My First Car -- P15 1947 Plymouth Deluxe

[NickPick'sCrew]

13 hours ago, DJ194950 said:

 

You trying to remove the pieces or is the issue that it is difficult to open or just unlock with the interior or exterior handle. Each has it's issues and different repair/adjustments. Return springs in the mechanisms get weak/worn and also break. They can be repaired but are a pain to do often but do-able.

 

 

Right now just stripping it down so that the mechanisms don't get locked up with sand blasting.

 

On that, there is a round pattern in the center of the  interior of the door skin.  I suspect its was for sound dynamics and we may loose it in sand blasting.  Any thoughts on how to mimic it?  Is it worth trying?

Edited September 14, 2020 by NickPick'sCrew

[YukonJack]

I must have been asleep when you did the seats. Was that a kit or did you have them done somewhere. From what I saw of the front seat in your test fit post, it looks good.

[NickPick'sCrew]

4 minutes ago, YukonJack said:

I must have been asleep when you did the seats. Was that a kit or did you have them done somewhere. From what I saw of the front seat in your test fit post, it looks good.

I think Nicholas posted pics around two Christmases ago.   The cost was donated outside his budget as a Christmas gift from his mom and me.  Leather was sourced online, and we used a local shop for the work.  I think the darker brown was on liquidation and the tan was moderately priced while both were rated as airplane seat material for whatever that's worth.  We have leather from the same batch stored away for the panels.  

[NickPick'sCrew]

This notes for Nicholas who indicated I cant weld.  I can get a in a weld or two in a pinch ?

Edited September 15, 2020 by NickPick'sCrew

[DJ194950]

A couple of pinholes dad but more practice will get it done for the  great kid you have!  ?

 

Something  that I also get to often after years of practice on my two old cars. ?

 

Doing great!

 

DJ

[Dryerventwizard]

You have given me the faith I have been waiting for to learn to weld. I have stuff I have to do to my cars and did not want to have to pay someone to do it so. Now hopefully i can get it done right.

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, Dryerventwizard said:

You have given me the faith I have been waiting for to learn to weld. I have stuff I have to do to my cars and did not want to have to pay someone to do it so. Now hopefully i can get it done right.

When using a MIG,the key thing to remember is to listen for "bacon frying". When you have that,you have the amps set right. After that,all you have to worry about is controlling your speed.

[Dryerventwizard]

Cool and hopefully the bacon frying sound is not me on fire.LOL

[NickPick'sCrew]

On 9/15/2020 at 7:08 PM, knuckleharley said:

When using a MIG,the key thing to remember is to listen for "bacon frying". When you have that,you have the amps set right. After that,all you have to worry about is controlling your speed.

And  if you start smelling the bacon frying...Well then take your bare hand off the rocker panel and put your gloves on.

[NickPick'sCrew]

Nicholas wont quite like that I painted the first three coats of epoxy primer while he was at school, but we drop into the low 60's tomorrow for about a week so I went ahead.  That will allow him to try his hand at guide coat and sanding this week end.  Perhaps contouring and seal coat when it's warmer next week.

[NickPick'sCrew]

Notes about Omniflow epoxy primer coat, the first step in a DYI roll on this solution from Eastwood.   

 

Change rollers often.  The epoxy mixes with the activator 1:1 which makes it rather runny, so expect it to be messier than you'd think with a roll on.  It dried well enough to touch in about 2 hours and dried very well overnight.  A more experienced painter may have been able to make this step go on smoother, but for us it will take more sanding than we have experienced with spray on primer, but again, it dried up well so it should sand well too.  The bundled kit comes with one gallon of epoxy and one gallon of activator and then two cans of two-part epoxy primer.  The gallon seems sufficient for three exterior coats (body, fenders, hood), but given all the nooks and crannies and curves in the cars from this period, a few more cans of spray would be nice.  We'll post more notes about this product as we progress.

Edited September 18, 2020 by NickPick'sCrew

[NickPickToo]

Once in a while we reach out for quotes on some of the more difficult work.  For example, my dad had a local body guy look at the floor for a quote before we started on it.  The body guy wouldn't touch it although he loved our engine and suggested we put in something else.  It was disappointing at first, but now I know I can do the floor so it turned out good. 

 

We reached out for quotes again before we started the priming and filling.  Quotes on that work as well as final paint.  Again, most the shops wouldn't touch it because their too backup on what they call production work (insurance claims).  We final found one shop that would quote us but it was ridiculous.  $2000 for prime fill and sand and $3000 for final paint.  That's not even in the ball park for my budget.  We said we were not looking to win any shows, but to give the shop credit, he said nothing comes that's not show ready. 

 

Anyway, I'm filling and sanding and sanding and filling and starting to understand why his price was so high ?  

Edited September 20, 2020 by NickPickToo

[DJ194950]

Filler, sand, prime, sand, repeat until a guide coat (thinned black paint or dark primer) sands out smooth enough  to suit your eye? 2nd opinions allowed? with a 320 grit sand paper ( I like wet and dry as it lasts --way longer) . Move to next area repeat (I first mistyped - repent and you may ask what you did to deserve this?) until done or bored to death.  I found women and children like to help at least for a while!

 

Good news it is worth the time and trouble! ?

 

DJ

Edited September 20, 2020 by DJ194950

[Dryerventwizard]

There a business there always pricing to make money or they won't do it. Anything u can do ur self will always be cheaper. I feel the same way I dont expect mine to be a show car. Just a nice rat rod.

[Young Ed]

5k is a cheap paint job too. Keep at it and you'll likely end up just as good or better. 

[knuckleharley]

5 hours ago, Young Ed said:

5k is a cheap paint job too. Keep at it and you'll likely end up just as good or better. 

Really? For a basic single color paint job on a typical car?

 

I am being charged less than that for a body off with new patch panels made body restoration and paint on my 37 Dodge Truck.

 

Not talking about screen wire and body plastic "repairs",either.

 

I know for a FACT I am not being lied to because I go there and personally look over what is being done at least 3 times a week.

 

The estimate for my rebuild is between 7 and 8 grand,and that includes the 78 Dodge Ram-150 4x4 chassis with the new 318 crate engine that has already been blasted and painted,has new tie rod ends,all new brakes,new master cylinder,and new brake line and hoses,as well as all the body work and paint.

 

Well,"kinda includes". The price included blasting and painting the 72 F-250 chassis under the truck,but after he pulled the body the chassis was just too thin to be worth fixing,and then I found the Dodge chassis with the new engine and chassis components for $600,and it had already been blasted and painted.

 

MAJOR score on that one. The guy was restoring his truck to new,and lost his storage before he could get it back together. He had already sold the body to someone else,and was stuck with a chassis.

 

Probably one of the best buys I ever managed to make. A guy I knew was around the shop where the truck was being worked on and heard us talking about chassis solutions,and told us about this guy he knows who has a complete Dodge 4x4 chassis for sale cheap. When I found out he only wanted 600 bucks for it,I didn't hesitate an instant or try to talk him down a dollar. I just paid the  man his money.

 

Anybody want to buy a good running mildly modified 390 FE engine,4 speed truck trans,transfer case,and front and rear differentials with all new brakes?

 

Granted,the body on my pu  is less complex and easier to redo  than the typical car,but 5 grand seems WAAAY out of line for a nice driver-quality basic paint job using standard auto paint store paint. Mine is getting painted the bright lime green you see on new Jeeps,so it is a common paint available anywhere,and there will be no pinstriping,fading,flames,etc,etc,etc.

 

I am considering starting a post here showing the work and progress set by step if anyone is interested.

Edited September 21, 2020 by knuckleharley

[Adam H P15 D30]

Really depends on what part of the country you live in.  5K would maybe get a prepped car sprayed here.  Body work, cut and buff, you're looking in the 20-25k range at least.

[Dryerventwizard]

Yes i had a body shop do my 1940 dodge the first one I got.  I traded him stuff for it but he said the regular cost was about 15 to 20. He still missed some stuff. I just found out my rockers are bad by removing old sill plates so I could put new sill plates. Started to clean up metal and went right through. Went under and same thing and the under was full of dirt.

[Plymouthy Adams]

3 minutes ago, Dryerventwizard said:

Yes i had a body shop do my 1940 dodge the first one I got.  I traded him stuff for it but he said the regular cost was about 15 to 20. He still missed some stuff. I just found out my rockers are bad by removing old sill plates so I could put new sill plates. Started to clean up metal and went right through. Went under and same thing and the under was full of dirt.

15-20...sure hope you not taking thous...even for what you got it should not have been bondo over rusted out holes..rusty areas should have been cut and welded...and at a low cost less dress to the bead.....most body shops do the quick fix unfortunately.....it does cost for real repairs....

[Dryerventwizard]

He did not use bondo on outside was done right.  But underneath is hole different story thats where he did nothing. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

yes...I pretty much picked up on the basic cosmetic make over...sad part is all this eventually ties together and and where it does and work is poor..it is going to show...show rather early after the job but late enough to avoid their liability....this is why many shops are not geared up for the older car and deal only in the current collision repair of readily available replacement parts.  Broken record here...but even most DIYer can get in there and do the basic grunt work of rust repair before paying for the cosmetic make over truly at a cost they can afford and for a longer lasting repair.  These cars when new are already in a set course as far as corrosion goes, location and exposure over time is the critical point of repairs that is so hard to see or determine when doing body work...what appears as solid today may in a couple years finish its rust advance from the back side and blister paint.   I have over the course of years seen some panels rust through that defy any reasonable explanation...you know this was set in place when built using an exposed or improperly stored part prior to assembly and spot welding.

[NickPick'sCrew]

4 hours ago, knuckleharley said:

Really? For a basic single color paint job on a typical car?

 

I am being charged less than that for a body off with new patch panels made body restoration and paint on my 37 Dodge Truck.

 

Not talking about screen wire and body plastic "repairs",either.

 

I know for a FACT I am not being lied to because I go there and personally look over what is being done at least 3 times a week.

 

The estimate for my rebuild is between 7 and 8 grand,and that includes the 78 Dodge Ram-150 4x4 chassis with the new 318 crate engine that has already been blasted and painted,has new tie rod ends,all new brakes,new master cylinder,and new brake line and hoses,as well as all the body work and paint.

 

Well,"kinda includes". The price included blasting and painting the 72 F-250 chassis under the truck,but after he pulled the body the chassis was just too thin to be worth fixing,and then I found the Dodge chassis with the new engine and chassis components for $600,and it had already been blasted and painted.

 

MAJOR score on that one. The guy was restoring his truck to new,and lost his storage before he could get it back together. He had already sold the body to someone else,and was stuck with a chassis.

 

Probably one of the best buys I ever managed to make. A guy I knew was around the shop where the truck was being worked on and heard us talking about chassis solutions,and told us about this guy he knows who has a complete Dodge 4x4 chassis for sale cheap. When I found out he only wanted 600 bucks for it,I didn't hesitate an instant or try to talk him down a dollar. I just paid the  man his money.

 

Anybody want to buy a good running mildly modified 390 FE engine,4 speed truck trans,transfer case,and front and rear differentials with all new brakes?

 

Granted,the body on my pu  is less complex and easier to redo  than the typical car,but 5 grand seems WAAAY out of line for a nice driver-quality basic paint job using standard auto paint store paint. Mine is getting painted the bright lime green you see on new Jeeps,so it is a common paint available anywhere,and there will be no pinstriping,fading,flames,etc,etc,etc.

 

I am considering starting a post here showing the work and progress set by step if anyone is interested.

Now that's the kind of knowledge that only comes from real experience.  Thank you for sharing.  I cant replicate the collective experience of this forum for Nicholas.  I can only pass on a since of skepticism as it relates to price points that seem out of line for the likely work as well as a habit of thinking through priorities, capabilities and self valuation as he considers what he can do himself.   What ever value you believe your passing on to the younger members of this forum, I assure you that you're underestimating it by a wide margin.  

[RNR1957NYer]

If you have a couple Maaco shops near you, check their quality, and see if they will spray the car after you do all the body work.  The Chrysler in the photo was restored by a young man about Nick's age a few years ago (he and his father are fellow WPC members who live near me).  After doing all the prep work, a  Maaco shop sprayed the two tone base / clear coat, and it's better than a "10 footer".  I'm going to see if they will paint my '66 Satellite when (if) I complete the prep (28 years and counting!).

 

Keep up the good work - body work is all about patience.  Take your time, and redo anything you think might be iffy - if you can feel it, you will see it  -  in spades!

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, Adam H P15 D30 said:

Really depends on what part of the country you live in.  5K would maybe get a prepped car sprayed here.  Body work, cut and buff, you're looking in the 20-25k range at least.

Sure am glad *I* don't live there.

[NickPick'sCrew]

Our closest macco wouldn't take it.  Anyway, I'm having more fun than Nicholas with this right now.  He gets filling and sanding while I keep getting the perfect paint days while he is in school.   This is another round of epoxy after Nicholas's first round of sanding filling and sanding.  Same omniflow product we rolled on last week, but I invested $30 into a gravity feed gun at Harbor Freight.   Much more evenly applied and less messy too.  I suspect Nicholas has at least one more round of filling and sanding, maybe two. 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by NickPick'sCrew