I think I got the look we wanted, and I like it...
If
you were at the 2001 SWAC, you saw it there, being used as the landing pad for
Mike Darnell's huge blimp. We were only funnin' when we entered it into the
static display as the world's largest amodel airplane stand, and we were totally
blown away to find out we won a Member's Choice plaque..
Some years back, MonoKote Master Faye Stilley did a conversion of a GM station wagon and had a writeup in MAN about it. I saw that wagon at Toledo a few years ago and had been jealous ever since... But not no mo'..
Eat
yer heart out, Faye....<G>
Just
click any of the thumbnail pix for the full image...
Return here with your BACK button..
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Tires
are P235/15 Goodrich Radial T/A. |
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New all-leather 60-40 buckets & console from a Buick wreck. Has 6-way power 'n' recliners on both sides.. Tuff enuf... Instrument cluster is painted yellow ala the outside... BIG tunes emanate
from a 160Watt Blaupunkt "Nevada" CD/AM/FM radio. |
SOUNDS good, too, thx to the dual Flowmasters... The 305/H smallblock sports an Edelbrock "Performer" manifold, and gets superb mileage, considering the mass of the vehicle. Front 'n rear bumpers were blasted clean of chrome, then coated with Rhinohide Truck Bedliner.. This is TUFF STUFF!! |
We hadda do SOMETHING with this panel.. It HAD been Boring Black. It now celebrates "America's Heartbeat", and the French lettering translates to "Let the Good Times Roll!"... and they do.. (Hey, we're in the So.Louisiana swamps.) |
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Windshield logo sez "OFF DUTY".. Well, mebbe it do look kinda like a cab, but it AIN'T ... 'n', besides, I'm AM retired... Can't see it here, but there's a BIG red Chevy bowtie inlaid smackdab into the center of the yellow grille. |
Taillight frames & wheelwell trim blasted & painted satin black, as was stainless lower side trim. |
The
four of um was gonna cost $84.00. Trapp Chevrolet graciously sprung
for them, and also provided the 1983 vintage dealer logo and license
frame you can see in the rear view. |
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A few asides...
In the de-chroming phase of the job we cut off over 400 rivets that used
to hold over 37 pounds of aluminum trim, not including that huge, ugly and
all-but-useless roof rack.. The car looks a foot lower without it... Heck,
it's actually 4" lower, but it looks like more. Dumping the do-nothing
spoiler and chrome around the tailgate window gives the illusion that the
window has been frenched in about two inches.. It really gives the rear
end a classy look..
Woodgrain paneling... YUK! Spare me... This crap was so brittle, it took
29 hours of steady cussin' 'n' pickin' off 1/4" fiddleybits, and I
KNOW how to remove vinyl...<G>
We made a MAJOR junkyard score with the new front bucket seats (complete
with center console and fancydan foldout drink holders...) They were tucked
away in a loft and were FILTHY!! But we gottum for $120 bux, and four
hours of saddlesoaping later, they looked new... Not a scratch or a burn
mark anywhere!! Did I mention 6-way power?.. On BOTH sides??
Wot a deal.. Thanks, Missy....
Total cost for the resto?? I dunno.. Honest... You get to the point where the project becomes an obsession, and you quit asking, "How much?". You just grab another credit card... Am I done yet? Again, I dunno.. It's like Dave Platt said about scale models, "You never finish... You just stop working on it...."
Thanks to:
My son, Derek,
for being a damn good wrench (and a patient one)...
Gator's Audio Connection - Gator and Joe - Special thanks to Joe for the
amazing front seat installation... Super job....
Almost Any Part - Harvey Sharp
Paul's Auto Salvage - Missy and Lonny
Trapp Chevrolet - Mark & crew
Express Auto Paint - Frank
and
Special thanks to my peers in the AMA for honoring us at the 2001 SWAC with
the "Member's Choice" Award... We smiled all the way home..
If you like the graphics on my ride, you just might wanna scope out my "CustomCut" website. You'll be glad you did, I betcha...
