No, that ain't ice...

[Dr Crankenstein]

Refresh my memory... your spoiler is buggered as well?

.

 

[Bamamav]

Haven't got a spoiler. Was Mia when we got the car. Factory wrap around was made out of urethane, they didn't last but about 10 years. A repop fiberglass one is about $400, but shipping is about the same because it's considered oversize. I'm planning on a pedestal style, much cheaper and looks better IMHO.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Thanks Bama. The pedestal style is much better looking!

.

 

[I-R-POPS]

I was leaving a bar in Louisville Kentucky in my El Camino when a upset biker hit the back window with a chain. I picked glass out of my noggin for days and there was still glass in that carpet every time I cleaned it.

The guy was a really poor sport after a couple times of me poking him in the nose and the bouncer threw us out.

Sorry I just had a flash back to my hell raising days in the Army when you mentioned shattered back glass.

Hope your insurance comes thru for you

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Sorry I just had a flash back to my hell raising days in the Army when you mentioned shattered back glass.

I was stationed at Ft. Knox and had more than a few entertaining nights in Louisville as well...

 

[Bamamav]

Found a parts car with a good hatch, but no spoiler. Going to go look at it Sat, if I like what I see, I’ll probably drag it home....

 

[Bamamav]

Drug home the parts Firebird today. Got some good parts on it still, power steering box, floor shift column, looks like there might be some interior bits I can use, too. Just gotta figure out how to get the doors open, neither one will open. Hatch lock has been punched, so I can open it with a long screwdriver. Hatch and glass are perfect, just going to have to paint it. Not even sure what year it is, he said 84, but until I get the door open or look at the VIN I won't know. Has a full set of Pontiac ralley wheels on it, but they're 14". Doors have rust as do front fenders, but flat hood looks good.

Going to pull what I want and try to sell the rest for a few bucks back. I'll get some pics up tomorrow...

 

[Bamamav]

Pics as promised....

Can't see the VIN, glass is foggy in that area, so I guess I'm gonna have to get the door open somehow....

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

The doors won't open from the inside?

Why change the entire hatch? Is changing the glass that difficult?

I'm not criticizing, just curious!

.

 

[Bamamav]

The glass is bonded or glued to the tail panel. There is also a thin steel channel that fits on the lip of the glass. The hatch bolts through the glass at the top, the striker for the latch is on the flat tail panel, the gas struts also mount to the tail panel. On my yellow one, the tail panel had actually slipped backward an inch or so and wasn’t aligned with the fenders, the red one aligns perfectly.

I could get a glass company to cut the glue and bond my yellow flat tail panel, but why take the risk of the glass shattering when they started cutting? Besides, my panel was drilled for the original wrap around spoiler that I don’t have, and ain’t gonna pay nearly $1000 for and still need to be painted. I’m figuring I can get a pedestal spoiler for around $200, paint it myself, then drill the flat panel myself, the hole locations are already there on the inner skin, just not drilled. Doing it that way, I won’t have to fill the holes for the wrap around on the yellow lid since I won’t be using them.

Follow me Dr C? I know it’s a bit more work for me to swap hatches, but it gives me a lid without extra holes and eliminates the possibility of breakage from tryin to swap panels on the glass or the glue slipping and having a misalignment problem. Just trying to make the best of a bad deal...

I haven’t tried crawling through and trying to open the doors from inside yet. Will probably wait until I get the hatch off. I don’t want to get in there and the hatch shut and then be stuck with no way out! I can’t tell on the ds, it looks like the handle is gone, the ps lock shows orange on the slide knob, which should be unlocked, but the outside handle acts like it’s locked or stuck. I’ll get to it in time....

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Thanks for your thorough explanation, Bama. Now that I understand the issues, I understand your reasons. (I'll bet the glass shops hate these things.)

Good luck with the swap!

.

 

[Bamamav]

I hoped my description was clear. Would have better with a few pics, but not at home so that was out. Just had to ‘sprain it the best I could.

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Perfectly clear. [cl

.

 

[Bamamav]

Scored a pedestal spoiler on eBay last night! Guy had it listed at $200 with a best offer, I offered $150 and he accepted. Might could have gotten it cheaper, but might not have, too. Ordered the trunk weatherstripping today, ours was pretty worn out, so might as well change it. Now if me and the insurance lady could quit playing phone tag and actually talk, I might be able to get it painted and get some of my money back. I’m not impressed with Grundy/ Philly insurance. Hard to get ahold of the folks you need to, and hard to get them to understand what’s going on. Hopefully it gets better....

 

[lazarat]

Sorry to hear about those trubs. Did an appraiser ever come out?

I have Hagerty, full coverage, and I never posted about this but I had a parking lot incident where the trunk of the 53 was pushed in bigly. Collided while backing out with a guy backing out with one of those scooter things on the carrier on the back of the van. Also broke a tailight and bezel.

Appraiser came out a day later, took a bunch of photos, said it was 1500 in damages. I ironed out the trunk, (actually ran over it with my GMC to get it somewhat back in shape), applied bondo replaced two bezels and tail lens to match it all up. Cost: about 150. I pocketed the rest, accident forgiveness etc etc and rates didn't go up. Trunk not perfect, but not too noticeable.

 

[Bamamav]

I finally got to talk to the claims rep. After I explained about the glass being no longer available, and me buying a replacement hatch, she was OK with it. Got to take it to a body shop when I get the hatch put on and get it all painted to match. She moved it from a glass claim to a comp claim because of the paint work needed. Same result, no deductible. Spoiler is supposed to be here tomorrow, planning on putting it and the hatch on tomorrow. After body shop gets through with it, they get paid and I get back what I've spent.

 

[Bamamav]

Today turned out to be install day. Got a buddy to help me swap the hatch over to my car, that sucker is heavy! Put it on, was slightly out of alignment, but close. After I finished putting the 8N tractor back together after a fuel tank cleaning and coating, I went back to the hatch alignment issue. Had to remove an interior panel to get to the body side of the hinge mounts, loosened them a bit and pushed and pulled until it was very close, as close as I could get it anyway. Also adjusted the pull down latch, that helped a bunch, too. It's a little proud to the rear, but nowhere near as much as the other one was.

Then I started putting the spoiler on. The two front holes were easy, there was a factory access hole there, just had to drill the holes. The back two though, I set the spoiler on and marked the rear holes, then drilled them. Since there was no access holes there, I've got to get a hole saw and put one to get the nuts on, my step drill wasn't large enough to get the lower hole large enough with out the top one being too much oversize. So, for now, I just put the front nuts on. It looks great! Forgot to take any pics, I'll get some in the morning....

 

[Bamamav]

Pics as promised. Waiting on bodyshop appointment now.

 

[Old Iron]

Gonna have to be careful now, there isn't many of those cars left to get parts off of.

 

[Skip]

Gonna have to be careful now, there isn't man of those cars left.

I think a lot of the spoilers stuck around for a while. I got one at the Portland Swapmeet 20-odd years ago and put in on my 74 Comet. It even looked right on it. It did make the trunk heavy, though. I had to make a prop-up rod for it.