The Perfect Fit For The ‘71 Chevy Caprice Body Panels

(Tommy)>> You're watching Powernation!

(Tommy)>> Today on Detroit Muscle we're serving up some low buck fix ups that'll help improve your curb appeal.

(Joel)>> We're going to install some glass and polish up the trunk for a touch of class. [ Music ] [ engines revving ] [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Hey guys, welcome to Detroit Muscle. We're slowly chipping away at the to-do list here on Project Fat Stack, our '71 Caprice. What we're gonna be tackling today is a couple of odds and ends, but the best part about all of them, they're cheap and easy to do.

(Joel)>> Whether you're doing a full frame off restoration or just want to spruce up your weekend project everything we've got on the agenda can really elevate your build.

(Tommy)>> The first thing that we're gonna conquer is install the front and rear windows into our big body. If you've got an old ride this subject matter may pertain to you. A while back we showed you guys how to remove a windshield. A couple of tips for you, have a buddy that doesn't mind breaking a sweat, make sure you pay attention, and take your time. Mandatory if you're trying to save the old piece. There's about three different designs for holding a window into place. One is a molded rubber gasket, or weatherstrip. Then there's the old school round bead that's basically a piece of butyl, and then there's the urethane. Now what we're gonna be doing on the back of our car is using this rope style seal. Pretty much what you're looking to do is take this little rope and lay it all the way around the perimeter on the body where the glass and body meet. You've got trim and the glass is too low the trim will be loose. If it's too high you won't get that stuff on easily. Another thing that you want to keep in mind is this little joint because it's not one piece. You don't really want to put it at the top because that's where the moisture comes in. I usually like to put it in the middle on the bottom side.

(Joel)>> One thing you want to make sure of before you go to lay this in here is that you have a nice, clean, and dry base, and if you have any rust you're gonna want to treat that as well.

(Tommy)>> This stuff is super malleable. You can put it in many shapes and forms, and if you don't have any idea where yours was just mockup your glass and you can use a sharpie or a marker to go around it, and that should tell you what you need to know. Here's a little tip for you for cutting this stuff. It can be rather stringy. Just take a pair of scissors, put some glass cleaner on both sides of it, and when you clip it you get a nice, clean cut. Where your two ends meet it's a good idea to squish them together. That'll ensure a nice, good seal and prevent any leaks. Once you get this thing all laid out step back and look at how it's on the panel. You may have to make a few subtle adjustments cause you want a nice, clean, flowing line, not all wavy and bunched up. We're gonna hit this back window with some glass primer. Doing it this way helps to hide that ugly little trim edge that sometimes you'll see between the glass and your upholstery.

(Joel)>> Well the glass is pretty much in place, and the next step is to just go around all the edges and make sure you compress it really good and have a nice, tight seal. Then you can go ahead and install your clips, snap on your bright work.

(Tommy)>> Often times whenever it comes to glass the only way people think it's bad is because it's broken, cracked, or has one of those bird eyes in it, but sometimes that's not the case. If you've got a vehicle that's got some age on it, seen some acid rain, or has a bunch of miles the image that you see through the windshield may be a bit distorted.

(Joel)>> Especially in comparison to a new piece. And whether it's a restoration project or a daily commuter, a new windshield can really give you a fresh outlook on the road ahead. [ Music ] On the back we used what a lot of people would refer to as the old school method using that soft butyl. However in the front we're gonna be shifting gears a little bit and using what is known as the gluing method using some professional grade urethane. The steps involved are relatively the same in the sense that we're gonna be using our primer again except instead of using it for aesthetics it's actually a required step. Not only do you have to put it on your windshield but on the body as well. Now as far as tools go all you're really gonna need is a semi automatic caulking gun and an able bodied buddy. First things first, we're gonna go ahead and lay down some primer.

(Tommy)>> Timing is everything when you're applying glass primer. You want to take your time and lay it down in a nice, even coat. Also you have to give this stuff time to flash before you set the glass. The next thing that we're gonna do is install some of these clips and hardware that's gonna dictate where the glass goes. Here on the bottom of the cowl there's these little L-brackets that simply attach with a screw, and they help to keep the glass from drooping down once you set it into place cause that urethane will allow it to move around a little. Also we're gonna have to put our clips on so that we can clip into place our chrome trim. If we wait and let that urethane set we risk not being able to get it on. [ Music ] Now it's time to glue. I've got a little trick I want to show you on how to trim this tip so that it makes applying this urethane a lot better. You want to trim it so that it creates a bead that's like the shape of the flame on a candle. This will help to ensure a better seal in case your surface is a bit inconsistent. That should do it. [ Music ]

(Joel)>> I think you might have gave me the heavy side.

(Tommy)>> Don't set it yet. [ Music ]

(Joel)>> It's a lot better than just polishing it. [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Joel I'm always amazed at how much better a project or build looks with new glass in it.

(Joel)>> Clearly, proof is in the pudding.

(Tommy)>> I'm much more of a pineapple upside down cake kind of person. Coming up, we're gonna get the junk out of the trunk?

(Tommy)>> We're continuing our low buck fix ups on Project Fat Stack. Now we're shifting our focus to the tail end of our big body, and usually in this area a little bit of t-l-c goes a long way.

(Joel)>> You guys are probably familiar with that old saying, the devil's in the details. Whether you're doing a full blown restoration or just sprucing up your weekend cruiser sometimes there are certain areas and aspects of a build that can go overlooked. For 50 years old the trunk pan is in pretty solid shape. However in comparison to the rest of the car it's a little bit ugly, but for less than $100 bucks and a few hours of your time you can easily simulate that showroom look. To complete this task requires only a few basic tools. A scraper like this works well for removing any of that old insulation or even seam seal. From there you can work your way up to a wire wheel or even a crud buster. First things first, we want to try and keep our paint job out of harms way. So we're gonna mask everything off before we get started. [ Music ] One last thing I want to address before we get going in here is the taillight harness. Now with Fat Stack it simply unplugs from a little terminal here on the inside of the trunk. If you don't have that luxury you're probably just gonna have to mask it off and tuck it away as best you can so you don't get any overspray on it. [ grinder buzzing ]

(Joel)>> Well guys, the trunk pan is in great shape. Other than some surface rust and bare metal spots that we will treat with some rust preventative and black epoxy primer. One more thing I want you to take a look at before you move on is your factory seam sealer. If it's dried, cracked, rotted, or simply missing you're gonna want to fix that before you move on to your topcoat. For now everything's looking pretty good. So we're gonna move on to the next step, cleaning.

(Tommy)>> While Joel's busy being a trigger man I'm gonna refurbish some of the old components that we're gonna be installing a little later on. We're going for aesthetics and function here in our restoration project. That means I've got address the wiring harness. One of the first things that you'd want to do is make sure that you don't have any chafe spots or broken wires. I've looked at this stuff and it's in pretty good shape. So now we're ready to move on to make this thing pretty. First thing we're gonna do is slather this thing in some concentrated solution. What we normally call brake cleaner. Now with this stuff if you're working with a wire that could have either some printed white lines or even letters on them you may not want to use this stuff because it can remove that, but in our situation we're trying to brighten up the colored wires and basically get this thing clean. This kind of work is extremely tedious, but it's a good bang for your buck. You may have noticed that I didn't tape off all of my individual wires. If you'll just pay attention with your rattle can you should be okay, and if you were to get a little on there just use some more of your cleaner and it'll wipe right off. Now if you're planning to rework your harness you may need to do some inspecting on it before you get started. Not every harness is wrapped with what you consider electrical tape. Sometimes you'll have them that instead of being plastic tape it's actually fabric, and then others it's no adhesive at all. From what we started with to our end product, dramatic difference. Now let's adjust the lighting to see how our bulbs are working. Left turn, right turn, parking lights, and backup. Definitely gonna need some bulbs. [ Music ] I call that a success.

(Joel)>> Looks like our epoxy's finally flashed off. So we're gonna spray on our spatter paint and call this thing done. This spatter pain is a must for any worthwhile restoration. It's going to elevate our trunk pan to be on par with the rest of the car. Keep in mind you'll probably need to lay down a few coats in order to get the final finish that you're going for. Our trunk's starting to look really nice, and it'd be a shame for all that effort to go to waste by not simply replacing the trunk weatherstrip. So we're gonna be using this one that we got from Steele Rubber Products. Now a while back we had a friend of ours, Danny, stop by back when this car was in primer.

(Danny)>> What I've noticed is people who've spent a ton of money restoring their car and have a cracked vent window seal, or the window felts are all falling apart. Just changing that up makes a huge difference as far as looks go.

(Tommy)>> People will spend money on chrome, money on paint, and cool parts, and put the old stuff back in it. I can understand some of it is availability. You might have to reuse or find a really nice original part, but luckily you guys make 90 percent of the stuff that's on this car. You can really elevate a build no matter what it is just to that attention to detail. My suggestion is don't buy weatherstrip until the car's painted. I've put in a few sets but I'm gonna ask you if there's a tip or trick you've got for actually installing that little weatherstrip that goes from the from the front glass to the back glass?

(Danny)>> There are a few tips. One is if the channel piece has been re-chromed sometimes that adds some thickness, which can also block some things. What we really recommend is soap water on everything. It's a good lubricant for rubber to slide but doesn't dry nasty and doesn't stay there like silicone or anything like that. Just some soapy water and a little bit of elbow grease.

(Tommy)>> I've wrestled a few of those in there and put plenty of dish soap and all that kind of stuff on there, and it did require a cup or two of elbow grease for sure.

(Danny)>> One of the nice things about Steele Rubber Products is we have all those tools and molds in house. That's one of the things that we work really hard on is making sure that any of those issues get resolved. We want it to be just like it was or better.

(Joel)>> Up next, we give a unique Ford a fair shake.

(Tommy)>> We've been getting our fair share of comments on Fat Stack as we keep inching closer and closer to the finish line, and that could be because it's a unique build. So with that said we've got another ride that we want to shed some light on that's in a lane all of its own. [ Music ]

(Joel)>> There is nothing quite like the feeling of turning and burning through the gears on a classic piece of Detroit Muscle, especially if it's a rag top. Feeling the wind whipping through your hair, the sunshine hitting your face, makes it hard not to smile when that engine opens up mile after mile. This pristine '67 Fairlane GTA is an iconic blue oval that definitely has left its mark on automotive history.

(Tommy)>> The Fairlane first hit the road in 1955 as a full size car but shrunk to a mid size in '62, filling the gap between the compact Falcon and the massive Galaxy. Ford wanted to take on the mighty GTO. So in '66 they redesigned the Fairlane enlarging the engine bay and dropping in a big block V-8 for the first time. This '67 has a 390 four barrel, which can belt out 320 horses. It uses a cast iron manifold and features the same hot cam and valvetrain as a 428 Cobrajet.

(Joel)>> Fairlanes came in a wide range of packages, including the 500, the XL, the GT, and the GTA. The GTA was virtually the same as the GT except the "A" meant that it was an automatic. The select shift cruise-o-matic gave you the best of both worlds. It functioned like an ordinary automatic for everyday driving, or for extra control you could use it like a three speed and shift it from first, to second, to drive.

(Tommy)>> GTAs came with power front disc brakes, blackened out grille treatment, wide oval tires with deluxe wheel covers, bucket seats, and plenty of badges and stripes. Power domes replaced hood louvres this year and had integrated turn signals. The 289 V-8 was standard with a two and four barrel 390 as an added option.

(Joel)>> '67s got a slight makeover from the '66 models. The grille had three vertical cross bars, and a crest was added in the center as well as on the rear. Taillights also got a new stack design to match the headlights. To lower the top first you had to unzip the glass rear window and lay it flat. Then you let the car do the rest.

(Tommy)>> The GTA held its own against the more powerful muscle cars like the 442 and Chevelle, but it couldn't quite top the GTO unless that tiger was an automatic. Production fell by 40 percent in '67 to a total just over 20,000 cars. This was the second and final year for the Fairlane GTA with the Torino GT replacing it in '68.

(Joel)>> The GTAs limited production life and status as the first of the big block Fairlanes make it highly collectible today. This green go-getter is definitely an eye catcher, and seeing it rip up the roadways gets me excited for when we finally roll out our '71 Caprice.

(Tommy)>> Coming up, we get our big body back in line.

(Tommy)>> You ever heard the phrase, don't judge a book by its cover? Often times people judge quality of a build by the fit of the panels. People spend hours upon hours to achieve that perfect paint paddle or eighth inch gap on all your door jambs, hood, and so on. With our car already being painted we can only do so much, but we're looking for perfection. If your ride's finished you may be able to apply some of the procedures that we're about to go through to a little bit more curb appeal, or a bit more refinement to your pride and joy. If you're installing new panels that are painted, like our situation, a little tip for you is to use some masking tape on all of your edges. This will help keep freshly painted surfaces from bumping into each other. Gives you a little bit of some cushion. Now remember you're gonna be pulling this stuff off. So don't put it so far in the jam that it makes it difficult to un-tape later on. All the layers of primer and clear we sprayed on requires us to tap all the holes so that we can make sure that our body bolts go in without a hitch and not risk damaging something. Doing this will leave you with some nasty layers of shavings that you'll be tempted to wipe off by hand. Best thing you can do here is use an air blower so you can remove all that without screwing up your paint job. Take your time when roughing in the panels. You don't want to overtighten anything that may bust up your paint or bend something. That'll require more work for you to straighten up later. As I've said before, we're going for perfection. Slow and steady is the way to go. No big hiccups. So we can go ahead and remove our tape. Now once we get this out of the way we'll be ready to adjust this fender. Now this fender has quite a bit going on with it. It has a C-shape, or crescent shape, that runs front to back, got a convex/concave surface, and three or four body lines that need to be lined up with it. It's easy to say to dial in this gap you just simply move the fender, but what does matter is how you move it. For instance, this car has a body line that runs the length of the car. You don't want this body line to get to this point if you just matched up here, and then once it hits the fender looks like it's drooping cause that would tell you that the front of the fender needs to go up. Now with that said also you would assume that if it's drooping that this part of the fender would be too tight at the bottom, but what you can run into is sometimes these can be kinda flexed, and you'll see that at the car show whenever this part of the fender is touching the rocker, but out front it's kinda hanging down. That's usually a sign that the fender's too low in the front. Now another thing is since this body line is C-shaped the left and right movement of the nose can also affect the gap here. It'll be tight here, way wide up there if the front of the fender is too far to the driver's side. What I like to do is manhandle this thing into place to see if you can get it to look really nice. If you can it's usually a really good sign. Now we just need to put some of these body shims under these mounting points so that we can dial in our fit. As I just mentioned, how you move the fender around, I put three shims under this bolt on the top of the cowl trying to get the top of the fender to match the top of the door. I had to take this bolt out that goes on the front of the cowl to get it to come up high enough. So that tells me that what really needs to happen is the front of the fender needs to go down so that it can pivot and lift this part of the fender up. It takes a little time, and you've got to play around with it, but just stay after it and you'll get it dialed into perfection. [ Music ] Well I'm gonna call it a day, but I have to say we got quite a bit accomplished. The big body got glass in it, it's got some chrome, and it's got the trunk restored. Plus Fat Stack has a shiny side. Now next time you see it it's gonna be a lot more green on the nose of this thing, but for now I'm gonna go grab me something cool to drink while you all soak up that big body.