cudak888: 1971 M-code "Soylent Green" - 2024: Help me measure the frame!

[droptop73]

Nice photos of your work Kurt. It s good to see what has gone well as well as things that did not. It's all part of the hobby and learning as we go! Keep up the good work!

 

[matrixx]

Looks good man, then again I have no idea how the hell you guys do this. I don't think I have the skills for this tedious work.

 

[cudak888]

'79 Lincoln is gone, so the '71 gets a new parking space

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Alternate end caps came in the mail today. This casting seems to fit a bit better - not to say there isn't a significant amount of work still to be done before it fits to my satisfaction.

-Kurt

 

[caspianwendell]

Takes a lot of work to get em right sometimes but you will succeed I have no doubt

 

[droptop73]

It's getting there Kurt, looks good!

 

[cudak888]

I worked like hell today sealing up the gap all the way to the end. Thanks to a relentless fight with the wonky reproduction panel curve, I wound up beating the panel to the point where it doesn't look so good (this is what you call "taking credit for a disaster").

There are a few spots I can still shrink, but it looks as if its going to be fiberglass-reinforced filler for the goal and win.

At least the boogered up section on top is a bit smoother - even though it is also one of the biggest HAZ's I've ever witnessed. Can't stretch it at this point either, and I'm not going to (unless Q-code has a fantastic trick of which I am ignorant of).

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

P.S.: Q - what would you suggest to build up that dip that I need to fix on the beltline? Rage Gold seems to be the going filler for finishing work, but I'm guessing that I need to put something more substantial underneath it beforehand.

-Kurt

 

[cudak888]

Lost every bit of patience I ever had with it this afternoon, as follows:

• Ground down the weld beads from the back.
  
• Tried to hammer-and-dolly the big HAZ out.
  
• Wound up making more holes in the big HAZ.
  
• Gave up and tried banging out the HAZ at the end of the panel.
  
• Put 5000 more dents in above HAZ in trying to stretch the contour out.
  
• Hammered on the panel like a madman. Cracked the welds here and there.
  
• Cut a slit in the bad repair someone did behind the trunk and pulled the edge out to check against the end cap.
  
• Tried fitting the end cap 5,239 times.
  
• Figured out that the flat part of the quarter panel (where the end cap fits at the end of the car) is sitting too far inboard.
  
• Resolved to get entire back end of an original quarter from a donor car.
  
• Slammed the reproduction panel as hard as I could with my foot, denting it - thereby ensuring that I won't try to cheapen out on myself with whatever I put in its place.
  
• In short, "REPLACE THE WHOLE DAMN SECTION."
  
• Severely considering taking out the rear window and doing the job right with an NOS quarter. This quarter skin baloney is pure and utter ********.
  

I've probably shaved a good 3 years off the lifespan of my back in the process of trying to save $1000 - by spending two months doing the job half-assed.

Anyone want a Mach 1?

-Kurt

 

[caspianwendell]

Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth...I feel your pain as I know what's involved in doing a job like this.

 

[cudak888]

Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth...

...at which point, I promptly exhale steel dust and green paint.

-Kurt

 

[Qcode351mach]

Lost every bit of patience I ever had with it this afternoon, as follows:

[*]In short, "REPLACE THE WHOLE DAMN SECTION."

[*]Severely considering taking out the rear window and doing the job right with an NOS quarter. This quarter skin baloney is pure and utter ********.

I've probably shaved a good 3 years off the lifespan of my back in the process of trying to save $1000 - by spending two months doing the job half-assed.

Anyone want a Mach 1?

-Kurt

rofl

Now you have some real world insight into what it takes to do a quarter skin & make it right..Thats why it costs so much to have it done correctly & most can't do it right It's why you see them overlapped 90% of the time..

 

[marks73]

Lost every bit of patience I ever had with it this afternoon, as follows:

[*]In short, "REPLACE THE WHOLE DAMN SECTION."

[*]Severely considering taking out the rear window and doing the job right with an NOS quarter. This quarter skin baloney is pure and utter ********.

I've probably shaved a good 3 years off the lifespan of my back in the process of trying to save $1000 - by spending two months doing the job half-assed.

Anyone want a Mach 1?

-Kurt

rofl

Now you have some real world insight into what it takes to do a quarter skin & make it right..Thats why it costs so much to have it done correctly & most can't do it right It's why you see them overlapped 90% of the time..

Wow! That's pretty cold

 

[cudak888]

Now you have some real world insight into what it takes to do a quarter skin & make it right..Thats why it costs so much to have it done correctly & most can't do it right It's why you see them overlapped 90% of the time..

Very true - but I wouldn't have given up all the practice it gave me for a million bucks.

Granted, I almost got there

-Kurt

 

[auron73mach1]

Hey your car looks 100x better then mine right now. Trust me you can keep at it man you're doing awesome!!

 

[Mister 4x4]

Now you have some real world insight into what it takes to do a quarter skin & make it right..Thats why it costs so much to have it done correctly & most can't do it right It's why you see them overlapped 90% of the time..

Very true - but I wouldn't have given up all the practice it gave me for a million bucks.

Granted, I almost got there

-Kurt

Hang in there, Kurt! Still did better than I did.

 

[cudak888]

Hang in there, Kurt! Still did better than I did.

Redneck patch panels for the car with the Redneck Gas Tank Hanger?



-Kurt

 

[Qcode351mach]

Now you have some real world insight into what it takes to do a quarter skin & make it right..Thats why it costs so much to have it done correctly & most can't do it right It's why you see them overlapped 90% of the time..

Very true - but I wouldn't have given up all the practice it gave me for a million bucks.

Granted, I almost got there

-Kurt

Agreed the learning experience is priceless you are that much wiser ! You actually were there..What happened to you is what I call "getting lost in the sauce" On the other hand doing a full qtr will be much easier ,,I do commend you for the attempt & the fact your willing to remove the prior work & do it over...Been there done that too.

 

[Totalled]

[video=youtube]

 

[cudak888]

Agreed the learning experience is priceless you are that much wiser ! You actually were there..What happened to you is what I call "getting lost in the sauce" On the other hand doing a full qtr will be much easier ,,I do commend you for the attempt & the fact your willing to remove the prior work & do it over...Been there done that too.

Technically, I still am there - if I can locate a donor to rip off the entire fender from the wheelwell edge back. At least I could align it from the end cap FIRST.

Yet, I don't like the way the repop sits at all to begin with, so...

-Kurt

Precisely what I just found out from the one source that had one. No quarter anymore.

Oh well, clears me up for buying a Canon L-series lens for my 5D

-Kurt