We brought her home the day we got back from vacation. As this is winter in The Northwest, it was getting dark around 4:30, and it was raining. I had to decide between putting on enough equipment to make her street legal, and just enough to be safe with the impending darkness. So we hit the road with headlights, and tail lights, but no side-markers, license plates, windshield wipers or top. After a nerve-racking drive, we got her safely back into the garage. I was able to start making reassembly progress almost immediately, by sticking the Honda badging back on in the appropriate places. I've gotten a few full days in on the rebuilding process, and have managed to install the radio antenna, side-markers, rear license plate holder and mud flaps. I got the window frame installed in the passenger door, but am having an issue with the door closing properly with the weather-stripping in place. This is odd, since the Driver's door is closing fine, but I'll figure it out. It's so exciting making progress, it makes it hard to go back to work, but I guess I need to fund this project somehow.
Next on the agenda, will be sound-deadening. I'm going to line the interior with a layer of Dynamat acoustic material, and overlay that with a layer of Dynapad carpet pad. She's also getting a hood liner that should cut some noise. Between a quieter ride, and some windows and seals that should keep out some of that charming exhaust smell, it should be easier to get Carley to ride in her with me!
We are very excited to have finally reached the time when somebody else does some work on Matilda! Although, I spent nearly a year sanding and prepping cars at a body shop when I was twenty, I've come to realize I am not nearly qualified to perform a quality paint job on this, or any other car. Thankfully, the fine craftsmen at McClinton Auto Collision of Albany, OR were willing to take on the challenge. I decided to wait until the end of summer weather to take it in. This would give me more driving time, and allow me to save the considerable pile of cash needed to complete the job. Well, the money part worked out fine, so I decided to trade a few sunny weekends for a chance to get her done a little early. I drove her over to Albany last Monday, September 24th, and got the first progress pictures today. Honestly, I figured they hadn't touched her yet, but was very pleasantly surprised to see they have the rear quarter panels in primer already! That leaves the top, doors, fenders and hood to straighten and shoot. Then will come color sanding, and clear coat. I expect them to have her for roughly a couple of months, but may see her sooner, if this pace holds!
There will always be certain items in a restoration that you just can't get. In those cases, you try to find something that will perform a function, it not fitting the car exactly. This is how I handled replacing the hoses that join the master cylinder to the brake fluid reservoir. As it turns out, brake fluid does not like rubber, or many other hose mediums. After doing some research, and visiting a few parts houses, I ended up at Willamette Hose in Tangent, OR. They had a chemical spray hose that had the 3/8" inside diameter I needed, and it had a plastic chemical resistant lining. They said they wouldn't sell it to me, but I could have it, if I took all they had. Not much of a seller, apparently. I took it, and soaked it in brake fluid for several weeks, to make sure it wouldn't degrade over time. Since the lining seemed to hold up fine, I installed it, and went on my merry way. The thing about the plastic lining, is that it doesn't make the best seal under a hose clamp. I was getting a very slight leak at each of the clamps, and it never really looked right. Fast-forward to my discovery of Honda600carparts.com. While perusing the brake portion of the sight, I noticed they are carrying the very hose I couldn't find earlier. The hose is an ether-based polyurethane with open-mesh polyester braiding incorporated within its wall. I can't believe they didn't have it on the shelf at NAPA. I put it on today, and am quite pleased with the result!
