Build Thread The Hoopty Chronicles - New House, New garage, New Car?

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I've never undertook what you are doing, but I assume that all the structure support is in the frame rails and that cutting both panels out will have no adverse affect on the front end moving around?

Joe
 
I've never undertook what you are doing, but I assume that all the structure support is in the frame rails and that cutting both panels out will have no adverse affect on the front end moving around?

Joe
Which front panels? The aprons on each side? They do help support the structure but the frame rails are the main support. Think of it like the exterior sheathing on a stick built home. The studs and beams are the bones but the exterior sheathing adds shear strength to make the structure more rigid. You need the panels unless you provide other bracing.
 
No worries. This is what I ordered this morning.

Mustang Front Fender Apron Pair with No Holes (79-93)


The plan right now is to cut out both aprons, roll the car ourside and powerwash the bay as best I can and get it clean, roll it back in the garage and remove the upper intake, radiator/fans, and other misc stuff, install the aprons, prep the bay for paint, and then rattle can it or use the silver wrinkle paint that I used on the LS intake I made:

w7q1.jpg

Reinstall everything and keep on rolling with the suspension project.
 
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I used the duplicolor perfect match on my bay. For about $30, I was happy with the results.

Joe
ive done this, and only comment i have about it is DONT use the duplicolor clear, it yellows with any kind of age. i would bet it was more noticeable for me than it would be for you (white car), but it was one of the biggest deciding factors when i re-did it again this winter. ended up going to a local paint shop, and had a quart of color put in cans, and used the good lacquer-based two-part canned clear. cost was up there though, about $150 for 4 cans of color and two or three cans of clear.

on the flip side, you could be one of those "old-skool" guys who paints their bay flat black, but imo that just would look too hillbilly.
 
I don't have a whole lot to say about the painted bumpers, other than I'm beyond disappointed. I've been hanging out and working in this particular restoration shop for the past 15 years and have seen some truly remarkable cars come out. How this was given back to me, I don't have words for. What's worse is I'm out $250 in materials and was asked to pay labor rates on top of that. Having never actually done 2 stage paint before, I honestly believe I could have done a much better job in my garage. This is proof that paint is all in the prep work and here you can see there was none.

51XUFp.jpg
Fwn37k.jpg
wSBv3g.jpg
sejay5.jpg
K8QqzE.jpg
 
ive done this, and only comment i have about it is DONT use the duplicolor clear, it yellows with any kind of age. i would bet it was more noticeable for me than it would be for you (white car), but it was one of the biggest deciding factors when i re-did it again this winter. ended up going to a local paint shop, and had a quart of color put in cans, and used the good lacquer-based two-part canned clear. cost was up there though, about $150 for 4 cans of color and two or three cans of clear.

on the flip side, you could be one of those "old-skool" guys who paints their bay flat black, but imo that just would look too hillbilly.

**Coming from the "old skool Hillbilly" contingent who paint their engine compartments flat black:

Duplicolor's "perfect Match" is a lacquer based paint. It is not a good choice for an engine bay regardless of whether or not the clear is added. It is not resistant to solvents, it scratches, and chips easily, add engine bay heat into the mix, and the shine will start to dull after a year or so.
Don't take my word for it, dribble gasoline on a fender apron, and quickly wipe it back off and watch what happens.

An engine bay paint needs to be an hardened acrylic urethane to deal w/ the day to day stuff like dropped wrenches, dribbled or spilled solvents, and heat. It needs to be sprayed, but I believe that it can be "canned" and then applied like a conventional rattle can if you don't have a compressor.

Uhh Ohh, Gotta go tend to the Still,...fires starting to go out.......
 
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On a lighter note, I got the passenger fender skirt mostly removed last night.

7GLIA6.jpg

Much like painting, if you can't weld, don't.

kTb2WS.jpg


What is this connector/wire for? Passenger side strut tower, wire leads to core support area before it was cut off.

aLbNSM.jpg

f0XLwR.jpg
 
I don't have a whole lot to say about the painted bumpers, other than I'm beyond disappointed. I've been hanging out and working in this particular restoration shop for the past 15 years and have seen some truly remarkable cars come out. How this was given back to me, I don't have words for. What's worse is I'm out $250 in materials and was asked to pay labor rates on top of that. Having never actually done 2 stage paint before, I honestly believe I could have done a much better job in my garage. This is proof that paint is all in the prep work and here you can see there was none.

51XUFp.jpg
Fwn37k.jpg
wSBv3g.jpg
sejay5.jpg
K8QqzE.jpg

Cmon! how are they justifying painting over the top of the obvious flaws like that? Is this one of those deals where "you'll get them ready, and all they have to do is spray them?" or were they supposed to do everything?
 
On a lighter note, I got the passenger fender skirt mostly removed last night.

7GLIA6.jpg

Much like painting, if you can't weld, don't.

kTb2WS.jpg


What is this connector/wire for? Passenger side strut tower, wire leads to core support area before it was cut off.

aLbNSM.jpg

f0XLwR.jpg
Stop! I can't reply fast enough. The next time I check, you've posted more pictures.

Only points here are Good work,...and you'll never be able to do either (weld or paint) if you don't try.
 
Cmon! how are they justifying painting over the top of the obvious flaws like that? Is this one of those deals where "you'll get them ready, and all they have to do is spray them?" or were they supposed to do everything?

Mike, where I usually have a witty retort for you, I am simply dumbfounded. As noted in my thread many times over the past few months, I've been sanding these damn bumpers down. I initially started with the rear bumper at his shop. He said use 120 grit, so that's what I've been doing. In some places, you can see I went a little overboard, but honestly, it was a b itch taking off 2 layers of paint on a plastic bumper. Either way, the damage was correctable with the priming/blocking process.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. I load up the front cover and take it to the shop. I spent 3-4 hours finishing sanding the rear that has been over there and we leave for the day. Both bumpers are sanded, but he was ready to leave, so I say, "ok, see you next weekend."

Monday afternoon, I get a text that says, "You owe me $350."

WTF are you talking about?

He went ahead and painted everything without me and then expected to be paid for it.

ARE YOU F******* SERIOUS MAN?!?!?

Oh, and btw, the paint job is a little messed up.
 
Mike, where I usually have a witty retort for you, I am simply dumbfounded. As noted in my thread many times over the past few months, I've been sanding these damn bumpers down. I initially started with the rear bumper at his shop. He said use 120 grit, so that's what I've been doing. In some places, you can see I went a little overboard, but honestly, it was a b itch taking off 2 layers of paint on a plastic bumper. Either way, the damage was correctable with the priming/blocking process.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. I load up the front cover and take it to the shop. I spent 3-4 hours finishing sanding the rear that has been over there and we leave for the day. Both bumpers are sanded, but he was ready to leave, so I say, "ok, see you next weekend."

Monday afternoon, I get a text that says, "You owe me $350."

WTF are you talking about?

He went ahead and painted everything without me and then expected to be paid for it.

ARE YOU F******* SERIOUS MAN?!?!?

Oh, and btw, the paint job is a little messed up.

I would tell him consider the wasted materials payment, and now he owes you 300 for the labor it's going to take to fix it.
 
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Mike, where I usually have a witty retort for you, I am simply dumbfounded. As noted in my thread many times over the past few months, I've been sanding these damn bumpers down. I initially started with the rear bumper at his shop. He said use 120 grit, so that's what I've been doing. In some places, you can see I went a little overboard, but honestly, it was a b itch taking off 2 layers of paint on a plastic bumper. Either way, the damage was correctable with the priming/blocking process.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. I load up the front cover and take it to the shop. I spent 3-4 hours finishing sanding the rear that has been over there and we leave for the day. Both bumpers are sanded, but he was ready to leave, so I say, "ok, see you next weekend."

Monday afternoon, I get a text that says, "You owe me $350."

WTF are you talking about?

He went ahead and painted everything without me and then expected to be paid for it.

ARE YOU F******* SERIOUS MAN?!?!?

Oh, and btw, the paint job is a little messed up.


Can we get an 8x10 glossy of him so that he can be added to the "Douche Bag Hall of Fame"?
 
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