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

Davedacarpainter · Oct 17, 2016

Ok, from pretty to this. I finished stripping the bumper this morning and will spend the day repairing it.

Davedacarpainter · Oct 17, 2016

Work is dead today, so, bumper time.

I got it mudded and primered. I only missed about four or five gouges total.

I'll block it next with a flexible block and 220 grit. Fill those missed gouges and reprimer it for a final blocking.

Davedacarpainter · Oct 18, 2016

Got it blocked and filled in the gouges I missed from before. I also filled in one wave that just wasn't going to be blocked out with primer.

I'll leave it sit for a couple days while I work the hood (which I'm finally getting back from the blaster today).

I should have the bumper shot before the weekend.

Davedacarpainter · Oct 18, 2016

Awww hell.

Soooooo, i got my hood back from the blaster today.

They were supposed to blast the edges and the bracing underneath, right? Right.

AND they did blast the edges and bracing underneath, also the rest of the panel from the jamb side! DAMNIT!

As long as they don't blast the flat parts, everything is copastetic. They blasted the flat, unsupported parts!

What does this mean? It means my entire hood is completely screwed!

Since it's screwed, so am I, I can't afford to get another one.

Yeah, life is a bowl of cherries.

Ok, enough btchin'.

Since i have to fix it, i started with replacing the little foam seals that hold the hood to the brace that got blasted away. I used a seam sealer that will fill the gap between the two and harden fairly stiff. This will stop the majority of the "tin can" effect that i now have everywhere on the hood.

I can't do sht till that dries. So tomorrow i'll get the hood in etch and regular primer.

One thing i did prior to using the seam sealer was to finish stripping the hood. They didn't blast the top side because i guess they didn't want to warp it?

After i get it primered, i'll get into fixing all of the warping. I'm just going to use a shrinking hammer and various dollies to get them straight. Whenever i get it fairly straight, i'll mud up what i can't straighten.

For those that are as lucky as me and have to fix something like this, The best thing to do is to start with a corner and fix that first dent and focus on it. Then go to the next, etc...

I have a couple pictures to show you. You won't really see the warping in these bare metal pictures. Wait till i spray the primer on it though, you may want someone with you in case you get faint from the sheer horror of it's appearance.

Davedacarpainter · Oct 19, 2016

Well, I got the bastard etched and primered . It looks better in the picture than in real life.

BTW, a picture of the neat stand that allows me to spray the jambs and topside at the same time.

Davedacarpainter · Oct 22, 2016

I've been working on the hood as i can, work picked back up.

Here's a picture in different light of it so you can see how bad it is. I'm getting the warping out using a shrinking hammer, pick hammer, various dollies and a couple electrical shock methods. I've about got the right side fairly straight and tight.

I have just about finished prepping the bumper too. No pictures though (that's it in the background). It'll probably be tuesday before i paint it, monday will be a busy customer vehicle day. You won't believe the difference, it looks soooo much better, really like a new bumper. I can't wait to see it painted!

Davedacarpainter · Oct 25, 2016

Blue bumper, before and after:

Davedacarpainter · Oct 25, 2016

Oh yeah.....the hood......

I got the right side fairly straight. I got the metal tightened up and slung mud over it. It won't be very thick, but it will be everywhere on this hood. Oh well.

Tomorrow i'll block the layer i spread on there today.

After i get it blocked, i'll move onto the middle of the hood.

I'm just having soooooo much fun doing this, i couldn't imagine not having to beat every square inch of the hood now. It's just the best thing ever. Aren't hoods just delightful@madmike1157 ? Would you mind loaning out the towel boy for awhile?

Davedacarpainter · Oct 26, 2016

Did the initial sanding of the bondo, it feels pretty good.

I'll have to wipe it again to get the couple small low areas and fill in all of my pinholes. I whip my mud maybe a little to aggressively, gets air bubbles in it.

CarMichael Angelo · Oct 26, 2016

stangboy said:
You MIGHT be able to see how much it droops on this pic.

How bout this one?

Here,......I knew that I had seen something that is supposed to help all of you guys w/ your droopy assed rear bumpers.....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322223752372?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Davedacarpainter · Oct 27, 2016

Can you tell where the sand blasters warped the hood?

Davedacarpainter · Oct 28, 2016

More hood stuff. I finished the metal work on it and mudded it.

The one picture with the paint stick is just to show how far the hood was warped, it should be slightly arched outward there. I should have shown another picture with the stick after i pulled it.

Anyhow, i got all of the stretching out, the metal is tight now. Most of that mud will be sanded off. It's easier laying out one big coat rather than several thin coats.

Pictures

Davedacarpainter · Nov 1, 2016

More hood with more bondo.

I got the middle blocked out, that took a while. Then i got the warping taken out of the left side, pulled a few small dents, shrunk a few outies down, and mudded it. I'm excited in a way, but this whole thing has affirmed to me my idea that i'm going to eventually get a GT hood and replace this monster (sorry Mike).

Hopefully the hood will,have primer on it by Friday. I still have to go back and glaze all of that mud.

I would have had to get a GT hood eventually anyhow, someday Robby will get some sort of btchin' V8. (I'm leaning toward a bored and stroked 351, btw)

Blah, blah, blah, here's a picture: God that's a lot of bondo!

Davedacarpainter · Nov 1, 2016

Boosted92LX said:
And i never got to see the metal shrinking tool. What gives man?

It's there in one picture.

It has a longer electrode with a plastic handle, it has a slide hammer that the electrode fits through.

It's a multi use tool, you can use it to shrink large warped areas in a similar fashion as using a hammer and dolly, just go in a circular pattern starting on the outside of the stretched metal and smack it about every inch going in about 1/2" as you circle toward the middle. I think the heat from the puller helps a little to make it easier to shrink the metal.

It can also shrink down outies with a much higher current level.

So, another picture of the tool for Allen. See the blue box in the background? That's the controller. It has a ground that uses a magnet to hold it in place.

Davedacarpainter · Nov 7, 2016

Ok, a picture. What you have here is a bunch of mud and a little bit of hood thrown in with it.

Those two patches of unblocked mud, i think, will be it. I'll try to get it glazed tomorrow.

It all depends on how long the voting line is though......

BTW, this proves anything can be fixed. Not that it should be fixed, but that it can, sort of.

Davedacarpainter · Nov 10, 2016

Ok, that's it! That's all of the mud it's going to get!

I just got through glazing it, I just need to block that with 180 and then I'll primer it! Woohoo!

This is a momentous occasion for me, btw. THAT was a lot of work to make it straight.

This is through page 40 on the regular thread.

Davedacarpainter · Nov 11, 2016

Well, it's in primer and am fixing a little on the nose that I knew needed it. I just couldn't see it with all of the surrounding bondo. It looks a bit better now.

Davedacarpainter · Nov 16, 2016

Better.....
Before: After:
One more blocking, primer and then a final blocking.

Davedacarpainter · Nov 17, 2016

Ok, i know this is just another picture of a grey hood. I blocked it with 220 and it's turned out better than i might have expected it to. It's just straight as can be.

What's next? Tomorrow i'll flip it over and sand down all of those marks from the hammer hitting it and reseam seal it. Then, sometime next week, block it one last time with 320 and i'll shoot it at last! Geez! That was easy.....
BTW, anyone know where to get an emissions sticker? I removed the old one obviously.

Davedacarpainter · Nov 18, 2016

The underneath side!

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

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

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