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Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Cliff Notes Edition

  • Thread starter Thread starter Davedacarpainter
  • Start date Start date Aug 19, 2016
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Davedacarpainter

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...
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Discordia
Sep 19, 2016
#21
  • Sep 19, 2016
  • #21
Got some time, so: Basecoat
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 19, 2016
#22
  • Sep 19, 2016
  • #22
Ok, blue and shiny. I'll try to get one in the sun after it bakes.
 
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Davedacarpainter

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...
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Sep 19, 2016
#23
  • Sep 19, 2016
  • #23
Time to start on the deck lid. Just a couple dents!
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 19, 2016
#24
  • Sep 19, 2016
  • #24
In the sun
 
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Davedacarpainter

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Sep 20, 2016
#25
  • Sep 20, 2016
  • #25
Got the bumper back, they did a good job. They blasted it down to the ecoat. Before and afterView attachment 566242
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 22, 2016
#26
  • Sep 22, 2016
  • #26
The deck lid is nice and straight now. I will primer the topside with two more coats of primer and do a finish blocking. I'm getting ready to turn it over to reseam seal it here shortly.
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 22, 2016
#27
  • Sep 22, 2016
  • #27
I got the underneath side all sanded down and masked up for seam sealing. It'll get done in the morning. I'll use that blue fine line tape to run the final line I want before using flowable seam sealer.
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 23, 2016
#28
  • Sep 23, 2016
  • #28
Seam sealed
I had to use heavy body seam sealer again, dumby didn't check to see if he had any flowable. It works fine though, just a little more work to make it smooth
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 23, 2016
#29
  • Sep 23, 2016
  • #29
Final two coats of primer:
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 23, 2016
#30
  • Sep 23, 2016
  • #30
Got the jambs painted, whoopy!
If you want, I'll take a picture in the sun
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 23, 2016
#31
  • Sep 23, 2016
  • #31
Kona blue, in the sun:
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 23, 2016
#32
  • Sep 23, 2016
  • #32
Got my Polyflex in! The front bumper will be next.
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 26, 2016
#33
  • Sep 26, 2016
  • #33
I won't get it painted today, but it is finally blocked out. Tomorrow it'll be blue. Then on to the bumper
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 27, 2016
#34
  • Sep 27, 2016
  • #34
Here's the deck lid in blue. Before, during and after




I'll get one in the sun when it's done baking.
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 27, 2016
#35
  • Sep 27, 2016
  • #35
In the sun

 
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Davedacarpainter

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Sep 28, 2016
#36
  • Sep 28, 2016
  • #36
@RaggedGT asked me to show him what I'm doing to the front bumper. So, the before picture you can see where the sun has beat the paint clean off some areas. Up close you can see the pitting and dried plastic on the surface. I'm using 180 grit to sand over these areas to remove the dried plastic first, plus this will provide the mechanical adhesion for the polyflex bondo I will use on it.

Before I spread the mud I will spray the raw plastic with a plastic adhesion promoter. I've found this makes the repair adhere much better when needing to do this kind of work.

The polyflex will fill all the small knicks as well.
 

Davedacarpainter

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...
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Sep 28, 2016
#37
  • Sep 28, 2016
  • #37
So the bumper had a decent dent/pushed in area along the moulding below the grill and to the right. I didn't take a good picture of it before hand, sorry.

What I did to fix it was to make a jig to place behind it and used a heat gun and a body shrinking hammer and beat on it lightly after I heated it. This isn't like metal, you don't need to wack it hard. Same principle as metal though. You're forcing the molecules tighter together again after they had initially been stretched out.

So pictures, I'm pleased with how it turned out. Before:
After:
 

Davedacarpainter

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Sep 28, 2016
#38
  • Sep 28, 2016
  • #38
There are just so many small chips that I decided to primer the whole bumper first or I would be wiping the entire top surface with the polyflex.

I used a plastic adhesion promoter first and then put four coats of primer on it.

I'll sand this smooth first and see how many gouges are left to be filled. It'll be a quicker repair this way.
 

Davedacarpainter

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Discordia
Sep 28, 2016
#39
  • Sep 28, 2016
  • #39
I sanded a little just to see how much the primer has filled, turned out it did quite a bit.
I'll have a little to fill here and there. This won't be some phenom bumper when done. Things like the tag reinforcements and the such cause the bumper to be a bit wavy. If I remember rightly, they were like that when they were new.
 

Davedacarpainter

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...
SN Certified Technician
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Discordia
Sep 29, 2016
#40
  • Sep 29, 2016
  • #40
Just a couple rock chips after 33 years!
 
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