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Join the Registry View the Registry Pontiac Info For Sale-Wanted Members Pages Links to other Pontiac Sites Home Restoration Tips I don't claim these tips are the best or only way to restore your Pontiac but they are offered as guides or helpful hints to anyone who needs them. Please feel free to add or suggest changes.

Woodgraining for dashes and window sashes as I understand it:     Your base coat is the same color as the parking brake and steering column. You can also find the base coat under the dash as the graining did not go all the way under the curve at the bottom. I am not sure of the base color for the woodgraining on the 46's. It might be a greenish brown. The 47's was a purpleish tan and the 48's were a dark brown. When you take off the faceplate for the radio or remove the glovebox door you may still have some of the original graining preserved.
      After you repaint the base coat there are several ways to apply the graining. One way is to use printers ink and apply it with cheesecloth (spray it over the cloth) and then drag the cloth off. You can dab it with scrunched up newspaper or sponge. There are several other techniques. There is a member of the Woody club named Pat Kennedy who does this. I have seen his work and it is very good. I found out that his wife does the graining part. He does not have the patience to do that part of the operation. His finished product is stunning in it's beauty.
     After you get the effect you want you spray it with a clear overcoat. When I removed my 47's dash (most of it had been resprayed) I notice that there was a symetrical pattern under the Radio faceplate. I am not sure what the original process was.The pattern makes me think there was some sort of decal. Possibly a roller was used but I don't know how that would get into those tight places.
    The window garnishes match the dash and don't forget the piece of metal that goes down the front windshield. There is also a tiny piece of molding that goes where that metal windshield divider strip meets the dash. That needs to be done also. Let me know if that helps. There are magazine articles and books that explain the process in more depth. I think you would probably pay about $600 for the complete job on our cars. - Don

Hood removal If you have to take the hood off for painting or removing the engine (recommended in the manual for 48 automatics at least) or doing some other engine compartment work, it will be easier to get it realigned if you leave the hinges on and just unscrew the hood from the cross piece that connects it to the hinge assembly. I have not done it this way myself so I am not sure if you must remove the chrome strip on the hood. Be careful as the hood becomes somewhat flexable when it is apart this way. Be sure to provide adequate support when removing it. This will also save you from having to deal with the "dreaded hood springs". By the way does anybody have a source for those springs. Out of 4 cars I have a total of 2 good springs left (enough for only one car!).