What did you do to your car today?

[mach71351c]

Today I tore apart my drivers door hinges and sand blasted them. Then I installed new pins ( thanks Don ) and hit them with some primer. Then I moved on to mudding up the patch on the bottom of the door. Then I sanded off all the black on the bottom of the door. At some point someone touched up the black with a spray bomb so it all had to come off. Then I primed up the bottom off the door and bolted it back on the car. Now back on to the passenger fender.

 

[Mister 4x4]

SWEET, Mike!! ::thumb:: Now git'cher butt over here and do my doors. rofl

Today was a good day.

First, I had the pleasure of yakking with Don (Don65Stang) and had a GREAT time! Thanks for the text, Bro! (my old flip-phone sucks at texting, so I just called him back)

Then, I got my pal Gonzo to help me hang the new quarter panel skin and tweaked it into place. It fits WAY better than my first attempt, and I won't have all the heat puckers and other weirdness that my suck-ass welding caused last time, since I'm going to use 3M Panel Adhesive this time.

I also took a shot of the header ground clearance, but that pic is in another thread.

Here's a couple shots of the panel in-place:

The door gap looks a little off, because the door is out of alignment (pooched out on the bottom about a quarter inch - which will get resolved with the Mustang Steve hinge kit later this week) - but I made sure it all matches up this time - both door gap-wise AND door shape-wise (which was my other mistake with the first attempt).

All I gotta do now is squirt on the glue and line the screw holes back up - and that's tomorrow's fun, along with making an antenna block-off plate for the passenger fender, and sticking down the rocker patches on the driver side.

 

[mach71351c]

Thanks Eric. I like were your going with the panel adhesive. I been using it a bunch on my car. It is pricey.:s

 

[Mister 4x4]

The panel is ON! Everything went well, and it's setting up just fine. The rocker patches are on as well. So far, so good.

I didn't take any new pics today, because they would look exactly like this:

So... we'll just have to wait until Thursday for new stuff. rofl

Yeah, Mike - that stuff ain't cheap, that's for sure. I had bought 2 tubes, but only used about 90% of the first one. The paint shop said I could bring the unused tube back as long as I kept my receipt... but I think I'll probably just hang onto it for now - as well as my new quarter came out, I might get the bug to rip off the driver side and redo it as well - even though it was actually considered a 'success story' as well.

Thursday, I'll be sanding, sanding, sanding on the hood, trunk lid, roof and upper quarters. The plan is to shoot some epoxy primer on pretty much 'everything' that's left sometime this coming weekend. Thursday, I'm also going to take my doors over to the same guy who 'blasted the front clip while I work on the hinges - after I get the doors done, I should almost be ready for a paint shop. (Boy, that sounds weird just thinking it).

 

[jeff8877]

Eric,

Great progress. I enjoy reading and watching as you get closer to being done. Thanks for sharing the journey.

Jeff

 

[CZ-75]

Lookin great, Eric!!!!!

 

[sm3570]

Awesome work Eric! Keep it up!

 

[Mister 4x4]

You know - you guys are the best cheerleaders in the biz! ::thumb::

rofl

Thanks!!

 

[sm3570]

Finished up the roof trim and installed the roof line seals. It's the little things. One foot in front of the other. Also took it for about a 3 mile spin.

Next up: adjust the windows and install the 1/4 window seals; finish the interior 1/4 panels, refurbish and mount the trapdoor, install the rear window, then get a mechanic to run through all the systems for safety.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Sweet! ::thumb::

 

[sm3570]

Yeah buddy!

 

[will e]

Test fit the gear vendors overdrive. Now to order some parts and get it installed for real.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Sanded down the hood today, also got busy on the roof, trunk lid and upper quarter panels. I found about a half-gallon of Bondo on the top of the $25 junk yard trunk lid... so, it's time to order a repop.

I'm also pretty much done with sanding paint... takes WAY too long and wastes too many sanding disks. So I picked up some Aircraft Paint Stripper from O'Reilly's this evening. Hopefully, I'll have the last of the nasty ol' sunburned paint gone by the end of the day tomorrow.

 

[Mister 4x4]

OK - so here's the pics of the hood:

Before (after soda blasting):

Notice the Ram Air outline is still there. The soda blasting took care of the old flat black paint, which held its ground against time pretty well, I'd say. The rusty areas are surface rust (that seemed to etch the metal somewhat), but the blasting couldn't quite complete the job.

After [half a day with 80-grit discs on the DA and pad sander):

Turned out pretty good, but I still need to get some more of the etched surface rust outta there.

After spending half a day on the hood, I decided to use a chemical stripper for the rest of the factory color. The Kleen Strip Aircraft Paint Remover (that says, "Do Not Use on Aircraft" right on the label, BTW) didn't do squat, so I went back for some better stuff. Here's how it went:

I'm here to tell ya, Master Pro paint stripper from O'Reilly Auto Parts is the shiznit - took care of the paint in short order. I'll have a picture of the naked car tomorrow when I finish up the last bits.

I'm also going to call the potential painter to see if he'll come look at the car tomorrow and tell me if he can do it, how much more body work to do (or not) and hopefully have a plan for some shiny color soon. This is getting exciting!!

 

[Austin Vert]

Hey Eric,

Keep up the good work!

I'm glad your excited with the project and enjoying it - that's what it's all about - the pleasure it brings you.

Although in my case, after doing that same kind of work for the last 38 years,

you'll forgive me when i tell you that as B B King said - The thrill has gone!

Go for it!!

Greg.

 

[adm22]

I drive it and did not slid off the road when it started snowing.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Hey Eric,

Keep up the good work!

I'm glad your excited with the project and enjoying it - that's what it's all about - the pleasure it brings you.

Although in my case, after doing that same kind of work for the last 38 years,

you'll forgive me when i tell you that as B B King said - The thrill has gone!

Go for it!!

Greg.

Thanks, Greg - I totally understand your sentiment on paint and body work... although, I wish our little group was just across town as opposed to around the globe: I'd have one of you auto-body wizards painting my car, that's for sure! ::thumb::

Today, despite the fact that [to my surprise] the shop was open [to my surprise], I managed to get the areas I stripped paint from yesterday sanded down to bare metal. All that's left now is to get the last of the paint from the trunk opening, A-pillars, and door jambs (OK, and the doors themselves - but I'm going to have them sand blasted instead of doing it myself).

I've got a potential painter coming by tomorrow to see what I've got and hopefully, we'll figure something out.

 

[Boss1Ray]

Hey Eric,

Keep up the good work!

I'm glad your excited with the project and enjoying it - that's what it's all about - the pleasure it brings you.

Although in my case, after doing that same kind of work for the last 38 years,

you'll forgive me when i tell you that as B B King said - The thrill has gone!

Go for it!!

Greg.

Thanks, Greg - I totally understand your sentiment on paint and body work... although, I wish our little group was just across town as opposed to around the globe: I'd have one of you auto-body wizards painting my car, that's for sure! ::thumb::

Today, despite the fact that [to my surprise] the shop was open [to my surprise], I managed to get the areas I stripped paint from yesterday sanded down to bare metal. All that's left now is to get the last of the paint from the trunk opening, A-pillars, and door jambs (OK, and the doors themselves - but I'm going to have them sand blasted instead of doing it myself).

I've got a potential painter coming by tomorrow to see what I've got and hopefully, we'll figure something out.

Wow Eric! Kudos for how far that car has come! Impressive.

Thanks for the review on the O'Reilly Auto Parts paint stripper.

Ray

 

[mach71351c]

Cool deal Eric! glad to see your off and running again. + 1 on the paint stripper from O'Reilly. I will give it a try on my drivers fender.

 

[Austin Vert]

Hey Eric,

Just a friendly comment in passing.

I was just looking at your last pic there,and was noticing surface rust coming in on your bare steel panels rapidly.

My advice would not let that surface rust get away to any extent by leaving the steel bare for too long, as it starts eating into the pores of the steel, and can make it hard to properly eliminate later before painting.

Even if your painter wacks a light coat of etch primer or even cheap lacquer primer which can be easily removed later would be the go, just to give that steel protection.

Just trying to help there E,

Greg.