Newport to New Yorker and back again

[Brad Hogg <roadhogg@xxxxxxx>]

Today I made more progress in the long process of giving my beloved 1978
Newport a much needed and even more deserved face lift.  Today's project is
not a terribly huge one but it has a huge effect on the car visually.  All I
did was remove the header panel and front bumper.  I'm getting good at this
as this is the third time I've done this on this car.  I took some pictures
along the way for those who are interested.

Before the work began...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image01.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image02.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image03.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image04.JPG

While I have the front end apart, I'll be replacing the inner fender wells
as well.  The right one is bent from previous body damage and the left one
is badly rusted.

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image05.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image06.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image07.JPG

Bumper removed...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image09.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image10.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image08.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image11.JPG

Just a couple close-up shots of how things are put together behind the
grille...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image12.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image13.JPG

Unbolted the right end of the header panel...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image14.JPG

Top view, you can see the three studs that hold each end of the header panel
to the fender...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image15.JPG

I had to remove the battery and the Auto Height Control's air compressor
from the left fender to gain access to the left side fasteners...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image16.JPG

This is the contraption that I used to remove the header panel fasteners, an
air impact wrench, two or three extensions and a swivel joint is just what
the doctor ordered...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image17.JPG

Header panel removed...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image18.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image19.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image20.JPG

Just some close-ups of how things go together at the front edge of the
fender...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image21.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image22.JPG

Clean front end...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image23.JPG

Some close-ups for reference when I have to put this all back together...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image24.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image25.JPG

Done for one night...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image26.JPG

Tomorrow, I take the fenders off starting with the front where it is
attached to the radiator support...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image28.JPG

After that, the radiator support comes out with just a couple more
fasteners.  The biggest part of that job is removing all the stuff from the
rad support...

http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image29.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image30.JPG
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/2004-08/78Newport1/image31.JPG

Please quote this message in your reply.  Otherwise I will be unable to
reply to your message.  Thanks.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brad Hogg" <roadhogg@xxxxxxx>
To: "Undisclosed Recipients" <mail@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 10:56 PM
Subject: [NYBML] Newport to New Yorker and back again


Ever since I discovered New Yorker Broughams in 1984, I knew I had to own
one.  In 2000, I bought a beautifully well equiped 1978 Newport.  This can
was begging to be a New Yorker by virtue of its lengthy list of features.
This can has more features than some Imperials I know of.  Shortly after I
bought this car, I found a 1977 New Yorker that was good for little more
than parts.  Because I loved the look of New Yorker Broughams, I decided to
transplant a few of the NYB parts onto the Newport, which deserved them
anyway, being a NYB in spirit anyway.  I changed out a number of things but
most notably the header panel, grille and front bumper.  I'd also changed
the rear tail lights to those of a 74 New Yorker.

Recently, I've decided to return this unusually high optioned Newport to its
natural state.  Since I modified it, I've purchased two NYBs so I thought it
would be best to return the "Newporker" back to being the most highly
optioned Newport I've ever seen.

Today, I replaced the 74 NYer tail lights with the original 78 Newport
lights and I did some repair work on the Newport header panel.  When I
purchased the car in January 2000, it had some damage to the right front
corner.  To repair the damage, I replaced the header panel (among other
parts).  The only one I could find in my area was slightly damaged as can be
seen in this picture.

http://imperial.point2this.com/nybml/membercars/bradhogg/78Newport/FrontLow.jpg

You can see part of the fiberglass missing between the left headlight bezel
and the grille.  With the help of my friend Matt Wappler, we used the old
header panel from my 76 T&C parts car to repair the Newport header panel.
We used my sawzall to cut out the required part from the T&C header panel
and then we used metal plates, rivets, and fiberglass body filler to join
the two parts.  This worked rather well.

We cut, fitted and clamped the new part into place...
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image1.htm
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image2.htm

Then we riveted in some metal plated to hold it all together...
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image3.htm
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image5.htm

We had to shave the new part some because the two headers are not exactly
the same, particularly where the grille meets...
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image6.htm

To finish it off and add strength, we filled in the spaces with fiberglass
body filler...
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image7.htm
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image8.htm

As you can see, the headlight bucket, bezel and grille fit perfectly over
the repaired area...
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image8.htm
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/image10.htm

The next step is to do the fine finish work on the repair and prep the whole
panel for painting.

Thanks to Matt for helping with this little project.  He'll be helping me
install the header and front bumper this week.

I need one part to finish the conversion back.  That is the flexible filler
panel between the rear bumper and the right quarter panel...
http://imperial.point2this.com/misc/CarStuff/NewportHeaderPanelRepair/RightRear.jpg
I'd appreciate any leads on where I could get such a part.

After this, I only have to change out the cornering lights, the driver's
lower door panel and the sail panels to return the car back to the Newport
that it really is.  After all this is done, I intend to get all the body
work all done up just right and get the dear thing painted so its all one
shade of green for a change.