Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

 I noticed that the Mayflower was showing signs of a rough life lived on the seas.

I don't know how long this hood ornament had been in place, but I would bet that it was there from the time of the car's restoration. It has held up pretty well, though the plastic had crystallized, crazed. and finally crumbled at the front end.

The good ship was definitely taking on water!

This was definitely a neat feature and I wanted to keep it. I didn't know if repops were available. If not I'd have to find some way to repair and restore it. 

I figured that I could remove it, build it back up with POR putty, then paint it with a light colored paint, like ivory.

That would have made a satisfactory repair.

However, before I got started I thought I'd search online for a replacement. I was delighted that I found a new reproduction ornament at MoparPro parts.

It was nicely made, crystal clear and it looked great. The question would be, "how well will it fit?"

That's always a big concern with reproduction parts. Sometimes the fit needs a little fussin'.

I removed the housing and the ornament from the hood for a test fit. It wouldn't sit quite as flush as the original. I did a little careful filing where the bottom of the front set into the housing, and I also did a bit of filing to the upper rear area that slid into the top of the housing. 

This reproduction set me back a bit over a hundred bucks, so I first covered the areas adjacent to the trouble areas with a couple of layers of blue masking tape. I didn't want any scratches or regrets after working on it. 

I filed a bit, then tested the fit, and after a half hour or so, got the ship to set securely in the housing. The mascot came with a new light socket and bulb, but since the light was currently working I just replaced the bulb and buttoned everything back up.

Replacing the mascot really spruced up the look of the hood and overall look of the car.

The Mayflower is now prepared to face the challenges of another 79 year voyage. You can note how shiny the hood looks after my paint rejuvenation program. 

One little improvement at a time adds up over time.