1968 Plymouth GTX

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Got snow?
 
Thursday on my way to the butcher in Chino Valley to pick up a 1/2 steer.
The cold weather took a small stone chip on my windshield and turned it into a huge crack.
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Today from my front porch the only snow is on the neighboring hilltops. We just have lots mud now.
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'68 Coronet R/T said:
Thanks. It's far from perfect but as they say, it looks good from 10 ft.
I just can't afford the high cost of replacement parts so I do what I can to make them look descent.
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Just buying new parts and pieces willy-nilly to replace anything that doesn't look just like it did the day it rolled out of the factory is a quick way to end up with $20,000 more invested than the car is worth.

I've been working on my 69 Corvette which, although it is "numbers matching", isn't destined to be a show car. Last week I had 6 little sheet metal brackets that mount the front grilles and marker lights. Little surface rust on them, but no real damage. About half an hour to bead blast all of them, plus another half hour and maybe 3 ounces of SPI black epoxy to put on a couple coats and they're good enough for me.

You'd look at those parts and say the whole lot is worth maybe 50 bucks. But the real price is $225 plus shipping, and you'd still need to blast and paint them because they'll come with the equivalent of a single coat of rattle can black on them.

I see a lot of guys who, just like myself, are doing this as a hobby. Yet they'd buy these brackets new and use the excuse that their time is more valuable than what it takes to salvage old parts. I guess everyone's time is valuable to some extent, but any time I can save $225 for an hour's work, I'd view that as a pretty good investment of my time.
 
Here's the tail panel installed:
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The trunk lid contours match with the tail light surrounds but the tail panel is about a 1/4" past the tail lights.
Here I took a picture with camera flash on so you can see where I damaged that lower center strip. Fortunately it's only highly visible at night and I won't see it in my rear view mirror.
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These little issues are adding up but time and material costs are not on my side. I plan to keep and drive this car so most will only see it as it passes them. :cool:
 
Cleaned up the quarter windows and got them installed today. The glass has a few chips and scratches but it is original. LOL
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I had purchased new chrome moldings for the grille support but when they never came, it turned out they backordered with no ETA.
So I tried my hand at straightening, sanding and buffing the bottom piece since it was in the worst shape.
Here it is compared to the upper molding which I haven't touched yet. Still needs the black paint applied but looks better than I thought it ever would.
Lower Grille Support Molding restored.JPG
 
'68 Coronet R/T said:
Waiting for my $200+ window channel and seal kit to get here. o_O
Amazing how much they are charging for this stuff now days.
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I hear ya, just be glad you're not restoring a mopar. Those prices are out of this world crazy.

The chevy guys can get parts at Walmart for pennies on the dollar.
 
Come on guys, a GTX is a Plymouth.

I'm pretty well versed with mopar products. That's all I've every owned. I actually have two more mopars sitting in storage waiting for their chance at stardom.

Try and pull the wool over my eyes, nice try!
 
Okay I see what the problem is, some Chevy owner is all butt hurt over my Walmart comment they can buy parts there.

Don't blame me that your cheaply built Chevy's can buy cheaply built parts at Walmart.

You wanna be someone that others look up too, buy a mopar if you can afford one.

I have to go mow the lawn before before someone takes me serious and sues me for emotional trauma.
 
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