"From Ragtop to Riches": '84 cutty build
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Got a Question...
What's the best way to fix all the holes left by the side molding and vinyl top. I have already twisted off the metal studs form the molding with vice grips, but it still left a little divot in the panel.
What's the best way to fix all the holes left by the side molding and vinyl top. I have already twisted off the metal studs form the molding with vice grips, but it still left a little divot in the panel.
If there is a hole it must be welded closed,if it is a low spot you can work it with a hamer and doly or spoon or bar if you can get to the back side.Body shops have stud guns that weld on studs that can be pulled so the metal can be work untill it is even. You can not fill a high spot so always keep the area a little low as in under 1/32. A little low is better than a little high.Body work is done by feel and by eye,don't rush,the more of this type of work you do the better you will get at it.Body work requires a touch that only comes from practice.You have to be able to read the metal,get a book on metal bumping or body work that cover hamer and doly tech.
Good luck
I like your new wheels,cars looking good.
Good luck
I like your new wheels,cars looking good.
hey, nice looking build so far, looks like your moving right along on it to. wish i could get mine going a little quicker but until then watching others builds progress takes some of the edge off 
. bummer on that hole in the roof, but if thats the worst it then your getting off easy. i have an 80 cutlass im working on, and i have the same issue as you with the soft top. mine came already stripped so the O.G. top is already long gone, which is cool by me, i was gonna lose it anyways ( 99% sure on that, i did see a 80 the other day with a black top on a black car that looked pretty tight) . i haven't gotten to the point of removing the little studs yet, but its coming soon. my thought was to cut them off as close to flush as possible with a dremel tool and sand them smooth , and fill if needed. im hoping this doesnt leave me with a bunch of little holes to fill but well see. im trying to figure out exactly what i need to do with the trim on the rear quarter windows. have you made it that far yet ? from what i can gather, the chrome drip rail over the rear quarter window needs to be replaced with one from an original non soft top car so that it extends all the way over to meet the one over the door window. and then instead of the pillar trim between the quarter window and the door window that wraps up and over the roof im assumng/hoping a piece of pillar trim from a hard top car will just go right back in the place of the piece im not using. or maybe i can even cut the one i have down. i dunno, havent made it that far yet. anyhow, i was wondering if you have got that far yet and how you were planning on handling that area ? any thoughts/ideas/advice would be welcome. BTW...love the cragars. theres a reason they have been making that style for so long, theyre hard to beat. my dad still has an orginal O.G. set from back when he was in his 20's stacked up in his garage in mint condition. to bad theyre that odd size mopar bolt pattern from the late 60's. or i would have tried to con him out of them yrs ago.
. bummer on that hole in the roof, but if thats the worst it then your getting off easy. i have an 80 cutlass im working on, and i have the same issue as you with the soft top. mine came already stripped so the O.G. top is already long gone, which is cool by me, i was gonna lose it anyways ( 99% sure on that, i did see a 80 the other day with a black top on a black car that looked pretty tight) . i haven't gotten to the point of removing the little studs yet, but its coming soon. my thought was to cut them off as close to flush as possible with a dremel tool and sand them smooth , and fill if needed. im hoping this doesnt leave me with a bunch of little holes to fill but well see. im trying to figure out exactly what i need to do with the trim on the rear quarter windows. have you made it that far yet ? from what i can gather, the chrome drip rail over the rear quarter window needs to be replaced with one from an original non soft top car so that it extends all the way over to meet the one over the door window. and then instead of the pillar trim between the quarter window and the door window that wraps up and over the roof im assumng/hoping a piece of pillar trim from a hard top car will just go right back in the place of the piece im not using. or maybe i can even cut the one i have down. i dunno, havent made it that far yet. anyhow, i was wondering if you have got that far yet and how you were planning on handling that area ? any thoughts/ideas/advice would be welcome. BTW...love the cragars. theres a reason they have been making that style for so long, theyre hard to beat. my dad still has an orginal O.G. set from back when he was in his 20's stacked up in his garage in mint condition. to bad theyre that odd size mopar bolt pattern from the late 60's. or i would have tried to con him out of them yrs ago.
PUN said:
I want to get the back seat out of a monte, because the ribbed pattern matches the aftermarket bucket seats that I plan on getting. But both the front and back seats will be black vinyl.
lesbaldridge said:hey, nice looking build so far, looks like your moving right along on it to. wish i could get mine going a little quicker but until then watching others builds progress takes some of the edge off
Yeah, I've had to take some time off, because of the cold and the fact that I need to save money for a trans, to finally get this p.o.s running :lol: . When I removed the studs I found it the easiest to just to pinch and twist them off with vice grips, although it leaves a slight divot in the body panels. As far as all the trim goes, I haven't even gotten that far yet. I just want to get the cutty drivable. So far its in a million pieces all over the garage. One thing I regret is completely stripping the interior. Now I'm worried about getting everything back together.
yeah, i feel ya on the time off thing to get cash together. everytime i get ready to start on mine either a ex-wife or a kid finds some way to cost me money 
. and if they cant , then my attorney can usually finish my savings off 
. i think im gonna concentrate on getting mine on the road first to, then worry about the other crap. the way things are going i might get to drive it to the paint shop for new years.....of 2014. if/when you get around to dealing with the soft top trim/swap out issues please share. im sure youll beat me there. looking good though man.
. and if they cant , then my attorney can usually finish my savings off . i think im gonna concentrate on getting mine on the road first to, then worry about the other crap. the way things are going i might get to drive it to the paint shop for new years.....of 2014. if/when you get around to dealing with the soft top trim/swap out issues please share. im sure youll beat me there. looking good though man.
Alright fellows...it's definitely been a while, but i just started back working on my cutty this weekend. I fixed some rust spots and removed the gas tank because I plan to add a fuel cell to the trunk...I'm really hoping to go trans shopping this week. One question for y'all: TH350 or 700r4????????
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