Body Tech

Alright fellas... the Stang is aging and has its blemishes, some which I'd like to address. I've got some questions for anyone who might know anything about DIY touchup work.

#1, I have this horrendous rock chip in my passenger side door. I was driving down the highway through my road construction infested town when I received it . As you can see in the picutre, I attempted to put touchup paint on it w/o much success, as the chip has extended beyond the paint -- which was also the wrong shade of white... :::sigh::: I understand I'm not going to be able to make it look like new, but is there any way that I can sand that area where the chip is, paint it, clear it and possibly end up with something better than that?

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#2, a previous owner of my car paid out of pocket to have the quarterpanel repainted after a light collision (my guess), and whoever painted it did it crappy job. The clearcoat is failing on the top portion of the panel -- but that is another issue in and of itself. My question is, what would be the best thing to do with this surface rust inside the fenderwell?

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#3, I have the same type of surface rust under the hood.

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I'm basically looking for advice as to what grit sand paper to use, , type of paint (touchup/spray), what type of clear? I'm totally clueless when it comes to anything regarding paint and/or bodywork -- as demonstrated by my phenominal touchup job on the rock chip!

Thank you very much to anyone who took the time to read and has any advice to offer. :SNSign:

mustang6tee8 said:

In order to get good results out of a paint job, you must have the right tools! I've got some experience with bodywork (restoring a 1950 gmc truck right now). I'd say you need to sand down the spot on the door, get a little bondo, sand again, and then have it painted. If you don't have any tools, you might want to find a reliable bodyman/painter in your area and let him do it as a side job. Since it's not too much damage, it can be done over the weekend. If you live in the Houston area, you could stop by my shop and see.

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Funny, I bought the car in Houston, lol. I actually live in Indianapolis, IN. So you think this is something that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg? I dont want to spend 1000 dollars on bodywork. I would eventually like to repaint the entire car (as I dont plan on getting rid of it soon) so I dont want to invest too much money in a small section at this time.

RIO5.0 said:

Well for a quickie fix that will not only hold like a mofo , and look decent too I would suggest some POR15...Not for the door but for under the hood and under the hood I would use it...
I used some Black this year on my winter beater truck and cant believe how it looks and holds up..Its almost like powdercoat, the chit is crazy strong and the rust wont come back thru...super for that wheel well area.
I just scuffed the rust and brushed it on...takes o/nite to dry, and it dries to a high gloss...You can spray bomb those areas but they wont hold up like this stuff...You can get a 6 pk kit with all dif colors...would be super on calipers, engine parts..

http://www.por15.com/BEngine-Enamels-B?sc=2&category=1

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Wow, that stuff looks great. They dont offer it in white, though. I wonder if I could sand off that surface rust, rattle can it, then coat it with that clear POR-15. I would probably also put some of that on the other fender to prevent the same thing on the other side. Also, in the six-pac... I could make some of it that manifold gray and use it on the accessory brackets to restore a fresh look. Thanks!