PDA

View Full Version : my 442 getting sexy again


rambozotheclown
02-11-2009, 11:10 PM
i've had this car for a few years, but over most of last year i had neglected it. i spent a good part of the last week or so making up for it. i posted this on another forum, so the dates dont make sense on here. im too lazy to edit too.. lol. enjoy anyways! :)





I posted up when i finally found the short in my 442, but had to park it cuz the short fuxxored the battery... Well yesterday i got a new battery, and realized what a bad daddy I've been. The front end was completely coated in dirt, especially under the hood. So I decided to clean her up, starting from the front and working back.
FIrst came washing and waxing the whole outside of the car, and using engine cleaner and a rag to clean the engine bay. I held off on cleaning the engine itself because i want to paint it, but that comes later.
Today, I wanted to take care of the headlight bezels which had paint flaking off and all the chrome looked like an old trash can.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/43630089.jpg
That should be an easy job, right? Wrong! I had to take the bumper off. But that's ok because tomorrow is bumper shine day.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/43630090.jpg

So after finally getting the bezels off, I washed em and scrubbed em down with steel wool, sanded em, and found out by accident that my air nozzle is a damn good paint stripper. Obviously, paint comes next.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/43630091.jpg

Now for the trim rings. I scuffed the crap off with steel wool again, then went over them with metal polish and cleaned the painted part with the same engine cleaner I used under the hood.
A before and after pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/43630092.jpg

Finished product:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/43630093.jpg

Tomorrow is re-install these and get the bumper shiny again.

rambozotheclown
02-11-2009, 11:11 PM
ok so i got some more work done today. well, yesterday too but i went out instead of hanging out here and posting pics. :lame:
today was polishing the chrome trim bits and vacuuming inside and the trunk, getting all the leaves out of the rear window trim and windshield cowl, and getting the vinyl roof pretty again.

i didnt get a 'before' pic of under the hood, but here it is how it looks now:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/underhood.jpg

i also painted the grille and made teh emblem look almost brand new:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/grillebadge.jpg

here is the front bumper before i started cleaning and polishing it:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/bumperbefore.jpg

a couple 'after' pics, one has different lighting on it..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/bumperafter.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/bumperafter2.jpg

here it is, all cleaned and assembled.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/bruiserfront.jpg

some other pics, just for ***** and giggles:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/bruiserrear.jpg

i dont think anyone here has ever seen the interior, so here ya go:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/interiorfront.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/interiorrear.jpg

rambozotheclown
02-11-2009, 11:12 PM
on to her backside now... :sexnana:

i took the chrome strip off the trunk and cleaned/polished it. that thing was a ***** to do while on the car, but i think this is the part i'm happiest about.
i forgot if i mentioned cleaning the vinyl roof or not, but i did that. its the background for the strip here.. lol
before:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/strip5.jpg
after:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/strip4.jpg


next came removing the trunk lid and trim under the rear window.. the guttering was all clogged up iwth dirt and leaves, it was nasty!
i forgot to get 'before' pics of this part.. but heres an 'after'
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/molding.jpg

of course, i had to clean up the trunk lid itself.
whoever painted the car didnt remove the trunklid and paint it separately, so the frontmost part of the underside is still stock color. er, i should say..it was all rusty. i cleaned it up, but since i dont have any paint to match the blue, i put some clearcoat on it to seal it and prevent more rust.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/trunklid2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/trunklid1.jpg

so now that everything around the trunk is nice and pretty, the spare tire in the trunk kinda killed the whole thing.. i looked at year one for spare tire covers, and theyre $60.. (i forgot to mention- during all of this, i've only spent 23 cents on some steel wool) so i covered that up and made it look cool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/trunk-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/trunk2.jpg

now for the rear bumper! same story as teh front, except i didnt pull it off the car.
a 'work-in-progress' pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/rrbumper-mid.jpg
another attempt at one, but came out funky... looks cool though
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/escher.jpg
finished!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/rrbumper-shiny.jpg


and me being stupid.. they call me 'Dragula' (also a good view of the strip from earlier, now mounted and pretty)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v416/rambozotheclown/bruiser/dragula.jpg

Squid
02-11-2009, 11:15 PM
4-4-2 :drool:
Looks great!

Mystikal
02-12-2009, 12:22 AM
4-4-2 :drool:
Looks great!Agreed!

Marc
02-12-2009, 12:27 AM
Very nice! I have always liked those cars. :marc:

mikey94gt
02-12-2009, 01:24 AM
mmm, 442's are my favorite!! i had the pleasure of working on a 64 hurst 442, body off resto. fun stuff!!!

94greenhunter
02-12-2009, 02:12 AM
i have always like the 442. that is one sweet ride that you have there

No1FordGirl
02-12-2009, 08:16 AM
Very nice!! Those older cars are the best :marc: You did a great job.. looks beautiful!

Darren
02-12-2009, 08:20 AM
nice ride

TT_GT
02-12-2009, 09:02 AM
nice

MikeSVTGT
02-12-2009, 10:17 AM
Looking good Paul :marc:

Scooter
02-12-2009, 02:43 PM
Looks good. :mick:

rambozotheclown
02-12-2009, 04:27 PM
thanks everyone! :)