I believe it's the details that make a car. Unfortunately, when I built my Shelby 427 Cobra (replica), I was so anxious to get it done that I had to cut corners. This time I'm going to make up for it. I also know that while the whole body and chassis are in still in pieces, it's better start doing this kind of work already. There's time for everything, and the cold and snowy winter months are best suited for detailing. Getting something finished and detailed also gives me strength to carry on with those other things that I don't like that much.
| While the stock gauges are not the most beautiful in design, it never even crossed my mind to replace them with modern ones. However I decided to give them a facelift. I repainted the "old smoker's teeth" colored backgrounds in white pearl, just as the letters engraved in the clear plastic. I then painted the dials black. The perimeter under the letters, now dark red, was originally copper plated steel (I think) and I sanded all the copper off and then sprayed on a coat of candy red lacquer, straight on the sanded metal. Gives a nice contrast for the pearl white letters. Now the gauges match the colors of the car. The bezels were rechromed, too. What you can't see here, are the "idiot lights" for the 12 volt alternator and oil pressure, that I hide in the gauges. |
When I disassembled the speedo, I accidentally touched the odometer wheels, and the numbers fell off. I designed new numbers using Designer, printed them on white paper sticker, and fixed onto the wheels. You can see some extra sheets of numbering under the clock. I tried black-on-white first, but white-on-black looked better. I decided to leave the trip odometer intact since it wasn't damaged. The capillary tube of the temp gauge was broken at the engine end, so I had to get it redone. I had to turn every stone in Finland to find a shop for this task, and found it - only a couple of blocks away! |
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| What's this? Wiper Transmissions, made of pot metal. The one on the right is the one that my plater made Swiss cheese of. The one on the left is a miracle. My workmate, Juha, told me one day that hey, there's wiper parts for your Buick on eBay. Yes indeed, NOS wiper towers for a 46-48 Buick. Only the auction would end the same evening, and the seller would only accept cash, and would ship US only. I had to have these, now what? Send e-mail to my buddy Tom Haltmeyer in Arizona, and ask him to bid them for me. It's a long story with happy ending - thanks a lot, Tom! |
