Dr.Jass
Pastor of Muppets
OK, since some of you guys around here have taken some interest in my project, I've decided to finally get a thread going with my progress. Thanks to the few who've really goaded me into getting my butt in gear working on the car.
Those of you not familiar, my car is a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron coupe (sig picture). It was originally a Baron Red 225/automatic, no AC, bench-seat column shift car with factory styled steel wheels as seen in my sig. There were three fender tags, mostly moulding codes. It was amazingly rust-free for an Upper Peninsula car when I purchased in in the fall of 2002 for $350.
I parked it in late 2003 with 217,112 miles on the clock and promptly yanked out the engine, transmission and front suspension. Originally, this was going to be a quickie rebuild--new paint, buckets, cop front suspension, and the all-important drivetrain: small-block, 4-speed, and 8-3/4" rear end. However, finances and obligations in the past few years have left her neglected for long periods of time. No more, though... I'm working on her every chance I get. Progress is still slow since I live and work about 60 miles from the car, but when I have progress to report, it'll be posted in here.
The discovery of some semi-serious corrosion has changed the scope of the project at this point from quickie rebuild to ground-up restification. I'll be taking the car all the way down now (it's already almost there) and making sure I won't have any surprises a year after it's completed. Along the way, I'll be incorporating chassis upgrades, ideas and technology from newer vehicles, weight-reduction measures, along with some sleeper trickery--something to which I feel this particular body style lends itself incredibly well. Face it, she looks like a funeral director's car. The pewter-and-metallic-black final paint job will do little to dispel that.
I will also be tackling all the paint and body work single-handedly, from forming and welding patches to mixing and shooting the paint myself. This is something totally new to me, so if you're considering taking on such a project yourself, you'll get the chance to see my progress and mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
Literally, other than machine work, I intend to do this car entirely by myself with only advice and ideas from my good friends both here and in "real life". I believe anyone can accomplish such a feat if they simply make the required effort.
I have to dig up the hard drive with all the pictures, but I have documented most of what's already been done in photos and will post what I've got when I get everything organized so I can do it chronologically. I'm going to try to get started on this tonight.
So to those of you that are intrigued by what you've seen thus far, or simply what you've read here... stay tuned. It's going to be an interesting journey.
Those of you not familiar, my car is a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron coupe (sig picture). It was originally a Baron Red 225/automatic, no AC, bench-seat column shift car with factory styled steel wheels as seen in my sig. There were three fender tags, mostly moulding codes. It was amazingly rust-free for an Upper Peninsula car when I purchased in in the fall of 2002 for $350.
I parked it in late 2003 with 217,112 miles on the clock and promptly yanked out the engine, transmission and front suspension. Originally, this was going to be a quickie rebuild--new paint, buckets, cop front suspension, and the all-important drivetrain: small-block, 4-speed, and 8-3/4" rear end. However, finances and obligations in the past few years have left her neglected for long periods of time. No more, though... I'm working on her every chance I get. Progress is still slow since I live and work about 60 miles from the car, but when I have progress to report, it'll be posted in here.
The discovery of some semi-serious corrosion has changed the scope of the project at this point from quickie rebuild to ground-up restification. I'll be taking the car all the way down now (it's already almost there) and making sure I won't have any surprises a year after it's completed. Along the way, I'll be incorporating chassis upgrades, ideas and technology from newer vehicles, weight-reduction measures, along with some sleeper trickery--something to which I feel this particular body style lends itself incredibly well. Face it, she looks like a funeral director's car. The pewter-and-metallic-black final paint job will do little to dispel that.
I will also be tackling all the paint and body work single-handedly, from forming and welding patches to mixing and shooting the paint myself. This is something totally new to me, so if you're considering taking on such a project yourself, you'll get the chance to see my progress and mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
Literally, other than machine work, I intend to do this car entirely by myself with only advice and ideas from my good friends both here and in "real life". I believe anyone can accomplish such a feat if they simply make the required effort.
I have to dig up the hard drive with all the pictures, but I have documented most of what's already been done in photos and will post what I've got when I get everything organized so I can do it chronologically. I'm going to try to get started on this tonight.
So to those of you that are intrigued by what you've seen thus far, or simply what you've read here... stay tuned. It's going to be an interesting journey.
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