Project: Ultra Violet

(ANNOUNCER)>> TODAY ON DETROIT MUSCLE IT'S TIME FOR PROJECT ULTRA VIOLET TO LIVE UP TO ITS NAME. LEARN HOW ONE OF THE TOP PAINTERS IN THE NATION LAYS ON SOME MOPAR GRAPHICS. PLUS IT'S A TOP TO BOTTOM REBUILD ON OUR '49 FORD'S COLUMN SHIFTED THREE SPEED.

(JOE)>> SO FAR ON OUR '70 CHALLENGER, PROJECT ULTRA VIOLET, WE'VE BROUGHT IN SOME REAL HEAVY HITTERS, LIKE JEFF SCHWARTZ FROM SCHWARTZ PERFORMANCE, WHO HELPED US INSTALL ONE OF THEIR GMACHINE CHASSIS. AND RUSS FLAGLE FROM INDY CYLINDER HEAD BUILT US AN ALL ALUMINUM HEMI FOR THE OLD DODGE. SO IN KEEPING WITH THAT SPIRIT, WE'RE TURNING THE BODY AND PAINT WORK OVER TO ONE OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.

(TOMMY)>> YOU'VE SEEN US WORK WITH CHRIS RYAN BEFORE. HE'S THE GUY THAT BUILT THIS INCREDIBLE '53 CADILLAC, ROOT BEER FLOAT, ALONG WITH HIS TEAM AT RYAN'S ROD AND CUSTOM IN 96 SOUTH CAROLINA. HE ALSO LENT US A HAND ON OUR GIVEAWAY MONTE CARLO, AS WELL AS OUR GIVEAWAY BANDIT STYLE TRANS AM.

(CHRIS)>> WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS TAKE THE BODY BACK TO THE SHOP.

WE'RE GONNA EVALUATE THE METAL WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO IT, STRAIGHTEN UP ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. TURN IT BACK. I THINK THE STRIPE'S GONNA BE THE MOST DIFFICULT PART TO LAY OUT OF IT.

WE'VE KINDA GOT SOME OPEN ROOM TO LAY OUT THE STRIPE.

IT'S GONNA BE AN AWESOME CAR.

I MEAN A '70'S MOPAR WITH A 426 IN IT IS ICONIC.

(JOE)>> WELCOME TO SOUTH CAROLINA, HOME OF RYAN'S ROD AND CUSTOM. THESE GUYS WORK ON EVERYTHING FROM PREWAR RESTORATIONS TO MUSCLE CARS AND STREET RODS. THE TEAM HAS BEEN REAL BUSY GETTING THE CHALLENGER PREPPED FOR THE PAINT WORK THAT'S SOON TO COME.

(CHRIS)>> THE METAL WORK WAS PRETTY WELL DONE. WE STRAIGHTENED IT UP A LITTLE BIT AND ANY OTHER IMPERFECTIONS. WE COATED IT WITH FOUR COATS OF POLY PRIMER AND CONTINUED MORE BLOCK SANDING, AND BLOCK SANDING, AND BLOCK SANDING, AND BLOCK SANDING. WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A COPY OF THE RENDERING. YOU CAN SEE THE WHITE GRAPHICS ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR. SO OUR FIRST STEP OF THIS PROCESS IS TO SPRAY THIS WHOLE SECTION HERE WITH THE WHITE BASE.

(TOMMY)>> THE PAINT SCHEME FOR THIS CAR WAS DESIGNED BY DALE SWANSON AT DALE SWANSON ARTWORKS. AND HE REALLY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK FOR US, INCORPORATING CLASSIC MOPAR STYLING CUES WITH A CUSTOM TOUCH.

(CHRIS)>> THIS IS THE MID COAT. THIS REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF PIGMENT INTO IT. IT'S JUST BASICALLY AN INNER COAT CLEAR THAT'S CARRYING THE PEARL ITSELF. THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA GIVE IT THE POP, THE PIZAZZ ON

TOP OF THAT WHITE.

THE NEXT THING WE'RE GONNA DO IS MIX UP DBC 500, WHICH IS BASICALLY JUST A CLEAR BASE, A BASE WITH NO PIGMENT IN IT.

(JOE)>> NOW THIS ISN'T CLEAR COAT. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. THE REASON FOR USING THIS CLEAR BASE IS BECAUSE IT WILL FUNCTION TO PROTECT THE PEARL COAT FROM THE

TAPE THAT'S GONNA BE USED TO MASK OF THE WHITE.

THEN WE'VE GOT TO WAIT FOR IT TO CURE SO WE CAN TAPE.

(CHRIS)>> WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS SET THE HOOD ON THE CAR RIGHT NOW. IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE PAINTING PEARLS OR METALLICS THAT YOU HAVE THE PIECE ORIENTED AS IT WOULD BE SETTING ON THE CAR. NOW WE'RE RAISING IT UP SLIGHTLY JUST SO WE GET

GOOD COVERAGE ON THE EDGE. WE'RE GETTING READY TO LAY DOWN THE GRAPHICS ON PROJECT ULTRA VIOLET. WE'RE GONNA USE THIS YELLOW TAPE HERE AS MORE OF A MEASURING DEVICE. AS WE LAY IT ON THE BODY LINE, IT'LL GIVE US PERFECT THREE QUARTERS DISTANCE TO LAY OFF OUR ACTUAL STRIPE TAPE.

GET THE BOTTOM.

(TOMMY)>> THIS GREEN MASKING TAPE GIVES A SHARPER PAINT LINE THAN THE YELLOW TAPE DOES.

SO THAT'S WHAT GETS USED TO CREATE THE GRAPHIC. ONCE THE EDGE IS LAID DOWN THE YELLOW TAPE CAN GO AWAY. ANOTHER PIECE OF THE YELLOW TAPE IS USED TO MAKE A THREE QUARTER INCH SPLIT IN THE GRAPHIC,

CREATING THE TWO LINES.

(JOE)>> CHRIS IS MEASURING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LINES WILL BE EVEN. AFTER ALL YOU CAN'T BE TOO PARTICULAR WHEN IT COMES TO PAINT. AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO DO THESE GRAPHICS IS TO PAINT THE CAR PURPLE FIRST. THEN MASK THE WHOLE THING OFF USING THE STRIPE AREA BARE AND SPRAYING IT WHITE. BUT THAT INVOLVES A LOT MORE TAPING.

(CHRIS)>> AS WE LOOK BACK ON OUR RENDERING, WE CAN SEE THAT THEY PUT A DETROIT MUSCLE LOGO ON THE QUARTER PANEL. WE WANTED TO REPLICATE THAT ON OUR GRAPHICS. SO WE WENT TO OUR LOCAL VINYL GUY AND WE HAD THEM CUT OUT AN EXACT DUPLICATE OF THAT RENDERING. WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS POSITION A GRAPHIC ON THE QUARTER PANEL. WE'VE GOT TO STAND BACK TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL STRAIGHT, PULL BACK THE COVER, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA HOLD THIS OUT OF THE WAY TEMPORARILY. WE'RE GONNA CUT THE BACKING WITH A RAZOR, AND APPLY THIS HALF OF THE GRAPHIC.

ONCE WE HAVE THAT HALF SECURELY FASTENED, WE CAN PULL BACK THE TAPE AND EXPOSE THE OTHER SIDE.

EASILY REMOVE THE BACKING ON THIS SIDE.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE GETTING READY TO PREP THE CAROLINA

VIOLET PAINT THAT WAS CUSTOM MIXED BY OUR FRIENDS AT SINGLE SOURCE IN NASHVILLE.

(JOE)>> WE CONSIDERED A FEW DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THIS SHADE OF PURPLE, WHICH IS A MUCH MORE METALLIC AND SLIGHTLY MORE VIBRANT VARIATION ON THE CLASSIC MOPAR COLOR PLUM CRAZY PURPLE. WE DECIDED ON CAROLINA VIOLET BECAUSE, HEY, IT'S GETTING PAINTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA, SO WHY NOT?

(TOMMY)>> AFTER MULTIPLE COATS THE BASE HAS TO DRY JUST A BIT BEFORE THE TAPE CAN BE PULLED. SO IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER BREAK. [ bell ringing ]

(CHRIS)>> RING THE BELL.

(JOE)>> THIS IS THE BIG REVEAL, WHERE WE GET TO SEE HOW THE GRAPHICS TURNED OUT. LOOKING PRETTY GOOD!

NOW THE CLEAR COAT CAN BE LAID DOWN, AND AFTER THREE COATS VOILA!

(CHRIS)>> WE GET THIS THING OUT IN THE SUN AND THAT CAROLINA VIOLET REALLY POPS. AND THOSE GRAPHICS THAT WE DUPLICATED OF THE RENDERING, THEY LOOK LIKE THEY CAME STRAIGHT OUT OF A '70'S MOPAR WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A TWIST. I THINK THE CAR CAME OUT AWESOME. I LOVE THE UPDATE LOOK OF A CLASSIC MOPAR.

(ANNOUNCER)>> STICK AROUND AND LEARN THE A TO Z ON REBUILDING A HOT ROD ROYALTY TRANSMISSION.

(TOMMY)>> WE'RE SWITCHING GEARS FROM OUR PURPLE MOPAR TO OLE BANANA SPLIT. OUR '49 FORD CUSTOM RECENTLY GOT ITS BATH IN NANNER PUDDING YELLOW, AND WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON. IT'S MILL IS A HOPPED UP FORD FLATHEAD MAKING 159 HORSEPOWER. NOT ENOUGH TO REQURE A MODERN FANCY FIVE OR SIX SPEED. INSTEAD WE'RE GONNA REBUILD THE ORIGINAL THREE SPEED STICK, SAVE SOME CASH AND KEEP IT PERIOD CORRECT. AND AFTER ABOUT 65 YEARS OR SO SINCE THE LAST TIME

IT WAS OPEN, IT'S PROBABLY DUE FOR SOME SERVICE.

(JOE)>> FIRST THING TO DO IS PULL OFF

THE BELL HOUSING. NO SWEAT, IT'S JUST FOUR BOLTS.

THEN THE DRAIN PLUG CAN BE PULLED TO LET THE OLD GEAR OIL OUT. ASSUMING THERE IS ANY.

(TOMMY)>> DANG, SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN THAT IN THERE.

(JOE)>> UNBELIEVABLE, AND TO THINK WE ACTUALLY DROVE THE CAR WITH THIS THING IN IT BEFORE WE STARTED TO WORK.

(TOMMY)>> YEAH, I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. NOW THIS IS AN EXCELLENT REASON WHY YOU SHOULD DOUBLE CHECK THIS STUFF JUST TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE STARTING WITH.

(JOE)>> WELL IF WE'D HAVE STABBED IT BACK UNDER THE CAR WE'D BE REBUILDING IT OR REPLACING IT LATER.

(TOMMY)>> THAT'S FOR SURE. NOW WITH THIS PLUG BEING THE LOWEST POINT ON THE CASE IT'S A CATCH ALL FOR WHATEVER'S FLOATING AROUND INSIDE THERE. AND WITH THAT BEING KINDA CHUNKY, YEAH THAT'S NOT A GOOD SIGN.

WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CRACK OPEN THE CASE NOW.

THESE GEAR BOXES ARE JUST THAT, AN IRON CASE WITH A SIMPLE CLUSTER YOU CAN REBUILD WITH BASIC HAND TOOLS. RIGHT HERE YOU CAN SEE SOME RUST PITTING, WHICH WAS PROBABLY CAUSED FROM SITTING IN SOME FIELD FOR FOREVER. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS NONE OF THE GEARS ARE BLUED FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT.

SO LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND GET IT APART. THE KEY COMPONENTS ARE THE MAIN DRIVE GEAR, SYNCHRONIZER ASSEMBLY, GEAR ASSEMBLY, AND REVERSE SLIDING GEAR, ALL RIDING ON THE MAIN SHAFT. THERE'S ALSO A COUNTER SHAFT GEAR AND THE COUNTER SHAFT. COULDN'T BE ANY SIMPLIER. NEXT THING WE'LL DISCONNECT THE TAIL SHAFT HOUSING. THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE MAIN SHAFT BEARING RETAINER.

THERE'S A SNAP RING THAT HOLDS THE SHAFT IN PLACE ON THE BEARING. WITH THAT REMOVED, THE SHAFT CAN BE KNOCKED OUT.

THEN WE CAN KNOCK OUT THE BEARING FROM THE INSIDE, PERFECT CATCH. TO REMOVE THE REVERSE IDLER AND YOUR COUNTER SHAFT, YOU MUST REMOVE THIS PIN.

ALRIGHT GUYS, THE NEXT THING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IS DRIVE OUT THIS COUNTER SHAFT FROM THE GEAR CLUSTERS, WHICH ISN'T NO BIG DEAL. WE'RE JUST GONNA USE AN EXTENSION, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFF FROM THE TABLE A BIT, GET HAMMER HAPPY WITH IT. OKAY, LET'S TRY PUTTING IT UP ON SOME STEEL BLOCKS SO WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OOMPH ON IT. THERE WE GO. WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY THE COUNTER SHAFT CAN COME OUT. LAST THING TO DO TO GET THE CASE ALL EMPTY, WE HAVE TO DRIVE THE SHAFT OUT SO WE CAN GET THIS LITTLE BITY GEAR OUT.

(JOE)>> THIS IS THE REVERSE IDLER GEAR, WHICH WHEN ENGAGED SWITCHES THE OUTPUT SHAFT'S ROTATION TO, WELL REVERSE.

(ANNOUNCER)>> AFTER THE BREAK WE'LL BEGIN THE PIECE BY PIECE REASSEMBLY ON OUR RETRO THREE SPEED REBUILD.

(TOMMY)>> WE'RE OFF TO A HECK OF A START ON OUR THREE SPEED TRANSMISSION REBUILD. AFTER DISCOVERING THAT IT HAD NOW GEAR OIL IN IT,

WE GOT THE CASE TORN DOWN AND EMPTIED.

(JOE)>> NOW WHILE YOU GET THAT TAIL HOUSING APART, I'M GONNA BE GIVING THIS GRUNGY CASE A LITTLE QUALITY TIME IN THE PARTS WASHER. THE NEXT THING TO TEAR DOWN IS THE TAIL SHAFT. REMOVE THE SNAP RING HOLDING THE HUB AND BLOCKING RING IN PLACE.

THEN REMOVE THE INTERMEDIATE GEAR. THE LOW AND REVERSE GEAR THEN SLIDES OFF AS WELL. ANOTHER SNAP RING HOLDS A BEARING IN THE TAIL SHAFT HOUSING. ONCE IT'S OUT OF THE WAY YOU CAN KNOCK THE SHAFT

OUT FROM THE BACK SIDE.

(TOMMY)>> ONE LAST THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO, THAT IS REMOVE THIS SNAP RING WITH A SPEEDOMETER DRIVE GEAR AND THIS LAST BEARING, THIS THING WILL BE COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED. WE'VE GOT SOME NEW PARTS TO INSTALL BUT THE SHAFTS AND GEARS DIDN'T NEED TO BE REPLACED. MOSTLY WE'LL BE SWAPPING OUT THE BEARINGS,

THEN SYNCHROS.

JOE ALREADY WASHED THE CASE FOR US, BUT THE REST OF THE PARTS WILL NEED TO BE CLEANED UP TOO.

AND A TRIP INTO THE BLASTING CABINET WILL

REALLY KNOCK THE GOO OFF OUR TAIL SHAFT HOUSING AND MAIN CASE. AFTER DOING THIS, BE SURE TO CLEAN THE BLASTING MEDIA OUT OF THEM.

WITH EVERYTHING ALL CLEANED UP WE'RE READY TO START REASSEMBLY. THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS INSTALLING A

BEARING, YOUR SPEEDOMETER DRIVE GEAR, AND THIS SNAP RING.

(JOE)>> A PRESS CAN BE HANDY FOR THIS WORK, BUT THESE OLE TIMEY PARTS CAN BE INSTALLED WITH A RUBBER OR BRASS MALLET.

(TOMMY)>> NOW BEFORE YOU DRIVE ON THE GEAR, IT'S

GOT A LITTLE KEY WAY HERE AND YOU WANT TO LINE IT UP BEFORE YOU DRIVE IT ON.

(JOE)>> WITH THOSE IN PLACE PUT THE SNAP RING ON THAT WILL KEEP THEM IN CHECK.

DRIVE THE NEW BEARING INTO THE TAIL HOUSING. THEN INSTALL ITS SNAP RING.

NOW THE FIRST AND REVERSE GEAR, THE INTERMEDIATE GEAR, THE LOCKING RING, AND THEN THE HUB,

WHICH GETS ANOTHER SNAP RING.

THERE ARE THREE METAL INSERTS THAT SEAT ON THE HUB. THEN YOU CAN SLAP THE GEAR SLEEVE IN PLACE.

(ANNOUNCER)>> STILL AHEAD LEARN A TRICK OF THE TRADE TO KEEP YOUR NEEDLE BEARINGS IN PLACE.

(TOMMY)>> WELL I GOT THE BEARING INSTALLED ONTO OUR INPUT SHAFT, AND WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY TO INSTALL IT. NOW WE WENT ONLINE AND FOUND US A COMPANY THAT OFFERS A REBUILT KIT THAT INCLUDES THE SYNCHROS, CLIPS, BEARINGS, AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF FOR ABOUT $150 BUCKS.

SOME WD 40 WILL HELP EASE THE BEARING INTO THE HOUSING. NOW THE NEXT TASK AT HAND IS STACKING THESE LITTLE BITY NEEDLE BEARINGS THAT GO INSIDE THIS CLUSTER GEAR. IT CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY BUT HERE'S A TIP FOR YOU. THE FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA DO IS MOUNT THIS CLUSTER GEAR IN A VICE JUST TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. JUST SLIDE IN YOUR SPACER. NEXT WE'RE GONNA USE A PIECE OF ALL THREAD TO USE AS A SPACER TO HOLD THEM LITTLE NEEDLE BEARINGS IN PLACE. NOW FOR THE NEEDLE BEARINGS WE PUT A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE TRANS GOO OR VASELINE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, TO HELP HOLD THEM IN PLACE.

(JOE)>> WITH THE BEARINGS IN PLACE, SEAT THE RETAINER AT THE END OF THE SHAFT. THEN REPEAT THE PROCESS FOR THE BEARINGS

ON THE OTHER SIDE. NOW THE SHAFT CAN BE REINSTALLED IN THE CASE. NEXT A BLOCKING RING, AKA SYNCHRO, GOES INTO THE INPUT SHAFT. THEN YOU CAN INSTALL THE TAIL SHAFT HOUSING.

(TOMMY)>> THIS PIN WILL REPLACE THE ALL THREAD THAT WE USED TO HOLD THE NEEDLE BEARINGS ON THE COUNTER SHAFT. JUST KNOCK IT IN NICE AND EASY SO YOU DON'T DISTURB THE BEARING.

THEN SLIP THE REVERSE IDLER GEAR INTO PLACE. THERE'S ANOTHER PIN THAT KEEPS IT AT HOME. KNOCK IT IN TOO. THEN A SMALL PIN THAT KEEPS THOSE IN PLACE CAN BE STAGED UP AND DRIVEN IN AS YOU SEAT THEM.

THEN TWIST THE TAIL HOUSING INTO ITS PROPER POSITION, AND THEN BOLT IT DOWN.

(JOE)>> NOW THE FRONT BEARING RETAINER CAN GO BACK HOME. IT GETS FOUR BOLTS AS WELL.

THEN SEAL THE CASE BACK UP NICE AND TIDY. GO AHEAD AND INSTALL THE SHIFTING LINKAGE, THEN GIVE HER A TRY. ALRIGHT!

(TOMMY)>> THERE YOU GO. AFTER A COAT OF PAINT, OUR FRESH THREE SPEED HERE

WILL BE READY TO SET BEHIND THAT GROOVY LITTLE FLAT HEAD.

(JOE)>> RESTO MODING YOUR CLASSIC RIDE WITH LATE

MODEL PARTS IS A GREAT WAY TO BUMP UP THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES, BUT THEN THERE'S THAT OBSTACLE OF MAKING PARTS FIT. CASE IN POINT TRANSMISSIONS. WELL AMERICAN POWERTRAIN'S GOT YOU COVERED. THIS IS THEIR LATEST ITERATION OF XFACTOR

MODULAR CROSS MEMBERS MADE TO WORK WITH GM FBODIES FROM '67 TO '69. THAT'S CAMAROS AND FIREBIRDS, AND XBODY

NOVAS FROM 1968 TO '74. THE MATERIAL IS STRONG BUT LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM, AND THANKS TO THE ADJUSTABILITY THEY'LL WORK

WITH A DOZEN POPULAR TRANSMISSION APPLICATIONS FROM TKO'S TO POWERGLIDES. TO GET ONE FOR YOUR CLASSIC RIDE CHECK WITH THE GUYS AT AMERICAN POWERTRAIN.