Restoring the Firewall – Pictures of All Connections, Hardnose Paint

So I am trying to get the interior done.  I have had the carpet for almost 2 years now, and keep finding other things to do first.  I was going to install it, but then thought to my self that I ought to do the rust around where the clutch master cylinder had leaked on the firewall – because fixing that would cause drips down into the interior.  Better get that done first so I don’t have to remove the carpet later.

I never want to deal with rust on the firewall again, so I made a couple of decisions.  First, I will change over to true Synthetic brake and clutch fluid.  I already covered this.  Second, I would use a paint that will protect it from whatever, but could be applied without a bunch of tools like a compressor, etc.  After looking at various options, I decided to try out POR 15’s 2 part Hardnose Paint.  According to their website, the stuff is supposed to be chemical resistant, tough, durable, etc.  So I decided I would try it out.

First, I needed to document all the wiring and components that attach to the firewall.  I used a black sharpie to write on the interior side of the firewall, which hoses and cables went through which holes.  For example, I put Ch near the hole for the Choke cable, and Th near hole for the throttle cable.  For the wiring, in the 70s I kept a notebook.  Today, I decided to use the digital camera on my cell phone.  So here they are:

.

So now to strip and paint the firewall.  First step is to do a regular POR15 treatment.  I used a variety of tools to get down to bare metal, including Aircraft Stripper, a sandpaper disc with my drill motor, a Dremel Tool with a sandpaper flap attachment, various wire wheels as documented in other posts on POR15.  My biggest regret here was that I spread rust dust ALL OVER the place, and had to clean it up, blowing it out of cracks and crevices with my dry vac, using a paper towel with bug/tar cleaner, etc.  Not covering everything up first was a big mistake.  I hope the rust dust does not cause rust in various crevices in the engine compartment.   After getting down to bare metal, I applied metal ready per instructions, and then silver POR15 on the more pitted metal under the master cylinders.  I then went over that with the black, and finished out the firewall.  Two coats.  I had already done the battery box per another post.

Stripped to Bare Metal

POR15 Black, POR15 Etching Primer on Battery Box over POR15 Silver

I had a real hard time with the POR15 self leveling.  Paint brush stroke lines, etc.  I called support at POR15, and they stressed the importance of humidity (I live a couple of blocks from the beach).  After some abortive attempts trying to use various websites to tell me the humidity,  I went to Home Depot and bought a cheap temperature and humidity gauge.  I only applied POR15 (and hardnose paint later) when the humidity was below 60 and the temperature was 70 or so.   Now to do the hardnose paint.   So I gave it a coat of etching primer.

POR15 Etching Primer over POR15 Prepping for Hardnose Paint

I then mixed the 2 part hardnose paint per the instructions.  Be sure to use a mask per the instructions, this stuff is strong smelling.  By the way, I used the Light Red.  It came out almost orange.  If I had it to do again I would do the dark red.  I will end up painting over it later, probably with this   Unfortunately hardnose did not self level well either, even thinning it with Xylene per the instructions (you can get Xylene at Home Depot).  I did sand it down between coats with the 300 grit sandpaper, but I will have to apply filler and do a final top coat, probably with spray paint to match the body.

Sanded Hardnose Paint over Hardnose Paint

Painting the Misc Brackets

To paint the master brake and clutch cylinder brackets, heater valve bracket, I did the following:

1.  Two coats of POR15 black – which did NOT self level very well.

2. Sanded with 220, used POR15 Self Etching primer, sanded with 400.   Used bondo’s paint putty to fill, sanded with 220 then 400.  Then 3 coats SEM high build primer, sanded with 400, repeated a little with body putty, then high build primer again, sanded with 400 grit.  Followed instructions on cans for recoating timing, etc. 

Products Used to Paint Brackets

So now I have a nicely primed bracket ready for paint

Bracket Ready for Paint

3.  3 light coats of Black Semi Gloss Enamel from Seymour

Ready to Bake in the Oven When Wife Goes Shopping

Need to do the other brackets and the wiper motor casing tomorrow  (in “cadmium” color paint) now that I have a process down….

I also painted the aluminum on the master cylinders, aluminum on the wiper motor, and coil strap with clear lacquer spray paint.  Someone told me about this trick once upon a time, don’t remember who it was.

Well, I finished the Firewall.  I used base and clear coat paint in Signal Red from www.automotivetouchup.com, according to the directions on the cans.  Here are the results, which I am happy with!

The pictures turned out to be great for putting all the wiring back, everything went back fine.  I swapped over to synthetic brake/clutch fluid to keep it from happening again, don’t want to see that nice paint under the master cylinders eaten up!  I also replaced the brake and clutch lines.  I had a local shop do it, taking them my originals.  They were supposed to be in stainless steel.  I went to pick up the lines, and they said they couldn’t flare the stainless properly, and did them in a zinc/steel alloy.  Still charged me over a hundred dollars.  If I had to do it again I’d have ordered them from Spitbits or someone else.

If you click on the picture below, you will get the hi res version pop up to get a better view of it.  You will notice, if you do, that I put the $*%&$ heater valve on upside down initially.  I fixed it after taking this picture.  Also, what appear to be little defects in the red paint are actually reflections of minor defects in the black paint on the bracket, and a little dirt sitting on top the paint, just needing to be wiped off.

I also purchased a sealed yellow Optima battery so I would never again rust the battery box.  Looks kind of ugly, but I don’t ever want battery acid on that paint again.

I put in all new grommets for where the cables and whatnot come through the firewall.  Some from Spitbits, some from Moss Motors.  I started to get confused as to which hole the throttle cable went through, which the choke, etc.  Then I looked inside at the interior side of the firewall, and saw where I had marked them with a sharpie as I described earlier in this post.  Glad I did it!!!

I ended up cutting the radius in the grommet  for the cable for the wiper motor.  It wouldn’t slide over the piece on the end of the cable, and I did not want to take the cable apart.  So with a snip, I slid it on the cable, put it in the hole, it sealed up  just fine.

I should never have to do the firewall ever again!  At least to that extent!