1964 Rusty Bucket transformation

[Crumley]

An update for today:

The panel is ready to tack in. Since there was a bracket below this section. It was cleaned and POR 15 applied. The panel will get tacked in next weekend. Pictures:



The LH lower replacement panel had to be cut again, nothing lines up....



The way the car is currently sitting, the existing angle of the wiper arm mounting flange is approximately 47*. The replacement panel isn't even close to that angle. Not only that, the hole isn't correct either. The old upper cowl was clamped into place. The wiper motor and arms have been installed for reference. That is about as far as I got today. This head ache will be addressed next weekend.

 

[Glenwood]

Hey Crumley, quite the jigsaw puzzle isn't it.
I have a cowl patch on the way, wonder if it will have to be modified. What a pain!
Do you apply the POR right over the rust or clean it up first? I was thinking of applying this stuff inside the cowl area after I pull the cowl off.

 

[ckessel]

You might want to get some of that rust preventer spray from Eastwood. The one I'm thinking of has like a two foot straw on it so you can get it into openings, crevices etc and further coat the raw steel.

 

[Crumley]

Glenwood, you are correct on the jigsaw puzzle, at least you get to make the pieces that fit....lol.

The rust issue? If it can be reached, I power (side grinder, end grinder or hand brush) wire brush the crap out of it. Then using a rag, clean the wire brushed area with Xylene or MEK. I then apply 2) layers of POR15 and let it dry completely (no vapors).

Disclaimer: This is how I have been installing overlapping panels. This isn't set in stone, I am sure there are other methods out there.

When panels are overlapping and require tacking, as in the above case. I punch the tacking holes in the new replacement panel. Set it into place, like its ready to weld. Take a paint pen, I usually use yellow, and anywhere a tack is planned, dab the paint pen thru the hole on the upper panel onto the lower panel. Remove the new replacement panel, now you know where the tack welds will be. Take a side grinder and at each paint dab grind the POR 15 off, down to bare metal.

Re-install the new replacement panel. Where ever a tack is made, there should be freshly ground metal to tack to. BIG WARNING.....Do this in a well vented area, smoke from the POR 15 is not healthy to breath.

I hope that make some kind of since????

I will be doing the above process tomorrow. I will try to remember to get pictures.

ckessel:

I will need to look into the Eastwood rust preventive spry with 2' nozzle....I could sure use it.

 

[Crumley]

Update:

The POR 15 has had a week to dry.



The replacement panel has tacking holes drilled.

Install the replacement panel over lower panel.

Mark thru the tacking holes with a paint pen onto the lower panel.



Remove replacement panel. The places where the tacks will be made are clearly visible.



Take a side grinder and anywhere the is a yellow dot grind the POR 15 off down to bare metal.

The replacement panel tacked into place:



I haven't tacked thru the holes yet. This won't happen until I know all of the jigsaw pieces will fit.

Had to cut the new replacement yet again to make it fit and removed some more rusty areas:



The replacement piece trail fitted:



While removing the rotten metal at the A pillar. I noticed that the leading edged of the panel, where it attaches to the A pillar is leaded in:

 

[ckessel]

That stuff is like the Energizer Bunny. It keeps going and going etc etc. Now you know why "simple" repairs end up snowballing on restoration work. I looked at a Kaman Ghia convert for a customer. Makes your car look un rusted. Pretty much everything I saw is rusted through and needs replacement. Even the front axle assembly is cancerd bad. I recommended that they find another car as the cost to fix theirs is more than what they will spend for one thats either done or in way better condition. Just my preliminary estimate, not including body panels/body work/paint, is $6400 so far. A lot of people are really confused as to what it truly takes to redo a car like you are doing. Old cars like ours and even the snooty euro trash didn't have squat for corrosion protection from the factory which of course we are paying for now. This stuff is very time consuming and if you don't want to pay the shop fee, you had better learn to do it yourself. You are doing an awesome job my friend! This stuff sure does test your problem solving ability. When you get done with something like this, you are way ahead of the rest of the pack who aren't mechanically inclined or can do the craftsmanship you are performing. You end up with a better understanding of what it takes to restore/refurbish an old car.

 

[Crumley]

laryatlas..... sorry for not replying sooner....I am about organized as a train wreck....lol. But I have "baby sit" some very large computer center projects, pipe fitting side that is, in the United States. A 440 is more than likely what will get installed in the 64.

ckessel: You are so correct....lol. Rust and old car restorations, are just like the energizer bunny...it just keeps going. It's like digging yourself into a big hole....I just hope I don't end up, in over my head. Most folks that watch the BS T.V. rebuild shows, haven't a clue. Look it only takes 15 minutes to remove a rear end.....lol. Maybe if you are not trying to save anything, just use a gas axe and just cut things out of the way.......REALLY.....LOL.

Any how here is the latest update:

The new panel that will attach to the A pillar is now fabricated and clamped into place:



Before this panel gets installed there is a lot of rust proofing that will need to happen.



POR 15 needs to be spread in the LH A pillar. So I visited the local big box home do it your self store...and came up with this little device to spread POR 15 in the A pillar....





Please overlook the bird $hit wire weld. I took a $8.00 dollar sewer snake and tacked a flitz power ball adapter to the sewer snake wire. I then took a tampon looking roller brush, cut it into a 2" length. A 3" bolt was threaded thru the 2" tampon paint brush into the flitz adapter. Three dry trail run tests have already been conducted....it actually worked. Tomorrow the tampon roller paint brush will get soaked with POR 15 and slid up into the A pillar. Hopefully this will coat the inside of the A pillar with a little rust protection....

 

[Glenwood]

love your ingenuity Crumley!

 

[dvw]

We buy a cheap hand pump bug sprayer. Pour in the POR 15 and pump it up. Spray the wand inside hade to reach areas. Then though it away. If tha were my cowl I'd reuse the top piece. Cut the front edge off the patch panel and attach. Way nicer shape.
Doug

 

[ckessel]

The 2' wand on the Eastwood stuff will help get protection in a lot of those areas. Just make sure its after the welding. You may also blast some weld thru primer on before you cover up with new stuff. The best way I ever saw this type of stuff done was in Popular Hot Rodding several years ago on one of Mark Stielow's builds. He had the car chemically stripped, then rust dipped. After the dipping was done he did all his metal repairs, modifications etc then had the dipping redone. After all the dipping, he had it run through an EDPM tank that coated it inside and out with everything being protected. Of course it helped that he is in Michigan and had all of that stuff done in Canada since the EPA pretty much wiped out getting it done in the states. And my beliefs on the tv shows is the same as yours. Too many people are in fantasy land because of what they see on the boob tube.

 

[Crumley]

Thank you for the responses.

Update for today,

A wire brush on an end grinder was used to get as much rust scale off the inner structure.

The "tampon paint pig" worked a lot better then planned. It got soaked in POR 15 and inserted 3 times. As best as I can see there is a nice layer of POR 15 inside the A pillar. POR 15 was also seeping out the lap joints. It will have all this week to dry. The panels will get tacked in this Friday.



DVW, I tried the cheap paint sprayer idea, but didn't have much success. T best that was gotten, was a very week stream of POR 15. It would be be great if the POR 15 came out in a spray. When using the bug sprayer, did the POR 15 get thinned with some type of paint thinning product?

ckessel, I looked for the 2' wand on the Eastwood web site, but didn't see it. I must be over looking it. It was probably in plain sight....lol

 

[ckessel]

Its sold with the rust spray. They have two, one stays gooey and wicks, the other hardens up.

 

[Crumley]

Here is a little update on the 64:

I have been doing spring honey do lists...oh the joy.

Anyway, progress on the firewall cowl area has come to a standstill. A gracious gentleman here on "For B bodies only" has offered to sell a cowl off a parts car. It is in better shape than what I am currently dealing with. I have took him up on his offer.

So I needed something to do, the paint on the top of the car is currently in the process of getting stripped off.

Pictures:

 

[Superfreak]

It gets tiresome doing patching all over the place.

 

[Glenwood]

It gets tiresome doing patching all over the place.

say that again!


good move Crumley. I think I'll be ordering some patch panels soon

 

[malex]

Man that has been a lot of work! The good thing is that your wiper reference point is there, imagine if it wasn't.
Keep up the good work Crumley! Remember that when it's time for the outer cowl panel to go on, the fenders, hood and door needs to be on and lined up first. And the cowl piece also needs to have a square hole cut in the side of it for your top fender side bolt.

 

[Crumley]

A little update from today,

The roof paint stripping is complete.



I have sanded the entire roof panel to a nice shiny finish......well sort of. The roof on this car has chicken pox (small rust pits). They are not deep, but it looks like it sat under a tree that dropped sap all over the roof. See pictures:





I have a question for those that have been here and done that? Should the entire roof be treated with POR15, let it dry, scuff and then epoxy prime? Or just epoxy prime? Then skim the entire roof with body filler, to fill in the spots?

If would be nice to sand the entire roof panel down to remove the pits, but we know it would not end up being nice and even.

Here is a picture of my little shop buddy.



He isn't much help, unless you are laying under the car. Then all he does is stick his wet nose or tongue in your ear....lol

 

[malex]

Crumley I'm sure you'll get a lot of how to's on the roof question. In my opinion you hit it with epoxy now and you;ll be ready for filler.

 

[ckessel]

Hit it with some metal prep then epoxy prime it. Pretty minor rust for a change.

 

[Crumley]

Gents, will do, on the suggestions on dealing with the top.....I have been stripping paint while waiting on the delivery of a replacement cowl piece. See pictures:



The LH door has been stripped. It appears that at some point in the cars life it met with a pointy object and it left a nice little crease down the LH door. Oh the joy, more work....lol.

Well the major international shipping company hired to ship the cowl, failed to deliver the needed cowl to its destination....they stated it was damaged in shipment? Will be returning it to the shipper?...WTF? They never delivered it to its destination for it to look at it and refused.....how do they know if it was damaged? Especially when they don't know what they are looking at? Hopefully this issue will be resolved on Monday.....we will see.