MOPAR JOHNS EK2 SUPERBIRD RESTORATION!!

[Mopar John]

That's some very nice work you've done!  This car is going to be quite the Superb-bird.   

I will take a look thought your wanted lists and see what I can see.

I like the Superb-bird name!
Please do take a look at the want list and see if anyone you know might have something?
Thanks! MJ

[Mopar John]

Hey John,
That all looks familiar! I was working in different areas to get my alignment worked out.(Technically it wasn't me but I was doing the approvals to keep working on the lines and gaps)
Did you get that hood to nose center line to look a little better? I was surprised to see that mine didn't line up either but just chalked it up to the shop not getting the nose on properly until I started looking around and there was no way to get that lined up without sacrifices elsewhere. Someday I'll get the picture CD off the shop and get my pics loaded up.

FJ5WING,
Thanks for the comments and observations!
Yes, They were able to move things around and get most everything better!
Please share your pictures when you get time!
MJ

[Mopar John]

                                                       HOLES?
Troy likes to leave the body sit and cure for a month or so to let everything settle in. During that time other work is done to keep the restoration moving along. This batch of pictures show the work that was done to get the holes drilled for the Superbird vinyl top trim and the quarter panel scoops. The first picture is of the passengers side vinyl top trim measurements. The second picture shows the drivers side with the holes already drilled! The third picture if of the passengers side quarter scoop layout. The last picture is of the drivers side quarter scoop layout.
MJ

[Mopar John]

                                              BLOCK SANDING THE SUPERBIRD BODY!
It's been a while since I posted some pictures. Mainly due to working my favorite shift 12 hour midnights! It's a chore just to survive them!
In this segment I will share pictures of the block sanding of the Superbird body. The body has sat for a while and other work was done. Now it's time to block sand and reprimer! The first pictureis of the tail panel block sanded. The second picture is of the passengers side block sanded. The last two pictures are of the drivers side block sanded!
MJ

[Mopar John]

                                                         ANOTHER COAT OF PRIMER!
In this batch of pictures I will share the results of the block sanding and another coat of primer. Troy and the guys spend a lot of time to get the body razor straight! This shows up when cars are on display in shows like the MCACN show under the lights!
The first picture shows the tail panel with another coat of primer. The second and third pictures are of the passengers side back in primer. The last picture is of the drivers side with the block sand and another coat of primer!
MJ

[hemi68charger]

 

Happy, Happy, Happy..............

[Mopar John]

                 THE SUPERBIRD HOOD AND TRUNKLID GET BLOCK SANDED AND ANOTHER COAT OF PRIMER!
With the main body in primer it was time to block sand the hood and trunklid!
The first picture shows the top of the hood block sanded. The second picture shows the trunklid block sanded. The last two pictures show these same parts again with a fresh coat of primer!
MJ

[Mopar John]

                 THE SUPERBIRD NOSE ASSEMBLY GETS BLOCK SANDED AND ANOTHER COAT OF PRIMER!
In this group of pictures I will share the same work being done on the nose assembly! The first two pictures show the top and bottom of the nose block sanded. The last two pictures show the same areas now in a fresh coat of primer. The project is now picking up some speed and heading towards paint! YES!! I'm HAPPY!
MJ

[70Sbird]

John,
Looks Fantastic!!!

And no more dent in the center of the hood for you to look at anymore!

[Dave Kanofsky]

You think with all of that work they would have fixed those holes in the tops of your quarter panels! 

That thing is lookin' sweet, and we KNOW it will turn out great! 

[Mopar John]

John,
Looks Fantastic!!!

And no more dent in the center of the hood for you to look at anymore!

Scott,
The dent didn't even appear in the block sand! Soon it will be time to worry about installing any NEW dents!
MJ

[Mopar John]

You think with all of that work they would have fixed those holes in the tops of your quarter panels! 

That thing is lookin' sweet, and we KNOW it will turn out great! 

Dave,
The holes in the top of the quarters look really bad until the wing is in place!
Thanks! MJ

[Mopar John]

                                                     MORE SANDING!
With the body done it was time to work on some of the smaller details. The first two pictures show the quarter panel extensions getting the second sanding and primer coat. The last two pictures show the fender scoops being sanded also!
MJ

[Mopar John]

                                                        TIGER STRIPES?
I didn't know what to call the light stripes of black primer so I call them tiger stripes. These stripes are installed as a final preperation for the wet sanding of the body! This batch of pictures show what the Superbird body looked like after the tiger stripes were sprayed on the body! Next up will be wet sanding!
MJ

[pettybird]

tiger stripes=guide coat

[Aero426]

 

[Mopar John]

                                          MORE GUIDE COAT PICTURES!
Thanks to pettybird to correct me on the term for the black primer stripes! The official term for them is guide coat. Many of you might have already known that?
Here are a few more pictures of the hood and trunklid in GUIDE COAT!
MJ

[Mopar John]

                                                   THE WET SANDING BEGINS!
The next step in the restoration was to start the wet sanding of all the body parts for a super smooth finish!
This batch of pictures show the start of that work! The first picture is of the passengers side. The second picture is of the drivers side. The last two pictures are of the door openings! ENJOY!
MJ

[tan top]

    looking good     

[Mopar John]

   looking good     

[Mopar John]

                                               ANOTHER GOOD GUY ALERT!
  A while ago I posted on here about a few parts that I needed to complete the project listed in the parts wanted section. I have had a few responses but none like the one I'm going to tell you about!
  I get a call just over a week ago from a friend of mine who's a wing car enthusiast and regular at our meets. We have talked about the wing cars a few times also. This guy tells me that he bought a car a while ago and that in the trunk was a box of parts including a pair of NOS motor mount isolators that were never installed on the car!
He told me that he had installed these isolators on an engine that he was getting ready to install in one of his projects! Then he tells me that they belonged on a car that was going through a high level of restoration such as my Superbird! He then goes on to tell me that if they were what I was looking for he would remove them from his engine and sell them to me for the Superbird! WOW! Then he would find some other for his project! It turns out that they were what I was looking for and I got them yesterday!
Many of you know him Stan McGuire who travels the country in his pristine 1969 red Road Runner convertible. Then he sticks a pin in the United States map of all the places he has been to!
Thanks Stan for joining in this project! John

[Mopar John]

                                                 FRONT FENDER INSIDE PREP!
With the Superbird body wet sanded and ready for paint it was time to remove the front fenders and get them ready on the inside. The first two pictures show the fenders off the body and masked off ready for primer. The last two pictures show the fenders now in primer and ready to go back on the body!

[Mopar John]

                                               FRONT FENDER HARDWARE PREP!
With the front fenders ready it was time to get all the original mounting hardware cleaned up and ready!
The first two pictures are of the front fender hardware bead blasted and ready for primer. The last two pictures show the hardware now in primer! Next up will be the fenders back on and a look at the Superbird body!
MJ

[hemi68charger]

Nice, Nice,,,,,,,,,,,, Nice,Nice...................................  Oh, and Nice !!!!   

[Mopar John]

                                                          MORE PROGRESS!
The first picture in this batch shows all the hardware now in primer!
The second picture shows the passengers side fender prepped and back on the body with the restored original fastners! The third picture shows the drivers side fender and hood back on! The last picture shows the Superbird body wet sanded and reassembled. What will the next step be? You will never guess as I have never seen this before! STAY TUNED!
MJ