Bodywork Progress Rant

[Rodney Bullock]

Fred, this is my first real car, I got it for graduation. I redesigned it in the 1980's than put it in storage. This is the day I pull it out to retag it after 9 years. I never thought of it as a show car.

[55 Fargo]

Cars look great Rodney, you sure have been a busy man, hope to be able to have my work turn out nice too.

The trouble with this old Chrysler, is she was so darn rough to begin with, not just dings,dents, rust the usual, but poorly aligned panels, and a beat-up roof, that will take me a month to fix.............Fred

[Rodney Bullock]

Rockwood, I am having my 55 chevy touched up this week at a shop down the road. The guy called me today because he needed some more paint. I went over and had my guy at the paint store bring him some more base coat. I went into the booth and found out why he needed some more paint. He sprayed his first two coats and found some pin holes so he Glazed them. after sanding that coat he had to add some more base.

This is why I am saying to you, once you know the proceedure and do it. you can always fix stuff, go back and sand(1000 grit) and add your base coats. Once the clear is appied that's it. This guy has been hounding me to let him show me how good he is and Yeah he is ok however before he met me he was using a conventional gun, he uses a HVLP gun now and uses less paint. He was supposed to just fix some areas however he fixed every little scatch, dent, ding he could find. Then he painted the whole tone. My car is a two tone so he painted everything green.

I like fixing cars however when it coms to painting them, I like my friends to do it. It's like waking up Xmas morning and the toys are under the tree.

I could do it and have painted a car(single stage) however there was someone there every step of the way. I will try to post some pic's if he is not finished tomorrow morning. He has a state of the art booth:D

[Rodney Bullock]

This is one of the pic's I found today of the Plymouth. (sad shape)

This is after the third stripping of paint.once I sanded and blocked it. Igot the skin on it.

[55 Fargo]

Rodney, sounds like this keeps you very busy looking after your fleet, A guy I work with who is a good friend, has a collection, he is always busy getting something done or changed or upgraded. This guy even has a bar stool with a 6 hp Briggs and Stratton engine that dirves the darn thing, it came from Florida.

I am getting a little discouraged tonight, working on the right rear fender, this sucker was real bad to begin with, and if I even get a better specimen, this one will get unbolted, and replaced, which will be easy, cuz the bolts are all new and turn in and out with ease.

I will get this fender to the best I can and be done with it, it should be pretty good.

My trouble is I don't know anybody around here with a body shop, guys I know who have experience promise to come and help out, but never show up, so it is me all myself plugging away, sometimes in very uncharted territory.

My pockets are too lean to send her to a shop, I will do all the prep, and let my friends brother paint her, or maybe better yet, take her to Maaco in Winnipeg, they do decent work at this fracnhise, they have a 70 Cuda on a rottiserie in there shop right now waitng for paint, they doa lot of classic cars and antiques,prices are right, maybe I can get them to the final tweaking before paint, might cost me another $500, on top of the $499.00 for the enamel special.........................Fred

[Rodney Bullock]

Fred, if that fender is all that is bothering you, what about taking it off and letting them fix it. Back in 1988 when I built the 1966 charger The fenders on it where in bad shape. The car was used to pull a boat and the brakes gave way, it crushed the front of both fenders. I removed them after the car sat for 4 years. The damage rusted and it looked like junk. During this time I had no money and my friends were muscle car guy's that did not do bodywork. I had heard of this old guy that had been working on cars for many years and the young people did not bother him to much because they were scared of him. He had a little shop in a place called Coral hills Maryland. I stopped by there and showed him the fenders. He told me to drop them over in the corner and come back next week.

When I returned I could not believe my eyes, not only did he repair the fenders he fixed the stainless strip and put this line back in the fender like new. He also primed it. The total charge for the fenders? 100.00 dollars.

I ws at the house putting them on and having a hard time of it. He and his helper shows up they put the fenders on in 20 min and off they went.

That summer I worked for this guy and learn a thing or to about body work. he is to old to do bodywork now however every once in a while I see him at the cruz spot looking at the cars and guess who he always looks for These cars do keep me busy, what else do I have to do:) You see in the first pic of the coupe that fender was replaced. I could not do anything with it.

[55 Fargo]

Rodney the fenders were roughed up, but there coming along, will have em done soon, there gettin pretty good now. I wished there were someon like the old gentleman you mentioned but there's not.....Fred

[Rodney Bullock]

Fred, I was at the shop today and the guy stayed last night and shot the front of the car. He is now wet sanding and buffing it I should have it back by Saturday. The process is easy when you have the right stuff(booth) The lighting shows every little imperfection on the car if you eliminate a third the car will look perfect outside.

[55 Fargo]

Looks great Rodney, I got the rear fender all prepped and fillered, blocked and ready for primer surfacer, it turned out not bad. Plan to shoot on 3 coats of Urethane primer/surfacer, then will blcok that with 220, might spray a guide coat too, then will corect any more flaws, followed by 2 more coats of primer/surfacer, and will wetsand with 400/500..........Fred

[dezeldoc]

Fred, always use a guide coat otherwise you are wasting your time, the purpose is to find the high and low spots which is very hard without a guide coat. remember you always get a better and straighter blocking with course paper. start with 100,150 then 220, you will have a lot of material with 3 coats. If you ever want to pick apart a body and paint job put it under fluorescent lights!

[Rodney Bullock]

I totally agree, the light is everything, the guide coat is one great way to find the high and low spot on the fender/panel. We are so concerned with a good product I think we worry on it alittle to much. My door bottoms were a little warped back in 1996 so the guy that painted my car tuesday fixed all that and it was because when we welded the bottoms we heated the metal up a little to much, a guide coat and a little bondo would have fixed that:D better late than never.

[Young Ed]

So Fred and Rodney I'll see you both here mid April to teach me all my tricks right?

[Plymouthy Adams]

so Ed..do I read that "teach me all my tricks right" as in Correctly or an affirmation they will be there...inquiring minds want to know...weather should be close to breaking up your way for spring..we are already into some pretty hot days here..

[Young Ed]

That was an affirmation that they will be coming. But yes learning them the right way is probably a good idea too Supposed to be in the 50s starting next week. I don't get my pickup back until early april though. Not sure when I'll be going to retrieve spot from hibernation.

[Plymouthy Adams]

that was more of chain jerk on my part big guy...am sure the northern most folks are bitting at the bits to get started again on their rides..I am in and out of the shop as I work on the house project and feel the tug to sand a bit of metal instead of drywall...

[55 Fargo]

That was an affirmation that they will be coming. But yes learning them the right way is probably a good idea too Supposed to be in the 50s starting next week. I don't get my pickup back until early april though. Not sure when I'll be going to retrieve spot from hibernation.

Ed,

50s for you guys, and about 40 for us Ed next week. It is a super beautiful moring here, clear sunny and biggest blue sky you ever saw, Montana is Big Sky country in the US, and Manitoba is in Canada.

Ed, I am very much a Neophyte, learning as I go, but each time I seem to get a little better, with laying on the fillers and blocking them off.

Now I wish I could use a torch, I need to learn that someday, for brazing, shrinking metal etc.

I have taken a lot of filler dust in my nasal passages and lungs, now beofre you guys get on this. I cannot wear a dusk mask, as my glasses fog up, and I only have 1 respiratotr, and don't want to get it full of filler dust.

I sand a bit then clean up whats fallen ,and carry on.

I have found for my filler sanding the best for me, is 80 on large filler areas, 100 on smaller areas, then 120 or 150, thats it, then primer/surfacer, and then blocking with 220.

I have 36 grit paper, but even on large filler areas, find this is very rough, you have to be careful on not taking the filler down to fast and leaving bi scratches.

I sue a 16 long board a lot, but have found the 9 inch rubber block, and sponge block rapped in sand paper a better frined, and more control, maybe I am wrong with this, but so far this is my experience.

Rodney, your right, not going to get pefection, no where near on my first job like this, but close will be comfortable, things can always be fine tuned even a few years later.

Tim, enjoy the weather, send some our way, next March I am going to Florida, just still trying to figure out how I can get over to your place for a coffee, if we get down there...............Fred

[55 Fargo]

Shot primer on fender, it looked good while primer was still glossy. I used my secret formula base primer, as don't want to use 2 k urethane until it's warmer outside and I can have doors up and electric furnaces off.

Next step on this fender once primer is cured is to shoot on 2 to 3 coats of 2 k urethane high build primer/surfacer, then will block with guidecoat and see what I got, fix the flaws and 2 more coats of primer to be followed by a blocking wetsanding with 400 to 500, this is if all is well, this is the sequence I am using for all panels with the exception of the roof, I may use the superthick polyester filler primer up there first before surfacing and blocking, this roof is rough............Fred ps Tim A, only got a tiny run in one corner of the fender, getting better at this

[Plymouthy Adams]

That is good Fred...sounds like you now have the pressures adjusted for the gun properly..kinda longing to spray a bit of paint myself..however I must be content to roll walls and ceilings for a bit..my son is here on a surprise visit and is doing taping and mudwork for me..the humidity is kinda a killer on dry time but progress is being made...

[Young Ed]

Thats good Tim gotta get that house done so you can get back out to the garage. I'm thinking pretty soon I'll start buying the rest of the interior trim to finish my window replacement project. I only need about 300ft of trim at $1 a foot

[dezeldoc]

Tim, have you ever used that 20 minute mud? works pretty good, with a lot of humidity it will take about 45 minutes to dry, just get it close as possible it don't sand as easy as the joint compound.

[55 Fargo]

Thats good Tim gotta get that house done so you can get back out to the garage. I'm thinking pretty soon I'll start buying the rest of the interior trim to finish my window replacement project. I only need about 300ft of trim at $1 a foot

Ed shop around, maybe pick that stuff up for less at a re-store, then you can put all the savings inot important projects like Spot, and Scrappy.

What are you looking for 2 1/4 colonial type base in Oak Trim, or the finger jointed pine pre-primed. I like the look of maple , they sell a lot of the MDF stuff, not what I like, but its works someitmes better than the pine, as it cuts smoother, they both look the same anyway when painted.

Tim, you could use a quicker set mud, or even the low-dust stuff, let the AC run a bit to draw humidity out the house, and even get some floor fans moving air.

[Young Ed]

The previous owner already did most of the door ways in an oak trim. I was able to find the same shape at home depot in either pine or oak. The pine is of course cheaper at .67 a foot. Now should I buy oak to match whats already there or pine to match the windows that it'll be going next to.

[Joe Flanagan]

This morning I went down to a Harbor Freight that I discovered is not too far from me and bought a 20 lb. sand blaster. I'm now stripping the car in parts and just finished the fenders there was more rust than I thought lurking beneath the paint and I have some badly pitted areas. My little speed blaster won't be able to handle what's ahead, I know that. So I did a Harbor Freight location check and found one not that far away. 56 bucks for an el Cheapo 20pound blaster made in China. I had one of these before and when it was working, it really took the rust off. Problem was, it wasn't working very often and I now think a lot of that might have been my fault because I didn't have the air filtered properly. So now I have a filter and a separator and if the weather holds up tomorrow I'll be blasting. Today I finished stripping the paint off the rear fenders. I used a Makita 8" disc grinder with 80 grit paper. It really takes the material off, but that factory lacquer from the 40s will gum your paper up in no time. I learned to reduce the RPMs on the tool and that helps because it doesn't get the stuff so hot, which makes it soft, which makes it gum your paper up. And what I discovered was that the fenders I thought were nice and straight aren't so straight after all. Amazing what paint and rust and grime will hide. Once I got it all down to bare metal I discovered lots of dings, dents, creases, dimples, etc., etc. So, Fred, I'll soon be joining you with the filler work. What are you using? I have Evercoat for the skimming and for deeper areas I'm planning to use Ultra Glass, which is for welded seams but I like the way it works. Also, I had a question about the vinyl welting that goes in between the back fenders and the body. It has a decorative bead on the top that shows. I'm assuming you can paint this without doing anything special to the paint. Does anyone know otherwise? I've seen them unpainted and I'm not crazy about the look. Mine came painted from the factory. I know there's paint for vinyl, plastic, etc. but I'd like to just shoot it along with the rest of the car.

[Young Ed]

Are you sure it was painted from the factory? I've never heard of that before.

[Jim Yergin]

Joe,

Did you go to the HF in Dumfries? Made a few trips there myself. Last time it was for a scissors transmission jack. Bit of a drive but it is nice to have such a source accessible.

Looking at the extended forecast for the possibility of rain through next Tuesday, I have to attribute it to your sandblasting plans. Hope it doesn't put too much of a crimp in your plans.

Jim Yergin