. Added to the cost of the repair, this will in turn, AGAIN, be more $ than a simple paint and replace. The advise isn't on where and how to effect the repair, just that the repair will be costlier than a replacement. Olzed's point is spot on. Maybe the funny part is your mis-reading of the original post and lambasting the rest of us. FWIW E

Emphasis mine.What rust you are finally seeing breaking through to the outside of the car is but a small fraction of what you would find if you were to open up the space between the support metal and the exterior skin. Like an iceberg, 90% of the rust is on the underside (inside) of the sheet metal. Translated, this means that by the time you replace the rust on the skin, the support, and the reinforcements at the hinge area.... you'll have spent MORE for the repairs than a new hood, painted and fitted would cost. A properly efffected replacement won't necessarily be noticeable to most people and should not inordinately devalue your car. FWIW E

You might check with others as to running the original coil with the Pertronix WITHOUT the resistor. When I hooked up the Pertronix in my Roadsters I used the resistor and did not notice any problems, but others may have opinions that might vary. I mention this only because some folks have commented that their coil ran HOT! due to the 12v continuous feed as opposed to the 6-8v when powered through the resistor. I did get your pieces today and I've already sent you pics of what I received and a description of each. Glad this got your tach working. FWIW E

I vaguely recall that the Red and "a" black wire come from the Pertronix unit and get connected to the coil, but I need to check on that. E

No, you've finally found the TWO Black/White wires. Both need to be in the circuit for the tach to operate. Connect the tach with the plug, you don't need to insert the bulbs at this time, just the 4-wire plug. Insert the key in to the ignition and turn to the RUN position. At the coil, identify WHICH ONE of the two B/W wires is receiving 12v+. Once you've identified it, connect it to the G/W wire. The OTHER B/W wire goes to the Positive (+) terminal on the coil. The Black wire goes to the Negative (-) terminal on the coil. This Black wire should have continuity to the black wire at the distributor (that's how you can check to see it's connected properly). Start engine, check the Tach. You don't need the resistor. It normally gets mounted between the B/W that's hot in the RUN position and the G/W wire when you are using points. FWIW E

Herb, you're correct. I was citing from memory the vent controls, but the function of the flap valve is correct. Jan, your car has a more sophisticated Heat/Vent system than the earlier cars, but that box still controls whether you let in the fresh air from the cowl vent opening or not. If it's flipped up parallel to the cowl floor, it's closed. If it's flipped down and at an angle to both the firewall and the cowl, then it's allowing fresh air IN from the cowl vent opening and then into the squirrel cage / blower housing and then into the system to be distributed via the hoses. The extra settings on your car allow for more ventilation options than what we had in the 240. (E.g. the 240 could only get heated air via the floor openings OR the defrost ducts not both. Additionally, heated air was NEVER available via the eyeball vents.) FWIW E