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48 Desoto Project


52b3b Joe

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16 hours ago, Bingster said:

Could I trouble you to show the screw/bolt combination fasteners used to hold down your floorboards? I have a '47 Desoto and need the info. Thanks.

The next time I get over to the car I'll see what I can come up with. The floor boards were already out of the car when we got it, so I'll have to dig around. I think they are just 1/4" bolts from memory. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I took a vacation day today from work, and I spent it on the car. I was able to get the inner fenders repaired, sand blasted, epoxy primed, and painted. They came out pretty good. The rust repair was a pretty fun project, especially making the new battery tray. I polished a couple spots on the inner fenders before I started working on them to get the original green/gray/blue color matched. The paint store around the corner from my house was able to get it perfect! I'm happy with the results.  

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm still at it! I typically work on the car 1-2 nights a week and at least one weekend day. It doesn't look like much is happening in the pictures, but I have the metal work on the rear fenders done, and over half of the front clip's rust repair is completed. We're getting pretty good at taking the front clip on and off to fit and tack the patches in to keep the door gaps halfway right. Hopefully we're doing the car justice. (Disclaimer - Once again I'm no welder/body work expert!) The repairs for the inner parts of the front fenders (as seen in the first picture) were a bit tedious to say the least, but they are done! That had to be near perfect to put the outer skin back on with a crimped edge (like a door skin is crimped) and keep the door gaps and fender shape right. 

I also don't know if I mentioned it before, but all the metal I have used on this car is from an old metal desk I got for free. I can't believe how much it cost to buy a sheet of metal when you can generally find desk like this for free or minimal costs! I did most of my truck with this same desk. 

I also included a picture of the paint code for the inner fenders/trunk/floor/everything they used that blue/gray/greenish color on. Not sure if anyone could use it or not. I'm not sure how the code will cross either if at all, but this was a cheaper single stage urethane Valspar paint

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Edited by 52b3b Joe
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I was wondering how to get the paint on mine matched up.  Firewall and door jambs are perfect, wheels seem darker. Did you bring an entire fender in the store or what? :lol:  I can't find a paint code tag on my 48 Dodge.

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1 hour ago, Bryan said:

I was wondering how to get the paint on mine matched up.  Firewall and door jambs are perfect, wheels seem darker. Did you bring an entire fender in the store or what? :lol:  I can't find a paint code tag on my 48 Dodge.

I polished a couple flat areas on the inner fender and took the whole thing in. They have a color eye to match the paint with (the area has to be fairly flat). You only need maybe a 4" by 4" area of decent paint I would think to match with. 

I did the same thing with my truck too, I found a good sample for the original paint, and took it in the get a match. 

Edited by 52b3b Joe
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I thought I'd give another update. Since last time, I have all the rust repair done, and the holes where the spot lights were patched. I've been playing around with knocking more dents out of the front clip, and we got all the trim off the car. My dad marked, and labeled the wiring harness (quite a project), and has that removed now too. This weekend we will start preparing the body for a coat of epoxy primer. Between the rest of my vacation this year from work, and the holidays, I'd like to get it in primer and some of the body work done by the first of the year. Not much to see in terms of progress, but here are some pictures. 

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Looks great.  You're really making good progress.  You must have a lot of natural talent & ambition.  Can't wait to see the finished product.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I took last week off work, so I was able to get most of the body work done on the car. I spent a long time with the hammer, dolly, and torch trying to get the metal back to the right shape. It is still pretty stretched, and I'm no expert with this, so yeah, there is filler in it lol. Its not excessively thick, but it's there...

Hopefully I'm still doing the car justice! 

We did get the front clip installed with the inner fenders and hood so I could get the gaps and lines right. That in itself was a project. I bought a harbor freight bench top blast cabinet, and that this is worth every penny. My dad spent an afternoon blasting all the front clip hardware and a few small parts. I wish I had one sooner now! My dad also finished taking the rest of the bright work off the car. We are going to leave the front and rear windshields in though, so that trim will stay. 

I do have one question though, as far as the hood springs go, on our 41 Desoto, to install and remove them you simply lift the hood a little higher than normal and it takes all the tension off. This 48 doesn't do that with the springs we have. Do you have to stretch them or do I have the wrong springs? 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm moving right along with the body work. I have half the car scuffed down and ready for the primer, and I have a few details to work out of the rear fenders. Other than that, its ready. I'm hoping to get primmer on it within the next 2-3 weeks, but I need to figure out how and where I'm going to spray it. I think I'm going to use plastic sheets to make a cheap "paint booth" in the garage. 

Anyway...I can't decide on how to paint the car. I keep flip flopping on single stage or base coat clear coat. I've done both with good luck. Single stage is cheaper and takes one less step, and one less chance to mess something up but base/clear will be more durable and it typically gives a slightly better finish. At the end of the day it is my decision, but what are your thoughts? 

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I', not surprised to hear that you have experience painting, looking at the quality of the work you are doing it's obvious this is not your first rodeo.  As far as single stage vs base/clear my thinking is, if it's a vintage car and being painted a solid color then single stage is the way to go as the finish looks most like the original enamel.  If you are going with a metallic color then base/clear is the only answer since you can't sand and buff with out disturbing the metallic.

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21 minutes ago, rhelm1953 said:

I', not surprised to hear that you have experience painting, looking at the quality of the work you are doing it's obvious this is not your first rodeo.  As far as single stage vs base/clear my thinking is, if it's a vintage car and being painted a solid color then single stage is the way to go as the finish looks most like the original enamel.  If you are going with a metallic color then base/clear is the only answer since you can't sand and buff with out disturbing the metallic.

Thanks for the response, it really does help. Your comment really backs what I've been thinking. The car is going to be a standard non metallic black. I've been leaning this direction because it will take less time to spray, and I know my dad would prefer the single stage to save some money. I will also be able to panel paint the car (I could probably get away with it BC/CC too I suppose). I am planning to paint the from clip, rear fenders, and hood in one shot, and the main body another weekend. The whole thing at once would be a lot for one person to handle I think. 

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5 minutes ago, 52b3b Joe said:

 I am planning to paint the from clip, rear fenders, and hood in one shot, and the main body another weekend. The whole thing at once would be a lot for one person to handle I think. 

Car's looking great!! Sounds like you have a good plan. Painting the roof will be the hardest part. Heck, if it's warm enough you could paint it outside. You're gonna color-sand and buff it anyway. Single stage would be my first choice, too. What brand of paint are you planning on using?

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3 minutes ago, MackTheFinger said:

Car's looking great!! Sounds like you have a good plan. Painting the roof will be the hardest part. Heck, if it's warm enough you could paint it outside. You're gonna color-sand and buff it anyway. Single stage would be my first choice, too. What brand of paint are you planning on using?

Thanks! 

I wish it was warm enough to paint outside, but I'd like to get it painted this winter so we can start getting the car back together. I have more time in the winter to work on the car, so I'm trying to take advantage of it. As far as paint brand, I've always used PPG, but I am thinking of using Nason (Axalta). The PPG will be the cheap shop line single stage urethane, and the Nason would be the shop line equivalent. Painting the roof will be the hardest part, I'm not looking forward to trying to keep that large panel wet! 

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I'm painting/touching up my '41 a panel at a time and I'm going old school and cheap!  I shot the hood using Dulplicolor black lacquer with their clear gloss over it, using a $9.99 Harbor Freight HVLP gun.  I put enough clear on to wet sand and polish away anything that looks like orange peel, runs and dirt in the clear without burning through the color.  It takes longer than what a good painter with first rate materials could do in a clean booth, but I find the sanding operation strangely rewarding.  The lacquer will hold up well enough for me.IMG_3595.JPG.6746e48d263f00b923a586c3edcafbee.JPGIMG_3590.JPG.f1eff9fbb11e1b39a39716bfe87865e2.JPG 

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14 hours ago, RNR1957NYer said:

I'm painting/touching up my '41 a panel at a time and I'm going old school and cheap!  I shot the hood using Dulplicolor black lacquer with their clear gloss over it, using a $9.99 Harbor Freight HVLP gun.  I put enough clear on to wet sand and polish away anything that looks like orange peel, runs and dirt in the clear without burning through the color.  It takes longer than what a good painter with first rate materials could do in a clean booth, but I find the sanding operation strangely rewarding.  The lacquer will hold up well enough for me.IMG_3595.JPG.6746e48d263f00b923a586c3edcafbee.JPGIMG_3590.JPG.f1eff9fbb11e1b39a39716bfe87865e2.JPG 

That looks really nice! A guy I work with uses that paint a lot of motorcycles he restores. He's a fan of it, but he says gas will discolor it. 

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your desoto  is or  was rust wise , virtually  identical to my  48 dodge , same body.

my floor is maybe a bit better.   worse in some areas..  like fenders.

got  brave enough to start at the body work last night last night.

   lucky for me most will be hidden, and at least for now  all we are aiming for is solid and drive-able.

    side panels of an international combine are my metal source     endless supply the whole combine   . they are  thicker     ,  with my welding,, probably need it.

got the right rear inner fender and door post almost done .  it went  better than i thought it would.

  those panels have some  good  breaks and bends  , quite useful.

     looks like you are doing great work.

if mine is half as       good    , i will be happy

     

 

 

 

 

 

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Well, more of the car is finished even though it doesn't look like it in the pictures lol. I finished the big filler work (the replacement driver rear fender had lots of history under the paint), and it is ready for high build primmer. I took all the sheet metal off it again so I can prime everything, block it, and cut in the doors and firewall when I get there. Then I think it will get assembled for the last time and painted. I was able to push it outside and blow all the dust off it, and clean the garage a little. I definitely don't miss the mess, and dust of doing body work, and man is it cold outside...

The weekend plan is to finish up the little details, and to start making my "paint booth" in the garage. Hopefully I can get the booth made by Christmas, and who knows, maybe even paint by new years. I tend to be optimistic on my timelines though...

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