New Bumper and Radio Cleaning

Here's a mid-week post...

You know I went to the salvage yard this past week and got a bumper...probably paid too much for it, but it is original stock for a 1970 and it's in pretty good shape and the guy did throw in a couple of other things for free...so I figure I did ok.

Well, I decided to try to clean it up with that chrome polish that Steve used on the ashtray. It was pretty warm out, so I sat out behind the shop and worked on it.



It worked great! This is the underneath side of the bumper, where water had dripped and caused shallow rusty spots...I've cleaned half of it and you can see where I haven't cleaned yet!





Amazing results.

Then, I went in the shop and took out the radio. It's a Sapphire XIV AM/FM Town and Country. It was just absolutely filthy, just like everything in the car. I got some Q-tips and some water and an old sock and started cleaning the pull-out buttons. Carefully carefully, I'd dip the Q-tip in some water, dab it on the sock, then scrub the button. Then I took the damp sock and cleaned in between the buttons.



Eventually I got everything on the front cleaned off and put it back together.



See, it appears to be missing some things...it should have a bar that goes across the front, I think that switches it from AM to FM. And a control that goes behind the volume button? I don't know what that control would be for though...I just saw it in some other pictures of T and C radios and mine doesn't have one. Would it be for balance? That doesn't make sense, though...since there's only one speaker...hmmm. Well, it's all cleaned up, and put away in a box with instructions on how to re-install it back into the car. I sure hope it works!

Anyhow, here's Steve drilling out some bumper bolts that broke off.