Tip of the day !!

[Superpac Ninja]

maybe another good thread to start
mine is i got 2 new door panels for my car(mint condition), the back of them is the paper/pressed board stuff we all know that absorbs water /moisture real well ,they came factory with a plastic backing but its usually missing or drooping etc,,so anyways what i did was clean the back of the panel and used spray varnish on them 2 coats it gave it some extra rigidity and now is water proof ,ive tested it and the water just runs right off of it with no absorption ,,this i think will prevent any future warping of the panel ,

 

[Justwondering]

Awesome idea!

 

[Superpac Ninja]

no one wants to share any handy tips they have come up with ?
ill add another ..i fiberglassd the back side of my headliner ,,it will never bow now
i actually used a spray bottle and softened the bowed spots ,reformed and dried ,and then fiberglassed it,then a quick coat of flat black paint ,,its stayed true ever since

 

[volareandgtcat]

maybe another good thread to start
mine is i got 2 new door panels for my car(mint condition), the back of them is the paper/pressed board stuff we all know that absorbs water /moisture real well ,they came factory with a plastic backing but its usually missing or drooping etc,,so anyways what i did was clean the back of the panel and used spray varnish on them 2 coats it gave it some extra rigidity and now is water proof ,ive tested it and the water just runs right off of it with no absorption ,,this i think will prevent any future warping of the panel ,

Good idea!! I need to get inside my doors anyways to lube everything up, gonna do this too .. don't forget to do any opening or holes that are punched through .. maybe use a small brush to get in there with? Or just spray on an angle.

 

[80mirada]

Buy a large multi subject notebook, and keep notes about different systems for your car, part supplier contacts (and what they carry), modifications you have made, and thing you want to do. It will help keep you on track

 

[Justwondering]

buy plain felt and glue it to your headliner before you recover it with headliner fabric. Eliminates dimples and ridges showing through

 

[Dr Lebaron]

A good breakfast helps.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Sign me up.
That looks good.

 

[Monkeyed]

always remember, there's no such thing as too much syrup!

 

[Monkeyed]

Also, while on the subject of drooping headliners, and door cards, I pulled the drooping sagging fabric off of my door pillar, used some "Goof Off" adhesive remover (the yellow glue is hard to get off, took a few hours), and painted them. I used black truck bed liner because it's tough and sticks to most anything.

 

[80mirada]

Painters tape has a second use, to protect edges and trim while doing assembly.

Printer paper, is useful as a shim to go between parts as you are putting them together. Wrap around external splines to protect seals, between trim and painted surface during assembly.

Magnets or magnetic clips for holding photocopies of manual pages, for easy reference while working.

 

[80mirada]

Any time you speak to a supplier over the phone, salvage yard, parts store, speed shop, Legendary, etc, have a notepad and pencil. Write down the person or persons you speak to and take notes on what they are telling you. It comes in handy later if their is a discrepancy or dispute later on.

Take lots of pictures, before you take it a part, and while taking it apart. You can use them later to help the reassembly. Also good for posting on here. Something might even be better videoed.

A trip to a junkyard/salvage yard that will let you look for or pull your own parts is a great place to find alternative parts for your project. I have a hell of a collection of odd parts from my Salvage yard days.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Personally, because the counter guys will get 79 Lebaron/ Caravelle, and 80-89 Fifth Ave's mixed up with FWD, I just ask for 1985 or 1987 Dodge Diplomat.
Seems to get me the right parts, quicker.

 

[80mirada]

Some things that can make your life easier when rebuilding a car.

MIG welder and how to use it. It is a costly tool to buy, but an inexpensive 110 volt unit is a life saver. Even the off shore units from places like Harbor Freight or Northern Tool can get the job done, but they may not be as reliable. Many welding supply shops will rent you a tank cheap, and Tractor Supply Company has a Bottle exchange at most of their stores. You will use it far more than you think.

Sawzall, or any half way decent reciprocating saw. I used mine far more than a torch for cutting in tight spaces, a cheap saaw with good blades is better than a good saw with cheap blades.

Torch, doesn't have to be a big oxy-acetylene unit. I use both a MAP gas and a propane unit for heating stuck bolts and bending things. Buy an auto ignition one, they are cheap.

Small Drill Press, doesn't have to be fancy or very big, a common 5sp benchtop unit from Harbor Freight does fine. You will be surprised just how often you will use it instead of a hand held drill.

A good set of screw driver bits. When you run across screws that look like a philips but your screw driver wants to pop out while turning it, they are probably Posi-drive,

Lapping Compound, a little on the end of the driver can help get a screw with a stripped head to move.

 

[80mirada]

A good breakfast helps.
View attachment 12317

Rath Bacon was produced by the Rath Packing company, Waterloo, Iowa, my home town. I had a lot of relatives that worked there, they were the single largest meat packing facility but the policy of hiring all relatives of the Rath family, making them managers and paying them inflated salaries, lead them to bankruptcy.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

This spark tester comes in handy
Under $10 at Princess Auto
One end to a spark plug, other to the plug wire and there will be light if there's spark.

 

[80mirada]

A digital multimeter, a half way decent one will help you track down and diagnose many problems.

A set of line clamps/plugs to keep fluids from leaking when you have them disconnected.

If you have air tools, especially sir ratchets and impacts get impact rated swivels and extensions. The swivels should be ball jointed. Chrome sockets and accessories can throw chips of plating at you

 

[7T8 Custom]

And for Gods sake use safety glasses when using air tools. I have a co-worker on his 8th eye surgery to remove more scar tissue and try to restore partial sight to one eye.

 

[80mirada]

Learn what vehicles use the same components as your car. Recently the A/C refrigerant line for Miradas and Cordobas became "discontinued" and unavailable from a number of sources. The parts are the same as 1980-89 M-body lines, which are still available from most sources (O'reilly's, AutoZone, Rock Auto, etc).

 

[metallicaman0258]

Dodge Dakota (87-96) 3.9 radiators do not fit into M body mopars. They are too small.