This thread is about the extensive body work Doc74 and his co-worker performed on my 69.
There is still some welding to be done. We decided to cut out the cancer and replacing the front floor board, trunk extensions,lower quarters and welding in some patches.
I'll let the pics tell their story...
rotting 1/4's, rearvalance & crossmember were shot
front drivers floor cut out...
doc cutting out the rotten 1/4's
another ;D
floor prepped! mmmm nice... :drool5:
another
1/4 cut, trunk extention is crisp, inner wheel housing had some issues
from the inside
1/4 out, extension out, wheel housing rot out, ready for prepping, valance corners will be saved
All this cuttingl happened the first day the guys worked on my ride.
It shows exactly what needed to be fixed.
A lot.....
I ordered 1/4 panels, a floor board, two trunk extensions.
Up to the next level, more cutting, fitting all (the badly made) panels and fabricating the patches.
cross member has issues
both sides
floor fitted and tack welded
doc concentrating ;)
some patch panelsmade and organized
the patches
co worker fixing the cross member
view from the inside
crossmeber fixed, coated and protected, rear valance patches welded. Up to thenext part :icon_smile_wink:
day 4
trunk cleaned up, rot cut out...
doc welding, again...
day 5/6
trunk extensionsand patches fitted and welded... Dark spot is also patched.
side view: everything ready for new metal
floor is in, just needs spot welding and a small patch above the pan (left)
quarter fitting
1/4is on, itstartsto look like a car again ! :boogie: :moon:
Doc will tell you guys a bit more about the project.
1 thing is clear: he has the skills and know what he's doing! :bow:
Time to think about a flashy color for painting :D
Suggestions?
Lookin good CB. You supplying Doc beer :icon_smile_big:
I'm so glad I don't have dial up :icon_smile_big:
Next week we can finish off all the welding and we'll sandblast as much as we can with the small hand blaster to get the gunk out so I can grind the welds without ruining the grinder discs touching that muck .
Better yet...I should have my buddy do it... :D
The patches available for this repair are two quarter patches, a front floorpan and two trunk extensions so lots of patch making was in order, the ones in the pics are not all of them by the way ;D
The front needed the pan and as can be seen a small patch above it, no biggie really but as some may know it means the inner fender splash shields are toast, so if someone can help CB with a new or good used set, these are really not worth the repair.
The front crossmember had a booboo at some point and was bent backwards about 3 inches ripping the floorpan here and there, it's straigthened and the floorpan fits quite nicely, no complaints.
The rear had some serious issues, the most amazing part really is the good condition of the center trunk, just about everything around it was rot but not that !
We cut off the edges where the extensions meet and welded on a strengthened edge, no more flexing on that floor now, it felt a bit like a trampoline before.Same will be done to the underside of the wheelwells where they meet the extensions and quarters, they were a bit mooshy .Patches are ready to go in and are made from preformed Mercedes parts so it stays in the family ! :D :nana:
Because it's very costly to buy and ship a rear valance, crossmember and the likes to Belgium we decided to patch it up as best we could and altough it still looks messy it's getting ready to rock&roll again.
The left quarter still needs to be welded to the extension, it's just tacked now and I have to say they didn't line up very well without mods.
We held them together before any trimming and well it's not too great but a bit of hammer and dolly work does wonders so they line up perfectly now.
The rights side is prepped and ready to weld in next week.
The quarter patches are not too bad but the top line curves a lot where as the original fender is fairly flat, this can give some problems since the curve will want to pull on the cut fender and warp it when you weld, patience is key here, so is plenty fitting before you weld anything. Make sure all lines up perfectly so you don't have to hammer that new patch and ruin it . Btw we weld edge to edge .
The quarters are very accessible from the inside in case a dent needs to be hit out so it looks real good and it's damn strong now.It does show some metal fatigue on the long panels and a lot of bondo has been used on it at one stage so we are trying to remove as much as possible and fix the metal itself but we'll see in a week or two to what end it will be resolved, right now it needs it's butt closed up !
After all the prep work the insides will be cleaned, grinded, sanded, etched, primered and a good sound deadener applied. Flexible joint sealer will be used on all non visible welds on floors,and insides.
Meet the new muck, same as the old muck ! But fresher :D
Since we can only work saturday's on it, updates will also be a week apart but I'll check when I can if someone has questions....or comment... :D
It looks all around the world we use same body techniques when cut and weld. Right now only difference I noticed that panels overlap was from interior and here mostly of people do it on exterior side.
dial up here but a worthly try ;)
thanks for share.
Quote from: Nacho-RT74 on February 05, 2006, 01:56:20 PM
It looks all around the world we use same body techniques when cut and weld. Right now only difference I noticed that panels overlap was from interior and here mostly of people do it on exterior side.
dial up here but wothly ;)
thanks for share.
Yeah the same techniques can be found everywhere.
We didn't overlap anything. There's a pic where you see the new edge on the extension, at that point it still needed to be cut, it's welded edge to edge.
Nothing wrong with overlapping or flanging, each his own prefference. Glad to hear dial uppers can see this ;D
Doc you dont know what the hell your talking about
just kidding buddy, looks good. :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Doc74 on February 05, 2006, 02:00:31 PM
Yeah the same techniques can be found everywhere.
We didn't overlap anything. There's a pic where you see the new edge on the extension, at that point it still needed to be cut, it's welded edge to edge.
Nothing wrong with overlapping or flanging, each his own prefference. Glad to hear dial uppers can see this ;D
Ok now I'm jelous... I would wish My body man would put some extra effort on that... but money talks and I didn't have to much to make it on that way... maybe next time
looking good
what color are you going to paint it
Nice work! :2thumbs:
more ;D
;)
:P
:icon_smile_approve:
;D
:icon_smile_evil:
damn cold is keeping the guys from painting,gotta wait till it warms up a bit...
update follows :)
good job :thumbs: :
Looks great CB! :cheers:
Doc, you got the skillz, man! :2thumbs:
yep, Doc is the man :punkrocka:
Hey CB perhaps if you give Doc a "witteke" now and then he won't catch a flu in there.......
Looking very nice tough and i can't wait to meet you guys somewhere, maybe perhaps during this summer Mopar season.....
.......perhaps if yo can translate if anyone asks because i have no idea what a "witteke" or "Jenever" means in English.....
''Gin and its Lowlands cousin Genever (Jenever in Belgium) are white spirits that are flavored with juniper berries and so-called botanicals (a varied assortment of herbs and spices).''
heh heh :cheers:
Goe bezig manne, houwe zo
Good job guys, keep it that way.
Next update
Me and my colleague who you can see in the first pic are fully on the job again.
We're both very busy, at this time each doing about 3 cars and bikes and doing the charger together
so the last few weeks have been very hectic and work didn't progress as we both have liked it to but you know life, something always comes up you need to take care of first.The weather isn't helping us much either, yesterday it was barely in the positives and our heating is a joke.
Dang those quarters were cold....
As it sits now all that's left to be done welding wise is the rear valance corners, they're weak to say the least so I will cut them up, realign them and make sure they got their strength back.Just as we did in the trunk floor which by the way can hold 4 bodies again safely :D
The right quarter needs some small dents removed above the line but nothing major and finish off welding the underside and wheelwell patch.
From there on we're ready for prep so by that time CB you'll have to drop by and tell us what to do with the wavy doors and fenders.
I'd like to strip them and start from the ground up but I can't tell you what I'll find under the bondo, but I can guess...
I took some pics of the drivers side where the quarter meets the rocker...it's gone...
The rocker on the inside has holes too just like the outside, I need to patch that, no way around it but the thing is, there's More bondo on that one spot, than on most complete cars. I'll have to remove it and either save it or just cut it all up towards the bottom bodyline, make a big one piece patch and get that in.
Both quarters had a lot of work done to them prior and it showed, tons of bondo, nasty creases and dents and a missing bottom half...
After some beating and shrinking they're as strong as ever now and straight again, just as we like it.
We're closing in on prepping so I'd like to see some sun and feel some heat now so I can primer this beast.
I'll keep you posted.
Pic 1 has my collegue checking the tension on the panel making sure the strong weld line doesn'tflip outwards creating a line we really don't want, and he digood btw :icon_smile_big:
Pic 2 shows a black guidecoat out of a spraycan, it's very light to spray and washes of with degreaser so you don't have to miond overspray yet.
It's a very simple and effective way to check for any irregularities in the panel, as it saits now you can just run over with a longblock and you know where you stand, apart from some tiny parking dents this quarter is not bad, not the backside anyway :D
Pic 3 and 4 show the bottom of the quarter atached to the extension with screws, these have a small drill on the tip which makes it very easy to get one through two panels, not by hand though, we're not that nuts.
By doing this instead of tackwelding it is that we can get them out and move them around a bit, you can manipulate the extension quite easily using some force, this way we can move it aeround till we're satisfied without having to weld and cut all the time.The resulting holes later are so tiny you can weld them shut in a second.
When all is welded in plqace the botom edges will be trimmed to match the rear valance and be equal all around.
You can see in pic 3 how rough the extensions were made, those flaps are really appaling, luckily all you need to make it purdy is some steel cutters, a hammer and dolly and a welder !
In pic 5 you can see the hardened sound deadener and corrosion preventing goo, that has got to go.
A new undercoating will be applied when all is done but you can never spray over the old one...I might try the dry ice trick here.
Pic 6 is me, freezing my butt off while removing a tiny crease in the patch panel, must've missed that.
The panel has been roughly sanded with a rotary machine and a grit 80, the quarter is whole again, edge to edge.
Pic 7 and 8 are the result of removing bondo with a grit 80 so as not to damage the metal and not having a vacuum around, wear protective clothing and masks boys and girls, this stuff will do you in.
I kinda like the b5 shade all over the place though :icon_smile_big:
Pic 9 shows a bit more clearly the finished panel, this was the best pic I had out of 5, it took ages for the dust to settle so we went out for some coffee and cakes......mmmm
The others sow the damage where the quarter meets the rocker, it's all bondo here and it's real deep.
You can also see the door edge and the quarter edge not being aligned at all, same story on the other side, CB if you give me the ok, that stuff is gonna go, all of it.Drop by next saturday if you can for an up close look so we can decide what to do with the rest.
Pic 13...some more lower bondo, they should put laws on this...
Pic 14 and 15, last ones for now
The quarter was cleaned up and protected with a coat of etch primer, this is just so I don't walk in next week and find new rust.
All bare metal always gets treated at the end of the day, an etch or rust stop primer is easily removed when needed, rust isn't .
Since no overlapping has been done, there's no chance of rust growing between two panels with the exception of where the quarter meets the extension and such.
Always use a good weld primer on those edges before you start welding and be sure to spray the again after, if you weld two bare panels against each other without any protection than rust will occur sooner than you think.
Everyone knows that a resto, usually done in the home garage can take years, I can't count the times I've seen cars come out of the paintbooth with rust allready forming underneath and clearly visible, just because of lack of protection and/or cheap products, what a waste.
About the patch panels, altough the fit isn't exactly great they're all easily modified if you have the right tools to do so, I have no complaints about the quality, the quarter patch never warped despite it's size and the fact we didn't overlap.I wish I had more new parts so this would have been a lot easier but alas we can't just get everything from the shelves here.Good thing we have access to the best sheet metal around, chargers need lots of it, i can't wait to start on my own.... :icon_smile_big:
:bow: great update Doc!!
I've been busy,very busy lately. Couldn't make it yesterday(directing a funeral, a co-workers diner later that day and a hot date in the evening/night :D ) I will try to drop by next saturday so we can discuss the bondo problems.
thanks again Doc!
CB
Man, it's freakin' awesome to watch it progress like this, guys! :cheers:
Great progress... I check daily, even many times a day to check for updates to your work. ;D
Quote from: Doc74 on March 05, 2006, 08:30:33 AM
i can't wait to start on my own.... :icon_smile_big:
same for me........after i get my hands on one of course.
Although i already learned a lot myself on my previous resto car, i still have seen new things here so i'm learning alot about boing bodywork.
Hope to check out CB's Charger this summerand i'm sure the result will be awesome.....
some progress pics
(http://users.pandora.be/dirk.peeters3/Project%20CB's%20Charger/Picture%20065.jpg)
more :)
(http://users.pandora.be/dirk.peeters3/Project%20CB's%20Charger/Picture%20066.jpg)
(http://users.pandora.be/dirk.peeters3/Project%20CB's%20Charger/Picture%20067.jpg)
(http://users.pandora.be/dirk.peeters3/Project%20CB's%20Charger/Picture%20069.jpg)
looks great huh :D
Looking Great CB! Like the progress pics!
Any thought on the color yet?
yep, flat rally black acrylic...
It'll be really mean :D
Yeeeeehhaaaaaaa
:icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big: :icon_smile_big:sorry can't help it.......
Looks great CB
I guess you gotta promise me to take me for a spin when she's finished.....
Greetz, K.
That is looking good.
Ok another update, it's been a while.
Lots has happened but not all has been documented due to a few weeks of not having a camera and a few of being too busy to think about it.
After straightening the rear quarters and making sure they were as stiff as possible all we had to do was apply filler and sand up to the metal again which showed the flaws perfectly.The corner caps which needed a bit more than saving were more than a headache so I just cut them up and reformed them so they'd match the quarters and the rear valence.
The edges got filed so that any press errors you find on all cars would be gone, a strong primer filler, the white, covers the entire back are and most of the roof which had plenty issues of it's own, previously hidden by a top.
After blocking the filler it's as straight as can be but not ready for paint, it needs a final primer to cover the sanding scratches from this and seal it.I'll get back to that later.
We also welded the sail panel holes shut since it won't see a vinyl top, except for the charger script holes, they've been kept.
The infamous c pillar to roof seam was simply put scary. When I started sanding it the bondo got stuck in the sanding paper, it appeared that it takes a bit longer than 38 years to make this stuff dry !
It felt like crusty plasticine, all had to go and metal to metal was used to fill the seam back up.We also let it sit two weeks before we touched it in case of sagging but this stuff is amazingly strong, grit 80 does nothing to it.
The blue tape you see is not to protect the bodyline, it's meant to show where the line is and to indicate up to where you sand.To protect the line...don't touch the line...The bodyline was there to begin with so I did this more as an example as anything else.
After all was done I machined the entire area crossing the line many times, it has the same sharpness head to toe and the metal was visible along the entire line, very pretty really, you can still see the dark edge on top of the 2nd pic, like pinstriping. :icon_smile_big:
A longblock and medium long was used for the quarters and sail panels. Alas I had no rounded or flexible blocks around so I had to do all with those, pressure or lack of is key here.
The part that had a lot of damage we couldn't properly address was the left rocker panel and quarter patch in front the rear wheel.
It was seriously crumbled and bondoed over a long time ago and lack of materials time and funds to do it properly had us resort to less conventional means.
However adding bondo wasn't an option.
I managed to remove most and get the panels straight again, it was crumbled up to the first bodyline, that part i got straight.
The rocker itself was a different matter.Whoever fixed it initially after the accident did not straighten the rocker and underside before he welded it together leaving it impossible for me to fix all without a whole lot of cutting and welding.
Luckily with some hammering and lots of swearing it got straight ish again, enough to get it done with one coat of the metal stuff, the rust holes on the inside doorjambs (yes the right side too) did get welded, no bondo will keep that shut.
We all wanted we could make a rotisserie job out of it and replace all the bad parts but being here in this position, it's impossible without some serious cash, a lot more space and more time even.
And now too it's straight, it's solid and it's gorgeous.Flat black looks sooooo cool, check the second to last pic to have an idea.
The front end and doors have been left alone except for patches that needed welding in the doors and a few dents, also in the hood.
The doors and fenders start showing their age but nothing bad really, you'd have to be real picky to find something so to keep the cost down and get the car done before summer they get sanded, primered partially and repainted.
After some masking and lots of cleaning it was time for the final black primer which was a treat for us, after all the hard work we saw those beautiful lines appear in gloss black, I can tell you we both sighed with relief to see her so purdy.
The primer is a high solid and needs 2-3 coats, after we block this once it's ready for the final paint.It fills scratches but only the ones you don't see very well, the final grit I used on the white primer was 280 on a excentric rotary sander, that doesn't mean it's got an attitude, it's just the way it turns... :D
Sorry about the misty picks, these are the best I got.
Next week CB will hopefully have the tank straps so we can drive this baby to the shop I work where the final sanding and painting will happen together with covering the seams and undercoating everything so it's roadworthy.Oh yeah and repairing the decklid which is bent at the frame, picks of that to follow soon !
Now all we need.....is a color CB . :D
More
And some more
Last set...for now
Ok the camera is acting up again so no pics yet, sorry.
The trunk lid was seriously bent near the rear window, an antenna got stuck between it if i recall bending the cr*p out of it.
It also had a ton of bondo in the middle which wasn't exactly a good sign so after some grinding and sanding, a clean panel was to be seen with what appeared to be a butt plant !
Seriously, the inside of the trunk has several structural forms one being right in the middle running top to bottom and the metal has sagged seriously left and right of that.
Father time and the elements can definitely get metal out of shape and so can the bend in the lip but not like this, it's deep.
CB....I think your car has been the set for some funky lovin' :D
The bend is out, the edges are straight and tension is again coming to the panel but not all is out, I only had about an hour or so today and to my boss' pleasure I managed to coat a nice chunk of the prep zone in blue dust thanks to the large grinder :icon_smile_big:
Tomorrow is moving day ! The charger will go to the shop where it'll get sanded and painted acrylic flat black.
Look at it any way you want, it might be a temp job but it's very strong and durable,it's not a primer look, this stuff has gotten it's way on plenty hot rods, it's very easy to sand and reshoot in any color at any time AND it looks KILLER, you'll see :METAL:
Apart from paint it'll be completely undercoated, all floors in and out will be rust protected and coated, all seams will be resealed, the old gunk has been removed.
And when all is done the entire inside, all places you don't see will be waxed with dinitrol, a grease/oil mixture that seeps into every nook and cranny and puts a thick wax coat on everything.
Pics will follow asap.
ok, let me add this:
:drive: :drive: :drive: :D :D :D :METAL: :METAL: :METAL: :boogie: :boogie: :boogie:
'nuf said :)
looks straight, I would just paint it color while its all apart and ready for paint job.
I noticed you had rear valance corners smoothed with valance, they're supposed to be separate from valance, or is it different on 69's
Quote from: Silver R/T on April 29, 2006, 05:14:27 PM
I noticed you had rear valance corners smoothed with valance, they're supposed to be separate from valance, or is it different on 69's
Because the corner caps were in such bad shape I welded them shut and treated the rear valence and corners as one panel.Afterwards I took a cutting disc and cut the divider back in.
I also made them somewhat thinner than original, it just looks a lot cleaner now but it's also hard to see in the pics, the flat black doesn't help.
So did you use any filler at the seam where the patch panel was welded back to the car? Did you weld on the inside and outside since you could get at it from the trunk? Very good pictures!
Todd
Quote from: Todd Wilson on April 30, 2006, 11:38:22 AM
So did you use any filler at the seam where the patch panel was welded back to the car? Did you weld on the inside and outside since you could get at it from the trunk? Very good pictures!
Todd
You mean the quarter panel patches? They were finished with sprayfiller, block sanded and primered.Regular filler was used to cover the patches and got sanded to bare metal leaving a smooth surface and better than factory straight.I used filler around the corner caps but not all that much since I cut the corners and brought them into place, the trouble was that they were so far gone that by the end of the day they were nearly build by welds, they sure are strong now :icon_smile_big:
I took my time looking at pics of corner caps on 2nd gens and they are never the same, I also found that the seams were very very wide and the small crease in the top of the corner cap doesn't connect properly to the quarterpanel bodyline, it's even worse near the tailpanel.
I didn't expect anything else from that era but now we have the tools I thought I'd give it a more modern touch or made it how I thought it should have been.The crease in the corner now connects to the quarter bodyline and fades going into the tailpanel, the seam is also only 4-5mm like a modern car. After the caps are in place just weld it shut and after prepping cut the seam in, you can easily see the inside to know where you have to be.
The patch got welded on the inside where needed, since I buttwelded it, with a mig instead of flanging, the weld went right through making it one solid piece, heat is a serious issue here, you need someone close to keep the panel cool.
The great thing about the quarters is that you have superb access through the trunk, the middle part right above the wheel has a nice bulge inn it which you can see if you look Fromm the right angle, you know which I mean, it had a serious dent in it but I was able to get it out lying in the trunk, again you need someone on the other side to tell you wth you're doing but hey it works ! :D
I got a lot more pics but because of all the dust and paint in the air they look terrible, I'm trying to clean up a few with photoshop.
Two more pics
The beast getting ready for the trip to the shop, bare necessities are being put on, trunk lid ain't one of them :icon_smile_big:
The underside of the gastank still has the old undercoating on so that will need to be removed, time did the topside for us so all we had to do is clean it up and put some protective paint on it.
Quote from: Doc74 on April 30, 2006, 12:44:00 PM
The patch got welded on the inside where needed, since I buttwelded it, with a mig instead of flanging, the weld went right through making it one solid piece, heat is a serious issue here, you need someone close to keep the panel cool.
Hey Doc, thanks for all the write-ups and explinations you give. I know it takes a lot of time to do both and I for one do appreciate it. I do have a question, or I guess I need a little help in understanding what you said in the paragraph above. You said "you need someone clost to keep the panel cool", sounds reasonable, but what are they doing to keep the panel cool?
Thank you,
Tony
Quote from: AirborneSilva on April 30, 2006, 10:39:22 PM
Quote from: Doc74 on April 30, 2006, 12:44:00 PM
The patch got welded on the inside where needed, since I buttwelded it, with a mig instead of flanging, the weld went right through making it one solid piece, heat is a serious issue here, you need someone close to keep the panel cool.
Hey Doc, thanks for all the write-ups and explinations you give. I know it takes a lot of time to do both and I for one do appreciate it. I do have a question, or I guess I need a little help in understanding what you said in the paragraph above. You said "you need someone clost to keep the panel cool", sounds reasonable, but what are they doing to keep the panel cool?
Thank you,
Tony
Thanks for the appreciation, it's dearly appreciated :icon_smile_big: really
For starters I use a cooling paste or spray which you apply as close to the to weld seam as possible but it only works up to a certain point.
The only way i know to keep the panel cool is to use air.
We don't use those airgun thingies but just a simple connector, the metal thingies that are on the machines and sprayguns which you click into the compressor hose.I bolted two together for the best airgun around, basically a small steelextension of the air hose, so we get the most pressure out of it.It's all I need to keep the panel cool.
All my buddy has to do is follow the welds that become visible on the inside and blow it cold.
You have to blow a bit next to it so the fumes from welding don't go to the welder's face tho' :D
Never use water to cool it down, it'll crystallize the metal.
I hope i wasn't too unclear, I just got up :icon_smile_big:
If anyone has any questions just post them here and I'll help out where I can.
Is that a dust mask? Make sure you use a real mask!! You can get them from paint shop for about $20. I painted like you are doing in the one shot (with a dust mask) and still feel that it caused my asthma and I'm in good shape (run, etc.).
You only get one (set) of lungs so TRUST someone who has learned the hard way--get a good mask, etc. Can you tell I have a new daughter and just turned 40?? ???
Otherwise the car looks great. I LOVE all the metal work!!!
Mike R in Reading PA
it is a PA car. You can tell by all the panels he used to replace all the cancer :)
Quote from: Mfr426 on May 01, 2006, 12:50:07 PM
Is that a dust mask? Make sure you use a real mask!! You can get them from paint shop for about $20. I painted like you are doing in the one shot (with a dust mask) and still feel that it caused my asthma and I'm in good shape (run, etc.).
You only get one (set) of lungs so TRUST someone who has learned the hard way--get a good mask, etc. Can you tell I have a new daughter and just turned 40?? ???
Otherwise the car looks great. I LOVE all the metal work!!!
Mike R in Reading PA
Guilty as charged, yes it is a dustmask, albeit one with an active filter but not a proper paint mask,you can't smell the paint through it but it's not designed for painting. With all the tools we have to swipe from work every friday we tend to forget some stuff.The paint masks were among it.I assume you mean the 3m masks that last 40 hours? That's the ones we normally use, good stuff.
I know it's a lame excuse but we hold our breath when we paint :icon_smile_big:
I used to have trouble because I never used a mask when i started painting 16 years ago and I felt it quite fast, not so much on my lungs but the toxins were killing my liver.
Never had any trouble since and I'd like to keep it that way.
Using gloves that can withstand thinners is something else I learned too late down the road but at least better late than never.
A few more shots from the cellphone .
The first 3 are from last week, fitting the wheel to make sure it's still round...ok ok boys with toys, what can I say.
That sorry looking fella in pic 4 is me yes, can you see the pain I had to endure all this time ? Or am I just sorry to see her go :icon_smile_big:
Before take off we need to do some final checks and lose some of the dust it has collected. Tires are pumped, bumpers are on, taillights do their thing save one brake light, steering wheel is where it belongs again, very handy, and the tailgate is in the shop about a half hour drive that way.....oops.
CB also didn't seem to have the registration handy altough everything was in order soooo a quiet country road trip was in order, except.... with two foot pipes bolted to headers..it's not exactly a quite ride.
My colleague had his first drive in a charger with all known consequences following that event... so if someone has one for sale, real cheap, please don't hesitate to not contact me, I can't bare to do another one yet :D
At this moment the charger's been stripped again and prepped for paint, yes it's flat black but it's still paint and it'll be satin flat so not really a primer look. I don't know about you guys but I'm excited !! :boogie: :boogie: :boogie:
More updates to follow
Last ones
:drool5: :METAL: :D
wow!, thats a great job. keep the pics coming i luv it. Rene
Damn that looks good, I wish you lived around here :yesnod:
Thanks for the comments, it's dearly appreciated.
Airborn I just might be altough 'around here' is a fairly big term in the states. I'll be in Michigan before the year's over, permanent.
Little update. The car's ready for paint, as you know the entire backend has had some serious operations but the front hasn't, just the bare necessities so rust wouldn't find it's way through.
It was decided to paint the car flat black for several reasons, the main one is the one we all know too well, budget. Since the charger needs a lot more than just paint and since it's here in Belgium...well let's just say I wouldn't expect anyone to go order all parts in one go.It may or may not have a full resto later down the road but for now it's strong and has no more major issues, boy that crossmember scared me when I fist saw it!
As it sits now it's good enough to put a candy apple on it but since the charger needs some major mechanical work too I needed to find something cheap and I did, at least I thought I did...
Via work I got 5 liters of semi gloss acrylic paint, mainly used on industrial stuff, bulldozers and tractors and the likes. It's unbelievably strong, it's actually hard to scratch it and it's very very flexible as my thin sample card showed me but..oh yes there is a but...the structure it leaves is not pretty, not to me.
I followed the instructions mixing it but it lays like a syrup, doesn't flow or anything, what you see is what you get.
I was really surprised that for so little money this paint was so strong, now I know why.
I experimented with several mixtures, always keeping the paint/harder parts as they should and play with the thinner, used a bunch of different guns too.
I finally had a very very nice result, smooth as can be but I tested it on a flat piece and there's no chance that paint's gonna stick to the sides so I need to leave it a bit thicker giving me, again, flow problems.
I really hate this, after all the work putting this baby straight, I gotta go put on a reptile skin. :icon_smile_big: At least the gloss shade is very nice, not as flat as the primer by far which gives it that bit more..panache
Here's a close up of the doorjambs which I did yesterday, you can see the structure very clearly.
I'll do all I can with it to get it smooth, since it's semi gloss there's no option of cut and buff later on, what I paint is what stays.
You might ask so why not toss the paint and get something else, well I can but that would mean several hundred bucks more, which are not available.
I know it may be nitpicking and that most won't even notice, and nobody will when it's running for sure but just me knowing it is enough. For once I'm starting to like our Sikkens paints :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: Doc74 on May 10, 2006, 12:39:57 PM
Thanks for the comments, it's dearly appreciated.
Airborn I just might be altough 'around here' is a fairly big term in the states. I'll be in Michigan before the year's over, permanent.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather move to Southern Arizona :icon_smile_big:
That paint almost looks like a vinyl.
Man I love the work!!!!!
wish you guys would have done my car a few years ago!!!!!!!!! Kepp sending the pics.
Quote from: Danny Gutierrez on May 12, 2006, 12:30:24 AM
Man I love the work!!!!!
wish you guys would have done my car a few years ago!!!!!!!!! Kepp sending the pics.
And here they are !
Danny just have plenty fun with your charger and I'll redo it for you in a few years :icon_smile_big:
After a lot of experimenting with cheap paint, lots of swearing and a minor depression..I finally found a suitable mixture to make the paint flow without losing any of those good qualities it owns. Still that wasn't the end of it because a simple dual coat would not have been pretty, so we, being me and my buddy whom you see in the pics, decided to paint it together, a side each because thanks to the wonderful mixture, it dried in about 2 minutes and honestly, I can't run around the car that fast !
After one sealed coat and plenty time to let it cure we started feathering the paint on intermediate distance and constantly crossing each others layers to create an instant satin effect. We will only know next monday if the 'clouds' have dissapeared, it still had a few, but we couldn't wait on it, it takes about 20 hours to fully set strangely enough but I'm confident since the sample cards I painted yesterday turned out great. And that's exactly how this beast looks, absolutely great. You can look at all those shiny custom car paints, all the pearls and flakes, chameleon paints, you name it...but paint a charger flat black and you have a REAL head turner, this thing is just wicked.
I didn't have time to finish the trunk lid which at this point has been beaten straight again, edge to edge so it's a big surface to get smooth. Besides it didn't really fit in the paint booth with the car.
So the lid will be done somewhere next week, I'd like to say monday but we're a man out next week so work will be plentyfull.
Also the insides will get proper treatment so keep a lookout for pics of that after the weekend.
Here's a few pics for your viewing pleasure
Last ones for now
man, that looks wicked :D
Can't wait to fire up and cruise around in my mean machine :)
Looking Great Christian, keep them coming. Going tomorrow to pick mine up from the upholstery shop. really getting excited now.
69 rt
Quote from: CB on May 12, 2006, 02:31:56 PM
man, that looks wicked :D
You took the words right out of my mouth :yesnod:
So Doc, ya wanna take a trip to S. Arizona, I can take you out 4 Wheeling in my Rubi in between working on my Rusted/Terd :icon_smile_big:
MAN THAT'S TIGHT, WISH I COULD DO THAT FULL TIME.
WHERE CAN I GET THAT JUMPSUIT?? :icon_smile_big:
joking, very nice work and very envious of the talent
v/r
Mike
Yea Man! that looks mean. :flame:
Great Job Guys. When can I ship my car over? It needs lots of work! :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: BigBlockSam on May 12, 2006, 09:55:21 PM
Yea Man! that looks mean. :flame:
:iagree: second generation chargers always look bad ass in matt/ satin black >:D
I said it before, I'll say it again.
Awesome work.
excellent job both the pictures and the car. this shows just a small portion of what is gone thru to bring a car back to life. Great job and enjoy the car,
Mike Schrader
:drive:
Again big thanks to all for the kind words and as for the jealousy that a flat black charger can give a man, go ahead, let it rumble, I got it too. :icon_smile_big:
It's going to hurt seeing it drive out and knowing I have the same ride but some 4000 + miles away from me, which at this point feels about the same as not having it at all. :cryin:
As for all your cars, sending one over could actually save you a buck since I can work cheap after hours but...I won't have time for it, there's a sixties Sunbeam in the shop now getting a complete rotisserie resto, if anyone wants to see pics of that too lemme know. In the states it's called the Tiger, same body but a V8 under the hood instead of a 4 banger. Cute ride, about half the size of a charger :icon_smile_big:
Once in Michigan and settled I will, with lotsa noise and fireworks, open my own private little shop in the back, once I got that I'm back in serious biz.
Working saturdays fixing a car on a budget is something I have to do, it's limiting and sometimes hard to do since you need to be careful how far to go with it before budget runs out. It's not always fun but having your best bud working with you does help a ton, I wouldn't want to do is alone.
If I could I would do nothing but full restos the way it should be done and let me tell you, there's not many left who do, forget the custom car and bike shows on tv, the real deal is a few levels higher. BUT who can afford it? I can't remember when I had a guy come up to me and say whatever the cost, make it better than new, it has been a while.
Either it's not worth the money to them or they just don't have it and I understand that, I sure as hell couldn't afford a resto or custom job but I'm hoping there's a bigger market for that in Michigan. I know there's plenty jobs in CA but that's about as far from Mi as I am !
Once settled I'll be doing anything from collision to full restos and customs, cars, trucks, bikes, the works, the stuff I learned to do and love to death, only now it won't matter what it is, it has to be right, my boss would have a fit if I got every tiny dent out of a complete car side, way way faster to hammer it out 95% and finish of with filler but it's not something i like to do, it's a necessary evil.
I don't care how big or tiny the damage is, I need to do it right for me so also my own charger will be something...unique...you'll see.
I always said I'll drive it every day if possible, just like I did the last but I know now that's not gonna be easy in snowy MI :icon_smile_big: but as long as I use it that much, I just may as well make it my calling card right ?
Our beloved master and servant Troy :D only he knows which is most accurate :icon_smile_big: will very likely be the first to crash his charger through my new white picket fence and since I owe him more than I have space to type for...let's just say he'll finally have what he wants.
NOW on to the big black beast
First the bad news.....the 'clouds' did not fade away, alas. The good news, we don't give a rat's *** since it looks WICKED. :METAL:
Seriously, we walked into the paint booth this morning, saw it hadn't changed, altough the sample did before and went like...well..it still looks killer :icon_smile_big:
As you can see, there's no trace of a trunk lid..well I sorta hadn't had time to finish it so I really hope to get it in paint by thursday to set it up friday and get it out of the shop.
Also the floors, back to front on both sides will be cleaned, sealed and undercoated with new plugs in the floors. then it's a matter of putting the bumpers and lights and other bits on and we are done.
Enjoy the pics
More
Last ones for now
brrrrrr scary !!! :D
man it looks killer!!!!
I like the new gas filler pipe or rocket launcher!! Looks like your fuel capacity will increase too! :icon_smile_big:
kidding aside, it looks phenomenal, very nice and straight body work - looks like the new and improved BAT MOBILE! :2thumbs:
I LOVE THAT FLAT BLACK LOOK!!!
It's just so bad-ass! I just wish mine was 1/3 as straight as that. You do mighty fine work.
That looks sooo sick!! Very nice!
Awesome job Doc :2thumbs:
Nice work. That came along way.
looks great. after all the hard times I've had with bodyshops, i would have no problem, trailering my car to Michigan. :icon_smile_big:
Here's some more for your viewing pleasure.
The floors have been cleaned, sealed and coated. All plugs have been placed and sealed so now all that's left to do is the underside which we'll do when the exhaust is off.
That too will be welded into something special and then all there's left is paint the trunklid and we're done.
More
Last batch
Doc74 I had a question. Where in Michigan are you moving? I am in Toledo, Ohio. My city ends at the Michigan line. I'm at the west corner of Lake Erie. I would love to bring my 69 to you to see when you move here. Let me know, I'm VERY interested.
Quote from: deputycrawford on May 24, 2006, 12:36:15 AM
Doc74 I had a question. Where in Michigan are you moving? I am in Toledo, Ohio. My city ends at the Michigan line. I'm at the west corner of Lake Erie. I would love to bring my 69 to you to see when you move here. Let me know, I'm VERY interested.
I'll be about 45 minutes west of Detroit so that's about 45 miles south to toledo, not bad :icon_smile_big:
There's no way for me to know for certain when I'll be in Mi and when and if I could fix or restore a charger, but we'll surely get together and I'll look it over toroughly.
Well well look at that...it's done.. :icon_smile_big:
Last pics, others might be taken when I borrow the charger for a while :D
As you can see, the trunklid is painted and on, a new trunk seal would be nice tough, don't forget CB because it's not waterproof like this and the plugs are in.
The exhaust needs to be modified as well but it runs as is. If possible we'll weld one next week and of course pics will be taken.
Now it's not a bad idea to add some fuel cuz I 'might' have wasted most of that today...just checking if the paint sticks... :D :nana:
:METAL: :METAL: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :punkrocka: :punkrocka:
You have to let me know when you get to Michigan. My e-mail is deputycrawford@aol.com I don't necessary need you to restore it, (although it would be nice). I would just like to drive it there and see yours up close and have you look mine over. I would love to swap info about the different things we do to them. You could also let me know what I could get away with and what needs to be done for my body work. http://www.geocities.com/kc8lbo/ this web site will have pics of my car. It is a straight, clean, Texas car its whole life. It should be a good start. I would love to make the drive to meet another Charger guy and to swap secrets.
Quote from: deputycrawford on May 24, 2006, 09:51:55 PM
You have to let me know when you get to Michigan. My e-mail is deputycrawford@aol.com I don't necessary need you to restore it, (although it would be nice). I would just like to drive it there and see yours up close and have you look mine over. I would love to swap info about the different things we do to them. You could also let me know what I could get away with and what needs to be done for my body work. http://www.geocities.com/kc8lbo/ this web site will have pics of my car. It is a straight, clean, Texas car its whole life. It should be a good start. I would love to make the drive to meet another Charger guy and to swap secrets.
Ditto to that !
Your email has been added to my list, we'll definitely get together and check your ride, which is gorgeous by the way.
Mine is still in Ohio as well, little further down south than where you are, Troy's hanging on to it and protecting it with his very life ! HA, just had to think about him losing his morning coffee reading this :D
Mine will need a full blown resto, top to bottom and will have extensive custom touches, not many optical though so your charger is by far the purdy one here :icon_smile_big:
Am I correct in assuming you know most if not all history of your charger? So it's unmolested? Can't have a better start than yours, I can tell you that much right now. With CB's car the trouble wasn't as much to make panels from scratch but to remove the previous 'repairs' and get it done right. Same was true for my old 68, a few spots were done real nice, then someone else finished the job and it looked terrible, I don't think it had even 20 inches of straight, untouched panel.
Love your squad car, how many batteries have you got in that thing to feed all that? You got more gear than a loaded Winnebago, altough a hot persuit wouldn't be so hot in that :icon_smile_big:
So tell me, have you passed your own squad car with the charger to see how fast you were going ? :D
My Charger has had an old repaint in the 70s, it looks like. The drivers rear quarter has been sectioned. Its a great 20 footer. Get close and it looks horrible. It is straight on the passenger side.
Hazel Zorn took possession of it on August 20th 1969 in Del Rio Texas at Haynes Motors. I believe her daughter, Harrieta, got it in 1988. It was in the family until 2001. I have the dealer delivery card and the build sheet, and a ton of receipts. It might need more than I think. A second paint job scares me but at least its the original color. We will have to get together and look all of our cars over.
Oh, my cruiser is a 2005. Its my very own issued car so I take care of it. I never go over 120MPH without a cool down period ;D. No, I have never clocked my Charger with my cruiser. I have blown past the Highway Patrol and laughed as they realized it was me. They yelled at me when they saw me on the job next. We all laughed.
By gosh, keep in touch. Oh, and get in the chat room at night. Some of us were talking about you behiind your back :-X. I think I speak for many of us by saying that we would all like to hear from you in the chat room
looks nice
Quote from: deputycrawford on May 25, 2006, 01:47:41 PM
My Charger has had an old repaint in the 70s, it looks like. The drivers rear quarter has been sectioned. Its a great 20 footer. Get close and it looks horrible. It is straight on the passenger side.
Hazel Zorn took possession of it on August 20th 1969 in Del Rio Texas at Haynes Motors. I believe her daughter, Harrieta, got it in 1988. It was in the family until 2001. I have the dealer delivery card and the build sheet, and a ton of receipts. It might need more than I think. A second paint job scares me but at least its the original color. We will have to get together and look all of our cars over.
Oh, my cruiser is a 2005. Its my very own issued car so I take care of it. I never go over 120MPH without a cool down period ;D. No, I have never clocked my Charger with my cruiser. I have blown past the Highway Patrol and laughed as they realized it was me. They yelled at me when they saw me on the job next. We all laughed.
By gosh, keep in touch. Oh, and get in the chat room at night. Some of us were talking about you behiind your back :-X. I think I speak for many of us by saying that we would all like to hear from you in the chat room
Haha glad to hear you guys have a sense of humor about it :icon_smile_big:
Talking behind my back ? Uh oh...how bad is it...
We'll give the charger a good checkup and see what needs to be done. And while i need to build a name for myself anyway, the estimate's free...depending on the behind the back talk :icon_smile_big:
Since it's 6 hours later than where you are, my chat hours can be...weird but I'll try to be around when I can,
doc