Resuscitating Doris

[Erkenbrand]

Doris is looking great. They're doing a fantastic job. The 40 year old plastics in dash are very fragile. Getting those broken tabs fiberglassed is going to be very nice.

 

[broncojunkie]

Car looks FANTASTIC! Funny story... there's a guy near me who has been trying to sell one of these emblems (repopped aftermarket) for $100. It's been on Marketplace for at least a year.

Any info on re-coloring one of these? I have one that is in good condition, other than faded colors (no crazing/wear on the plastic itself). I also have a steering wheel center cap with a similar issue.

 

[One Owner 1982]

I’m sure the top side can be polished with a headlight restoration kit. Not sure about color though.

 

[81Notch]

Car looks FANTASTIC! Funny story... there's a guy near me who has been trying to sell one of these emblems (repopped aftermarket) for $100. It's been on Marketplace for at least a year.

Any info on re-coloring one of these? I have one that is in good condition, other than faded colors (no crazing/wear on the plastic itself). I also have a steering wheel center cap with a similar issue.

I don't know anything about coloring them, it seems like it would be pretty hard to do. I have been wrestling with whether or not to replace my emblem, given that I still have the original paint on the car it seems fitting to keep it but at the same time there are a couple areas being resprayed and the entire front bumper and grill are getting painted so I do like the idea of having a fresh pony emblem on the hood to really make it pop. The guy working on my car right now did say he tried to polish it but it didn't help much because it is crazed and you're just not going to get that out, nor restore any color.

 

[Erkenbrand]

I don't know anything about coloring them, it seems like it would be pretty hard to do. I have been wrestling with whether or not to replace my emblem, given that I still have the original paint on the car it seems fitting to keep it but at the same time there are a couple areas being resprayed and the entire front bumper and grill are getting painted so I do like the idea of having a fresh pony emblem on the hood to really make it pop. The guy working on my car right now did say he tried to polish it but it didn't help much because it is crazed and you're just not going to get that out, nor restore any color.

I'd recommend replacing it. You can always keep the original in the glove box, or a parts bin. With the time and money you're investing in getting the car looking sharp you're always going to be disappointed when looking at that badge.

 

[broncojunkie]

I was lucky enough to pick up a beautiful hood in perfect condition several years ago. It came from a 79 cobra with about 5k miles on it. The car was originally purchased new and then turned into a drag car with 460. The hood wouldn't work, so they cut up a used hood. The original stayed with the owner till the car was sold a few years back. The second owner sold me the hood, which had an emblem in perfect condition. Unfortunately, I'll have to paint ithree hood to match. This one is blue but my 79 cobra is silver.

 

[81Notch]

I was in the shop a few days ago and we all collectively agreed that the hood ornament should be replaced...finally putting to rest my back-and-forth over it! I'm really trying to balance originality vs. bringing this car back to life, and I think for me the fact that I'm sticking with the stock inline 6 and automatic transmission (my dream fox body is a 5.0 notchback with manual transmission, of course) means I'm trying to do right by this car for what it is and I don't need to fret over something like an original hood ornament that has suffered 43 years of sun damage.

I had the same agony over the emissions system, it was intact and I know that's relatively rare but I knew there were was deterioration in the vacuum lines and wiring and I also wanted to clean up the engine bay and showcase that beautiful blue valve cover with the factory "OK" white markings still on it. Even the seats on this car have factory chalk marks on the vinyl from when they were assembled. When I saw the car a few days ago all the emissions equipment was gone and I was frankly shocked at just how much less complicated and clean the engine bay now looks, and I know there is less to go wrong in terms of vacuum leaks or wiring problems now that it's all been simplified and gone through. In other words, no regrets on doing that. The mechanic also made a lot of carb adjustments and now the car starts and idles beautifully, sounds like a sewing machine which does not scream performance but I want a fun and reliable driver more than anything and I'm not a speed freak anyway.

I should have Doris back in a couple weeks, maybe less. The dash is back in, it looks brand new, and the new stereo is installed. All interior trim painting is done, and they're going to water test for leaks before everything goes back together. I had found that water was settling in the side recesses of the trunk and at the bottom of the side body panels in the back seat (removed the rear interior quarter trim, stuck my hand down in there below the seat belt retractor thingy and it was wet) so I want to get that sorted out. The first thing I did on this car was fix the front moonroof drains and verify that the rear drains were working, so I suspect the water is coming in from the trunk somehow. The shop took care of the dreaded window run channel weatherstrip for me so between that and what I did myself all the weatherstrip aside from the inner door belts is brand new.

 

[One Owner 1982]

You could always change the exhaust manifold for a header. David Carpenter makes a split header that comes with collectors and extensions. I’m using it on a 1966 Mustang coup with a 200 straight 6 to take back pressure off the engine and let the engine breathe better. I did the same thing on my 1982 2.3L and it made a big difference.

 

[One Owner 1982]

Here’s one of many headers you can find on line

 

[81Notch]

You could always change the exhaust manifold for a header. David Carpenter makes a split header that comes with collectors and extensions. I’m using it on a 1966 Mustang coup with a 200 straight 6 to take back pressure off the engine and let the engine breathe better. I did the same thing on my 1982 2.3L and it made a big difference.

Naturally, I am thinking about potential performance mods but my knowledge on this topic is extremely limited so I thank you for any suggestions of what a person can do with a 200ci inline 6 and a C3 automatic! I'm planning to drive this car frequently and hit some car shows this summer, enjoy it and get a better sense of how desirable it is to potential buyers. It's not for sale currently, but that doesn't mean it can't be bought. I believe I need to stop putting money into it, I've already gone much further than expected but at the same time I feel like it has all been for good value so I'm not bothered by that too much. I'm just concerned that beyond this point I'm going to be shelling out money just for kicks without necessarily enjoying a return on additional investment. If I do sell this car, it would be to build the '92 or '93 notchback sitting in a yard down the road from me which I'm probably going to try to buy.

 

[81Notch]

I managed to keep myself away from the shop for a couple weeks but stopped by on Monday 'cause I was missing the car. The interior is all back together and I'm thrilled, the new dash pad and carpet look great as does the package tray that I painted with SEM Napa Red. The RetroSound radio looks like it belongs, and there's a mic for bluetooth phone calls installed on the driver's side. The car may actually be quiet enough on the road to talk over bluetooth since all the weatherstrip has been replaced, short of the inner door belts which are in fine shape. Really all that's left is some paint correction on the hood, then the black body molding and pinstripes. I got a Covercraft 5-layer cover, just need to install the antenna grommet when I get the car home and then I can keep it covered.

 

[One Owner 1982]

Car is looking fantastic. Spring is coming and you have to be ready to go to weekend cruises. I’m finishing my interior soon but I’m going to wait until next fall to do the seats. $$$$!

 

[One Owner 1982]

Have you bought Dorris home yet?

 

[81Notch]

Have you bought Dorris home yet?

Not yet, I was hoping to get her out of the shop last week but I did not hear from them and haven't wanted to be a pest so I stayed out of there. Hopefully some time this week, we have a little uptick in the weather and I'd like to put some miles on the car. I'm glad to have had a couple months of winter shelter in the shop, but at this point I'm really itchy to get the car home. I'm just hoping they were able to blend the paint on the hood where the dent was fixed and won't have to respray the entire hood. I will know soon enough!

 

[One Owner 1982]

That sounds awesome! I got mine out today. The sound suppression mat made a huge difference in the road noise. I still have a few things left to do before my first cruise on March 8th. Between my car, my 66 project car and my boat I’m having major spring fever.

 

[81Notch]

Well, I finally got Doris out of the shop last week but did not have any good weather until today. Drove her into town this morning and got a few thumbs up from passing drivers- all men of a certain age of course

The body has at least 90% original paint remaining, the only pieces that got sprayed were the hood where a dent was repaired and the front driver's side quarter panel where an older repair needed to be touched up. Also a portion of the driver's side bumper. All the black molding and the grille got sprayed, along with the side view mirrors. I had already done the cowl grille and headlight buckets, also the wipers and moonroof trim. New vinyl pinstriping on the body molding, the factory-painted body stripes are untouched. The interior is like new except nothing was done to the seats because they're in excellent condition other than sun fading. Even the floor mats I believe are original- they have a Ford part# on the back of them. The new dash pad from NPD fits and looks great, I bought the highest quality one they offer and I'm glad I did. It was dyed Medium Vaquero of course to match the rest of the interior. The emissions junk is all gone and the engine bay is much cleaner and simpler now. I still need to do some detailing under the hood, and some other bits as well. The car runs great and is a blast to drive even if it doesn't have enough power to hardly get out of its own way. She's a cruiser, not a race car and that's alright although I can't say I won't make some performance mods at some point. For now, I'm happy just to have the car home and to be able to drive it. The ride is much more quiet now with sound deadening under the carpet and new weatherstrip all around.

 

[One Owner 1982]

Well she turned out great! I’m happy to see that she is back on the road. Awesome job! Thanks for saving one from all those guys of a certain age.

 

[One Owner 1982]

Hey, just checking on Doris. Hope you have had a chance to go to some cruises with her. I finally finished my interior work except I was unable to do the seat covers this year. Check out the hatchback area in these pictures. You can see the new dash pad as well. I painted the mirrors and replaced the window seal too.

 

[One Owner 1982]

So have you had Doris out to any car shows or cruises this summer?

 

[81Notch]

I've been to one car show in town, and there is another one at the same location in September that I'll likely be at. I drive the car 1-2x per week and have put 1,500 miles on her, I get a lot of waves and compliments. I do have the car listed for sale on Autotrader for $13K (what I have invested) but no legitimate inquiries as of yet. If I had a garage I would keep this car, but it's a burden having to keep it covered in the driveway because every time I take the cover off there is dust built up and I'm also wanting a daily driver Mustang, 94-04 era, and there's just no need for me to have two Mustangs at this point in my life. So, if I can get her sold I'll be looking to buy something else. If the car doesn't sell by this winter I may put her back in the shop for fuel injection and some other upgrades, but we'll see. Seventy degrees and sunny here today so I believe I will take her into town this afternoon.

Your car is looking great, by the way, I missed your post back in June because I just haven't been on the site much but I hope you've been enjoying your ride this summer.