Cool McCool's Garage

Sanding, sanding, sanding…

Feeling a burst of creative energy and ambition, I went out to the shop and actually accomplished quite a bit today on the T’bird. I (almost) finished up work on the lengthened tulip panel (between the trunk lid and backlight), and on the shortened tonneau cover. After I’d gotten most of the sanding done, I put the tonneau cover back on the car, set the top back on in order to check the fit and alignment of the panels, and to get a visual of how the car will look.

The result, I think, is that it looks fantastic. The shortened top and tonneau cover now meet right where the backlight (rear window) will be. The car looks SO good with the top on, with the tonneau cover inside, that may be the primary way I use the car, although it looks KILLER without the top too.

Right side.

In addition to that, I took a close look at the fit of the rear bumper on the driver’s side, and decided that I did NOT need to cut the bumper apart (again), but that there was enough adjustment in the brackets to take care of the “droop” at the leading edge of the bumper where it meets the body. It’s much better now after adjusting. I also took some time at the right side quarter in back of the wheel opening, where the new character line for the quarter and fender skirt didn’t quite match up. A little tweak here, and a little more ‘glass reinforced filler there, got the line right where it should be. With the car on the ground, there will be a shadow that would have made the little mis-alignment almost unnoticeable, but I know it’s there, and since I’m doing body work, it may as well be “right” before paint.

While filler was setting up on the quarter panel, I started to finesse the seam on the roof where the backlight was moved forward, and on the front bumpers weld seams. A couple more days of filling and blocking will have the car ready for primer, and I can move on to replacing a couple of pieces of rotten fuel line, get the brakes bled, and finish up the wiring behind the dash for the new, original gauges and switches. It’s coming along!

You sexy beast!