Datsunrides Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Did you take your front lower valence off when you painted it? If so how did you remove it? Yes I did. Drilled out the spot welds. There are 3 on each side under the headlights, 2 on each side at the bottom of the fenderwell and 1 on the center support. 11 total. Pretty easy to drill out. Mainly removed it so I could metal work the dents out as much as possible. After I painted the engine compartment area, I rosette welded it back on using quick bursts on the mig and immediately cooling with water to minimize the paint burning. Then I masked off the core support and finished off the bodywork and painted the valence. New pic Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 if it is for race car its ok. Ummm, it's not a racecar, that's pretty obvious, hence the . Bottom line is that is how I wanted it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooparu Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Cool thanks. I was thinking of just bolting it back on after I painted it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantum Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Hey Mark, have you tried this ( or Similar ) on the plastic bits ? Found here : http://www.flitz.com/flitz-international-introduces-fast-easy-to-use-headlight-plastic-restoration-kit/ It might help get rid of some of the 'Yellow' fade on the tank also ... Cheers, Bantum ... Edited July 14, 2015 by Bantum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 No I haven't. I've got enough stuff to worry about before I need to sweat the small stuff! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Excellent job so far Mark! Like Homer Simpson and food, I'm drooling for more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 So I am just about complete with the reassembly at this point, until I get the interior spruced up. The plan there is to install the new headliner (NOS thanks to Nolan), new carpet, re-glue the original door panel vinyl, and refresh the seats using as much of the original material as possible (I saved the good material from the parts car just for this purpose). Once the interior is done, I will install the glass. Just going to go with universal bulb seal for the doors, trunk and quarter windows. Not yet sure how I'm going to deal with the rear glass yet. I really don't want to have to buy another sedan rubber to splice together, but that is probably what will happen. I should get the quarter window hardware, hubcap screws, and bottom molding back from the chromers next week I hope so I can get the hub caps on and quarter glass installed. Still need to do some final blocking to the hood and do the bodywork for the trunk then paint them The plan has been to get that done while the car is getting the interior done. Oh, and making up the A/C hoses too. I sure did not expect it to take this long to get it done, and almost gave up a few times along the way, but 6 years later I know I will have a damn nice example of a early coupe (and rust free!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subafreak Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Wow, can't believe it's been 6 years in the making! At least it's paying off. And it's an inspiration that restorations don't happen over night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumoco Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 oh my god, it's just so good. i hate how much i want one of these beauties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy RallyGuy Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Wow, can't believe it's been 6 years in the making! At least it's paying off. And it's an inspiration that restorations don't happen over night. Six years is a long while, but always better than never! I've had a few "never-cars" and that's always a bummer. When the stars, planets, effort, time, sandpaper and money align... Beautiful things will happen! THIS is why cars worth their salt (but not exposed to it) are NOT cheap to come by. This car is art and I agree in "inspirational" Subafreak, so few people restore cars correctly! You need to be somewhere between obsessive compulsive and a fantastic dreamer to go from start to finish. The only thing I can say this car needs more of- pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 If parts were easier to come by, this would have been done 3, maybe 4 years ago. Well, having to rebuild the cowl had something to do with that also. Probably won't be a whole lot more pics for a while. Car is pretty much back together except for the hood and trunk and I need to finish the bodywork/paint and drop it off for the interior work in about 2 weeks. May see some progress on the hood/trunk in a few weeks and the interior around the end of August. Anyone that can help with the few remaining items I need to complete this long running project, let me know. Check my post under "help me finish my coupe". Oh, and speaking of cars worth their salt not being cheap, I highly doubt this applies to Subaru. Now if this was any number of "collectable" japanese cars, i.e 240z, 510, RX3, etc I'm confident it's value would be in the 15k range when done. I have a feeling when I go to insure it here shortly, I am going to have to fight if I want to have it covered for 15k. Being honest, if you had the means, would you pay 15k for this car? (*no it's not for sale-at least until I get to enjoy it for a while!) I mean I know what Kostamojen was initially asking for his FF1 and I would think with the exception of the interior not being done, that car was done to a level exceeding mine and I think he took it in the shorts on that unfortunately. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subafreak Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 In all truth...by the looks of it this resto should be worth 15k all day. Sadly vintage Subarus are in there infant stage of even being reconised by most people. My top offer would be 10k...because I'm cheap, and don't have that kinda money to throw away. But when I got to drive it around it would feel totally worth it! Looking back I've paid less for newer daily drivers than I have for vintage awesomeness. Stole my 74 sedan for $1500 and some side work as a faded, blown motor, no brakes, project car that I didn't even have a place to store at the time! Over the course of a winter I had a reliable, solid, head turner that I would trust driving across the country in. Then I picked up my 72 coupe.....I think I might have paid $2000 for it, but I drove from Connecticut to Tennessee to pick it up and back. When I got to Danny's I had the choice of three coupes, I ended up taking the yellow one that I ever there for even though it was in rougher shape than I remembed when I first saw it at Paul's. It was at least a mostly compleat car loaded with extra parts. Most recently I picked up the 76 4wd wagon....a car I have been on the hunt for the last 10 years at least, and it was only 2 1/2 drivable hours away from me....and it originally came out of so-cal! The $3000 asking price seemed steep for yet another vintage Subaru in my stable....but as soon as I set my eyes on it...I was in love....sure the bumpers were a little crooked, and it had its spots of surface rust....but no rot! And I was assured it "should" make the 2 and a 1/2 hour trip back....even with a pissing tranny input shaft seal and a no air cleaner weber carb "that I'm totally unfamiliar with", and a warning that the cooling fan didn't seem to work if I got stuck in traffic, with a chase car full of fluids and tools I headed on my way back to CT! Topped off with a fresh full tank of high octain I hit the highways and byways holding speeds of 75-80mph...turning up the well working radio when the mechanical symphony became concerning. In the end I made it back home with no problems along the way, and no regrets on the money I had spent to obtain this long time unicorn of mine. Even though it poured that next night and I found the windshield to leak so bad it might as well not even be in there, and under that carpeted dash mat and seat covers was not much remaining of what the factory sent it out the door with 38 years ago....I still thought to myself....I wouldn't have let this car go for under $5000! All in all vintage Subarus are still in the labor of love stage...I don't think many of us are in it for the resale value. But to have people at an all Subaru car show geek over it "in the north east at least" or have an older gentleman or woman driving a 2015 Subaru yell over "nice Subaru!" that may have actually remembed when they were new on the lot...makes it all worth the hard work and money we spend to keep a little bit of a once obscure brand of history alive. I like to think as the brand becomes more popular people will discover that they have been around a lot longer than they thought, and thanks to us they can still get the chance to see that vehicles that started it all, in the flesh, furthering what really is the LOVE...a company that dared to be different....through the ups and downs, stuck to there roots...and really pulled through for being ahead of its time all along....Subaru! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Supply and demand! With eatly Subarus there simply is not the demand from the general public to push prices up. Sure this may change with time but I don't see any early Subaru attaining the prices of Mazda RX's or Datsun 1600s. The levels of desirability are simply not there... Yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 Yeah, though pretty soon it won't matter what, if any, the demand becomes, there will be none left that the rust monster didn't get! Going into this, I was well aware that the market for old subies was pretty limited, and what market is there does not have "deep pockets". Over the years I have thought about scrapping or selling the car numerous times. I would get PM's on occasion asking about buying it and when I threw out a number, I would get silence or a offer of basically scrap value. Now, I know some would not agree with this, but if someone won't pay me near what I would reasonably ask for something, I would rather scrap it than lose a bucket of money just to "save the car". Pardon my french but codswallop them. Even at the stage when the car was sitting, I had a ton of time and money invested in it. I say if you are an enthusiast, you should be able to recognize the investment and be willing to pay *somewhat* for that time invested. Now I don't recall exactly what I paid for the car, but I think it was about $500. Now the parts car that donated most of the missing/damaged parts was probably 1k by the time you figure in the failed trip to get it and the cost to have it shipped to me. Then there was the cost of getting it running and stopping before it was stripped and sandblasted and mostly finished the dreaded cowl repairs. So figure at the time I set it aside, I had about 2-3k cash involved plus maybe 60 hours (and low end labor here runs $50/hr if I were to have had a shop do this work). So, even though the car was basically a shell, you can see the enormous investment that was in it at that point, but it is easier to turn a blind eye and say it is worthless. Well, if it is worthless, why do you want it then? It is HARD work restoring a car, whether the street value is $100 or 100 million. On a final note, I accept your offer Subafreak. Please send the money to my bank in Nigeria. I will also require a credit card number or 3 and your social security info to start the transfer! Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Ok, back to the build. These will be the last pictures for a few weeks while the car goes to get the interior done. I should have the rocker trim and the bolts that hold the hubcaps on back from the chromer next week and hope to have the hood and trunk finished and painted before the car comes home. Mark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subafreak Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Lol. Maybe someday. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconer315 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 If you ever decide to take that on a cross country trip, make a stop in Upstate NY. I would LOVE to see this beauty in person! Just don't see any vintage subies up here, the winter road salt corrodes and rusts anything that isn't made of plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Yeah , you're doing the Tour , right ?? Like stop by SOA in Cherry Hill. The whole east coast enthusiast scene will be there. Sadly our man Charlie hasn't gotten to see any pics and at this point probably won't be seeing your progress. Sorry for adding sad news to an otherwise fantastic effort and story. I'm glad Charlie at least contributed to your knowledge. Those early Coupes were damn special to him. The day I pulled the uncracked 73 dashboard out was just unreal. I must have leaped in the air for many minutes. And ONLY that guy would have that dash. The stories can just roll on. But that one was tops for me. Danny had the dash last I knew. You do know of course we're going to pull a ton of 72-3 Coupe stuff out as soon as you're done , right? Lol. Very seriously , Charlie is leaving a good amount of ff-1 thru '76 parts that another guy will be handling and I'll probably help him sort it. I know those bits you need are there among the piles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Sorry to hear about Charlie, Paul. I've actually been pretty lucky with finding either NOS or very good used parts so far. I will still need a few bits and pieces to make it 100% complete to my satisfaction, but nothing that will stop me for the time being. I'm glad to hear parts will be available, albeit the circumstances suck but it's just the circle completing itself. Hopefully the other guys on here with early coupes can also benefit from parts (and get their cars done!) With that said, I actually got a few things finished this week. Managed to make up the A/C hoses, get the unit wired in, and put in the re-cored radiator. It can out pretty nice but the shop did not solder the upper and lower flanges back in the correct position so I had to spend a little time "massaging" it to fit. Ran it for a while to confirm no leaks and that the fan worked. Since I have not been able to get the original fan working consistently, I bolted up a universal one I had laying around. Vacuuming down the A/C tonight and hopefully it holds overnight and I'll throw a pound or so of freon in there (converted to R134a). Taking the car down to San Jose tomorrow morning to get the interior spiffed up. Should have it back in the garage in 2 weeks. Oh, and I added it to my insurance, it added a whopping $41 a year for $7500 agreed value coverage. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Excellent job so far Mark! Like Homer Simpson and food, I'm drooling for more! Speaking of Homer Simpson.... isn't this car the same green as the Powell Motors Homer?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 No earth shattering news. Polished the hood and gutter trims. Finished the bodywork on the trunk lid and painted the underside of the trunk lid and underside of the hood. Will paint the topside either during the week or Saturday morning at the latest, then paint is 100% done! :banana: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 Stopped by to check progress on the interior. Trunk is done, working on the carpet and package shelf. Mark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeroy Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 The trunk was never that neat from the factory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsunrides Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Just taking it to the next level. It's funny, the trunk looked bigger before it got trimmed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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