Vanessa's Makeover - '77 Mark V

[RMAENV]

Perry,


I was going to suggest you put zoop seal on the aluminum to seal it but it appears they are out of business but replace with ShineSea. Same inventor just a better and cheaper product. My son swars by the zoop seal and it is all over the polised aluminum parts in the '57 chevy.

Here is the link for the article....

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/pi ... -more.html

[RMAENV]

Perry,


I was going to suggest you put zoop seal on the aluminum to seal it but it appears they are out of business but replace with ShineSea. Same inventor just a better and cheaper product. My son swars by the zoop seal and it is all over the polised aluminum parts in the '57 chevy.

Here is the link for the article....

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/pi ... -more.html

[1973 Mark IV Fanatic]

Incredible job, Perry! Absolutely wonderful! You sure know what you're doing... everything about that car is right on the money. I am so looking forward to seeing pics of the car in all its glory when it is finished.

[Perry Bush]

Thanks for the nice comments folks, I really appreciate it.

Rob - yes,zoop seal is (was?) a great product. The same metal finishing guy discussed here recommended it the first time he did a set of the forged aluminum "dish" wheels for me. It's been 5 years and they still look new. He had done half his motorcycle with the stuff, and a couple seasons later the difference was significant. It was nice to find a product that works as advertised. I haven't tried the new stuff but I've heard it's as good with fewer steps required. The wheels on this car haven't been done yet, so i'll get to try it out soon. Thanks again!

[Perry Bush]

Brought her home yesterday, for the first time in the years since first buying it. Feels great, I'm very happy with the paint and my choices. The only thing I might reconsider is removing the rocker moldings and smoothing that area out. Seems it would go well with the slick top conversion and balance out the top / bottom halves of the car. Hmmmm... Engine compartment is still dirty, needs work on the original exhaust system, carpet is in my basement follownig a good shampoo. No doubt still a few drivability issues to sort out. All in good time.

One other thing I'm reconsidering is the pinstripes. I don't know, I kida like that extra solid look the body has without them?! almost all Marks I've seen have a pinstripe od some sort. I'm liking the minimalist look more...for the moment.

Spring is coming, just in time. Enjoy!

[onedollarbob]

Pin stripes are rather controversial, it turns out. The problem you have is that the Mark V has such perfect body lines for stripes. On the other hand, plenty will say the clean look will let your fantastic paint speak for itself.

Also, a pin stripe might balance the rocker molding if you decide not to delete it.

One thought is to do a very minimal stripe like used on the '79 Cartier, just a single 3/32" line with no flourish at the tip. I believe the deck lid was also stripe-less on that particular year's Cartier.

[CurtC]

Perry: Re your comment about removing the rocker moldings, I noticed a 77 Mark V on ebay a while back that had the rocker moldings removed.
The car is no longer listed on ebay but the seller still has it listed on his web site which is mjcclassiccars.com. The car is close to the same color as yours and there are some very good images which I think might give you a good idea what Vanessa might look like with the rockers removed. Pretty good I think.

Curt

[1973 Mark IV Fanatic]

Friend Perry: The car looks fantastic! I have always been a fan of pinstripes myself, but I certainly see your perspective about the "minimalist" look; sometimes, less is more, or so they say. One thing to consider in the case of your car is that because it has no vinyl top, and your interior is the same color as the exterior, you really have nothing to co-ordinate or contrast the pinstripe color with. If your car had a chamois colored top or bodyside mouldings, you would naturally want to have chamois colored pinstripes. If your interior was white leather, you would probably consider white pinstripes. With your car being so elegant in its simplicity, I personally think you are on the right track in considering leaving the pinstripes off. It is hard to improve upon perfection! I do think you should leave the rocker trim on, though. I always thought the rocker trim improved the appearance of any Mark V; these cars just look like they are missing something without it, you know? It's your beautiful car, and whatever decision you make regarding these two aesthetic considerations will be the right thing for your car; it will be stunning, regardless. I happen to love it just the way you have it right now. It's just exquisite, Perry!

[Spot]

My car is all-red - but with white pinstripes.
That's why I would highly suggest to add it and keep the rocker moldings !
It just looks great.

[suburban_gorilla]

Perry, your car looks amazing. I'd say leave the pinstripes off on this one. Are the stripes tape or paint? You could always give it a go for a bit and have them added later. If you've got other cars with the stripes, why not leave them off this "mild" custom? The slick top is really sharp.

thumbs up!!

Best,

[Perry Bush]

Thanks Folks! Yes, all good points. No need to be in a hurry to change anything at all. I did look again at the MJC car and absence of the rocker molding maybe doesn't do as much toward that balance as I thought. Ah well, the ones on the car are in fabulous condition, reason enough to leave them alone. And I will put on some miles before making the call on the pinstripes. One reason I did want to bring them back is because it came with the deluxe two-tone pin stripe scheme that included the hood and trunk lid arch. We'll see... Waiting now for good weather...no room to do any real work in the garage. She looks good in there though!

[Perry Bush]

Wow - can't believe it's been nearly 6 months! This one took a back seat this spring/summer while trying to advance the junk yard '73 to driver condition and also getting several bugs worked out of the '70 Coupe before it goes in for a complete color change starting this winter...

Still have the underflooring, carpet, and seats to reinstall but at least now I'm driving the car occasionally as well since I finally found a place to do the dual exhaust project and I'm very happy with it. Pipes are tighter to the body than stock but zero rattles or bumps, and he used real exhaust hangars with rubber mounts and bolted in place. I went with "Turbo" mufflers and no resonators and she sounds nice and healthy when you're on the gas, but very nearly quite as always while cruising, I like it.

Now I just have to figure out what to put on the floor before the carpeting goes back in. Online selections and info for Dynamat and similar materials are overwhelming and I just gave up thinking about it for a while. Anyone have experience with a product they liked, for sound and heat insulation?

Chipping away...

[RMAENV]

Perry,

LOL on the Dynamat issue. I went through that craziness building my '57 Chevy. The actual Dynamat is VERY expensive per square foot. What I did was to compare the db (sound deading) ratings. Found the ones with the most sound deading capabilities, compared price and bought the cheapest in that sound deading range. Rolls are much cheaper than squares. Actually, I think mine came off ebay.

I don't see how they can be much different. They are all nothing more than foil backed tar. As my son explained to me we humans couldn't tell the difference in 1 or 2 db's anyway.

[Spot]

Perry, you're doing great with your makeover !
Your Mark V looks with every step you do more and more beatiful

[Perry Bush]

I've been calling this car "almost done" for the last year...now I think I really mean it.

Laid super dense jute material over the entire floor, continuous from under the dash all the way back to the package tray. Overkill, maybe, but I really like the noticeable difference in the feel of the carpet when you put some weight on it...even more cushy. I'm thinking it will also provide better overall sound insulation than the patches that were installed originally. A real pain to cut and fit this material, but I feel good now that it's done.

All the interior is reinstalled and looks great. Only thing to do there is recolor the seat belts. the sun-expose sides of both are faded enough that it would be noticeable against all the other nice rich color in the car. Planning to use SEM vinyl colorcoat product. Their burgundy is a dead on match for the original interior Cordovan color. I haven't done this before but will get to it this weekend. Anyone have any experience with this?

Cleaning up the driver side window mechanisms did a world of good for the smoothness and speed of the up/down motion. Took the passenger side door apart, again, and did the same. Both now run up and down quickly, quietly.

Then got started on the engine bay. I know, I really have this step out of order, but I had to get in while I could for the paint shop...now being super careful of course any time I'm leaning over, which has been a lot the last few days. Did a good thorough cleaning, then started wire brushing little brackets, fasteners, etc....trying to minimize time invested at this point. Then realized that I'm not going to be happy with a cleaning and little detailing. Also I intend/need to sell the car before I can really get going much further with other projects, and I know how much I value a truly nice looking engine bay. So, everything removed from the front of the motor and doing the best I can to make a partial repaint not look silly. The original paint on the valve covers and air cleaner is still nice and will just do some touch-ups....I must draw a line somewhere and pulling the motor for further cosmetic improvement is on the other side of that line.

Just have to reinstall all the brackets, pumps, pulleys, etc, all painted satin black, color and reinstall the main seat belts...and then it really is done (as far as I'm concerned)!

I'll have it at the LCOC meet in Rockford, IL in a couple weeks.