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 Post subject: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:07 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
Well I went on the hunt to find a Baja for my Dad. After several failed attempts at trying to find him a nice turn key ride, we switched gears and tried to find something that had good bones and came with a price tag that reflected the condition. We settled on the 61 you will see below.

Pictures from the samba ad:
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So I started the gutting process:
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Passenger side pan was toast so I replaced it.
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The Baja came with a SP 1500 that was locked up. I was able to score Dad a 1600 that came with new heads, pistons , cylinders and tin. Short block condition is unknown but I plan on opening it up and checking it out in the next few weeks.
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We will rebuild the Kadrons and use those. The trans is supposed to be a built trans, so hopefully that will be OK.

Our plan for this build is to freshen and save all that we can to keep the cost low, new paint , interior, and replace all mechanicals that need replacing.

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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:10 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:31 pm
Posts: 1256
Location: Houston
Looks great! Looking forward to the final rendition! I love the classic 80's style.

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---------------It looks better in pictures!--------------


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:12 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
I did get the pan I installed seam sealed.

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And I started getting the nasty peeling clear coat sanded off. I did uncover some pretty cool graphics. At first I thought the graphics were stickers but when color started being sanded off I realized that they were painted on in single stage. I could tell the front bumper side steps and rear bumper bars use to be yellow. I understand now why they were painted yellow. Once upon a time I bet this was one cool looking Baja.

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Got the trim holes welded up and fixed and Jeremy helped fix a rust hole around the front windshield.
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I am also just about finished sanding off all the nasty peeling clouded clear coat.The black paint was just rattle can, I will get all that off prior to priming it.
I still think the old graphics are cool. My Dad doesn't want red, if he did I would talk him in to painting it just like it use to be. That would be pretty cool, I wish I could find pictures of the Baja in its glory days. I bet it was a nice looking Baja at one time.

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My garage is a mess
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:14 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
I fixed some holes in the fiberglass front end. That was my first time working with glass. I also welded up about 10K random holes drilled under the dash and deleted the fuse block hole. After that I turned my attention to the passengers door and rear quarter they are the worst areas on the whole body. Geez that took all day but I did get the first few coats of primer on. I will block it and fix anything I missed and prime it once more.
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ran a bead of seam sealer on the inside of the pan between the lift and the pan and between the lift and the heater channel and treated all the surface rust with rust converter. Then installed some sound deadner ( yep the cheap kind from Home Depot) also got the front end primed.
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:16 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
Well I got some cool history on the Baja . I had a visit from a buddy he was checking out the Baja and said it looked like a friend of ours old Baja. So I sent him some photos and sure enough he owned the car back in the early eighties. This is the info he passed on...He bought the car from the original builder.

It was built in 79 by Fred Hall, car was named Miss Stake 5. Mark purchased the car from him in 1986. Below I have posted a picture of it at the 1987 Houston AutoRama. The car originally came with a 2lter 914 engine with a 66 bus transaxle. It still has the two piece centerline wheels on it today and from looking at the picture he sent me still had all the same gauges and radio. He sold the car he thinks in 89 or 90 to a guy named Joel. He thinks Joel added the graphics on the side and painted front and rear bumper bars and running board bars yellow.

Cool to dig up old history.
1987 AutoRama
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 12:18 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
a ton of blocking
I can not wait for this stage to be over, it is gonna take me a week to empty my garage and clean it.
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Blocked with 180 and primed again, then wet sanded with 400
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 10:05 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
Got the new rear fenders and lights mounted and primed.
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2018 9:08 am 
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Der Luft Doktor
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:31 pm
Posts: 7220
Location: OC CA
Wow, cool project Ethan! You move fast!

Wish I had a bigger garage, I'd be tempted to get a Baja again to mess around with 8-)

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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:21 pm 
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Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 5:56 pm
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Location: Rosenberg TX
Wow, nice work sir :thumbs:

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RedJames


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 Post subject: Re: 1961 Baja Resurrection
PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 4:59 pm 
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dLk Redneck
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
update... a final push for paint, got everything wet sanded and cut the access hole for the fuel tank.
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


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