Re: 77 Malibu Classic frame off resto

by driveit Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:44 am

I am usually not a green fan on cars, but I like that one alot. I like the top that color on it too. I searched on line for about an hour yesterday to find one and couldn't find anything in that color.

by Wallyuph Fri Oct 03, 2014 10:26 am

ratnfested wrote:Here's a pic with the original top

White does not to bad. here was my car in high school.
[url=[url=https://servimg.com/view/17248508/405] 77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 Wallay10

by ratnfested Mon Oct 06, 2014 7:36 am

I like the white top on the darker paint. I think i will have a dark green top installed and paint it. Unless I like it, then I might leave it.

by ratnfested Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:02 pm

Frame went back in yesterday.

77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 10600666_10204000818613920_1465874564883709088_n

77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 1601337_10204000818573919_2842393859674984079_n

by ratnfested Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:04 pm

by Joe73 Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:21 pm

In the first pic, with the frame along side the body, how is the body supported? And where? Any pics? I have a 4x4 under the firewall and another at the top of the rear wheel wells. Just looking for alternatives to hold the body while I lower here down.

by driveit Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:33 pm

Maybe from the roof, I would guess.

by 77mali Mon Oct 13, 2014 6:00 pm

Wow. Looking Awesome! The engine side of your hood looks great too. Nice job.

by ratnfested Tue Oct 14, 2014 8:29 am

Thanks

I have one 4x4 under the gas tank area. It wasn't fun. I got a little nervous near the end when the car got unstable. I should have been more careful then. putting a 4x4 in the center in addition couldn't hurt either. Or two cherry pickers, one in front and one in back with some fancy setup might have been good too. But I went this route, alone cause I work better without help.

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77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 10734167_10204000819333938_7980277565197716434_n

by ratnfested Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:12 am

Well I got my quote from just dashes. $1200. Ouch! I might get strung up if I spend that much. I decided to try a dash pad. It came in last night, don't like the fit. It is about a half inch short of the AC vents and its short at the bottom. So plan to try something else. recovering my dash myself. I ordered some stretchy vinyl and I think I will put a real thin foam at the top and front to sort of cover where cracks exist. then I will glue and stretch the foam into place. I think 3M super trim adhesive should work if it won't damage the vinyl. Any opinions on this idea? I won't even care if it wrinkles around the underside of where the cluster goes. it should still fit better around the vents and defroster then that pad does. I have to go pick up a heat gun and some foam and glue. I'll do a little test to see if the adhesive will distort the vinyl or make it lumpy. ugh.

by dynchel Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:55 am

I've never had luck attempting that, but if you can pull it off if should look OK.

by Wallyuph Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:21 am

Use vinyl top adhesive from Dap for the glue that other stuff will not hold down the line.Also use landau top foam. You can glue it with same adhesive. Scuff it with a 60 grit disc by hand just enough to take the shine off or glue wont stick.

Start in center and work your way to sides. spray adhesive on both vinyl and foam top (After foaming is dash is done). Lay heavy plastic down with a small opening in center so you can slide plastic out to each end as you go or it will all stick and your screwed.

PS I wont do it and I used to do this for a living. so curious how it will come out.

PS they make 4 way stretch vinyl now days. A heat gun will help at corners before sticking it down.

by ratnfested Fri Oct 24, 2014 2:52 pm

I guess well see. I'll keep the dash pad till I find out.

by 77mali Fri Oct 24, 2014 5:25 pm

You can also get the "levant" or "Elk" style vinyl top material to use as a cover. They come with the white backing on it. I'm planning on using that but instead of foam between the dash pad and the vinyl- I filled my speaker holes and repaired cracks using the fiberglass (short hair type) filler. I also used a brace on the underside of the dash pad about 2" away from where the speaker holes were, centering it along the top to almost the end of the dash pad on the drivers side to keep it from flexing and re-cracking. It was a lot of work but worth it in the end. You don't need anything fancy for the reinforcing I just used a flat piece of 2" wide 1/8" thick stock and drilled several holes and you have to bend it slightly with the contour of the dash. There is plenty of meat on the underside to get a few short screws in there they were either 1/2" or 3/4" long can't remember exactly now LOL.
.
77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 P1020610

77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 P1020610

by Joe73 Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:40 pm

That looks great !!!!

by dynchel Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:46 pm

Is that the support for the header panel in the fore ground?

by 77mali Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:51 pm

Thanks Joe.

Yes John it is. Funny, I can't find them Laughing

by dynchel Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:53 pm

77mali wrote:Thanks Joe.

Yes John it is. Funny, I can't find them

Didn't you sell them to me?

by dynchel Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:00 pm

77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 IMG_20141024_185720400_zpse93yvabc

Here it is. Beer

by 77mali Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:02 pm

dynchel wrote:
77mali wrote:Thanks Joe.

Yes John it is. Funny, I can't find them
Didn't you sell them to me?

LOL- Yes, with the 76 Elco Grille.
Thumbs up

Here's a closer up of the center section. Those weird looking lines that look like cracks are a reflection from the flash on the table top I was using to turn the dash pas while priming. I always HATED that dang center speaker. The design was terrible and was why so many of these chevy dash pads failed.

77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 P1020611

77 Malibu Classic frame off resto - Page 8 P1020611

by jerry46765 Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:32 pm

Paul/Wally, you guys have lost me.

The dash is covered with foam and has a piece of vinyl vacuum formed over it. Are you removing vinyl & all the foam from the dashboard? I thought the repair would be grinding back the cracked area, re-foaming with something like spray foam, hot knife/grind/sand the correct shape, and then reapply vinyl over everything. Landau top foam is in a roll, so are you covering the entire dash with landau foam and then vinyl? Fiberglass filler, why, over the whole dash? What if you wanted to keep the speaker holes? Redrill them afterwards? How is bracing the back of the dash going to prevent the sun from drying/cracking the vinyl? Do you have a picture of the bracket/mounting? Maybe it will make more sense if I saw the bracket.

I looked into building a vacuum forming device a few years ago but I can't reinvent every wheel, plus couldn't figure out which vinyl to use. So I am still driving around with a cracked dash...

Thanks -

by 77mali Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:49 pm

Jerry- I didn't use any foam for repairs or the 3m stuff such as was used on the "Blue Collar Buick" rebuild- just reinforced fiberglass filler. I'm sure a company like Just Dashes would give you a true factory reproduction- correct grain and all. In my case, with a limited budget for dash reconstruction, I found that the products I used worked well enough to get it back to a smooth crack free surface for the vinyl covering I plan to use. It will look nothing like the original dash-pad when it's done. I'll take a pic of the reinforcing brace & post it. I don't have one in my stash. As far as protecting it from the sun- I'm getting one of those reflective folding things. It should be fairly decent on it's own though as it is the stuff they use to cover roofs with. The stuff I bought has the white padding as a "backing" on the vinyl itself and it's not foam just a textile. It came from Chicago or Michigan...I'll see if I can find the info for the manufacturer. I got the "Levant" Grain which matches the grain on the "Saddle" top that came with my car.

by jerry46765 Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:58 pm

Paul, so the orange isn't the final surface? It looks good. I never thought of fiberglass overall. My kids wouldn't be able to poke through fiberglass.

But, when you apply the vinyl, you are gluing it on? I thought vinyl was heat shrink or vacuum formed.

I don't think a just dashes resto is worth $1200. If it was perfect and guaranteed never to crack or fade, maybe. But probably not.

Thanks, sorry to butt in on the build thread.
Just trying to understand.

by 77mali Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:04 am

I'm not sure it can be shrunk or vacuum formed but yes it will be "glued & stretched" into place. This particular vinyl is about an 1/8" thick with the backing material. My only concern at this point is getting it to look nice around the vent openings but I plan to go over everything, let it dry/set and then cut it afterward from the back-side. leaving enough material to pull back, get tight and mechanically secure. I'll PM you some pics so not to hog up the thread, unless ratnfested wants to see them also.

by thatfnthing Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:20 am

I'd like to see them, too!

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