Getting my 46 WD15 repaired and back on the road

[lostviking]

After waiting the required amount of time, I hit it with some more 80. Some machine, some by hand. That showed me the spots that were still low. Those got a dab of spot putty. I use a single edge blade to apply this, and the spots look huge...but that's mostly getting sanded away.

 

You can see how much of the filler got sanded back off. 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by lostviking

[lostviking]

That one big looking spot on the side is pretty thin. After sanding the putty I put just a touch back in a couple spots. I let that dry, then I masked the side all around the repair area and sprayed it with a high build primer. I'm done with that for the day.

 

While I was waiting for the filler to dry initially, I pulled the fender out of the bed and went to work on the damage. I laid it down on a 3 inch or so thick pad and used a combination of rubber mallet and a wood block to start moving the dents back into position. I used C-clamps and hardwood strips to work on some of it also, including the bent up edges. It needs a lot of work, but what I did today shows me it is repairable...by me even.

 

Moving along, but a long way to go. Thanks for following along.

Edited February 26, 2022 by lostviking
typo

[lostviking]

Got back after it today. Sanded, a bit more spot putty on the low spots. While that dried, I did some more work on the fender. It's Sunday so no hammering. Just used large and small C-clamps and a few stripes of hardwood...1.5 inches wide... and I bent (unbent?) some more to get the basic form back. I even found a spot where it had been damaged previously and the PO just ignored it. I didn't.

 

I've got some welding to do, but I've learned how low to set my welder for thin sheet metal. Even so, I'll practice a bit before I do any on the fender. There are a couple or rips that need to go back together, but I'm confident I can restore it.

 

I might have mentioned the mystery brace for the lower cab side under the door. I've got that brace straight again, and secured to the proper hole in the cab floor. The other side was also loose...PO. I went over there today and bolted it down securely. I used about 3/4 inch hole saw to cut through the wood insert. It would have been a huge job to take everything apart to take it out. I don't think I did anything that is harmful. The PO missed the location of the screw just in front of there, and when there was no threaded insert to run the screw into, he just left it there...same thing on the drivers side. I had wondered about that, now I know. Either way both sides are secured now. I'll need to add the two missing holes in the wood inserts...but he cut the hole for at least the hand brake way too large, so I'm eventually going to replace the passengers side. Like I said, it's a chore to get it out, but I would like to stop the wind from coming up through there. Not to mention any fumes.

 

Gotta go take a walk with the wife today, so that's about it. Barely 10AM, but the truck has one more coat of high build drying and the days repairs are over.

 

Have a great Sunday everyone.

 

Tim

[lostviking]

Saturday again. I didn't like the results from the first attempt at smoothing out the damage, so I sanded it off in the area's I didn't like with 80 grit. I tried using a torch to shrink the metal again, with some success I think, then I redid the bondo. Still less than .125 thick in the worst spots, but I think I tried to keep it too thin last time. There was visible dips, so I'll try this again.

[lostviking]

Much better results. The bondo is very thin. After sanding with 80 grit I needed just a touch of glazing putty to get it done I think. From here a sand with some 220 and a coat of high build primer. From there it's just sand it smooth and primer. I'll see about a top coat that is close to the rest of the truck.

 

Then, back to work on the front fender.

 

The PO used some kind of blue felt like material between the fenders and body. He glued it to one side. I don't know what the heck he was thinking. I my mind, that's just asking for rust when the felt collects water. Needless to say, I'm removing it.

 

As I was cleaning off the front of the rear fender where the running boards attach, I found a inch long or so crack in the fender. He just ignored it!. I'll be welding it closed when I get around to that. I intend to repaint the rear fenders black since I'm doing at least one front...and the running boards. I'm going to replace them both and sell the one original good one. The repops are smooth and don't have the diamond pattern in them, but some non-skid should work just fine.

 

Waiting for the glazing putty to dry so I can sand it all once more before I primer it and stop for today.

 

Enjoy your Saturday!

Edited March 5, 2022 by lostviking
forgot the pictures

[lostviking]

Another part that got bent, was the rear running board bracket. It was bent upwards some. I'm pretty sure the front will need a similar fix...but this is what I did to the one still riveted in place.

 

I placed a jack stand under it to give it a point to bend at...clamped a 6 foot 2x4 onto it, and bent it back some. It might not be completely flat, but I didn't want to go too far and have to bend it back. I'll see how it compares to the other side once I remove that running board.

[lostviking]

Fairly happy with the results now. Did some light sanding today and another coat of high build over the trouble spots. After it dried I sanded locally, and when I was happy I blocked the whole area until the highest points broke through. Talking very mini mountains here. I covered the whole area with red oxide colored regular sandable primer this time. Probably won't do anything more today, but next week I'll start a bit of wet sanding. It's in pretty good shape right now, but I need to get rid of the sanding marks and move to much finer sand paper. Then I'll see how close I can match the paint.

 

I'm thinking about just buying a small paint gun, since I don't have anything now. I really don't know so I need to do some reading. Anyone like to make a suggestion I'm open. I'll be doing a blend on the cab, plus repainting all the fenders and running boards. When my bike got painted I did all the body work and primer, and my buddy sprayed the base and clear. I did the finish work. Doing it that way it came out like a mirror...not doing that to the truck :). Just want a close matching single part paint. I'll use the same method we did then, screen room tent and a clean deck. The side of the cab will be done in the open, but the fenders and such will be done inside the tent.

 

For the gun, I don't want to be mixing too much paint at once. I also need to be concerned about how to clean up...California.

[kencombs]

https://www.harborfreight.com/universal-paint-system-starter-kit-17-pc-57508.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/universal-paint-system-refill-pack-30-pc-57507.html

 

 

I just started using these a few weeks ago.  Highly recommend them.  Saves more in cleanup solvent than they cost and really convenient.  No straining needed as each cup has one built in.  And you can mix and measure in each one.   Just remove and discard when done.   clean gun passages and done!

 

You will need an adapter for whichever gun you select but they are available on the shelf next to the kits.  HF also has a good selection of cheap or higher priced guns.

 

Oh, one other feature, no chance of drips when painting out of position, even upside down.

 

I Have a very good DeVilbiss for better stuff, clears etc.  But these things and a cheap gun gets used very often, primeres, chassis, etc.   I'll also pick up an adapter for the  DeVilbiss as I near the  final paint stage of the current project.

[lostviking]

Thanks for the information Ken. I'll probably get them. I need to find a gun that is "good enough" for my abilities, and the fact that I'll use it for this job and probably never again

 

I've been looking at some recommended for small compressors. I found one that only needs 4CFM @ 20psi. I figure I can regulate it down to 20 at the gun and run the compressor and tank at 125. That way hopefully I can keep up. I have a very small compressor with one of those portable tanks as an external accumulator. Not hoping for a show truck, just one that doesn't have all the runs, drips, lakes and other errors this one does now. I can always add more storage on the supply side. The biggest parts that will get shot at one time is a fender.

[DJ194950]

Those HVLP type guns solf at HF and many others use about 50 psi at the incoming air, but only about 20PSI comes out at the spray tip, its  part of the gun makeup- I read.

 

Only have and old Devilbiss gun I bought 40+ years ago. Still works Great! I have a 3 HP 60 gal compressor to work with.

 

So you will need the 50 PSI. The real question is the CFM required by the gun and what the compressor can supply at least for 5 minutes at a time.

 

DJ

[lostviking]

New Saturday, so a bit more progress. I went out today and hit all the damaged area with 220, blending into the cab area above the damage by maybe 6 inches. I masked it all off and resprayed with regular sandable primer. While it was wet I look along the surface and was very happy to see it flat and true. I will still need to hit the transition into the old paint better because I can see a faint line along some of it. I'll do that with 320, maybe tomorrow.

 

I also did some beating on the fender again. The worst of it has been move close to where it should be. I'm no body man, and YouTube might have the facts, but skill is something you acquire over the years. I'll keep working at it. It was good to see the dents reduced today so that I could actually see the change. A lot more work though before its ready for primer. I still have to weld some tears, but I'm sticking with one thing at a time.

 

As hard as it is to fix the fender, there is no way I'll be able to do any useful with the running board. I'm glad I can buy new ones, metal ones, at a reasonable price. I know someone who does paint and body. I might take the fender to him and see what it would cost to get it done right.

 

Been looking at a paint gun also. There is an Eastwood one with a 1.0mm tip that works at flow my compressor can keep up with. Its a touch up gun, so small can...but I'm only going to paint the parts of the cab you've seen, and the fenders/running boards. I figure I can get away with smaller batches of paint. I wanted to go black, but...we'll see how smooth the fender comes out. Might have to just paint everything blue again. I do like the color of my truck. Just have to match it now.

[kencombs]

1mm tip is really small and will probably require over-reducing your paint to get good atomIzation.  On small areas like you are doing you can add air storage instead of a bigger compressor.   Won't make your compressor really keep up, but will allow you to spray longer before needing to let it catch up.  Even a portable air tank will help.

 

At one time I had an unused propane tank behind my shop so I plumbed it to the compressor.  In normal use the compressor would only need to run a few minutes once a day.  And could spray an fulll car without it needing to start!

[lostviking]

Thanks Ken. I did some more reading and figured that was only going to be good for clear coats. I purchased this one: Eastwood Concours LT 100 with a 1.3mm tip. It still only requires 4.5cfm@30psi to run it. My compressor is small, only 3.7 @ 40. I do have a secondary 3 gallon tank connected to it though. I'll have both tanks full at 125psi and regulate down at the gun to 30. I think it will work well enough. I can still buy a slightly higher output compressor if I have to, but I think this will work. It doesn't run too long before both tanks are full so I don't think it will be running non stop. With the small cup I'll do the cab, then maybe two fenders at a time.

 

I've never owned any air tools, so I never needed a bigger compressor. We'll see.

[lostviking]

Couldn't wait, so I did some final primary sanding today. I didn't have any 320, the next finest I had was 1000. So I burned a few disks. Came out pretty well. I'm sorry that the depth of view isn't great, but the surfaces are smooth, flat and ready for color I think.

 

My new gun will be here today, but the paint won't. Some time next week. I still need reducer anyway and some basics like filter cones. I can do the math, so I'll use some medium sized plastic mixing cups we use at work. They can hold around a pint and are marked well in OZ and ml. I'll just divide the amount of paint I intend to mix by the total ratio added up, like 4:3 for instance means I divide by 7.

 

I hope the paint is as good a match as it looks on my PC. LOL. It is marine blue acrylic enamel. I have no idea what he painted the truck with previously, just that it is not base/clear. We'll see if there is any reaction. I hope not, but obviously, worse things have happened, and the truck needs to be completely repainted anyway. I only bought a quart to start with, which is way more than I need for the cab repairs. There are some deep paint scratches on the door that could stand to be fixed, so I'll sand that a see about blending it in. The only thing I know I'm good at is seeing the details and I'm pretty good at wet sanding things, the buffing them shiny again.

 

Have a good Sunday.

Edited March 13, 2022 by lostviking
forgot the picture

[lostviking]

Looking at those last pictures, it does look like there is still damage at the lower left, but that is just the older primer layer showing through. It's flat. I went out and did the first 320 wet sand this morning. Almost perfect, so I dried it well and put another layer of sandable primer over it. I'll wet sand with 600 next.

 

My new Eastwood Concourse gun arrived yesterday. I already had the inline filter/dryer and small regulator. I put it all together and pumped up my poor little compressor. I had a 3 gal external tank connected to it to give it some "run time". Not going to happen. I could have gotten through with several waits, but I don't think so. It would never keep up when the real painting starts.

 

I'll be picking up a McGraw 21 gal oil-less compressor from Harbor Freight. It can more than keep up. 175psi tank pressure, more than enough SCFM at 90psi and a LOT quieter than the old one.

 

My little craftsman is over 10 years old. I'll service it (oil lubed) and leave the external tank off so it gets to pressure faster. It will now just fill tires for me.

 

Nothing much else going on today. I still need some primer/sealer, something to clean and reduce with (Acrylic Enamel) and the basics like cups and strainers. Wasn't planning on throwing color at it today. I bought 1 qt of Restoration Shop marine blue acrylic enamel paint off Amazon. The color dab on the top of the can is a darn good match to the truck. Won't know for sure how it does until it's on, but it you've read my accounting of the paint job, you know the whole truck needs to be repainted anyway. It will get more of the same, fenders and running boards will get black.

 

Have a good Saturday everyone.

[kencombs]

Just FYI, my experience with oil-less compressors was less than satisfactory.  I would recommend an oiled version.

[lostviking]

I started to change my mind after rechecking my facts...but I listened to the reviews again between the Central Pneumatic and both the 20 gal oil lubed and 21 gal oil-free McGraw ones. The oil free is 5dba quieter than the oil lubed 20 gal McGraw. It's run time due to the 175psi tank pressure is way longer, even running an impact gun.

I think that the oil lubed vs oil-free is an ongoing debate, but these aren't the same designs that came out even 10 years back.

Edited March 19, 2022 by lostviking
rechecked, then rechecked again.

[kencombs]

2 hours ago, lostviking said:

I started to change my mind after rechecking my facts...but I listened to the reviews again between the Central Pneumatic and both the 20 gal oil lubed and 21 gal oil-free McGraw ones. The oil free is 5dba quieter than the oil lubed 20 gal McGraw. It's run time due to the 175psi tank pressure is way longer, even running an impact gun.

I think that the oil lubed vs oil-free is an ongoing debate, but these aren't the same designs that came out even 10 years back.

You're probably right about the time.  In my case it was the teflon ring on the piston.  First of all, the piston had no wrist pin so it was only straight in the bore at TDC and BDC.  That accelerated the wear.  Second, I was running it a long time per use and it got really hot, which finished the teflon, maybe not teflon but some sort of plastic.  I killed it in two days, several years ago. 

 

edit to add:  In my case there is a little more to the story than just oiled vs oil free.  My preference is for belt-driven oiled.  Because the pumps run slower thus quieter and cooler.  But, I have one little oiled compressor, an old Harbor Freight with a directly driven pump.  I use it mostly for nailers and staplers with an occasional tire air-up.  It is really noisy compared to the belt driven due to the speed.  But it has been a great performer, HF  or not.

 

Each type has its use and price point.  My home shop compressor is a two stage, 5hp, 3phase, 80gal monster.  Way overkill but I came by it relatively cheaply and it allows me to use die grinders, disk grinders, sanders etc.  Kind of inefficient to use 5hp to sand!  But the weight in hand reduction, electric to air, is worth it.   I have a 3hp oil, belt drive that was retired years ago and replaced with this one.  It is a 70s vintage sears that still works but the tank is shot.

Edited March 19, 2022 by kencombs

[Veemoney]

On 3/13/2022 at 2:30 PM, lostviking said:

I have no idea what he painted the truck with previously, just that it is not base/clear. We'll see if there is any reaction

 

To test your existing paint:

Take a clean white cloth, wet it with lacquer thinner and rub a spot of paint to test the reaction.

If the color comes off immediately or the spot starts wrinkling, it shows that the type of paint is enamel.

But if the color wipes off onto the white cloth only after vigorous rubbing, it is a sign of lacquer paint.

If nothing wipes off onto the cloth, the paint is probably urethane based.

How to determine if your car is coated with clear coat:

To find out if the finish on your vehicle includes coats of clear paint over its base color, simply sand a hidden spot using 600-grit or finer sandpaper. A white sanding residue shows that there exists a clear coat finish.   A color residue shows that only a color material was used to paint the body with

[lostviking]

I've sanded area's, so its is single stage. I'll check the paint with some lacquer thinner. Thanks.

 

I picked up the HF McGraw compressor yesterday, but we moved it on its side...so I left it sitting upright in the garage until today. I plugged it in, opened the tank and ran it for the 30 minute break-in period. I am shocked at how quiet this thing is. Its not silent of course, but you can stand 6-8 feet from it and talk in a normal voice. You couldn't do that with the old Craftsman unit. Wow.

 

I hope I get a lot of years from it, time with tell, but the reviews have been very positive. Starting a year or more ago at least. What I've seen in the reviews, they recommend it over the very similar 20-gal oil lubed one from McGraw. Not to mention I really like the idea of 175psi tank pressure. Regulated down to 40 or so, that should give a nice cushion before the compressor has to kick back in.

 

I've got a friend who has a paint and body shop. I'm going to talk to him about finishing the fender for me. I moved most of the metal back into place, but he'd be a much better person to take the waves out. I'll see what he wants to get it to primer.

 

Raining today (morning) in San Diego, so nothing to do with paint today.

 

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Edited March 20, 2022 by lostviking

[Veemoney]

On 3/20/2022 at 12:52 PM, lostviking said:

Its not silent of course, but you can stand 6-8 feet from it and talk in a normal voice. You couldn't do that with the old Craftsman unit. Wow.

I had one of those Craftsman red compressors. When it came on it was full blast screaming.  If you were close and it caught you off guard it would get the heart pumping. Did the job till I found a pre-war old 2 stage Champion to rebuild and mellow the work area some.

 

Did you get a chance to check if the paint you ordered is a close match? 

 

[lostviking]

Haven't done more than hold the paint dab on the lid up to the truck. It's about as close as my eye's will tell me actually. I wonder if that is the same paint as was used. I'll know better when I spray some, but I need better conditions...and I'm not completely ready yet either. I still need one quick connect nipple for my hose and I haven't bought the lacquer thinner or wax/grease remover. I can get them all, just have to go by the store.

 

I can only do things like this on the weekends also...wife has to put her car outside  This weekend it might rain again, so that's a no. I can get everything I still need though and maybe do some more prep work. I've been using the weekends I can't spray to beat on the fender.

[Veemoney]

Your friend with the body shop can steer you on the best methods for the repairs so bounce your plans off him to help get the best results. Good to have someone you know that does this for a living.  

 

When testing paint with thinner pick a spot like on the old running boards in case it reacts badly since you won't be using those or a spot you won't see.

 

For that area on the cab above the fender I would usually pull the tape line used during priming and wet sand to remove the hard edge there and move my tape up higher. That leaves some space on the old paint where I sanded lightly to allow the new paint to fog in that area and lightly overlap to the old paint. Once dry I can then wet sand with super fine paper in that area if needed to blend the old and new paint so any difference in color is not so apparent. Again though your friend may have some better way to manage that area and improve the final job. 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Veemoney

[lostviking]

Thanks for the advice. I feathered into the old paint about 4 inches. I'll wet sand using up to 1000 before I do the color. And using the old running boards is a great idea.

[lostviking]

Have everything I need to paint now, but weather. It's been, if you can believe it, wet in San Diego on the weekends. It's not raining, but the humidity is much higher than normal. We've had a couple spring storms move through over the last few weeks.

 

So, I've been working on the fender. I'm learning as I go, and I do have an out if I can't get it nice enough...but I'm still giving it a go.

 

Here are pictures of the lip right down by where it meets the running board. It was torn loose and only held on by the very front. The fender was folded under from the arch all the way down to the running board "flange".

 

I've been using a number of hammers, dollies and small C-clamps...even vise grips, to move the metal back into place. Once the bottom edge was pretty good, it was time to weld the torn metal back together. I'm a novice, but with my welder turned basically as low as it goes, I've been able to get a bunch of spot welds along the seams without burning through. It was pretty mutilated around this area, so I've had to crawl under the passengers side to get an idea of where things needed to be. Now that they are one again, I can fine turn the metal with more hammer and dolly work.