Fenders Polished

[Joe Flanagan]

Today I compounded and polished my front fenders. Here are some pics:

Some of you may remember this summer when I struggled with a stretched out dent in one of the fenders. I tried shrinking it but couldn't get it right. I cut out the whole section and welded in new. Here's that area:

My newly painted engine:

I also started cleaning up my bell housing. Don't know if you can see it in the picture, but there is the number "55" written on it. Anyone know what that could mean?

[Jim Yergin]

Joe,

I hope you are very pleased. Looks great!

Jim Yergin

[michael.warshaw]

nice

[PatS....]

Fenders look great. Looks like you still have some decent weather there.

[Bingster]

My gosh, Joe, you really have a showpiece! It'll be just like off the assembly line. It's great to see everything detailed out in the proper colors. That fire wall also looks great, especially with the black accessories. Gee, you'll be afraid to drive it. I go back & forth about driving mine in the rain and snow. We live on gravel. I'm not doing the caliber of job you're doing, but I'm still taking all the suspension and frame, etc. down to metal & repainting them. What I can get to. I'd never get it back together if I did what you'rte doing. I figure that at 56 my car will last me for the rest of my life. But even rehabilitated (note how I didn't use the word "restored") it will get used up if given rough service in rough weather. I bought it for a work car (somewhat of an excuse to get it) and daily driver. But I hate to see all that mud get into the running gear again. Boy was it a gunky mess when I got it.

Anyway, your car looks fantastic and I like the color. It'll be a kick to see it all put back together. Take care.

[dezeldoc]

Joe, throw that gunk away! get your self some eazy off heavy duty oven cleaner and use that no scrubbing, no stink, and it will take 80-90% off on the first shot! spray it on, let sit for an hour hose off with a pressure washer or nozzle on the hose, repeat as necessary! did you sand it till their was no more orange peel or did you leave some? looking good so far!

Edited November 4, 2009 by dezeldoc

[Johnny S]

Joe .... lookin' good. Great color and love the firewall!

[Joe Flanagan]

Doc,

Thanks for the tip on the Easy Off. I'll give it a try. The Gunk does stink and it takes a while to get everything. I got most of the peel but I did leave a little. One reason was because I wanted to leave a good thickness of clear on the surface but the other was I'm just chicken about cutting through to the base coat and being faced with a repair that I have neither the patience nor the experience to pull off.

Bingster,

I understand worrying about getting your car dirty and dinged up. My first reaction after polishing the hood was, "I didn't mean to get it this nice." I still plan to use it as a daily driver, though. I take the train to work, but I'd use it around town and to drive the five hundred miles to see my family in Massachusetts. That'll be the ultimate test of whether or not I put everything back on right. Taking your suspension down to metal and painting it is a good thing to do. You can always spread out and take on more if you feel like it. But living on a gravel road, yikes. I guess you'd always be getting rock chips in your paint.

There've been times when I said to myself, "I was an idiot to undertake this." But that was in the early stages when all I could see was a rusty, grimy hulk.

Pat: Yes, we are at the extreme end of our good weather. It was in the 50s today. I've put all the paint away because we're living on borrowed time, temperature-wise.

[Rollie���]

Looking good Joe! What are you using to buff the panels out with?

btw, my bell housing had 299 on it. What it means? have no idea.

[moparbenny]

lookin good!

[Fireball]

Looks better and better after every step Joe

[Joe Flanagan]

Thanks, guys. Rollie, I'm using a foam pad with Maguiar's cutting compound to remove the scratches from the 2000 grit sandpaper. Then I'm using Maquiar's machine glaze on a separate foam pad to polish. The tool is the Makita you see in the background of one of the pictures. It's a hook-and-loop arrangement.

I wonder about the numbers. Must have been something they did on the assembly line.

[P-12 Tommy]

Man, that's lookin' good Joe! Good for you!

Tom

[1949P17BC]

Oven cleaner is the way to go on heavy grease. I even used it on rusty pieces soak and then power wash

[dezeldoc]

Oh Yeh i forgot to mention don't get the oven cleaner on any paint you like as it will take it off also!!

[greg g]

The crayon numbers are likely factory inspector's marks. My guess that that might have been put on signifying a final check of an assembled chassis going down the line, probably just befor the body was lowered into place. similar to the marks yo can see on firewalls.