Well, after repainting almost my entire trunk lid, then rubbing it out,
polishing it, and waxing it, it finally came time for me to put my trim back
on. I started with the easiest part the trunk lift handle, and then worked my
way up to the trim ring which encircles the tire imprint. For those of you
who are doing this, don't make the mistakes I did. It is a pretty easy
process, but first of all do not tighten down all the nuts on the trim ring
until it is lined up perfectly with the hole in the rear where the small cap
piece clamps down the ring ends together. I did tighten them all down just to
realize I was not lined up with the hole at the rear, so I had to loosen all
the nuts till the ring would rotate, then I lined it up with the hole, and
retightened all the nuts. When I went to put the small cap piece on which I
had to hail down a neighbor to help me push the screw through while I put on
the nut from the inside. Now came the fun part, tightening down the little
cap. Every time it was nearly tightened one of the ring ends would pop out
from under it. I discovered there is only about an eighth of an inch play for
each side of the ring, so once again I had to UN-tighten the entire ring to
get it exactly fitted under the tiny cap, I finally reached success and
tightened down the whole ring for the last time. Now for the center hub. This
would normally be a snap of a job, but I had glued a rubber gasket around the
hub, (which I now have the politically correct '59 style hub, very nice, all
one piece, not like the '58 hub that came on the car). When I put my new hub
in place, the gasket was naturally making it ride higher, so I had to apply
pressure to the hub to get the screws to come through the trunk lid, but
could not get them through enough to get the old nuts on them which were
recessed in the middle, so it was off to Home Depot to buy some wing nuts. I
had bought the hub with me and found the correct size wing nut, by screwing
it on through the bag it was in. When I got back home I excitedly ran to the
trunk and tried my first wing nut, only to discover that out of the bag it
was now too big, so it was back to Home Depot for more wing nuts, hub in hand
once more. This time I got the 8/32 size nut, and ripped open the bag and
screwed it on. Back at home I finally got all the wing nuts on, and the hub
tightened down, and it looks great, and that gasket is in there so tight, I
don't think one drop of water will penetrate it. I'm very proud of my
beautiful trunk lid, but I just have one question for the list, does anyone
need help with a brake job?
Bill '59 Crown
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