tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38005059382854583462024-03-13T05:37:08.311-07:00Piece By PieceMy step-by-step restoration of Grandma Garnett's 1968 Camaro.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-12271348988463446222013-06-02T14:20:00.001-07:002013-06-02T14:20:56.335-07:00Trying to get back at itWell, it's been tough getting the Camaro back to the top of the project list. But I finally got the garage cleaned up enough to get back in where I left off.<div><br></div><div>So, I started by getting the drill out and hitting more of these spot welds. The tiny pinch welds on the outer wheel house are a bitch.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RW7A_J1C7kE/Uau3LSu6BKI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ey_1WPp1Aj4/s640/blogger-image-66414886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RW7A_J1C7kE/Uau3LSu6BKI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ey_1WPp1Aj4/s640/blogger-image-66414886.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You get the idea, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The front of the quarter with the door hardware is much tougher on this side. It's almost impossible to see the spot welds. I don't want to tear into it as deep as I did before,so it will be slow going</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZFEVBqA3rxY/Uau3NsF10OI/AAAAAAAAAcI/cjJ_UtpqoJc/s640/blogger-image--325684300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZFEVBqA3rxY/Uau3NsF10OI/AAAAAAAAAcI/cjJ_UtpqoJc/s640/blogger-image--325684300.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One other thing I've decided to do is deleting the drip edges above the doors. I was thinking about door-handle deletes, but that just doesn't look right somehow. But I think trimming off the drip edges will clean up the car's lines. And it's not a particularly difficult thing to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Stay tuned. I'm really gonna try to get this project back on track. Let's see how I do...</div><br></div><br></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-51943981256803656182013-04-17T14:09:00.001-07:002013-04-17T14:09:50.911-07:00Pathy fixed, Adventures with Garage DoorsWell, I officially hate roll-up garage doors now. Mine broke. And it broke beyond repair. Twice. After I took it completely apart and reinstalled it (properly).<br />
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What it is, is that old hip roof on the garage just doesn't lend itself to roll-up doors. Not the way this thing is set up. You can tell the garage originally had barn-style doors, and so I ripped the overhead door out, and with the help of my best carpenter/girlfriend ever, built these up.<br />
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I'm going to try rigging the opener to work with these--yes, it can be done, and it's not that big of a deal. But for now, the old manual barn door style is just fine. And, an added plus, I bought myself about 18" more garage space.<br />
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So now the Miata can live inside again, and I can HOPEFULLY turn my attention back onto the Camaro. It's been tough, but if nothing else major breaks, I might actually get some work done on that damn car!<br />
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The Pathfinder seems to be all fixed up now, too. I rigged up a small heat shield made of a sandwich of aluminum plates and fiberglass, with a little copper RTV thrown in to keep it all sealed up. I used short self-tapping screws to get it fastened in. No smoke, no fire.<br />
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The wierd thing is how quiet the Pathy is now. I never realized how much noise that transmission was making, but it's so quiet and smooth now, I have trouble hearing the engine and hitting my shifts. I'll have to get a tach to replace the dead one in the dash. Also, the gearing in the '96 tranny is noticeably taller. It's a little tough starting in second now, but on the top end, cruising at 80mph is about as effortless as it gets. So we'll see how far past 225,000 miles that will get me. Sure is nice having it back in action.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-31351336481747590912013-03-21T14:31:00.000-07:002013-03-21T14:34:44.908-07:00More Pathy Blues, and a new toy!Well, the Pathfinder really ticked me off. I got the transmission in, got everything put back together, except the exhaust, and took it for a (loud) drive. Drives fine, shifts fine, and the transmission itself is a lot quieter.<br />
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Problem is, when I bolted the Y-pipe back to the exhaust, and drove the car to work, it started burning something (probably sound insulation and/or carpet) up under the dashboard. I couldn't really see where it was burning, and it really seemed odd, because the Y-pipe doesn't go anywhere near there. It has to be something with the exhaust, but I had just plain had it.<br />
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Well, I lost my temper and said to hell with it. Rented a car, and started seriously looking for a spare. Ended up getting this sweet little 2006 Mazda MX-5.<br />
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If you think this is a girl's car, that just tells me you: A. Never drove one, or B. Have no idea what actual driving is. It's not blistering fast, but it's quick. The 2006 NC has about 170 horsepower, but a curb weight under 2500 lbs. The only thing that will turn or stop faster than this is a sport bike. There's an ENORMOUS amount of aftermarket support, too. It's just a simple, durable little car all around. No fancy BS to break on these.<br />
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It is tiny, but not uncomfortable at all. I have plenty of leg and head room. And I've been running a lot of unnecessary errands, just 'cause it's so darn fun. Mine's the 5-speed. They offered a limited slip with the 6-speed in the fancier cars. That would be nice, but this is pretty darn good. It's seriously a shit-load of fun to drive.<br />
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Yeah, got the car at CU. They seem OK for the whole dealer experience. They were no-hassle, no hard sale bullcrap. They didn't want to dicker with the price, but in all fairness, they had a darn good price to begin with. I have no complaints so far. These pictures are theirs... I hope they don't mind!<br />
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I'm going to tear into the Pathy again on Saturday. Shouldn't be too much trouble to figure out what I did wrong. Then I gotta give it a really good wash inside and out. Once that's out of the way, I can get the old tranny back for the core charge, and hopefully can re-focus on the Camaro again. . . Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-36549979239703682452013-03-12T12:18:00.001-07:002013-03-12T12:20:36.845-07:00Long time, no work. . .It's been a long, nasty winter, and as you can tell, I haven't done much of any work on the car, or posting here. Lots of things getting in the way of the Camaro project. . .<br />
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Currently, I've been sidetracked with the nasty job of swapping out the 5-speed in my Pathfinder. It's been slowly grinding itself into oblivion, and over the last couple of months it's got really bad. I don't have a lot of pictures, but here's one of the magnetized drain plug:<br />
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It sure is purty. But that's pretty good evidence that most of the bearings inside the transmission are grinding away. It was just a matter of time before one or more of the bearings just plain let go, and I'd be stranded.<br />
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You wouldn't believe how tough it was to find a decent donor transmission in the junkyards. There were plenty of automatics, but few 5-speeds. And the ones I did find had as many or more miles than mine (225,000). But I got lucky, and found a 1996 Pathfinder with only 130,000 on the clock. It had been smashed up on the front pretty bad.<br />
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Just to note; Any V-6 Hardbody or Pathfinder was a valid donor. Most of the parts on these vehicles are completely interchangeable, although the 4-banger powertrains don't interchange with the V-6 stuff. There are literally bazillions of VG series engines out there. The donor I found was the first year of the unit-body pathfinders, with the VG33E. Later VQ series engines aren't interchangeable with the earlier stuff. I've also heard that the 5-speeds in the 80's/90's 300Z's will also interchange directly, but I'm not 100% sure about that.<br />
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Anyhoo, getting the tranny out of the donor at the junkyard took about 5 or 6 hours. It was rotten, and you only have what tools you can carry, so it's extra tough when you don't have something you need. Plus, having the front end smashed in really made it tough to get to a couple of bolts that go in backwards, from the engine side into the bell housing. The worst part was breaking the bolts loose on the drivelines. They just didn't want to let go, and there was almost no room in there.<br />
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I figured removal and replacement on my vehicle would be straightforward, and easy. But it's been nothing of the sort. There are a ton of parts in the way, including 2 cross members, and the torsion bars for the front suspension. You also have to pull a section of the exhaust out (Y-pipe). The transfer case will not come out with the torsion bars/crossmember in the way. Period. The transmission is heavy, but manageable. The transfer case is something else entirely. It's gotta weigh a lot more than the transmission, and is just almost impossible to wrestle around. I ended up buying a low-lift transmission jack from Harbor Freight. There's no way this is a one-man job without one.<br />
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Anyway, at the present time, I have a new clutch installed, the replacement transmission and old transfer case back in the truck. I still have to bolt up the clutch slave cylinder, re-index the torsion bars (which I've never done before), reinstall the crossmembers, and front/rear drivelines. Then re-fill the transfer case with some nice GL-5, and refill the trans with GL-4 (the detergents/solvents in GL-5 will eat the synchros). None of which is too tough, except for the exhaust. I had to cut one of the bolts loose, and I'll have to drill that out and replace the bolt. Unless I get mad, and just weld the bastard. I expect to have it all done later tonight, unless I did something horribly wrong.<br />
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Then we'll see how many more miles I can squeeze out of the Pathfinder. . . It really needs a bath inside and out, too. Sure, at 225,000 miles, I could kidney car it, but I think it has a lot more left in it. And it's been hands-down the best overall vehicle I've ever owned. You always hate to loose the good ones.<br />
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On the Camaro front, I still need to order the passenger quarter panel and roof panel. Money's in the bank, so it's just coming down to my lack of gumption. But with the weather turning nice again, I expect to be back in full swing in no time. I can move the Pathfinder out of the garage for the spring and summer, then spread out and get cracking again.<br />
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I did do some more web-searching for 4200 Vortec engines. They can be had used for about $1500 at the most (some significantly less than that). I'd still rather have a complete donor vehicle, but that just may not be practical. If I run across one, I'll snatch it up, though. Sure would be nice to have the engine, transmission, computer and wiring harness all together all intact. But I got a long ways to go before I have to worry about that. . .<br />
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Hopefully I won't go so long without an update next time. Sorry to keep you waiting.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-24086234995144932202013-01-14T08:55:00.000-08:002013-01-14T08:55:07.577-08:00UghI just realized how neglectful I've been with the blog, and this car project in general.<br />
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The winter/holiday season is always a little rough, and I've made ZERO progress on the car. The RH quarter is off, and I still need to clean up the area and prep for installation of the new quarter. Last winter I got a few days to get in the garage and do some work, but this winter I've been pretty lazy.<br />
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So, thanks to anyone still looking at this. I will have updates. My hope is still to have the quarter done, and start on the roof (or finish both) before the winter's out. I'd really like to start re-assembling the car this summer.<br />
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I have the feeling that re-assembly will go fairly quickly--depending on how my finances hold up. This year is looking pretty grim all-around. We got fair increases at work, but income taxes are up, property taxes went way up, and I'm certain that everything is about to get a lot more expensive for all of us. We'll see how tax returns go, but I'm guessing those will be a lot thinner as well. At the risk of offending you all, I gotta say I sure hope the people who re-elected Barry the Magic Negro are happy. You got what you asked for.<br />
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Thankfully, most of the work on my car can be accomplished with a little hard work. I hope the major expenses will be limited to the engine, front brakes, and suspension. I won't worry about the interior until I have all the mechanical stuff settled.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-53069389639406224222012-11-12T15:08:00.000-08:002012-11-12T15:08:10.677-08:00RH QuarterStarted cutting out the right hand (passenger) side quarter panel. Cutting the spot welds was pretty uneventful, and I've just about got the skin off. I don't know how you could ever get one off clean, because there are a couple of spots you simply cannot get a drill into to cut those welds.<br />
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I find myself wondering if anyone out there could use these quarters. Probably not, since they all seem to rot in the same places. But I have seen some custom builders pushing out the rear wheel wells to make the rear end of the car wider--which is actually a pretty cool look, but nothing I'm interested in.<br />
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I may post them on the local classifieds, see if there are any takers.<br />
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Progress is still painfully slow. Bodywork just isn't my strength, I guess. I'm more of a disassembly guy (LOL).Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-84533652113694767902012-10-26T09:14:00.004-07:002012-10-26T09:14:50.424-07:00StalledWork on the car has stalled out. I got started drilling out the spot welds on the RH quarter panel last weekend, but didn't get far enough to remove the panel.<br />
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It's just been difficult to commit time to the project. This quarter panel should go much faster than the other one, but I gotta get motivated and get moving again. Sure would be nice to start re-assembling the car this spring. . .Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-41399533902754310322012-10-02T18:06:00.002-07:002012-10-02T18:06:21.370-07:00LH Quarter done!The left hand quarter panel is welded on solid, and lucky me, when I undid all the clamps and screws, everything stayed exactly where it belonged. Door seems to line up well, as do the window channels.<br />
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I still have to fill in the screw holes and grind down the welds, but at least that bastard is on finally.<br />
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I have to clean out the garage, and reposition everything for the other quarter (which I still haven't ordered)... The RH job will essentially be identical to the LH job. I'll be replacing the outer wheel well, trunk drop and quarter panel. I expect this side to go much faster.<br />
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I'm done making predictions, but every little bit of progress gives me more optimism about having this car done in another year or so.<br />
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No pictures this time. There's really nothing new to see. Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-81475883496192724162012-09-02T17:42:00.001-07:002012-09-02T17:42:57.370-07:00More quarter panel progressHave not had time to work on the car for several weeks. Let's just say I've found a new friend who is not a car, and we've been spending some quality time together.<br />
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So today had to be Camaro day. Got a lot of work left to do, and I sure would like to have some kind of rolling chassis by springtime next year. Oh well, it may or may not happen. It's not like I'm on a schedule.<br />
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Today I simply worked some more on lining up the panel, closing the gaps, etc. . . The major part of that was stripping the glass, regulator and latching hardware out of the driver's side door, and mounting it back up to the car.<br />
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Then it's a matter of minor adjustments to the quarter to make it line up just so with the door. You have to watch the gap between quarter and door, the gap along the bottom of the door, and how the top of the door lines up with the top of that section of the quarter. It actually fits pretty well, but there were a few spots that need some work. Nothing drastic, though.<br />
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Lines up pretty well.<br />
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The next problem spot is the rear quarter where it meets up with the section holding the brake lights. There was a significant gap here, but it all pulled together nice, with the help of a couple ratchet tie-down straps.<br />
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The other problem areas are going to be the window channel, and a nasty gap by the trunk header panel. Very doable, though.<br />
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Also, the door is held in with another strap. So far, so good. Once I have it fitted, I'll take it all back apart, seal up my seams, then re-fit and weld the panel permanently. I'm liking how it's starting to look with the new metal.<br />
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More to come later!<br />
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<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-11488956305798534912012-08-23T15:15:00.000-07:002012-08-23T15:15:59.187-07:00Broken Record. . .As in, I'm starting to sound like one.<br />
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Progress on the Camaro is minimal. I did start over again fitting the quarter panel, using the front of the wheel well/back of the rocker as a reference point. Should be much closer. I do need to pull the door out of the basement and use it for fitting before I get any further.<br />
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On a side note, two new projects have raised their heads. Behold:<br />
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Lynn--who, for all intents and purposes, has been my dad since I was something like 7 years old--started doing some work on his two 1965 Chevy C10 pickups. The blue (or green) one was his dads, and the red one he bought brand-spanking new back in the good ol' days. Both trucks need a bunch of work, but they're really solid, and much better than they ought to be having been out in the weather for so long.</div>
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He started the blue truck right up. The red one should as well, but we're going to swap out the old points with an Eastwood HEI unit, then give it a try. We're not sure what the motor in the blue truck is, but the red on has a 283. The blue is most likely a 283 as well, but could also be a 265. It's nearly impossible for me to tell. One of these days we'll scrape down to the casting numbers and find out.</div>
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Plans are to build stake beds for the trucks, which should be pretty straightforward, and far less expensive than trying to restore the old beds.</div>
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So, we're all ass-deep in old Chevys. Which could be worse. We could be ass-deep in MOPARs, and then the only thing we could do is politely shoot ourselves and call it a day.</div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-57134043310841252832012-07-31T07:09:00.001-07:002012-07-31T07:09:29.158-07:00Slowing downThings have really slowed down with the car. Between work and life, I haven't had much time to devote to the Camaro. Sad, but true.<br />
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I have begun fitting the quarter panel, and am busy clamping and screwing in the quarter around the wheel well first. Everything seems to be matching up fairly well, but it's not exactly plug-and-play.<br />
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Pictures to follow soon. I'm hoping to have this quarter done in the next week or two, so I can start on the other side. Sure would be nice to begin fitting the roof before snow falls. . .Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-33456669219229959792012-07-05T09:17:00.001-07:002012-07-05T09:17:40.535-07:00Moving alongSo, here are some of those pictures from the last couple of days. I have the wheel well and trunk all welded in, and all I need now is a good long afternoon to fit and weld in the quarter panel. I didn't take too many pictures of the welded up panels--it's really not that exciting. But here are some pics of what fitting them in looks like, more or less.<br />
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First off, that hole with my finger in it holds the spring for the trunk lid. To line it up, I put a 1/2" drill bit into one side and levered the other into place, then secured it with a self-tapping sheet metal screw. I then moved along the rest of the wheel well, adjusting and adding screws where necessary.<br />
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The screws help pull things nice and tight for welding, and generally make life MUCH easier when fitting panels. But you have to be careful, because you can make yourself a mess if you don't watch it.<br />
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This is one of the more important structural elements, the roof support is welded directly to the outside wheel well. You can see here I've got it screwed in tight, and ready for welding.<br />
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The gray stuff is weld-through primer, which as far as I can tell is just really zinc-heavy spray paint. The heat of the weld melts it, and it flows back into the welded area as it cools. It seems a little backwards, because you have to sand the primer off the seams on the panels, and then paint them with weld-through primer. But it's a very important detail. The primer provides extra protection from rust in the places where you simply cannot paint--inside the welded seam.<br />
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I am also going to hit all of these seams with a good seam sealer before I fit and weld the quarter panel in place. Taking some extra steps to kill and prevent all that rust should extend the life of the car indefinitely.<br />
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You can see I have a little bit of a nasty gap where the rocker meets the wheel well. I'll patch this in, and weld it up nice and strong. I'm not worried about how pretty it is, just it's structural strength, since all of this will be covered up.<br />
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What it looks like after welding. I've also hit this with a wire brush really quick to clean it up. I'll actually brush it good before I apply the seam sealer. Down towards the bottom you can see one of the holes from the sheet metal screws. After I've welded everything in, I go back and undo the screws, then weld in the holes to fill them.<br />
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So now all I have to to is fit that quarter panel, and get it welded in.<br />
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Even though it's been a month, I've only been able to work on the car a couple days, so there's really not that much work represented here. I estimate that if a fellow was really serious, this whole quarter panel process could be done in 3 or four days. Faster in a professional shop with all the goodies.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-57580009986234819322012-07-02T08:28:00.001-07:002012-07-02T08:28:27.313-07:00Cripes!I didn't realize it's been a month since that last post. It's been extremely difficult to get anything done on the car for a couple weeks.<br />
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I do have the trunk drop and wheel well welded in, I'll have pictures later today. All I need to do now is get the door on, fit that quarter panel and get it welded in. We have the 4th off, which is Wednesday, and I think I'm going to get up early and try to wrap the LH side of the car up.<br />
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Which means I'll have to go ahead and order the RH quarter and wheel well. But the only thing left after that is the roof.<br />
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I'm getting there. Slowly, but getting there. . .Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-52879429806710059022012-06-03T17:26:00.000-07:002012-06-03T17:41:28.389-07:00Trunk Drops 2Trunk drops arrived yesterday afternoon via FedEx. I slept in a couple hours today, and then got out there and did some work.<br />
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I re-welded all of the spot welds I'd cut unnecessarily, welded in the patch in the wheel well, and did some general cleanup. I then re-fitted the outside wheel house, and fitted the new trunk drop. After temporarily placing the quarter panel on to check fit, it all looked like it would line up just fine. I've got the trunk drop set with a couple of sheet metal screws, and the wheel house is clamped in good and tight.<br />
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I should have the two welded in solid by the end of the week. Maybe if Saturday turns out to be a good day, I'll have that quarter panel fitted and welded as well.<br />
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I picked up a gun and cartridge of 3M 8115 Panel Bond. I'm going to use that in conjunction with the welding to fix these panels. It will also serve as a seam sealer. I was going to use body caulk, but the 3M rep said that this stuff should be fine for that. I'd rather use a single product, for simplicity's sake if nothing else.<br />
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Here's a picture all clamped up. You can also see the parts I've coated with POR-15. My shop is an unholy mess. It's got to the point I can hardly use it. Time to do some housecleaning!!!<br />
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The hole I have to plug in the wheel well is ugly:<br />
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But once the patch is in place, all will be well with the world:<br />
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The holes are for plug welds, much like those I did for the floor. I did have a chance to try out my new punch/flange tool, and punched the holes on the top of the patch, and even put in a light flange in the backing (you can see it in the top photo). It works well, but the reach for the punch tool is limited. The holes, as before, are for plug welds, except for a coupe of holes where I have some sheet metal screws for positioning the patch. That trick works pretty darn well.<br />
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I could go ahead and weld in the patch now, but I need to do some rust treatment inside the rocker. Once that's done, I should have the trunk drop, and I can seriously tackle getting this side of the car finished up. <br />
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On the dash panel, there are a couple more small areas of concern. At this point, it might be better to replace the whole dash panel, but I'd hate to have to do that. This should work out OK.<br />
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The gray is the weld-through primer. A few weeks earlier, I had done some rust treatment up in here. Let's hope it will be enough.<br />
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I am going to have to order the trunk drop for the left hand side. Probably for the right, too. Unless some kind of miracle happens, and I figure out a way to get the quarter panel and wheelhouse fixed without moving it. Not likely!<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-49668120805803074842012-05-25T10:14:00.002-07:002012-05-25T10:14:55.448-07:00'68 Camaro Restoration: Wherever you see black paint there is rusted metal...Found another resto-camaro-blogger out there: <a href="http://tracy-newton68camaro.blogspot.com/2012/03/wherever-you-see-black-paint-there-is.html?spref=bl">'68 Camaro Restoration: Wherever you see black paint there is rusted metal...</a>:<br />
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Nice to know I'm not alone out here. . .Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-53948905811408335692012-05-19T14:36:00.000-07:002012-05-19T14:36:09.203-07:00Left Hand Outside Wheel HouseWell, after some deliberation I decided it was worth the effort to get the remainder of the outside wheelhouse out from between the other two panels. This was sort of a bitch.<br />
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I ended up taking a hint from some YouTube posters, and picked up a cheap air hammer. I guess they're the cat's meow when it comes to breaking panels apart.<br />
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Well, yes and no.<br />
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It worked really well in some spots, and didn't work worth a damn in others. And, as with any power tool, you can do a lot more damage in a lot less time. I'll have to do some repairing, but in the long run, it will be for the best. And hopefully, I'll do a better job on the other side. I can see how the air hammer can be a great asset--I just need more practice.<br />
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I began fitting the inside wheel well. It's going to be a bit tricky, because I'll have to fit it and the quarter panel at the same time, more or less. But then I can clamp the wheelhouse in place and take the quarter off for welding.<br />
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I still need a punch tool. Trying to decide to get a hand punch, or a punch/flange tool. I'll probably just get the punch/flange tool, since I can use it for other stuff down the line.<br />
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One thing I think I've forgotten to note is that I also have to repair the rocker where it meets the wheel well. This should be a simple patch job, as all I've got to do is box off the end and blend everything in properly. I will likely get in there and do some rust treatment on the inside of the rocker while it's open.<br />
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So, it shouldn't be more than another week or two before I have this side back together.<br />
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OH, one more note, I think I will go ahead and replace the trunk drop while I'm at it. Might as well. The old one is usable, but it looks pretty bad, and my hammer/dolly work simply isn't up to it.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-30642320070210115602012-05-10T19:57:00.000-07:002012-05-10T19:57:13.695-07:00More Quarter Panel PrepI'm continuing with the preparation for the new left quarter panel. I have most of the old metal removed, with the exception of a couple tough spots. I have a couple of pictures. First up, is near the roof, where I have the spot welds cut and sanded down smooth.<br />
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You can see where I've cut some of the roof out to make room to work. The roof skin overlaps the quarter panels, so I have to have it out of the way right now. Doesn't really matter, because the whole roof skin has to be replaced anyway. As long as I don't disturb the structure of the unit-body, I'm OK.<br />
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Next up, I'll show you some problem areas. The window frame is kind of a bitch. I really don't want to screw it up, or the glass won't fit back into the hole! You can see where there's a stubborn piece still hanging on. I will likely remove that carefully using a roloc sanding disk and die grinder.<br />
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You can also see some bending and warping of that lip. I'll fix that with some hammer and dolly action. Shouldn't be a big deal.<br />
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Now, the other problem area is a real tight spot on the rear panel. I'm not 100% sure how I'll handle this, but it will probably take a small grinding stone in a rotary tool to get in there without dicking up the good panels. Tricky, but do-able.<br />
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I wanted to share pictures of the tools I've been using to cut the spot welds. For most of the work I've done so far, I've been using this Harbor Freight spot weld cutter. It actually works pretty well. However, it doesn't take long for that center pin to start to wobble, which makes cutting a certifiable bitch. On the plus side, when you wear one set of teeth out, you can reverse the cutter and keep on going.<br />
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I got tired of the wobbling, which was getting to the point that I would've been better off with a grinding wheel. So, I asked the body supply place down the street if they had any good tools. They did. I decided to try this little beauty:<br />
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This is a sort of stubby 8mm brad-point bit. Why metric? I have no friggin' idea. But it's easier to steer, cuts a hair faster and doesn't wobble a bit. The bit is also 2-sided, so you can flip it once one side is dulled.<br />
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Bad part? The new bit is $22. The Harbor Freight cutter is $5. But if it makes my job easier, then it's worth it. I'm finding that some cheaper "short cuts" just aren't worth the headache.<br />
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So, I probably have another weekend's worth of work before I can start fitting that quarter panel and wheel house. But I'm pretty happy with how this is moving along.<br />
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I will be picking up a pneumatic punch/flange tool as soon as I have this prep work done. That's going to pay for itself on these quarter panels and wheel houses.<br />
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One other quick note: I have started looking into those <a href="http://www.lord.com/products-and-solutions/adhesives/automotive-repair-adhesives/product.xml/289">Lord </a>body adhesives. I keep hearing really good things about them, and I may try to incorporate them on some of the more difficult sections of the quarters. I need to do some more reading and shopping around, but it sounds like the new stuff is as strong or stronger than welding. Sounds silly, but there's some good evidence out there.<br />
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I also ran into "<a href="http://www.magdaddyusa.com/">Mag Daddy</a>", who make these very interesting fasteners. I apologize for the horrible music after the link. Don't they tell web designers these days not to do that anymore???<br />
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I'm particularly interested in the glue-in fasteners for door panels and such. Door panels are such an uholy bitch. I've never been able to do anything but wreck them, even being super careful. The mag daddy's look like a great alternative.<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-47332215002091642622012-05-07T16:37:00.001-07:002012-05-07T16:37:34.443-07:00Auto Metal Direct is Blistering FastWell, I'm sick as a dog today. I think the phrase is, "I feel like hammered dogshit". I've just been sitting in the house being miserable all day. I watched "13 Assassins," which is possibly the coolest samurai movie in existence. Then I played God of War and nursed some pomegranate juice. Meh.<br />
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Tomorrow, it's back to work. Hammered shit or no.<br />
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I had to jump on and post, because Auto Metal Direct got me my parts already. I figured I had at least 3 weeks to work on trimming out the rest of the old quarter panel, and get everything cleaned up for the new one. But Sala freight delivered the parts to me today.<br />
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The metal looks great. I haven't tried test-fitting, but they definitely did <i>not</i> skimp on the metal. It's an obviously heavier gauge than the Rick's Camaro floor pan patch.<br />
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So if it all fits, I think Auto Metal Direct may have a new customer. It will still be a week or two before I'm ready to weld the new panel in. List:<br />
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<li>Cut all old spot-welds, and remove the old metal (I'm about halfway on this chore)</li>
<li>Sand down the humps from the spot-welds</li>
<li>Prep and paint the interior of the panels</li>
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Once that's done, I can fit and install the new quarter, and outside wheel house. I'm only trimming part of the wheel house out. I think it will be much less work to do that than try and untangle all that structural shit in there.<br />
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It's going to be sooooo awesome, I can't stand it!!! <br />
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Pictures to follow, probably later in the week when I start feeling better.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-72455566454663685342012-04-30T09:56:00.002-07:002012-04-30T09:56:27.020-07:00Ordered new quarter and wheel houseI've placed the order for the new quarter panel from <a href="http://www.autometaldirect.com/">Auto Metal Direct</a>. The cost was significantly higher than I would've paid from Rick's Camaro or Classic Industries, but I believe I'll be getting a much better part in the end. This quarter is supposed to be the original gauge metal, and they claim that they've done extensive fitting and development of the parts. We shall see.<br />
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One complaint I have of the floor patch panel from Rick's was that it was noticeably lighter than the original steel. It's a fine part, and there's no reason to redo the repair, but just something to note.<br />
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I think I can repair the inner wheelhouses myself with some simple patching. I'll have a couple weeks to wait for the new parts, which should be plenty of time to clean and prep, and make that repair. If this works out, then cost to repair the quarters will be a hair over $1200. Which still leaves the roof. Expensive! But still cheaper than farming it out.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-19493616714668376432012-04-28T14:21:00.000-07:002012-04-28T14:21:09.425-07:00Quarter panel, continuedThere's just nothing as spooky as taking a cutting wheel to perfectly good sheet metal. I've put this off for days now, and when it came down to do it, I had to stand there and think about it.<br />
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I did finally get to cutting. But there were a few steps to complete before busting out the die grinder.<br />
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First, the old lead filler has to be removed from the seam where the sail panel meets the roof. This isn't too bad, but you have to watch yourself, because molten lead will burn the shit out of you. I took my time, only melting a short bit at a time. If you do it slow, the lead cools and sticks, and never runs off to drop down the side of your shoe.<br />
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After that, you cut spot welds until your head aches and you want to die.<br />
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You'll notice I cut all the way through on a bunch of these. That's a no-no, but I'm still trying to get the hang of all this.<br />
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I then welded in another small support for the trunk. There's a band of steel that holds the weatherstripping. I tacked it in place, secured to the trunk floor, with a piece of 3/4" square tubing.<br />
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Then I cut. I don't have pictures of the cut in progress, but it was emotional. Nothing on this car has freaked me out as much as this.<br />
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After cutting out the panel, I found that things really didn't look too bad up under there. The wheelhouse isn't nearly in as bad a shape as I had thought. I may be able to patch the thing up, and leave 90% of the original in place. I hope that works out.<br />
<br />There's a thin patina of rust all over everything, but it's more like a light dusting than anything else. I didn't find any new rot under there. Not even the trunk drop-off. And usually that's one of the worst places on these cars. And I thought I had all the hornets nests out, but lookie there. . .<br />
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So now, no more excuses. I'll be ordering the replacement quarter and wheel house ASAP. In the meantime, there's a lot of cleanup and prep that has to happen.<br />
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-12137609658725237522012-04-23T19:41:00.000-07:002012-04-23T19:41:23.852-07:00Quarter Panel ReplacementWell, I could've stayed inside and played God of War 2, but that seemed like a terrible waste. So I rearranged the garage real quick, and got to welding in some temporary body supports.<br />
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Before welding in the supports, I leveled the body (you can see the carpenter's level on the package tray), and tack-welded the rotisserie in place. <br />
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The role of these supports is to strengthen the body while you remove the quarter panels. I know a lot of restorers think it's the kiss of death to do the quarters on a rotisserie, but I think it should be OK. I have a few extra things going my way.<br />
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<li>I'll only do one quarter at a time.</li>
<li>I don't have to remove the back panel</li>
<li>I'm going to brace the hell out of it.</li>
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The rotisserie is connected to the subframe mounts, and the leaf spring mounts. I just don't see how that can present any more of a load on the body. Again, I could be totally wrong. We shall see. <br />
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So now I got no excuse. I'll order the left-hand quarter and wheelhouse tomorrow. I'm going to give Classic industries a whirl, and see how their panels stack up to that floor panel I got from Ricks' Camaro.<br />
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I'll also go pick up some more 1" square tubing and weld in two more angle braces in there. May not help that much, but it sure won't hurt, either.<br />
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<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-7142261336026184572012-04-23T14:59:00.001-07:002012-04-23T14:59:47.268-07:00Bumper!OK, no Camaro work this last weekend. I had to make a bumper for my Pathfinder, because the original one had pretty much rusted through, and was going to fall clear off.<br />
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You can see the tinworm has done its evil work on that frame. I hate to even think of what else is rusting away under there. . .<br />
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I simply re-used the stock brackets, with a piece of angle iron.<br />
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Here are the brackets, all fabbed up, and ready to go.<br />
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I treated the finished product with etch & prep, and painted with rustoleum enamel. Not fancy, but should be well protected.<br />
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It leaves kind of a big empty spot, but it's heavy and rugged as hell. Heaven help the person who rear-ends me now.<br />
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And, a close-up of that fabulous sticker. . .<br />
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I also had to move the spare tire carrier up about 3", but that was easy.<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3800505938285458346.post-68766473206653102782012-04-19T10:01:00.002-07:002012-04-19T10:01:41.222-07:00Undercoating REALLY SucksSorry for the lack of recent postings. I have just been working on stripping all that old undercoating, and it's really not much fun.<br />
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Scraping worked really well for the big stuff, now I'm down to the nooks and crannies. I finally said screw it and hit it with a wire wheel. Once you're down to the smaller spots, the wire wheel is great. Just noisy and tedious. I'm sure the neighbors hate me right now.<br />
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Still haven't found anything chemical that will touch that undercoat. It's nasty stuff. I think I'll order a can of the Eastwood undercoating stripper and see if that works. I'm doubtful, but I'd resort to just about anything short of a blowtorch at this point. Aircraft stripper doesn't touch it, and neither does oven cleaner. The most I can notice with both is that it sort of dries out the undercoating, making the top layer marginally easier to strip off with a wheel.<br />
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I also picked up one of those small sandblaster guns at Harbor Freight and some glass bead media. It actually works pretty well. But I'm finding that I didn't buy nearly enough air compressor for the job. One of my new missions is to find some kind of 25 to 30 gallon pressure vessel (like a water heater tank) that I can retrofit into a supplementary tank. Not sure how that will go, but if it's a big expensive hassle, I may just try to sell this compressor and pick up a bigger one. So word to the wise: If it seems like it might be big enough, buy one twice that size.<br />
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Pics to follow this weekend, I hope. I will probably try to get some internal bracing welded in for the quarter panel swaps. I'm seeing a lot of people say, "don't do that on the rotisserie", which makes no sense whatsoever to me. Supposedly the body is under a different torque load on the rotisserie, which may be true. But you can't tell me that there's more torque on the body when you've eliminated about 6 feet of subframe. I could be dead wrong, but I'm going to go ahead and do the quarters, one at a time, on the rotisserie. We'll see.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05445792946762450487noreply@blogger.com0