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Another project is to get the convertible top put together. The frame was corroded and stiff and had the tatters of the old top hanging from it. I pulled most of it off and then started polishing the aluminum. With cleaning, polish, and lubrication it all works smoothly now. Some of the wood in the frame needs to be glued back together and I need to get some fabric to wrap some of the frame parts. I am not sure what to get, though. It looks like it had two layers - a thin black material first and a thicker caramel colored fabric on top of that. The straps that hold the stays in position also should be replaced.

Back in the early 80’s, when the car was being worked on, a new canvas top was purchased. When we got the car out of our mom’s garage in 2013, there was a stained cardboard box in the trunk. In this box was a new convertible top. It is still new, although it’s 30 years old. The fabric is fine so I will put this on the car once the frame is fully prepared.

I wanted to get the driver's seat in as soon as possible so I have something to sit on when pulling the car in or out of the barn. Before I did that, I wanted to patch all the holes in the floor and get it cleaned and sealed. There are several rust-through holes in the floor of the car. I started with the driver’s side first. Once I scraped a bunch of tar-like stuff off the floor, I discovered that it had been patched before. Two steel sheet metal panels were screwed onto what remained of the original floor and the tar was spread over it all to seal it.

It took me a couple of days but I managed to get it patched pretty well. On the smallest holes I used epoxy putty. On the larger holes I made sheet metal patches. The worst damage was right in front of the driver’s seat where the steel floor was about to fall through. I welded this back together and then used the epoxy putty to fill the remaining holes.

I cleaned it all with a wire brush and then sanded the whole floor with 100 grit sandpaper. The final step was to put two coats of POR-15 on the floor. It now looks pretty good, if I do say so myself, and it is sealed up, too. The passenger side is next to receive this treatment, then the trunk floor.

The seat rails were a little bent so the seats would not slide on them. I had to spend a couple of hours straightening the metal before I put the driver's seat in. Now the seat slides pretty smoothly. I need to put some sound-deadening insulation on the floor under the seat. The car originally came with jute insulation which explains why the floor rusts out on these cars. The jute absorbs water like a sponge and keeps the floor metal damp. I plan to get some synthetic insulation that will not hold water. I have a roll of jute that came with the car and I will use some of that in places where water won't settle.

When taking a long look at every part of the car, it is apparent that there is still a long way to go to get it drivable and even longer to get it looking good. Several of the knobs and dashboard bits are just hanging below by wires and cables. The windows are out of it and it looks like there may be missing bits from the window mechanism. No keys work in the locks. The ignition is the only place where the one key I have works. None of the lights work. Upholstery was started but is nowhere near finished. One seat is partly done and the inside door panels are mostly done. There are many more little things, too. Lots to do but I will get there and she will ride again!