latest work on the car....

[trwp72]

I got alot done on the '84 today, even if it did rain... sort of did it between the showers... hardest part was trying to line up the holes on the trim pieces, while trying to start the screw with the drill gun, while trying to hold the whole mess up! (And doing it blind, as you couldn't see the screw holes....)

Here is the "completed" pictures....


The insulation between the back seat and the trunk.. it is now twice as thick as original... Added another layer of "jute" insulation, then wrapped the whole thing in plastic... Looks sort of tacky, but it's about a full inch thick now!


Got the sunvisors back in... they look really good... These were also fun to put in!!!


The rear seat in... had a hard time getting the seat to clip over the hook, due to the extra insulation... but at least it isn't coming off!!! I also put another layer of the insulation under the back seat... Hope it makes the car alot quieter!


Another shot... A HATE the way the flash makes the interior look "purple"!!!
Well tommorow I start wiring all the emergency equipment, running all of the wiring harnesses.. so I can get the center console installed, and then get the front seats back in, followed by the cage, gunrack, and other "goodies"!! I also have to remove all the seatbelts, and have them cleaned... then re-install them.. I realized today that they needed cleaning BAD!!! I also have all new plastic "trim" pieces that go on the buckles... Tom....

[zwack88]

Wow she is looking really good. Is that back seat original or was it recovered?

[Lincolnmania]

looks good tom!

[grandpaslincoln]

As always, job well done man!

Is it my eyes, or is your windsheild cracked?

[trwp72]

Seats and winshield!

The seats have the original upholstery on them... I got the entire set from the junkyard for $45.00! My original ones were pretty screwed up.. the back of the drivers seat was broken, and a HUGE hole from the officers gun butt... I grabbed these because they were in good shape, and the right color! We took the covers off, had them washed at a friend of mines cleaners.. there is a guy there that is the tops at getting stains out of things... The back seat had a HUGE red clay stain on it, from the junkyard.. some idiot put the gas tank from the car in the back seat, instead of the trunk like they usually do.... But he got the stain out, and they look like new. Then we re-sewed ALL of the seams, and replace one little insert in the drivers seat, due to a tiny cigarette burn... right about where your left knee would be... Then he put them all back together. If your seats get to the point that you can't get them clean, then take them apart and have them washed! (NOT dry cleaned! The drycleaning fluid would ruin most upholstery fabrics)

Yes the windshield is cracked in about ten places... I think something hit the windshield during the hurricane, and then when I moved it.. spider cracks went everywhere! (Probably from body flex...) I know they all appeared while I was moving back around front of the house after the hurricane. It was sort of funny to watch! Since I don't have a garage, I put it behind my house, on the leeward side, to have the house act as a windbreak. It worked pretty good, as the only damage was the windshield. I WOULD have put it in the firehouse, like my other car, but it wasn't running real good then... But it needed replacing anyway.. it was starting to discolor around the edges... (Getting that white cloudy look..) Tom...

[trwp72]

Seatbelts.....

The latest.....

I got a chance right before dark to remove the seatbelts, and clean them up... I pulled the belt all the way out of the takeup reel, and used to clothespins to keep them extended.. and then set the ratchet mechanism on the side of the sink, and put the belts into the sink to soak. (A mixture of HOT water, clothes soap and Clorox 2.. And then let them soak....) When I came back.. (About an hour later) The water was a dark yellow color... (Nicotine?) I then took them one at a time and scrubbed them with a stiff brush... they came out great.. no more stains on them.. including a couple of grease stains I didn't think would come out.... I then used a brillo pad to clean up all the chrome buckles... so they will look great!


Tom....

[trwp72]

More...

I got a new two way radio for the car this morning.. I had mentioned to one of our firefighters that we used two types of radios with these cars, and I had one type, but wished i had the other one, as it was smaller... Well, he happened to have one, in brand new condition... So he dropped it off to me this morning here at the PD... it was in great shape, since he bought it new, and had it in his car. He used to live in the N.E., and they used VHF highband for the police up there, we use UHF here, so it was doing him no good... And the Fire Dept gave him a radio.. so he didn't need it anymore. (Besides, he didn't want to pay $200.00 to change the channel elements in it, so he could use it with the FD here. We are both with the FD also.) Cleaned it up and polished the aluminum on the control head, have to make a bracket for the control head, then it is going in the car. Tom...

[Grand Marquis GT]

Awesome!

This is gonna look so nice when its all togther...and it almost is!

[trwp72]

done...

Had too much fun today.. had to crawl all over the inside of the car measuring for the cage.. I have one of the old wire cages for it, but it was sized for a 1995 Chevy Caprice... So I have to cut it down to fit my car... Thats tommorow! Tom...

[trwp72]

Progress.....

Well, hopefully after all of this rain clears out today, I will be starting to get the wiring in, and the cage.... I have a few things to go to the welding shop for the car, the cage, (Needs "chopped" in width about 5 inches) Weld some metal bars to the seatbelt mounts, to help hold the seatbelts up on the bucket seats. (so you can get to them easier.. I am going to put a matching vinyl "sleeve" around the metal bar, and the seatbelt) These need to be welded and put together before I install the front bucket seats... as they will be unable to be reached after installation...
I also have to make the new mount for the new radio, since that was the only thing missing on it. I also have to decide where to mount the sirens and switches, since I can now "mockup" that part, now that the carpets are in.

The newly washed and cleaned seat belts will also be going back in... then I can lock down the back seat. Also, then I can install the rest of the inside trim. This will allow me to make the mounts for the cage....

For now, to get the car running so I can go to some shows with it... (EVERYONE has been wanting to see it...) I am going to put a cat and exhaust pipe back on the car for now... so it will be quiet, and no more pipe hanging down underneath. (The guy that did own it took the exhaust pipe and cat off of it, and used that cheap flex pipe.. it hangs down underneath, and leaks like a sieve.. sounds like crap!) I want to do the true duals anyway, after I get the 4 barrel on the car, and the fuel pump that is mounted under the car removed, so I can run TWO mufflers, instead of one muffler with two outlets.... So after the Four barrel goes on the car, Then I will do the headers, "H" pipe and duals....

Tom, I think we have narrowed the problem with the brakes down to the brake booster, or the booster vacume check valve, or maybe even a vacume leak in the brake system vacume line... Going to check on that this weekend....
Tom....