BUILD THREAD Rustier then I thought!!!
- Thread starter RabbitHoleSS
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Nice work on getting the patch down flush with the adjacent panels and edges. New metal is nice to work with, no surprises and no tries at bushwhacking you by the rotten junk that is already there. Just another day of connect the dots; a few at a time, let stand, lather, rinse, repeat. Just don't use your finger tips for heat gauges, fresh tacks are way too hot to touch, even accidently.
Nick
Nick
Yea, if only I would have done it right the first time.
It's in epoxy finally. Solid 12 hr day, with all the prep. Scratching all the nooks and crannies is a pita. It came out good except. I got 2 massive runs right from the start on the pass. Qrt panel. I was holding the gun way to close, not paying attention.
Bugs were literally landing in my paint as I was spraying it. I'll never spray at night again.
The body bolts showed up today . So that's happening this weekend too. Just gotta pick up 2x 5/8" alignment rods.
Huge milestone.
For alignment i used 1/2" thin wall conduit. Inexpensive and usually have pieces laying around. OD is approximately 5/8"
If you can darken your garage, then pickup a bug zapper and hang it in the garage for 2-3 hours before you paint. It will suck in every little flying critter in the garage. Then wipe down the car and start painting.
Freakin’ gnats got me real bad once, then the bug zapper purchase took place. It knocked the hell out them.
Freakin’ gnats got me real bad once, then the bug zapper purchase took place. It knocked the hell out them.
After letting the epoxy set for about 3 days I started the filler process. I blocked out the car with 180, revealing the lows and highs.
Can you tell which qtr panel I "fixed". Good grief Rktpwrd close your eyes. I remember reading him say something like there is no almost straight panel. It's either straight or it ain't. Welp, this ain't unfortunately. And by getting it "close", I dissappear about 1/8" of this body line
But most won't ever notice, so screw it I soldiered on. Around here I had finished both sail panels, rockers and a few small spots on the roof. I went to put it on the qtrs plus a LG spot on the roof, I must have mixed it wrong, cuz it stayed so soft I could flake it off with my nail I had to strip it down and start from scratch in these spots. I couldn't tell, I even sanded it smooth. It feathered into the epoxy with80, 180.. I only noticed when I picked up the paper with soft filler on it, i checked all the filler at this point for adhesion and if it was cured all but the qtrs and the roof were. From now on I'm marking on the paper where that batch went on the car.
I have the fenders, roof, rockers, and qtrs done. The driver qtr needs another coat but I was hoping 2 wet coats of epoxy, 3 wet coats of high build and it'll block out. I deleted the antenna hole since it was caved in anyway.
Body work is a whole different animal imo. It's hard to know when to stop sanding, it's a fine line between too much filler left on and oh crap it feels lumpy now. Not to mention the mixing and applying of filler fiasco.
Anyway I'm prepping the doors now to shoot epoxy Wednesday. I've got some heaters, and I'm gonna insulate the garage to trap as much heat as possible.
I did find this dash today at the junkyard. And a l29 454/4l80 combo that spun easily 2 full rotations. Im having thoughts, comparing how much itd cost to finish the ls swap vs build a mild carbed bbc out of that. Ive never seen 1 in self a serve yard before.
Picked up a knock sensor and harness, fender braces , valve cover gaskets from the yard, hubcentric rings for my wheels, grade 8 bolts for the brake brackets, and 2k self level seam sealer this week. Also ordered some copper flare gaskets for my brake lines cuz I don't trust myself. It's crazy I'm staying busy on it, but it feels like I'm moving nowhere, damn near backwards.
Can you tell which qtr panel I "fixed". Good grief Rktpwrd close your eyes. I remember reading him say something like there is no almost straight panel. It's either straight or it ain't. Welp, this ain't unfortunately. And by getting it "close", I dissappear about 1/8" of this body line
But most won't ever notice, so screw it I soldiered on. Around here I had finished both sail panels, rockers and a few small spots on the roof. I went to put it on the qtrs plus a LG spot on the roof, I must have mixed it wrong, cuz it stayed so soft I could flake it off with my nail I had to strip it down and start from scratch in these spots. I couldn't tell, I even sanded it smooth. It feathered into the epoxy with80, 180.. I only noticed when I picked up the paper with soft filler on it, i checked all the filler at this point for adhesion and if it was cured all but the qtrs and the roof were. From now on I'm marking on the paper where that batch went on the car.
Body work is a whole different animal imo. It's hard to know when to stop sanding, it's a fine line between too much filler left on and oh crap it feels lumpy now. Not to mention the mixing and applying of filler fiasco.
Anyway I'm prepping the doors now to shoot epoxy Wednesday. I've got some heaters, and I'm gonna insulate the garage to trap as much heat as possible.
I did find this dash today at the junkyard. And a l29 454/4l80 combo that spun easily 2 full rotations. Im having thoughts, comparing how much itd cost to finish the ls swap vs build a mild carbed bbc out of that. Ive never seen 1 in self a serve yard before.
Great progress! It's looking great. Awesome score on the GP dash.
Don’t get disheartened, progress is progress no matter how much it seems otherwise. Especially during the bodywork phase.
This ^^^. This is the whole key to bodywork, and will come with experience. Stop often and feel the panel with your hands, they’ll tell you far more than your eyes ever will. Apply light thin coats over the entire surface and block evenly.
As for mixing the filler, as you noted having heat is key. If it’s too cold the filler will take forever to kick, not to mention it’ll be a b*st*rd to mix. My failsafe method for always getting the correct amount of hardener to filler is to have the filler on the mixing board in a nice round circle. Apply a ribbon of hardener from the center of the circle out towards the edge, and that will pretty much always be the right amount.
Keep up the good work, and remember this stage is a marathon, not a sprint. There are no rewards for getting it done in record time.
This ^^^. This is the whole key to bodywork, and will come with experience. Stop often and feel the panel with your hands, they’ll tell you far more than your eyes ever will. Apply light thin coats over the entire surface and block evenly.
As for mixing the filler, as you noted having heat is key. If it’s too cold the filler will take forever to kick, not to mention it’ll be a b*st*rd to mix. My failsafe method for always getting the correct amount of hardener to filler is to have the filler on the mixing board in a nice round circle. Apply a ribbon of hardener from the center of the circle out towards the edge, and that will pretty much always be the right amount.
Keep up the good work, and remember this stage is a marathon, not a sprint. There are no rewards for getting it done in record time.
Along with everything Donovan said I would add that guide coat is your friend. And lighting. Don't know how old you are but you hit an age where you just need more lighting. Even temporary lights.
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