GMC Motorhome: Headliner cap refinish

My days of representing Scrooge at the shop gone, we will be closing for Christmas tomorrow and I have to tell you today well…. won’t be much.  I do have my goal of getting a few more steps on Ruby’s headliner done.  The guys are making the wall panels, I’m breaking back out all the original ABS interior panels for repair, retexture and die.  Before we selected the front and rear caps to be used.  The original rear cap in this #41 prototype was hand assembled from stock pieces probably from their skunk works   Yeah, not much left to work with so I pulled a cap from another early 1973 coach after they HAD settled on a mold   But with Bubba & Scooter having fun with the glue gun when it was assembled it was a ^&%$#@#@  to get it cleaned and ready for repairs…… We were able to recover the original front cap….. they must have figured that mold out first…..  Basic structural issues addressed, this is where we step back into this phase of Ruby’s reincarnation. 

We are using West Products ABS compatible epoxy repair system   Applied to fiberglass mat on the back of the damaged areas first thing is to make the panels structurally sound once again.  We will be installing these front and rear headliner caps for service removal so they must be restored nice!  Don’t spare the slather this material actually bonds to the ABS panel… standard polyester resin will not!    With all the cracks and holes prepped on all panels, Surrounded by his objects of frustration, Phillip became a painting fool on both front and rear caps along with both front side panels   With this done yesterday, today I’ll pick up the work of trimming the repairs and filling the holes and cracks on the visible side getting ready for retexturing   So today, along with eggnog…. not really, I hate the stuff…… but with a relaxed day to do this fun work….. I’m giving love to Ruby right here.  Over the years these caps became pin cussions on all the window treatments rigged up on them 

  Both caps are riddled with screw holes like this   I’ll fix all that today.

Got in the new steering wheel, brake and clutch pedal pads for the 78 Ford…….. Original… new… pretty …… what a great  Christmas Present Bruce H. is making for his family…. This was his Dad’s truck… bought it new.  Had been turned into a hunting buggy at the farm….. now he’s new again….. good story….Oh and with FiTech fuel injection, this F250 burns rubber   .

So yeah, it’s gonna be a good day going into a great holiday season…… I’ll post during this… I can plunk on the phone so check back if you get bored of Christmas carols…….. please do work hard to have a great holiday…. see ya later……

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