08/09/20 Update....

Well the guys have started working the hood as the body primer cures out....

Once they have it all blocked out, they'll jump onto the doors and fenders.

Saturday, I went over to the dealership and pulled out all the various bits to the dash and started stripping the dash in preparation for repairing a couple cracks and then repainting it satin black, detailing out the highlights and then reassembling it in preparation for it's final install....

I left the metal dash reinforcements in place to keep the dash plastic supported until I'm ready to do the repairs.

When I left, I brought the grill home to work on in the evenings after work.

They guys are making good headway and don't want them waiting on me for anything!

More to come...

ZEBRA 3 OUT

08/01/20 Update...

Met the guys at the dealership this morning so they could drop off my driver's seat, the wire harnesses and some tools I left in the car and they picked up the wagon wheels to paint the centers for me. I met them back at their shop to eyeball the Tomato and they have been busy! Got her taped up and the build coat of primer and the guide coat applied to the body and deck lid...

 

 

 

 

 

While it's curing out, they'll start working the doors, fenders, hood, header panel and headlight buckets.

I came back to the house to work some more on the garage so I can start bringing some of the odd projects I need to get wrapped up home and taken care of....

Moving right along now!

STAY TUNED!

ZEBRA 3 OUT

07/25/20 Update....

WOW, two updates in a month... been a while since I've been able to do that!! LOL

The weekend of the 18th I had to go up to the Cleveland for an EMG and doctor's appointment at the Cleveland Clinic, so I didn't get a chance to work on anything Torino related. But on my way back from the appointment on Monday I got a text from the upholstery shop that they had my rear seat finished, so as we headed home from Cleveland on Tuesday, I swung by and picked it up.....

While it's not 100% to my liking, it better than it was...

since it's the back seat and not too many people will be up close and personal with it, it will suffice until I have the interior redone in leather at a later date. Have learned to go over EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb before accepting and paying for a completed project!!!

So this weekend, I took the seat over to the dealership and dropped it off and while I was there, I took my grille down to the wash rack, washed it good (lots of nooks and crannies in that egg crate grille!!) and then took it apart for repairing and detailing.

I have one crack to the top center that had been repaired unsuccessfully in the past that I must readdress before getting too far along it its restoration, so I added a couple layers of masking tape to try and keep the grille together so the crack wouldn't advance any further until I can get it repaired...

So until next time...

ZEBRA 3 OUT

07/11/20 Update....

WOW, been almost two months without an update!! Hasn't really been anything Torino related to report, but the power at the bodyshop has been restored and they are in the process of excavating the area behind the facility to expand it rearward to install a new paint booth and additional work area, but Mother Nature hasn't been cooperating very much so things are taking longer than planned.

I went over to the dealership this morning and marked the holes in the front bumper reinforcement to see which areas could be cut away to reduce a bit of it's weight.....

and also messed a bit on my front bumper pushbar over-rider style bumper guards....

I then moved the bumper reinforcement off the worktop and went and grabbed my dash out of the parts storage room to start cleaning it up to paint and restore. Had a car in the wash rack, so I just set the dash on the bench until next weekend when I'll pull off the remaining electrical components and get it into the bay and wash it off really well. Did notice a couple cracks in the lower edge that I'll need to address and looks like I also have a couple holes on the lower edge to fill as well....

Hope to hear some news from the bodyshop on a wee bit of progress they have made recently. Until then...

DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!

ZEBRA 3 OUT

05/24/20 update.....

WOW, been a couple months since I've updated!! Not as much has transpired as I would have hoped, but with all that's happened in the world and the US these past weeks, I'm just glad to report some progress. Here's what's transpired since my last update.....

Got the wheel lip moldings packaged up securely and sent to my buddy in Texas for straightening, polishing and plating. I fixed a crack in my front grill and did a little rust repair on my rear bumper sight shield reinforcement with some two part epoxy. On the body shop front, the guys assured me they were making slow progress on the roof and would have some good pictures for me in a few days.

Early the next week, I got a call from Nick saying he was having a hell of a time with the roof oil canning as they tried to block it. He said he talked with another body man with several more years experience than he had and the guy suggested we get a tube of 3M expanding foam to shoot along the roof reinforcements to lend a bit more support to the roof, so I OKed that solution and he ordered a tube from out supplier.

Well the following week, the 3M foam arrived and they attempted to shoot it onto the reinforcements, but the material has started to set up in the tube and was useless, so another tube was ordered. Then principal body man got sick and so there no progress to report. As for me, I shot the repaired rear bumper sight shield support with rubberized undercoating so it will be ready to reattach once I get the sight shield stripped.

THEN THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN BEGAN and things got really stalled. We had a storm come thru in mid April with severe high winds that blew down a tree next to the body shop that pulled down the pole, transformer and their power lines. Luckily it fell along the side of the shop and not across the building so there was no damage to the structure... WHEW!!

I couldn't do much on my side of the project because the dealership had cut back their hours to only working 4 days a week, and sadly Saturday is not one of them! So I kinda piddled around the house doing honey do's until things got back to normal.

The shop was finally repaired and operational about mid May and the guys got right to it. The replacement foam arrived and they got it applied to the braces...

and were finally able to get the roof blocked out. With the roof out of the way,

they then turned their attention to setting the panel gaps. The front clips is now off the car

and the weight bags applied to the doors to mimic the assembled door weight.

They are starting on the passenger door since that side is the most accessible.

Eager to see the progress made this coming week!!

As far as me, I've gone to the dealership and reinstalled the rear sight shield reinforcement to the rubber bumper sight shield, so now all the sight shields are ready to be worked and shot bright argent.

I've also worked on the wheels for my '64 Fairlane 500 Ranch Wagon getting ready to have the centers painted to match the body color of the vehicle. Blasted them and painted the rim section with POR15

and now have them ready to send to the body shop along with the wagon hood for the finishing body work and Skylight Blue paint.

Feels good to be able to tinker once again!

Until next installment....

ZEBRA 3 OUT