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Little detailing


woodrow

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I am really getting into this car.  I recently purchased this 1948 P15. While we still have approximately 2 to 3 months of winter to go I decided to spend some time just touching up some details.  I have so far replaced all of the old rubber and carpets with new rubber flooring  throughout.  I've also taken the time to repair any paint flaws and am getting ready to replace the windshield glasses and seal.  But this past couple of days I have been doing some cleani g, painting and pushing under the bonnet.  When I got the car I noticed the rad had a bit of brass color poking out under some cruddy black paint.  so I started with some stripper and revealed a beautiful big brass radiator.  I sanded and then polished it to a shine.I also tore apart the horns and repainted them along with some other parts.  so far, so good.  I really like the way it's coming out.  I would post more pics but I'm having a hard time resizing my pics in order to upload them.  

20190305_214301-2016x1512.jpg

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A lot of times I resize the pictures by opening them up with the Paint program then use the resize option in the tool bar.

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Looking good.  As you probably know....originally those fins on the radiator and covers of the horns were black and the hood latch plate

was a natural silver metal color.       However the grey (or blue)  gives your car a unique look.

Edited by BobT-47P15
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3 hours ago, BobT-47P15 said:

Looking good.  As you probably know....originally those fins on the radiator and covers of the horns were black and the hood latch plate

was a natural silver metal color.       However the grey (or blue)  gives your car a unique look.

I didn't remember that the hood latch plate was not painted, but that sounds right to me.  I did notice that the hood safety latch is originally unpainted, just cadmium plated.  I wish now that I had reworked some of those parts while I was still working in the plating shop (until the early 80's), instead of plating a lot of the stuff I did, like all of the engine dust shields, lower inner fender wells, and stuff like the bell housing.  But at the time I was thinking 'daily driver', and wanted to protect the parts that would be most exposed to road spray.  (Also cad plated the head, valve access covers, intake & exhaust, and probably a bunch of other stuff that has paint over the top of the plating already from back then.)

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3 hours ago, BobT-47P15 said:

Looking good.  As you probably know....originally those fins on the radiator and covers of the horns were black and the hood latch plate

was a natural silver metal color.       However the grey (or blue)  gives your car a unique look.

The fins and horns were a cruddy black and I was going to just repaint them gloss black but then decided to add a bit of color to them.  I like originality but all of that black is a drag! lol. I also painted the air cleaner cover Clay (MORE BLUISH) which against the polished brass rad looks uniquely custom.  More and more I like the way the car is looking as the details start to shine.

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DSC00360.jpg

Somewhere...in the reference section of this website, is a factory list of colors for numerous items on the car.     Which items were painted and which were 

a natural metal finish.   My engine stuff is pretty much either silver or black.

 

I had to replace my original radiator as it could no longer be repaired.....so I went with an aluminum model.  But I did not care for the shiny top

and frame......so I masked off the core and painted the rest black.  Can not use those air fins on top without having mounting brackets made and attached to the new rad.  Will the average spectator at a car show know the difference????      I suspect not.    (I do need to put the horns back on.)

 

DSC00358.jpg

 

Edited by BobT-47P15
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Yes and luckily the horizontal bracket and attachment point for your horns is

non dependent on the rad so you can live without the brackets. Nice, clean look btw Bob!

As for spectators not knowing what is missing or not then I have an opinion on that.  I find it very easy, tho not cheap, to stick to an all original recipe when restoring and detailing these classics.  However, I personally enjoy seeing a person's own rendition of a particular finish as with what I have done or what Bob has done.  Yes, it's cool to see an all original machine which sticks to factory finish but it's awesome to see a little uniqueness.  After all if they all look exactly as they came from the factory then why bother having car shows; you see 1 you see them all lol.  Unless concours de elegance is your thing! lol

and here's another pic of the rad all polished.  Now to get the rest of the engine bay SHINING.  Oh and NOT pictured is all new water hoses, clamps and newly painted hard water lines.

 

20190305_214638-2016x1512.jpg

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I have two non original horns hidden under the hood plus a 6v siren I need to put back on.   

The original horns do need a new wire that runs down thru the steering column then they will work also.

 

Always something you can tinker with on these old cars.......that's part of the fun. 

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10 hours ago, woodrow said:

why do you use 2 non original horns? are the originals not working? reason I ask is cus I had mine apart and they seem like a simple setup.

 

I used non original horns because I had to move the radiator 2" forward to make room for a Desoto engine and there was no room for the original horns. I also installed an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator.

 

P3060002.jpg

 

P3060001.jpg

 

P7080006.jpg

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Woodrow, Those radiators look great polished up. I did the same to mine about 14 years ago, a year or so later I used some high heat engine clear over the brass section so I would not have to keep polishing it. It has just recently started to yellow but still not bad.

Image2.jpg

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5 hours ago, blue p15 said:

I also have an aluminum radiator.  I need to get it painted so it doesn't stick out "like a sore thumb".  I have a pusher fan and the original horns.

0308190718.jpg

I believe that your paint is the original color for my car.  when I compare it to my engine bay, which is original paint, it looks identical.  

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