10-14-08 TO 10-16-08

Continued work on the engine compartment. I pulled the wiring, fuse box, coil, etc. from the passenger side of the engine bay and started cleaning it up for painting. At first I sanded it and vacuumed out the dust and debris but then decided to use a cleaner on it even though it had all been degreased and steam cleaned.

I just wanted to be sure that there was no old grease or oil on the inner fender wells so I got out a can of aerosol brake cleaning fluid. I sprayed it on the inner fender wells and the top and front of the firewall and was reminded of something I had forgotten: brake cleaner makes a great paint stripper! Sure enough, after a minute or two, the old red paint I had applied in 1988 started to lift and bubble up like I had sprayed paint stripper on it. After that, I took a series of scrapers, wire brushes and the drill-mounted wire brush wheel to the areas I sprayed with the brake cleaner and it all cleaned up nicely.

I also scraped away a much of the factory tar-like rust proofing and seam sealing material that appeared to be applied rather sloppily. After the final cleaning, I put down two layers of etching primer followed by two coats of Krylon white gloss paint.

















I’m going to pull out the heater box frame tonight as well as the brake/clutch master cylinders cover and start working on cleaning and de-rusting those areas. I’m not going to do the driver side of the inner fender wells until I get the exhaust manifold pulled off and that side of the engine completely cleaned and degreased. Until that is done, there is no point in cleaning the inner fender well on that side since the cleaning process will probably kick up oil and debris which will then have to be cleaned as well.

















Sears finally saw fit to send me the ceramic tips for my sandblaster…two day shipping only took eight days…swell! I’ll have to pick up a bag of blasting media but I’ll be able get a lot of parts cleaned up like the radiator support, valve cover, heater box, etc. and get them painted by this weekend.

I’m running out of warm-ish weather so I want to get everything painted that needs painted (with the exception of the body which I will do in the spring) before it turns cold and rainy. I don’t mind doing the mechanical/hydraulic/electrical work when it is colder (I can always get a small kerosene heater for the garage) but the painting stuff can’t be done when the weather turns so I have maybe a month left to finish it if I’m lucky.