Build Thread-85 Cutlass Brougham-New Pics Added!

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

It was 95 here yesterday, and I didn't do too much on it. I am absolutely exhausted right now, but so stressed out that I can't sleep. It's almost 7am and it's driving me nuts! If I can get to sleep, and wake up by 2pm, I hope to have the fenders cut and rolled before I go to work. If I were to be overly optimistic, I would say the body could be done by this time next week. Then, I can paint it 2 weeks later. I really need to get it done before the end of summer so it is not hanging over me when I go back to school.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Cut and rolled both front fenders today. I also did one inner fender, and started the other but ran out of time before work. I had done them last time, but I wanted to clean it up and give myself even more space in case I go with wider tires than I had on it then. I wound up cracking the Bondo on the driver's side, but it's no biggie since I am stripping that one and it would need to be redone anyhow. The Bondo was from where I had pulled out the lip when I had rolled it, and needed to blend the shape back in to the body so it did not look altered. I will also need to cut the flange on the wheel arch trim to match, then use some velcro tape to attach it where the screws are missing. Oh, the tires in this series of photos are 225-50-16's on 16x8 in wheels with 4 in backspacing. I will be putting 245's or 255's on the front in the future. Aspect ratio and wheels to be used are yet to be determined.

Here's the starting points:

Post cut:

Here is the length of the cut, as defined by the green tape:

You can see I did more than one cut to get it to fold flat. Note that the only tools used were a body hammer that I got as part of a set for $20 at Harbor Freight, and the $10 3 in cut off tool I bought at a flea market 15 years ago for $10. Oh, and the block of wood and rubber mat that I put them on to minimize damage.

I still have to calculate the amount of compression travel I have when it hits the bump stop. You have to remember that it is not the same as the distance from the bump stop to the frame or A arm. This is because you have to take the motion ratio into account, and use trigonometry to compute it using the formulas for SSS triangles. The pivot point is one angle, the bump stop is the turning point for another, and the final one is an imaginary line from the pivot point to the bump stop contact point on the frame. Then, you use the proportions from that triangle to calculate the movement of the spindle.

Please note also that not all G bodies use the same construction in this area. Monte Carlos, for example, use a wheel well liner that goes the full width of the wheel well, and is not split like the Cutlass is. Also, if you live in a Northern state with road salt issues, you may wish to to cover the trimmed area as leaves, salt, etc. will be thrown in to the dog leg by at the base of the fender by the door. This could cause rust issues.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Here's the stripping of the driver's fender. After 5 coats of paint, I was afraid it would have issues with any more. I think it was 1/16 in thick!

Here it is after initial stripping with a flapper disc on a angle grinder.

After Aircraft Remover

After etching primer

Tomorrow, I hope to make a piece of metal to reinforce the cut out section and weld it in. It won't hold it's shape very well otherwise.

 

[jonnyslick]

Man you're really coming along. Looking good. I love those Enkei's btw ... too bad they're not fixable. 😢

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

They are fixable, but they will not work after I do the B body spindle swap as they push the wheels out about 0.5-1 in. So , I need a different offset.

Today's update: Made templates for reinforcements I will need for the fender lips to restore strength. I started cutting them out of scrap, but ran out of time before I had to get ready for work.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The continuing saga of rolling the front fender lips. I decided to brace them with some sheet metal to tie the pie cuts together, and also to tie them in to the edges of the lips to add a little strength in case someone leans on it.

Making the pattern out of poster board:

Transferring the pattern to the only piece of sheet metal I had:

Brace welded in to the fender:

The finished product. The fender is upside down. Notice how much thinner it is. I figure I gained about an inch of sidewall clearance between the rolling and pulling the edge outwards a bit.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Finished the welding today, and did a test fit. Wow! I have lots of clearance now! Probably 1.5-2 inches from the sidewall to the fender lip with a 225-50 16 on a 16x8 in rim with 4 in backspacing. I also flared the lip out about half an inch by pounding it outwards with a hammer. So, now I have them both slathered in Bondo and I am getting ready to shape it so that it looks stock again. I have also confirmed that the original trim wheel arch will fit just fine, so unless you REALLY know these cars, you will not be able to tell it has been done.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Finally primered the front fenders today. It took a long time to do all of the Bondo work on the wheel arches, and they still need blocking. Everything is now in primer/surfacer and guide coated. Now all I have left is to fill a small low spot in the hood, and prep the fender extensions, bumper covers, and mirrors.

Fender Primered. Note how shiny it is when it comes out right!

Fender primered and guide coated in black 97 cent spray paint:

The whole car:

Another Whole Car Shot:

 

[78mali350]

great progress! what are you shooting for, for a paint date?

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, about 3 weeks from now would be nice, but it's kinda like that old movie "the Money Pit" where the contractors always said "Two Weeks" when asked for their target date...lol

At any rate, I will give my review of the gallon of Nason Select Prime (Primer/Surfacer) I picked up for $95 at my local Finishmaster. It has very good build, and sands quite nicely. Now, you are supposed to use 3 coats for coverage according to the can. Unfortunately, I mixed up too much ( a quart) and wound up with around 6 or 7 coats. Let me tell you, that stuff is like a sprayable filler! I got pretty much all of the flaws, including grinder marks, out of the surface without going through. This was on the "good" fender that was not stripped bare, so I will see where I am at with the bad one. I did this at 2am, so I may not like what I find in the morning, but from what I could see, it is beautifully straight and smooth with good transitions. Which is just what you want from freshly blocked primer/surfacer. I will probably spray another 2 coats on the fenders after initial blocking, then do a final 2nd block with 400 grit. I will probably let the final primer stand for a week before blocking, to maximize the shrinkage time and minimize sand scratch bleed through in the final product. The whole car will be done like this to ensure that there is nothing that will make the almost black paint look bad. It's not like white, dark paint hides nothing. However, I think it is far more dramatic and fitting of the lines of these cars to see them painted a darker tone. Especially a good metallic, polychrome or pearl as they tend to accentuate the cuts and lines in the body. Besides, I have several hundred hours in prep and want to show off the quality of my work. There's nothing like having someone ask where you had a car done, and telling them you do it yourself. Then, when they ask where you work, telling them you're a pizza delivery driver with no formal training! :lol: