Trunk Tune-Up

Here's the view after we removed most of the junk from the trunk. The factory trunk paint job was shabby, there was lots of grime hanging out, and the spare tire cover was long gone.
Here's the view after we removed most of the junk from the trunk. The factory trunk paint
With minimal time, effort, and cash outlay, the trunk in our Nova was standing tall. Fresh paint, a new rear seat-to-trunk partition, a repro trunk mat, and a spare tire cover provide a factory-fresh look.
With minimal time, effort, and cash outlay, the trunk in our Nova was standing tall. Fresh
Year One makes gobs of restoration parts for a variety of GM and Mopar musclecars. For our resto work we scored a new trunk mat (PN TM125V), a few cans of trunk spatter paint (PN 8014N), spatter paint clearcoat (PN 8000N), a rear seat-to-trunk partition panel (PN TDX2) with jute padding (PN DIX2), a spare tire cover (PN STA15), new trunk weatherstrip (PN CC4010), and even a new trunk lock (PN HP10651) with gasket (PN TL647). Dog for the back window is optional.
Year One makes gobs of restoration parts for a variety of GM and Mopar musclecars. For our

Although not required, the pictured items helped make our resto work much easier. A Craftsman portable air compressor to drive a Craftsman dual-action sander speeds sanding, a Craftsman shop vacuum speeds the dirt-sucking process, masking paper and 3M tape help keep paint from where it shouldn't be, and some paper towels ease sconge wipe-ups.
Although not required, the pictured items helped make our resto work much easier. A Crafts
We started by using a shop vacuum to clear out all the dirt and leaves. Be sure to suck out behind the wheelwells and behind the rear seat. Hidden under some dirt we found some spare change--sweeeeet!
We started by using a shop vacuum to clear out all the dirt and leaves. Be sure to suck ou
To remove light surface rust and an oh-so-tacky spray-can gray paint job (an earlier owner's faux pas) from the floorpan, we used an air-driven D/A sander fitted with some 40-grit paper. You don't have to go down to bare metal, just remove the major scaly and grungy deposits. If you don't have an air compressor and a D/A, use old-fashioned muscle to hand-sand the trunk. Afterward, re-vacuum the entire trunk.
To remove light surface rust and an oh-so-tacky spray-can gray paint job (an earlier owner

Vigorously shake the can of spatter paint to mix up all the rubbery spatter goo inside, then apply several light layers rather than one thick one. It took three cans of spatter-paint to coat the entire trunk. If you're not good with a spray can and/or are extremely concerned about overspray, be sure to mask before you start fogging.
Vigorously shake the can of spatter paint to mix up all the rubbery spatter goo inside, th
Although the directions say to let the spatter paint dry about four hours, ours was still tacky so we waited a total of six for maximum curing. Once dry, apply a coating of trunk spatter clearcoat to the paint to generate a moisture-resistant sealant.
Although the directions say to let the spatter paint dry about four hours, ours was still
After the spatter paint clearcoat was dry, we installed the new color-matched trunk mat. Although the mat for our Nova was basically a square chunk of plastic, Year One offers the specially shaped/contoured mats that many musclecars originally had.
After the spatter paint clearcoat was dry, we installed the new color-matched trunk mat. A

For that sweet factory look, we even installed a new rear seat-to-trunk partition panel along with the proper jute padding. Although these items can be seen from the trunk, installing them requires removing the rear seat cushions to position the partition and pad on the rear seat mounting tabs.
For that sweet factory look, we even installed a new rear seat-to-trunk partition panel al
To keep environmental scungies on the outside, rather than gathering on the inside of the trunk, you should strongly consider installing new trunk weatherstrip. The weatherstrip snaps into a channel on some musclecars but requires adhesive goo to hold it in on others--investigate before ordering.
To keep environmental scungies on the outside, rather than gathering on the inside of the
If your trunk lid has a crunched-out or severely worn lock, now is a good time to upgrade to a new lock with a fresh gasket. Year One offers new locks with modern- or original-style keys for die-hard resto freaks.
If your trunk lid has a crunched-out or severely worn lock, now is a good time to upgrade

Although your street machine may be sharp on the outside, oftentimes the inside of the trunk isn't so hot. Trunks often serve double-duty as parts haulers, shuttling greasy blocks, heads, tranny guts, and even grimy rear gears.

Consequently, your trunk looks like a war zone from hell. Good thing a trunk makeover is easier and more inexpensive than you may think. Resto companies like Year One offer scads of reproduction trunk goodies including mats, factory-type spatter paint, weatherstrip kits, and even entire sheetmetal floorpans. Check out how we did a magic makeover on the crusty trunk of a 1966 Nova SS during a cool December weekend.