My '80 Ford LTD 2-Door Slicktop

[1987cp]

Looking good! Water leaks FTL, for sure. I've been lucky not to have any to speak of in my current LTDs even though they have junky tendencies elsewhere.

I hadn't noticed the '89 speedo being marked at 135 instead of 140 like the '87. I've now got one of each in my possession, will be interesting to compare them. Black dash should be wheelie neat ... going to go black with the carpet too? I'm not crazy about mine, really wish I'd gotten a charcoal color that hides footprints and leaf bits better.


Non-bodyman question: How is the core support attached, anyway? A bunch of spot welds? I'd have thought it'd be between difficult and impossible to take it off.

[84GrandMarquis]

Wow! That's fast progress you're making on that car. I guess once you get all of the rust and other minor body work taken care of the real fun can begin

Of course if you were intersted in another project.... http://www.autobidmaster.com/carfind...E_AMARILLO_TX/ hehe sorry I just had to throw that in there considering how identical it is

[LTDMan83]

Looking good! Water leaks FTL, for sure. I've been lucky not to have any to speak of in my current LTDs even though they have junky tendencies elsewhere.

I hadn't noticed the '89 speedo being marked at 135 instead of 140 like the '87. I've now got one of each in my possession, will be interesting to compare them. Black dash should be wheelie neat ... going to go black with the carpet too? I'm not crazy about mine, really wish I'd gotten a charcoal color that hides footprints and leaf bits better.


Non-bodyman question: How is the core support attached, anyway? A bunch of spot welds? I'd have thought it'd be between difficult and impossible to take it off.

Well, the main water leak here with this car, is where the HVAC Plenum meets the firewall at the bottom, water drips out of there, which happens on pretty much all boxes until you seal off the base of the FA Inlet. No leaks at all coming from the weatherstripping on the doors.

Yes, going with a fully Black Interior, Dash, Seats, Headliner, the whole deal.

The Core Support is easy to pull off, only takes a little work if everything is nice, or quite alot if your stuff is rusted. It sits on Body Bushings, and is only attached to the frame with large 2 Bolts/Nuts that are directly under it. After the fenders are removed, you pull those 2 and it comes right off, (helps to soak them with 3in1 oil and let them sit overnight first), as some of them are highly rusted and damn hard to remove, especially the one near the battery box.

Wow! That's fast progress you're making on that car. I guess once you get all of the rust and other minor body work taken care of the real fun can begin

Of course if you were intersted in another project.... http://www.autobidmaster.com/carfind...E_AMARILLO_TX/ hehe sorry I just had to throw that in there considering how identical it is

That is pretty close to this one, optioned slightly different, still looks like a decent starting point though. I really don't need another project LTD though, this one is gonna be easy enough to restore, so I'm sticking with it. The doors on my car are really more than ok for now, and could easily last for another 20 years even in their current state, I'm just really anal about rust, and don't want any to exist on my cars. I'd like it to last for my entire life as well, without having to restore it again in 20-30 years.

[sly]

very nice.

I noticed that the steering wheel has lots of cracks in it. My Mark's wheel is getting there too. what's the plan for that?

[LTDMan83]

very nice.

I noticed that the steering wheel has lots of cracks in it. My Mark's wheel is getting there too. what's the plan for that?

Thanks. Yea, those early model steering wheels crack up pretty badly. Planning on replacing the stock wheel with a Grant Mahogany Steering Wheel in this car. My MKVI has a perfect uncracked steering wheel surprisingly, but if it ever starts to crack up, Eastwood sells an epoxy based Steering Wheel Repair kit, that works well on the old wheels from what I've heard.

[gabegt90]

nice progress brandon I love how the floors came out

[pantera77]

Thanks guys. Por15'ing the floor next, takes around 2 hours of hand sanding to get all those contours in the floorpan perfectly prepped for the Por. That's One thing about Por15, if the prep isn't immaculate, Por15 peals off like a cheap sticker. As long as you do your prep work correctly, Por15 bonds permanently, and is hard to even sand back off afterward, much harder than a standard urethane or enamel paint. I've did it many a time though, so I know the gig well.

This is too true! When I first started using POR-15 on my 91 Marq, I found out very quickly that if it's not just right, it pretty much is useless. You use the Marine Clean and Metal Prep, or your own special stuff?


Also, that looks like a solid 2 door, and an awesome project!

[LTDMan83]

This is too true! When I first started using POR-15 on my 91 Marq, I found out very quickly that if it's not just right, it pretty much is useless. You use the Marine Clean and Metal Prep, or your own special stuff?


Also, that looks like a solid 2 door, and an awesome project!

Thanks!

I think the name POR (Paint Over Rust) is a little misleading to people, and makes them think that you can just paint over raw unconverted rust, or smooth unprepared metal, when that is not the case. I bet the majority of people don't realize that their stuff is still rusting just as fast underneath that thick shell of Por.

Yea, I still use their Marine Clean and Metal Ready. I buy Marine Clean buy the Gallon for all my De-greasing needs, it is strong enough that I really don't have much use for Solvent or Petroleum based cleaners anymore. I even use Metal Ready (now called Prep N Ready) for the times I need a bulletproof finish that won't chip on parts that see alot of abuse like swaybars. It etches the metal, and leaves a chemical matrix patten of zinc phosphate, which makes for one helluva durable finish when combined with a quality Urethane paint. I've never been able to make the finish chip or scratch off afterward, even when throwing the piece around on a concrete surface.

[1987cp]

Marine Clean? Never heard of it! Where do you get yours?

[LTDMan83]

Marine Clean? Never heard of it! Where do you get yours?

http://www.por15.com/Default.asp?


Has de-greased my old grease coated parts and chassis better than Purple Power ever has, which is why I made the switch.

I use it undiluted full strength, it dissolves most grease that way, and the grease will just wash right off afterward. Other than what has been baked on at a high temp, you actually gotta use some elbow grease combined with the Marine Clean to get the baked on stuff off.

[packman]

Nice!!! Is this CV going to be a show and go car?

Yeah, and that POR15 is very finnicky. I used it for the front end rebuild on Putter Project and I guess the Purple Power I used when I ran out of Marine Clean didn't agree with the POR15. I used the Metal Prep too and it still chipped and peeled in a few spots. Kinda pissed me off. Though, my undercoating job on the CV has held up with the same stuff; so I guess I can't complain too much. Any ideas on how to prep the underbody for resurfacing, that has already been treated to POR15?



Packman

[turbo2256b]

Ditch the POR paint and go with Rustbullet. I used the POR paint and didnt like some of the issues as you have mentioned. Realy dident like the prep and extra paint and extra paint and prep to paint over with other paints. Rustbullet dosent have those issues. Makes a great primer surface for normal automotive paint aplication. It also seems to be impervios to most solvets once applied and hardens. Often have wiped or sprayed it down with carb or brake clean. The rag wont even have a hint of the rustbullet on it.

[LTDMan83]

Nice!!! Is this CV going to be a show and go car?

Yeah, and that POR15 is very finnicky. I used it for the front end rebuild on Putter Project and I guess the Purple Power I used when I ran out of Marine Clean didn't agree with the POR15. I used the Metal Prep too and it still chipped and peeled in a few spots. Kinda pissed me off. Though, my undercoating job on the CV has held up with the same stuff; so I guess I can't complain too much. Any ideas on how to prep the underbody for resurfacing, that has already been treated to POR15?



Packman

By my calculations tis going to be approximately 32% Show / 68% Go by the year 2014.

The Marine Clean & Metal Prep are not enough alone, you actually have to very thoroughly sand down every contour of the floorpan, and make damn sure you have absolutely no traces of grease or silicone remaining on anything, or you will have it peeling back off in places. I've used Purple Power to degrease before painting with Por15, and never had that problem, so that wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

If your Por15 job is peeling back off in places, then I wouldn't trust painting over it with anything, especially undercoating. In that case, I'd strip the floorpan down to bare metal and start over again, with a solid Por foundation this time, then using Por Tie-Coat, before you lay down your undercoating on top of that. Remember, you don't build a mansion on the sand...

Ditch the POR paint and go with Rustbullet. I used the POR paint and didnt like some of the issues as you have mentioned. Realy dident like the prep and extra paint and extra paint and prep to paint over with other paints. Rustbullet dosent have those issues. Makes a great primer surface for normal automotive paint aplication. It also seems to be impervios to most solvets once applied and hardens. Often have wiped or sprayed it down with carb or brake clean. The rag wont even have a hint of the rustbullet on it.

Yea, I hear ya. I've had excellent results from it myself though. The shit is damn tough when you achieve the proper adhesion. Once rust has been converted, you can then paint over it with any quality non-porous paint, and it will last, so the choice in paints really does not matter. I just prefer the Por15 for various reasons.

[LTDMan83]

Last update for awhile.

Here's the last photo of the LTD tudor, until sometime in summer 2012. All my car restoration time this winter/spring belongs to the Mark VI.











I love this car though, it reminds me so much of my first car. Bought a car cover for the car today as well, to help protect it during winters harsh embrace. It's sitting in a good spot, ans she'll be safe here with me, much more so than if left parked inside my buddys shop, which is not in a great neighborhood.


Til next time!

[Brandon]

Damn that front bumper looks so much better! Looking forward on seeing progress with this one as well