I posted previously on the Welcome Wagon forum, I have had this Country Sedan since 1974, was my Father in Law's car new in 1969. I had the vehicle restored in it's original color champagne gold done by computer but it came out a little more golden and actually looks better than originally. The pictures will show how nice the exterior appears. The interior needs the seats repaired and a new headliner, I had the deck painted as well as the interior of the tailgate. I am enclosing pictures of the side panels as they came out, actually ruins the look of the whole interior. The person that did the work said he was afraid to sand out the gauges for fear of going right through and making holes in the panels. I'd really like to make this car special , does anyone have an idea as to how this may be accomplished? I thought of three things, trying to find panels at an old-new place like Green Sales, or cover the panels in a fabric similar to the deck or inside of the tailgate or try to have someone else sand the gauges out and repaint. It's kind of a tricky situation and would appreciate comments from anyone who may have some ideas as to how to approach this. Thanks.
re they made of metal or plastic? If they are metal I see no reason not to feather down the rough edges, use a little spot putty to make it level, and paint. Basically the same thing as you'd do for body work on the outside but on a lighter scale. Plastic, I have no idea. Others may have better ideas but that's just what came in my head on an under-caffeinated brain.
Plastic and still in nice condition, you could use some easy sanding auto spot putty to fill each scratch with a light sand to remove the highs then scratch in the pebble grain to match and finish off with SEM colour match vinyl paint.
Tried to find these panels which are plastic, Green Sales checked entire country for me with no results for new old parts. Plastic restoration pretty tricky, as kevdupuis suggests, they would probably have to be putted first, then sanded and finally painted. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what type of shop might do this, don't think body shops or auto upholstery shops would. I'd try myself but don't want to screw up since replacements almost impossible to find.
Just to give viewers a better idea of what I am talking about, attached is photo of wagon from the rear. The deck was repainted as well as the interior Tailgate door but the plastic trim panels really look bad ( not real clear from these photos) especially the top portion of the panels. This has got to be a fairly common problem with Ford Wagons, so any comments would be appreciated
I would say it is a problem with all wagons from this time period. My 64 Plymouth has had the same issue.
Trial and error. I tried the DIY route first. But it was only a temporary fix. Ultimately I had to replace the entire assembly on both sides. https://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/repairing-rear-interior-wheel-well-covers.53432/
I seem to remember a paint that looked like suede when it dried. I don't know if it's still available. If so, sand and repair scratches, etc. and repaint. Seems like a viable alternative to a complex problem.
I would suggest reviewing THIS thread in the 'projects' sub-section. Dr. Brian Smith's '67 Country Sedan is one generation older than yours, but the two wagons are fairly similar in their design, how things were put together, and how things worked. He did a complete frame-off restoration, and documented it all. https://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/1967-ford-squire-wagon-restoration.1380/ Marshall
Hey Stacho. You may also want to check out Tony Lawler on Tony’s car car in Facebook. He just did a 1977 Country Squire where he refinished the rear compartment and plastic. He and I are friends on Facebook and he will gladly let you know how he did it. I know there are automotive interior paints available, based off your cars trim code. Good luck
