luggage rack

I had a '77 Ford LTD Country Squire with a rack and a rear air foil. It always kept my rear window clean and the fumes out of the inside. I no longer have the '77 but now I have a '78 CS without the rack.

The rear window is always dirty and when I roll down the window, I can smell fumes from the tail pipe. I am now in the process of figuring out how to install my old rack from the '77 to my "new" '78.

As for MPG, I have yet to notice a diff between the two cars. Both have the 400 cid, 2bbl, however the '77 had a C-6 trans and the '78 has a FMX trans. As of now, the cars feel, drive, and act the same way.

 

FWN, A bunch of guys had some links and comments, here.

http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=22945

Since your's doesn't have any holes in the sheetmetal, you're gonna have to locate and mark for them. I'd assemble it on the ground and see if some other owner will let you measure the locations on his.

Then, take the right diameter drill-bit place it in the actual drill you'll use and measure the exposed shank, MINUS no more than 1/2" of length, or you'll penetrate your headliner. Take an old broom handle and cut that shank length and drill through it. I'd put a chunk of felt on the end that will rub on the roof, and tape a chunk of coffee can plastic lid where the holes will be drilled, so that you don't mark the roof. Then drill through.

Your gonna need some putty or body sealer to wrap around each rivnut before you drive it in (allen hex key).

Do one side first and check if the other two line up, before you drill them.

Piece of cake!

Mine has Ford's plastic foot 'gaskets' under the 'legs' of the rack. You may have them or not. If not, use a hard 1/16" plastic and butter it up with the putty or sealer to make sure they seal out water. DON'T overtighten!

 

FWD, thanks for the info! I do like the cleaner look without the rack. Doubtful if I'll be driving around with the rear window open but it's definately something to consider before I take it off.

 

You read my mind Norman. When I removed the rack off my '77, not only did I take 50 or pics, I took butchers paper and traced out on the roof where the rack/strips where mounted. I know thats not exact but it will give me a better point to start with. Also the junk yard I go to, hes got a '78 Merc wagon with the same luggage rack. So I will take my readings off that one.

As for mounting, I was thinking of using the rubber style "crush nuts". The ones that bow out as you tighten them. For a sealer, when I worked for Volvo, they made a rubber type tape (like the front windshield tape), it stays putty like, keeps water out, and sticks to everything.

Last thing, you know of anyplace that rechromes? The "feet" on the rack and arms the hold out the airfoil are pretty well pitted. I would like to get them redone before I install this rack in.

 

Anytime man. Yea, wagons with or with out the rack, its all in the eye of the owner.

When I was in college, I had a "burger box" for my rack, I put all my clothing and light weight stuff on it. So I grew used to it, now that I don't have one on my '78, it just looks "off".

 

You otta be in politics. People with vision are a rare thing these days! Good planning, man!

My only queezy with the rubber-type fasteners is if they'd hold up with a sheet of plywood on the way back from a Home Depot. I use mine, sometimes to pickup a sheet or two. It's all 30 MPH driving, but if it was farther, I'd use the trailer. The Ford nuts worked fine from Mexico to Canada.

That Volvo stuff sounds great.

The pitting issue is a pain. I ran a diecasting plant in the 70's, making mirrors for the Big 3 and IH. We had no way of 'patching' them to pass them off to the plating department. We'd just remelt them. As far as a know, there's still no way, other than buffing/grinding them out. It's a zinc/lead alloy and just keeps corroding until you rechrome it.

Any good chrome shop would have the big wheels to smooth them out and rechrome, otherwise you're looking at an NOS search.

 

The Rev posted something about a chrome shop that does great work, sometime in 2008.

Here's the ones he recommended:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1520&highlight=chrome

They do bumpers, but it's the same process, except for the voltage they use to lay on the chrome. Acid baths might be different too - probably are.

Just found a thread about repros vs. rechrome:
http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/017560.html

You could do the buffing/smoothing too.

Use an 8" buffing wheel X 1" thick or doubled up and get a stick of Jeweller's Rouge. They come in various grits, so chat with the vendor. You wet the wheel with a spray bottle, press the 'rouge' into it and buff away. Where goggles and safety glasses, because the rouge will fly all over, as will the wheel fibres.

Look at this! A DIY Chroming kit vendor. I was searching for somebody in Chicago and got this:
http://www.caswellplating.com/

PLUS! Their FAQs on Pot Metal plating!
http://forum.caswellplating.com/archive/index.php/

From what I've just looked at, it looks like a shop might charge you $60 for EACH leg. Feel adventurous?
And this will light up your morning:
http://www.classiccars.ws/indexarchive.html#articles

He's got some good info on Preserving classics:
http://www.classiccars.ws/articles/preserveccars/index.html

 

That Pot Metal thread list is loaded with DIY tips! SOB!!!

http://forum.caswellplating.com/archive/index.php/f-12.html

http://forum.caswellplating.com/archive/index.php/

This one has guys asking about chrome shops around the US of A! Just not Illinois..

http://forum.caswellplating.com/archive/index.php/f-10.html

 

AND... A Buffing HOW-TO!
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

In case you didn't check that tip about solder-filling pits in potmetal, the pro suggested that you copperplate first, then solder fill, then smooth it and then chrome plate.

You're not dealing with machine-grade plating, so you won't need mega-amps. If you did, you could run off a 220/240 volt line, but it looks like these kits would do the mirrors at 110-120 on a 20 amp circuit. I have seen some nice jobs done with 12-volts, but usually really small parts.

I'm tempted to get into that plating kit. No time right now, but "Honey!!!, Christmas Idea!!!"

 

FWN said
"Last thing, you know of anyplace that rechromes? The "feet" on the rack and arms the hold out the airfoil are pretty well pitted. I would like to get them redone before I install this rack in."

The airfoil on my Chevy is aluminum. Probably pretty easy to buff back to life.

 

How far away are you from Villa Park Illinois. There is a place that rechromes there that is called Courtesy Metal Polishing. We have had a few things rechromed there that turned out really nice.

Courtesy Metal Polishing
735 North Addison Road
Villa Park, Il 60181-1469
Phone# (630) 832-1862

 

I'm in Cary, thats next to Crystal Lake and Barrington. So Villa Park isnt that far away. Thanks for the info, I will call them on Monday, get a price on redoing some of the parts of the rack.

 

Now you have to do a Before and After of the car and the parts!