New Coupe owner from Los Angeles

[digixjairo]

I finally found a great coupe and it was local.

I went to the Petersen museum for their monthly cars and coffee show. I got the energy to wash my 240z and show up with one hour left to see all those Porsches and Jaguar e-types.

I spotted a lonely coupe and waited around until the owner and his son came back. I chatted with him and he told me that he bought the car from Coupe King in 2010. Then he mentioned that he might be selling it since his 14 year old son is finally interested in cars and he wants a speedster replica.

I test drove the car and inspected it in the usual areas. Then we struck a deal at $26,500 and I just couldn't say no.

The car is a 73, originally an automatic. It has a 5 speed and updated AC.

The sunroof seems stuck
Fuel gauge needs some work
Passenger side window is not working
Car has some rust bubbles contained to the doors
It is a nice driver that I will enjoy and then start the restoration process.

I want to thank Peter, Chris, Jon, and Don for being patient with all my questions and for providing guidance.

 

[EJ333]

Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of Coupe ownership. Enjoy the process of a work in progress. My suggestion is to drive it awhile before beginning to make any big alterations.

 

[Stevehose]

Excellent, looks great, congrats

 

[Simufly]

Welcome. Your car looks really nice!

 

[adawil2002]

That's awesome and a great price for such a clean looking example. Congrat's!

My advice, enjoy it for years before doing a resto with paint. Definitely fix the things that don't work well or properly. At least here in the North East we have a period where we can't drive our sodium free cars, so we restore them in the down time. Looks like where you are the down time is much shorter in the winter months.

 

[teahead]

Finally!

Congrats and she's a beaut!

Looks like she USED to be an automatic???


At any rate, enjoy it first before you tear it apart.

 

[Markos]

Wow great job. Thanks for adjusting the 2016 price ceiling, the $25K coupes were looking a bit sketchy. If you can, post some pics of the underside. Let me know if you are missing any little pieces.

 

[Ohmess]

That is a beautiful car. Congratulations.

In case this might be helpful, my fuel gauge was also stuck (which I discovered when my car ran out of gas). The problem had been corrosion on the tube inside the sender. There is a plastic float with some electrical connections that rides up and down on a tube. I used steel wool and WD 40, being careful not to damage the electrical connections.

Unfortunately, on my car this was an indicator of a larger problem -- rust inside on the upper portion of the gas tank. Hopefully you won't have this issue.

 

[BlueBomb]

Great - another local owner!

I am a recent new owner as well, and in the Los Angeles area. I am just getting started in updating the upholstery and paint. Looks like you got a great deal!

 

[digixjairo]

I am a recent new owner as well, and in the Los Angeles area. I am just getting started in updating the upholstery and paint. Looks like you got a great deal!

Here are some photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nf4tlusgk49yzoq/AADYKmCgnVBO2Dn6Sm9K2dbta?dl=0

Thanks everybody, I had to take her to work today! It is such a nice driving experience.

Markos, I need a trim piece that goes over the passenger window, and a muffler bracket.

It is going to be fun making this one look Purty.

Bluebomb, give me phone numbers to shops! I want to check out your coupe, I am in the Culver City area.

 

[BlueBomb]

Shops for paint & upholstery

I am using International Autobody at 11861 Teale St in Culver City (Daniel Dutil) where I have gone with many cars over the years and always been satisfied with their bodywork and paint. (310-390-8791) He wants some help with the disassembly prior to painting, so if you know of anyone, please recommend them to me.

The upholstery will be done at B&R Auto & Boat Upholstery at 4461 W. Rosecrans Ave in Hawthorne. He is removing my side panels and seats tomorrow at International and taking them to his shop. He will get the car for the remainder after it is painted, but he wanted to get started, and to be the one to remove all upholstered items. His number is 310-675-7512 (R. Aguilar). I haven't used him before, but have seen some of his work. He will also do the headliner and carpet, and possibly the dash and other woodwork.

Let me know if you are going to visit and I can try to meet you there if possible.

Jami Olson (BlueBomb) 310-780-0201

 

[digixjairo]

Bluebomb. Thats pretty close to me. I would like to go check it out whenever you have a chance. I also want to see the upholstery work. I don't know of anyone that can remove stuff. Maybe HBChris knows of someone?

 

[HB Chris]

Removing seats, door panels, kick panels is pretty easy.

 

[jmackro]

Removing seats, door panels, kick panels is pretty easy.

It is easy. But, I like BlueBomb's strategy of having the upholsterer - not the body guy - remove the seats, door panels, kick panels. The upholsterer now has an interest in not losing fasteners, not damaging parts, etc. since he needs to get it all back together.

Bodymen are generally artists who aren't concerned with trivial matters like saving unique fasteners or remembering how stuff goes back together.

 

[BlueBomb]

Disassembly/Reassembly Concerns

My concern is not the upholstery pieces, as that is already covered. I need to remove the windshield and rear window for painting, and all trim pieces. All rubber pieces as well. It gets to be a lot of stuff to keep track of when you aren't familiar with it, and I want everything to go back together with new rubber once the car is painted. I am also concerned with the slow electric windows and their looseness, so want to look at and improve that when it is apart.

 

[HB Chris]

Your body guy needs to remove windshields after he is done prepping the coupe to keep things a little cleaner inside. He should have no trouble removing belt trim but you can do it easily as well. The hard nuts to reach are in the trunk near rear quarter windows, front grilles are easy too. He will do bumpers as he needs to align them when done. Removing door windows isn't hard but realigning them can be difficult, he should do that as well, most would leave door windows in place. You can clean them after paint and before you install door panels.

 

[jmackro]

My concern is not the upholstery pieces, as that is already covered. I need to remove the windshield and rear window for painting, and all trim pieces. All rubber pieces as well. It gets to be a lot of stuff to keep track of when you aren't familiar with it, and I want everything to go back together with new rubber once the car is painted.

BlueBomb: If there was a question in the above quote, I didn't see it.

HB Chris' reply makes sense as long as your body guy's skills extend to restoration, and not simply paint-n-body. Some people in that trade are willing and able to remove and replace trim, others are not. The worst are those who say they can, but are incapable of storing parts securely and/or re-installing them properly.

The best solution is to do the disassembly/reassembly yourself. Few people will be as careful with your parts as you.

 

[digixjairo]

That is a beautiful car. Congratulations.

In case this might be helpful, my fuel gauge was also stuck (which I discovered when my car ran out of gas). The problem had been corrosion on the tube inside the sender. There is a plastic float with some electrical connections that rides up and down on a tube. I used steel wool and WD 40, being careful not to damage the electrical connections.

Unfortunately, on my car this was an indicator of a larger problem -- rust inside on the upper portion of the gas tank. Hopefully you won't have this issue.

Well it looks like my fuel gauge finally went out. Should I try to do your method or get a new sending unit? It seems like all the classic cars that I have owned have had bad fuel gauges. I guess its a way for the cars to tell me to stop driving them so much.