Build Thread My 1986 T-top Build - Lasting Memories

[Davedacarpainter]

Dave, Dave ,Dave ........

Do you think that your frame rails are somehow different from ours? Everyone here that has went through what you are going through knows that the frame rails are crooked. We all know that there are impact crush dimples formed into the front section. We all have done what could be done to smooth out that goofiness.

You know what?

Nobody can even see the frame rails after all of the accessories get back on the engine, and even if they could, there's no sight line reference to even make that bend noticible anymore.

I obsessed over stupid little junk on my front aprons at the time too. Even went as far as repainting the bay after the satin black revealed those little eyesores, after I fixed them.

In the end, it wouldn't have mattered one little bit. None of the imperfections can be seen now that the banger is in. Even if it was,...who looks at a dimple in a fender apron when there's this weird assed orange and black turbo'd thing looking back?

Save your anal tendencies for the part that everybody sees. For the ten or more hours cutting and sectioning the frame rails is gonna cost you, you can have that much more perfection on the parts that matter.

Mike...Mike....Mike...
I would love to be able to "unsee" what I have seen.
You see, it's not that anyone else will notice or even be able to see the problem. I'll know it's there, and I'll know I could have fixed it when I had the chance.
It's that damn pea under all of those mattress'.
Sure, I have a problem that may in reality have nothing to do with the car......
Oh well, I realize my car isn't the only one the factory did that to, it's just the one I'm working on.
Yes, yes I am like this about my paint jobs too.
My manager will let me bring my car in to paint the first Monday of April, this opened an extra week for me to be anal about something. So here I go again....
I'm not cutting the rails, just changing the Scott panel to be a little more like the frame, maybe two or three hours.

 

[skyline247]

I'll make sure to bring a straight edge if I ever get to see your car in person and I will hold you up to your OCDness...[emoji57]

J/K...everything is looking great man. I've accepted that some people are more anal about this type of stuff than I and I've just grown to appreciate the extra work they put in. When all is said and done, you are going to have the best damn frame rails we have ever seen. I'm sincerely looking forward to your continued progress. You do great work.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I'll make sure to bring a straight edge if I ever get to see your car in person and I will hold you up to your OCDness...[emoji57]

J/K...everything is looking great man. I've accepted that some people are more anal about this type of stuff than I and I've just grown to appreciate the extra work they put in. When all is said and done, you are going to have the best damn frame rails we have ever seen. I'm sincerely looking forward to your continued progress. You do great work.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Thanks brother. Probably won't be the best, but they won't look terrible.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

My wife has informed me that she has to work late....what should I do with my time......
God wants me to fix the lines on the engine bay, He must not like them either.
It's not just the Blue's Brothers that had a mission from God.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I did it, in about two and a half hours! My wife, on the other hand, who said she was working late (6:15!....6:15 is late?!) Came home as I just finished welding the edge again.
I dared to push my luck and ground down the weld and slung some mud!!!
At that stage, I was feeling cocky......Nay brother......I was the MAN. So I stayed out there and blocked the fresh bondo down! Jeez, the testosterone was flooding tonight fellas.
So, anyhow, I felt I pushed it long enough and came in and showered.
Pictures of tonight's progress:
In the beginning, there was an angled edge to the new panel. You had to be there to appreciate how much it sucked

And then there came grinding and cutting the edge of the panel, hammering the frame side straight up and grinding the edge to match the frame rail

Then I spot welded along the edge a little too fast and warped the lower panel, Yay......

Ground down the welds and put on fresh mud over my freshly warped panel

Then blocked it out straight as a multiple curved arrow

So, early tomorrow morning, way before normal humans are up(so I'll have @Boosted92LX and @madmike1157 to keep me company), I'll finish blocking out the filler. Then I'll glaze over it all with finishing glaze and block with 180 grit to prep for primering.
I'm not sure if I'll primer it tomorrow or go ahead and unhook the front suspension and clean up and POR 15 the backside first. I'll know by the time I'm doing it though.
I'll post more pictures tomorrow.
BTW, the right side is good enough for me. I'm not so OCD that I spell it CDO because that's the proper order of it!

 

[RaggedGT]

I did it, in about two and a half hours! My wife, on the other hand, who said she was working late (6:15!....6:15 is late?!) Came home as I just finished welding the edge again.
I dared to push my luck and ground down the weld and slung some mud!!!
At that stage, I was feeling cocky......Nay brother......I was the MAN. So I stayed out there and blocked the fresh bondo down! Jeez, the testosterone was flooding tonight fellas.
So, anyhow, I felt I pushed it long enough and came in and showered.
Pictures of tonight's progress:
In the beginning, there was an angled edge to the new panel. You had to be there to appreciate how much it sucked

And then there came grinding and cutting the edge of the panel, hammering the frame side straight up and grinding the edge to match the frame rail

Then I spot welded along the edge a little too fast and warped the lower panel, Yay......

Ground down the welds and put on fresh mud over my freshly warped panel

Then blocked it out straight as a multiple curved arrow

So, early tomorrow morning, way before normal humans are up(so I'll have @Boosted92LX and @madmike1157 to keep me company), I'll finish blocking out the filler. Then I'll glaze over it all with finishing glaze and block with 180 grit to prep for primering.
I'm not sure if I'll primer it tomorrow or go ahead and unhook the front suspension and clean up and POR 15 the backside first. I'll know by the time I'm doing it though.
I'll post more pictures tomorrow.
BTW, the right side is good enough for me. I'm not so OCD that I spell it CDO because that's the proper order of it!

Looks good man

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Looks good man

Well, at least better!

 

[RaggedGT]

Well, at least better!

Go back a bunch of pages and look how it started.. Your opinion will improve

lol

 

[95BlueStallion]

Dang, I was down and out a couple days, and when I saw the thread title I thought maybe it was already painted! But even so, way to slay your framerail demons. Here I am getting all frustrated with a tiny bit of bondo work on my hood... No f'in way I could do body work for a living, I hate it!

 

[Boosted92LX]

Dang, I was down and out a couple days, and when I saw the thread title I thought maybe it was already painted! But even so, way to slay your framerail demons. Here I am getting all frustrated with a tiny bit of bondo work on my hood... No f'in way I could do body work for a living, I hate it!

Not me. I love it.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Not me. I love it.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

OK, I'm awake.
I meant to get up early and start working on Doby this morning, but.....
My internal alarm has adjusted to getting up at 3:30 so I can work on the car for a couple hours prior to work. So 3:30 rolls around and I'm awake.
Normally I go back to sleep, but then my mind started thinking about what I want to get done this morning. It's like one of the little Cox .010 motors for small hobby airplanes. 65,000 rpm and just screaming away.....
Usually I use a little relaxation technique to go back to sleep, but I didn't want to wake my wife....'nough said there.
This morning I don't have to rush out there, so it'll probably be 5:00 before I do anything! Oh what a lazy bum.
I'm out of beer too, except for some Budweiser, but really, should I consider that beer?
Oh well, ramble on......
I'll post pictures, kind of an exciting day, I'll finish smoothing the engine bay this morning! Woohoo!

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

You have a problem.

Whether it's a sleep problem, a drinking problem, an overly active thyroid, a mental problem, or a combination of any, and all of them.....

Nobody in their right mind is out of bed at 4AM on a Saturday morning.

( unless it's because they haven't went to bed yet)

I'll tell ya, never. Never at any time in my life did I get up at the crack of before dawn, and sit around.....waiting till 5AM so I could go out and work on the car.
I get up early enough, but if I'm up at 3:30 on a Saturday.............I'm usually holding my head in my hand,...regretting the lack of water intake the day before, and the surplus of beer intake later that evening.
And those landmark events typically don't occur more than two-three times in a year.

See a doctor. Take a pill. Wear that goofy looking sleep apnea mask.
GET SOME REST!

 

[Boosted92LX]

Oh, hi there..

*yawn*

 

[RacEoHolic330]

I've done the opposite. Worked on the car until 2-3am routinely on weekends. You won't see me up in the morning any sooner than I absolutely need to wake up though.

 

[madspeed]

my guess is that it is now nappy nap time

 

[Davedacarpainter]

You have a problem.

Whether it's a sleep problem, a drinking problem, an overly active thyroid, a mental problem, or a combination of any, and all of them.....

Nobody in their right mind is out of bed at 4AM on a Saturday morning.

( unless it's because they haven't went to bed yet)

I'll tell ya, never. Never at any time in my life did I get up at the crack of before dawn, and sit around.....waiting till 5AM so I could go out and work on the car.
I get up early enough, but if I'm up at 3:30 on a Saturday.............I'm usually holding my head in my hand,...regretting the lack of water intake the day before, and the surplus of beer intake later that evening.
And those landmark events typically don't occur more than two-three times in a year.

See a doctor. Take a pill. Wear that goofy looking sleep apnea mask.
GET SOME REST!

You know Mike, the beer isn't going to regret itself! It needs my help.

 

[madspeed]

welp, I was wrong, guess that means is time for a cold one!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

my guess is that it is now nappy nap time

Not yet, I've finished off the mud work except I forgot to bring home my 180 grit sandpaper, so I'll glaze it Monday night.
Right now I finally dropped the sway bar off the vehicle and have dropped the suspension so I can get behind the shock towers and clean up the backside of the welds

. Then I'll POR 15 the backside and be done for the day.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

welp, I was wrong, guess that means is time for a cold one!

You all just assume I'm drinking a beer.....