+2 IMHO establishing some references that you can count on is very good advice. And I have a laser that you can borrow.
I accidentally posted this on the "back from the dead" thread. It's about time I contributed something of value to the HAMB. This post is about how to prep your bare body for primer. The info below was obtained via some of my areas older, more reputable car gurus, and is by no means THE ONLY WAY on how to do it. Since things flash-rust before your eyes down here, I need to get this thing primered within a week after stripping. (EDIT: Yesterday, I handled the car with latex gloves. Today, there were very defined rust marks left my human fingers on my car. Prep that bare steel ASAP!) Here's how I plan to prep my body. It's not cheap, but a 32 is an investment, so I plan on spending a bit on this stage to make sure my car is good down the road. After about 5 hours of research in here, and talking to a LOT of guys in the industry here in Florida, here's what I came up with: Buy this stuff BEFORE you strip your car: (it also might help to have your shop set up to spray immediately). PPG DX 579 Metal Cleaner- one quart 1 gallon distilled water PPG JH 3770 Epoxy Primer Hardener- one quart PPG JP 375 Epoxy Primer- Gray- Two quarts 2 gallon Lacquer Thinner 2 spray bottles paint mixing cups white terry cloth towels- new and CLEAN 5 gallon bucket 1) Never touch the bare body with bare hands. (See remarks in red above). 2) After blasting, you need to resurface your steel. Some say use 220 (or so) grit sandpaper and DA. I am using maroon 4.5" inch, 180 and 220 stripping pads on my electric orbital sander (works well and I don't have to listen to my POS oil-less compresser all day). This smooths out the surface and knocks off a lot of the leftover rust. 3) After the body is smooth, clean it about 10 times and vacuum out all the sand then it's time to apply the DX 579 4) Put on some rubber gloves. Take your DX 579 and mix it 2:1 with DISTILLED WATER and fill your spray bottles with it. (From everyone I talked to, you this is the most effective way to do it, but you can use an HVLP if you want to). Spray onto body and when it SHEENS OFF, rinse it off with water, recommend light mist on spray nozzle. If you have spots that don't sheen off, spray the DX 579 on it until it does. Once your entire car sheens off, blow it off with a leave blower and/or final dry with the WHITE TOWELS. Use the clean towels, as you dont want to contaminate the body with grease or oil. Take off your rubber gloves, crack a cold one. You earned it! 5) The next day, your body should be dry. Now, mix your primer and hardener according to the manufacturers instructions. Pictures to follow. I need to go strip my chassis down for final welding this week. I took this month off (I needed a break from work) so expect to see some progress finally!!! <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
After creating a small uproar in here, I've decided to keep the decklid as is and use it on my car. Guess the car is gonne be red. Dont worry, the only patina will be on the trunklid. The rest of the car will look good Today, I've been sanding the car down and will roll it out tomorrow for some photos of the DX 579 process. I need a car dolly...back is killing me already
Well, spent about two hours crunched up on the garage floor, banging out some dents. My back and knees started a small rebellion & all those years crashing dirtbikes and helicopters came back in full force. I HAD to get the deuce elevated, or this was going to be a LONG build. So, I looked up an old Street Rodder article, and built my own POS body cart. Looks like ass, but It's sturdy, and I can sit up and work! By the way, I've been on this Forum for a few years, but have no idea what "Subscribed" means. I've subscribed to a few threads in here. What does it do? Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
My water separator took a crap, so I need another one in order to primer my car. I'll post pics of that when it's wearing gray.
Click on "thread toolls" on a thread you want to subscribe to. Then once you are, then you get email notification of any new posts on that thread. The body looks better now that it's clean, but that bent-over upper quarter by the lid opening will be a tough one. I had to push mine just a little bit, and that area is pretty strong and resists pushing.
Cool, thanks man! Yeah, I have spend many a sleepless night thinking on how to fix that. I THINK I can gently cut the dent right along the beadline. Pound it out, and figure out how to get the bead beat back correctly, then just weld it back together. Looking at it, it looks like by cutting it there, it'll relieve the pressure from the dent and let me pound it where it should be. After looking atthe prices for the patch panels for the cowl and quarter panel, I'm thinking I could make one via bead roller. Shit, for the price of a HF bead roller, I could make my own patch panels and still be under the price of the one's I would have bought. Anybody done this before?
I never buy much, but I bought those patches.. Some guys say they fit with no mods, some say they don't. My car was so messed up, BUT I still had a bit of all the beads showing to make reference marks. So, I know I lined them up correctly as far as beads, but both rear quarter patches would not line up with the wheel arch bead and the door edge at the same time. So I added metal at the door edge. The drivers front patch was good, the pass front sucked; it's "belly" or swayback was not correct. I had to section the center of the bead to make it less sagged in the center. there was a thread on a pro done metalfinished 5w and everyone went ape shit saying it was so perfect, but if you followed the bottom of the bead swayback from the firewall to the rear well, it was up and down like a freaking circus tent. You need to view the total front to back bead, not only from knee level at the side, but also standing in front and back, to see if it curves out gently with no jogs. The bead, from firewall to rear well, is curved out, and also curved down
Yeah, the more I stare at my car, the more "little" things like that arise. I was going to make my "rocker panels" but noticed the curves and thought "no way". Why can't I just collect bugs or stamps? Will make some good headway this week on the car. Thanks to everyone for all the advice.
Drizzling out. Car has to stay inside, so i figured I'd grind out the booger welds from the moulded fenders mounted way back when. The horror... Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
Nice man!!! Keep digging it's looking rad already!!! yeah I want to hear more about sub rails. I need to get my body straight before I can proceed and I don't have fender (quarters either). I think I might buy the Uapac subrails and floor that's all jig welded together for $1500 when it becomes available if I have the funds. That way I can build the car around those and be confident that they are square.
Hey you would not belive what I have been doing all day !! drilling hindges off of a 32 cowl where I can bolt my door on I think I have what you need lower passenger side let me know where to send it I only have the cowl halves. Stamps and bugs sound perrty good today !! I broke 5 drill bits those 32 bolts were tough shit !!
I need them, but my wallet & wife/ 3 kids are telling me different (Wah, I need food. Wah, I need shalter). I have the Brookvillle aft rails already (came with the car when I bought it), but it doesnt look like anyone sells the forward half. So, I need to sell my aft rails ASAP, and wait for some money to fall from the sky so I can buy the full rails. Already have gennie cross-rails. $900 for some bent up sheetmetal..... EDIT: The UAPAC floor. Has anyone used this floor yet? For that much money, it better fit perfectly. It does look like a great option. I bet shipping is going to SUCK! I shipped a deuce gas tank a fe months ago, andthey wanted over $100 for THAT. The Rails: The plan is to buy all the floor sheetmetal (subrails, trunk floor) and jig it up. When that is done, I'm buying all the patch panels and welding them on. Norwell's thread REALLY helped me out in how the rails go in. I'm on leave till 01 DEC, so things should pick up here before I get back to work. Very humid out, so I cant do much to the car until the air dries out. Hate rust. DUDE! That's what I need! I have a spare gennie hinge (Drivers Side Lower I think-complete) if you want to trade. I'll PM you my address. Thanks! That's one thing I learned throughout this process. We have good days, and BAD days. You sir, just had a bad day! Cool, thanks! Computer literacy isnt one of my stronger suits. I probably wouldnt own one if it wasnt for this damn car!
Where is this Kevin Lee thread on the rails???? Oh and I bet the shipping on the UAPAC floor/subrail is like $400. There's a east coast distributor so I'm sure they'll take their cut and it'll be around $2k. From what I have heard the Uapac stuff is awesome and everything is fitting really well right now. They are going through a ton of quality control checks from what I've heard. A friend talked to then extensively at SEMA and things are looking up for then project. The floor / subrail unit should be ready in January.
Where is this Kevin Lee thread on the rails???? Oh and I bet the shipping on the UAPAC floor/subrail is like $400. There's a east coast distributor so I'm sure they'll take their cut and it'll be around $2k. From what I have heard the Uapac stuff is awesome and everything is fitting really well right now. They are going through a ton of quality control checks from what I've heard. A friend talked to then extensively at SEMA and things are looking up for then project. The floor / subrail unit should be ready in January.
Tried CLR & Naval Jelly in an experiment to see what worked better to remove the last remnants out. Verdict is out. I'm leaning towards Naval Jelly but still have to buy Endzall tomorrow and see how that goes. Too humid to even LOOK at the bare steel. I gotta figure something out QUICK! Photo 1 is the BEFORE. ("CLR" is CLR, "N.J." is Naval Jelly) Photo 2 is immediately after wards. I used a rough Scotch Brite pad and scrubbed it in for about 1 minute, then let it sit for 2 more minutes. Thorough rinsing with water. Photo 3 just shows what it looks like under the tape. Photo 4 You really can't see in the photos, but it turned GREEN. There is a bit of what looks like oxidation-type residue as well. I'm assuming that everything didnt get rinsed off as it should have. I'm getting the ENDZALL Rust Inhibitor tomorrow and will try it out on the passenger side. More to follow. Anybody have any advice or opinions? Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
I might have to standby on the Brookville stuff then. Here's Jeff Norwells's thread. I am a complete moron. Sorry everyone for my ignorance, and most of all, to Jeff Norwell for jumbling things up. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=503563&highlight=slepe67
Spent all day sanding & re-painting somebody elses front end. ( see link below). I learned today today that there is a definate difference in paint quality!! (NOTE: if somebody who has been building cars since 1963 recommends you do something, you may want to LISTEN!) Here's a shot of some 50+ year old junk I tried to bring back to life. I love the " Prison Made" on the bottom of the MT plate. The 1950's club plaque of the Pensacola Pushrods was sold to me by the very first Blue Angels Commanders' son. (I'm more of a USAF Thunderbird's man myself. Real aviator wings are SILVER!!!). But cool nonetheless! Below, you'll also see the rear pan of my car. The right side is after smoothing the sandblasting out with brown scuffing pads on 2" die grinder. Left side is untouched. After another day of smoothing, I'll get the car in epoxy primer and start on the body work. The car is going to be sitting on it's tires after the rears come in and get mounted. Kinda nice seeing things come to fruition. And the space in my garage is getting bigger every day, as parts come off the floor, and onto the car. Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
Not much progress at all lately. Work has been taking up my spare time and weekends... Got my bigs n littles mounted up. NOTE: for the littles up front, your tire shop may not be able to mount them on your wheels without a cool doo-dad called a "bead blaster". Essentially, it's your standard portable air tank with a valve connected to a 6" tube. They fill the tank to about 150 psi (or so) and connect the tire to the tire machine. When the guy on the machine says GO, the guy with the blaster opens the valve and BLASTS all 150 psi into your tire. Its a safe & smart way to get your bead to set. (I used to use starting fluid & a lighter...unsafe!) I just painted my front end and decided I wanted chehapy Made in China wishbones up front, instead of the cheapy Made in China hair pins. It's all pretty & mostly assembled. Once I installed my brakes & steering arms, I noticed the steering arms & rod dont go UNDER the 'bones. If I connect the steering rod to connect the arms, it would go through the 'bones. Hmmm....Did I install them upside down? I figured this of all things would simply be a bolt-on-and-go deal. another thing I learned: the cheapy Made in China disc brake kit is from a 1976 Camaro (among others I guess), so if you need parts, that'll be what you ask for at the parts store. After I get my front end on the car, it will be a ROLLER! Motor and trans mounts are next. Then...bodywork... This link is for my reference (in regards to yet an other rust removal techinque). http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2257&highlight=%22rust+removal+willys%22
I am 60. I don't buy catalog parts after hearing so much bad, over many decades. I use old stuff which when using old Ford front end pieces, you can heat/bend/twist them without worry. Put up some pics of what does not fit right.. somone will get you going again. I am sanding filler today....all day.... cough...
I hate to be a cry baby but at least you can work on yours. My sorry butt is 900 miles from my 5 window and just blasted and epoxyed it and spread some blue magic on it then the boss said your going to indiana for 4 weeks. So now I can only sit and watch the fun !! I hope you get some sub rails soon and put it together I sure miss my car and my dog don't tell my wife !!
see below I cant work on mine either... It's at my friends shop (see link in my signature) about 40 miles away. He's a hard core, first class chassis guy, does all my welding. He said I SHOULD just be able to heat them and bend them where I need them to be. I dont recall seeing this problem elsewhere...I guess this is what happens when it takes a guy 3 years to build a car. Preferences change over time. My old hairpins did suck.... I'll have the thing sitting on its tires this satruday. Will take shots of before/after. Hopefully our plan works...
UGH... so, I had the hairpins & all bracketry. Sold it for wishbones. They didnt work, so I had to buy...ahem...hairpins. I'm wondering how all those cars with dropped axles use hairpins up front? My bud said we could massage everything up front and make it all work correctly, but, I'm tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul, so, hairpins it is. The new Pete & Jakes hairpins set my wallet back a lot, but they are WAY better quality than those guys up in Nebraska. Plus, MADE IN AMERICA. I think I have a cracked vertebrae (god I'm falling apart lately), but the front end is in the car. Tomorrow I plan on installing the hairpins and final-welding that chassis up. Amazing how long it takes to do stuff when you CAN'T WELD!
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