My new shop.

[northerndave]

what's new Dave???

Hi there, well I guess some shop projects are new. I have 3 active projects inside the shop. 71 camaro, 69 mach 1 mustang and a 66 chev 2 door caprice.

the mustang, wow what a project. It's unitized frame like the B Body mopars and I had to rebuild about 90% of it (the frame!).

All 4 torque boxes, frame rail work all around, inner and outer rocker work, full quarters.... all the floor and trunk, wheel house stuff you would expect.... wow, big job. The hood and roof are the only original body panels on the car.


It's been on and off our new auto twirler rotisserie several times, currently it's on my auto twirler body cart.

Thumbs up for the auto twirler stuff by the way, I like it.


I added another air compressor to the shop and purchased a blasting machine from texas blasters. I like that rig too.

I guess I've added a stomp sheer and a brake (both 4' 16 gauge) I have a small combo machine with a slip roll I use for some arched patches... I added a shrinker stretcher machine for arched angle pieces... and a bead roller... I don't know, it's been a year of cranking money right back into tools and equipment.

Tough year, this first year.

I wear myself out. I find more equipment and tools I need as I go, new spray guns... I have some wicked cool spray guns now, lol.

I've had my oldest boy working for me, which is good. He's a great worker, good natural tallent, hard worker. But teaching someone takes away from my own productivity.

I'm looking forward to year 2 in the shop. I've been absent from here, because I'm too damn busy. lol!

I hope to check in more frequently. I can post some photos of the project car shown further up the page here. It's a good car now, it shows well, sometimes it even wins some trophies.

 

[hunt2elk]

Good to see you posting a bit again Dave. Been wondering how the new business has been going. Looks like you are doing well, although I am sure it doesn't seem like it most of the time. Get some pics of that Charger up that you've been talking about.

 

[MoparMitch]

Wow !! That Ford came out really nice Dave !! Like it a lot. BTW , I would love to find a nice 69 Stang Sports Roof project for myself. Always liked that year fast back.

 

[northerndave]

teasers....

 

[70 Viper]

That is a seriously cool shot of the Charger project being towed home. Reminded me of the road trip to pick up my Roadrunner project. I couldn't help myself from looking in the mirror all the time to check it out. Looking forward to some of your build pics.

 

[Riverdawg]

Well, I just caught up on this thread myself. Great looking shop you've designed and built. That Galaxie turned out great. Excellent work. I'll have to suggest to my brother about the room for all the dirty work. He's been looking for a better house for his wife to setup daycare better and to get or build a larger shop.

 

[DougL]

Where are you at in Minnesota Dave? That Ford sits perfect, great job!

 

[northerndave]

Hi Doug, I'm near Badger MN. (damn near in Canada. lol.)

 

[Cranky]

Man, looking good but it makes my back hurt just reading about all the work you've been doing!! lol

 

[747mopar]

That Ford looks awesome, one of my favorite Fords for sure! Congrats on the garage and bringing your son into it, sounds like an enjoyable living. Keep us posted.

 

[northerndave]

Thanks guys.

I'm finishing up a 71 camaro for a father/son build.

It's been a tough first year in business. I did my best to be ready equipment wise as well as tools and processes. I swear I spent my whole first year buying tools I didn't know I needed. I also spent a lot of time researching and trying various products that I could adapt specifically to restoration and high quality overall refinishing. I'm still learning and sorting my way through product selection and I suppose that will remain true for ever as new products continue to flood into the market.

I'm honestly hoping for a smoother and more productive second year.

 

[Gpuller]

I'm finishing up a 71 camaro for a father/son build.

That doesnt make sense, shouldn't the father/son be finishing their own car? LOL
Maybe its a father/son project to write out the checks??

Hope next year is better!

 

[northerndave]

Well... I'm doing some metal work, body, paint, glass and some trim stuff... exhaust... they brought me the car mostly disassembled. they will be putting the fun stuff back in like the grill and some other trim, wheels, tires etc. They will also be doing the interior.

They are from Minnesota. They found the car online in Cali, flew out there, purchased the car and drove it back to MN. I guess it was quite the memorable road trip/adventure for the father son team.

I just got done shooting some 4:1 evercoat finish sand on some new spoiler pieces that are being added to the car.

I can't give up all of my secrets but you guys have always been so nice to me, I don't mind sharing my fondness for these evercoat 4:1 hybrid spray poly products.

You guys doing intensive overall refinish/restos on you mopars, this is a worthy product. I absolutely love the stuff.

I keep test cups of all my left over paints and primers, allowing them to cure and shrink in the cups. I look at cured product shrinkage. Some of these products continue to shrink for months. I test epoxies, I test urethanes, sealers, hi build surfacers, clear coats, base coats etc. If it's going to be part of the stack of paint film on one of my projects I retain test samples for future consideration. the cured product shrinkage is fine if you know how long it takes for it to (shrink out) so you can wait before guide coating and blocking. But like I said, a lot if not most of these actually take months to stabilize.

This 4:1 evercoat is the best stuff I've found so far, very low shrink, sands like a dream, it sprays nice with the right gun. I really like it. In respect to film shrinkage alone, other spray poly's are also very good. But when you consider sprayability, film leveling after sprayout, sandability.... All things considered the 4:1 evercoat line is my current fav.

;)

 

[747mopar]

I can definitely see the whole buying tools thing, doing little restorations here and there you always find 20 more tools to make it easier but can't justify the cost.... throw the fact that your doing it for a living into the mix and time becomes money and now you need them. Look on the bright side, when you do another for yourself it will be a cake walk haha.

- - - Updated - - -

If you don't mind I may pic your brain on products in the near future, I'm currently restoring a truck for my dad but not at the bodywork stage just yet. I've got allot of surface rust to remove from the roof and hood, I'd like to do it chemically?

 

[northerndave]

Sure, i use some rust converters and stabilizer in ID areas, inside a boxed section where I can't access for media blast. I suppose that probably works.

I primarily sand, low RPM gear driven hutchins eliminator and an 8" gear driven orbital. They both kind of shine in their own ways for different types of paint/material removal and surface conditions.

I usually get to clean raw metal with a combo of sanding and media blasting. I personally reserve the media blasting for non sander friendly areas which are usually more structurally robust, windshield trays, body edges, underside etc.

I don't check in here as much as I'd like. PM me when you get to your questions and my intentions will be to point you as straight as I can.

And be patient, I may not check to see PM's... not sure if I have an email in my profile or if they let us do that here, but I will check.

Good luck with the truck.

 

[747mopar]

Sure, i use some rust converters and stabilizer in ID areas, inside a boxed section where I can't access for media blast. I suppose that probably works.

I primarily sand, low RPM gear driven hutchins eliminator and an 8" gear driven orbital. They both kind of shine in their own ways for different types of paint/material removal and surface conditions.

I usually get to clean raw metal with a combo of sanding and media blasting. I personally reserve the media blasting for non sander friendly areas which are usually more structurally robust, windshield trays, body edges, underside etc.

I don't check in here as much as I'd like. PM me when you get to your questions and my intentions will be to point you as straight as I can.

And be patient, I may not check to see PM's... not sure if I have an email in my profile or if they let us do that here, but I will check.

Good luck with the truck.

Thanks, I have local blasting guy I use but only have him do the structurally solid areas like door openings, floors, etc like you mentioned. I'll likely remove the rust from the roof prior to him blasting the cab so when it comes back I can get it coated asap. He works in an open building so I'm gonna get humping so I can get everything to him before it gets to cold so likely next weekend I'll be digging into it. Thanks in advance

 

[Gpuller]

That 4:1 Evercoat stuff works best when spraying with drywall texturing gun! LOL
I use some PPG industrial primer for tractors HSP901. That stuff builds like a mofo, but its a bitch to sand.
We've used that Evercoat at work once and a while, like to try it myself.

 

[northerndave]

gpuller, you have to try it.

The superbuild I haven't tried yet. Thankfully my projects are close enough with filler leveling at the time that a high build primer is needed so I wasnt looking for a maximum building product, so I chose the "finish sand" which is intended for final surfacing. I sprayed it with a gravity devilbiss finishline4 primer gun with a 1.8 fluid tip. It was FAST! Unbelievable that I could shoot spray poly fast and wet with a 1.8 but that's how it works, it's very nice.

I imagine I will have to put the 2.2 fluid tip on if I want to shoot the "superbuild". But I'm not certain I will ever try the superbuild, unless I'm working os something very wrinkly.... lol.

Finish sand at about $100 bucks a kit is not a bad deal. Superbuild I believe runs closer to 120-125 a kit.