Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

[BlakeusMaximus]

This repair will have to be done in steps.

I fixed the inner area first so it would all line up again. I baked it in the booth for about an hour so I can probably do more this afternoon.

I’ll have to build the edge now.

Ah well, pictures of the first part.

I used a cutoff wheel to clean up all the cracks first and made some criss cross cuts to give the PBA more to bite into. I also sanded the whole area with 40 grit before spreading the PBA.

That stuff looks familiar Dave!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

That PBA is some serious stuff.... still gotta order mine. I may do that today....

I love the stuff Scott. This is a fiberglass panel and I didn't wish to fck around with fg. What do I do?

PBA to the rescue!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

That stuff looks familiar Dave!

Ain't that the truth Blake. I wonder how many tubes I've used so far on Booger........

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I'm on my third coating of the PBA and am letting it sit over night.

I hate me, I just wanted to make the panel solid. Now I'm thinking about smoothing all of that stuff out and painting the header panel the trim grey............................................................... Maybe I should paint the headlight adjusters green?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

So! A decent english wheel costs in the $500-$3000 range. I tried through my little bodyshop network to come up with one. The only ones that have them are the shops that use them and charge their customers out the butt for custom rods.

I've blown pretty much all of my money that I can spend on Booger. Believe it or not, I'm trying to keep this a pay as you go build.

I really want an english wheel.........and a bead roller...........and a planishing hammer............and a Bugatti.........

I may have to rely on the age old way of producing custom panels, a leather bag and a specialized set of shaping hammers.

I'm actually kind of excited about this. I'll feel like one of those really old people that used to build coaches for their clientele!

That's right guys! It'll be the Booger Coachworks for a while!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Oh yeah, I dropped off the new(ish) radiator support at the sandblaster's along with the headlight buckets.

I'll get them back in a couple days and paint the buckets and get the support in primer. I might as well smooth the top of the support too.

 

[General karthief]

You got a new ct, Was it deserved?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

You got a new ct, Was it deserved?

About damn time!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I ordered a nice set of forming hammers and a big leather bag I'll fill with some sand. No english wheel.

Ah what the heck, i can do the 1/4's this way as well.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Interested to see this!

 

[bird_dog0347]

Exciting stuff! I need to learn the ways of the "panelbond cult", just because.

 

[RaggedGT]

About damn time!

You have had a couple new ones lately lol

 

[Davedacarpainter]

You have had a couple new ones lately lol

Well I have been trying pretty diligently.....

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Thats one of my next projects this summer. I am going to send my headlights to @95steedamustang for restoration. I finally have a full set with no cracks or chips.

Why?
Why in the hell do you read these how to's from the people that offer them up, when your idea of a how to is: "How do I box up my junk and ship it to somebody else to do it for me?"

Our Man Dave here is offering the closest thing you'll get to "Repairing your headlight buckets for idiots" that you'll ever find at your local book-store. And, unlike the examples that your book-store would offer up, the pictures he will show you are exact duplicates of the the ones you have.

It's like painting a picture using paint by numbers.

You've already did your bumper, and it turned out great, and that PBA fungoo is clearly the closest thing you can get mold-able plastic. Requires the skill equivalent to building something with your kids play-doh fun factory.

C'mon! Dont cave in to the "My time is too valuable, I'd rather pay somebody else to do what I'll take credit for later" club.
You are only in your 30's....you don't have an excuse.

No titanium Knees.
No old age related fatigue.
No I got no place to do it.

Do Not Become a wuss.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Why?
Why in the hell do you read these how to's from the people that offer them up, when your idea of a how to is: "How do I box up my junk and ship it to somebody else to do it for me?"

Our Man Dave here is offering the closest thing you'll get to "Repairing your headlight buckets for idiots" that you'll ever find at your local book-store. And, unlike the examples that your book-store would offer up, the pictures he will show you are exact duplicates of the the ones you have.

It's like painting a picture using paint by numbers.

You've already did your bumper, and it turned out great, and that PBA fungoo is clearly the closest thing you can get mold-able plastic. Requires the skill equivalent to building something with your kids play-doh fun factory.

C'mon! Dont cave in to the "My time is too valuable, I'd rather pay somebody else to do what I'll take credit for later" club.
You are only in your 30's....you don't have an excuse.

No titanium Knees.
No old age related fatigue.
No I got no place to do it.

Do Not Become a wuss.

Im sending Kevin my headlights so he can clean them up and clear them so they never dull again. He has the know how, experience, and tools to do it right. If my header was cracked, I could easily repair that.

Speaking of all this, I have a tail light project coming up. More on that in my own thread soon enough.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Im sending Kevin my headlights so he can clean them up and clear them so they never dull again. He has the know how, experience, and tools to do it right. If my header was cracked, I could easily repair that.

Speaking of all this, I have a tail light project coming up. More on that in my own thread soon enough.

Sigh.......

 

[slow84lx]

So I have come to realize my paint jobbers are, maybe not idiots, a variation of r-tards.

They assured me the paint I was asking for my brake calipers would handle high heat. So I googled it and found that it was only good up to 240*.

Dave,
Quite a few years back one of the car mags did a several month long series on a car in which they painted the engine block w/ epoxy primer + the same single stage paint as they painted the exterior. From memory, they did a long term review and it still looked new w/ no discoloration or adhesion issues after a longer period of time. If that worked well for the engine you would probably be safe w/ the calipers.. It's worth a shot anyway, the calipers would be easy to rework if necessary.

 

[slow84lx]

I thought I’d tear down the headlamp mounting panel, clean it up and put the new lights in so I could finish the bumper off.

Looks like me and my friend Panel Bonding Adhesive will have a small date. Couple cracks and a little bit of missing panel.

I'm pretty sure that I have an extra one of these in my storage container that is crack free. If you're in need let me know.

Jonathan

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Dave,
Quite a few years back one of the car mags did a several month long series on a car in which they painted the engine block w/ epoxy primer + the same single stage paint as they painted the exterior. From memory, they did a long term review and it still looked new w/ no discoloration or adhesion issues after a longer period of time. If that worked well for the engine you would probably be safe w/ the calipers.. It's worth a shot anyway, the calipers would be easy to rework if necessary.

An engine block will only see about 200-250*. Brake calipers can go over 800* when pushed hard. The paint will burn right off of them.

Wait till I get to my engine block, I think y’all will think I’ve gone nuts.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I'm pretty sure that I have an extra one of these in my storage container that is crack free. If you're in need let me know.

Jonathan

I appreciate that Jonathan, I really only have just a little bit left to finish this one though..