More Progress on the 73 VGE

[larry47us]

OK Guys, here we go, sprinting towards an April due date OK, I admit that the April date is going to come and go. But it is because of me. I am getting the Black and White houndstooth rewoven in wool by a small mill I found, and even though I will get a sample weaving in two weeks, he said that it would take 2 months to weave the actual yardage. I will indeed have some to sell when this is over. But that makes the delivery of the car more like end of May, by the time Autos gets the seats done.

But now for the news of the day. We are starting to get re-assembled. Mike found some rust on the Targa bar, so he cut a hole in the fender to reach the rusty area, cut it out and replace it. On the way, he found that the door jamb with the latch was rusty too. So he cut out the jamb to replace it.

[larry47us]

Here is a shot of the replaced door jamb and the repaired fender. Did a nice job of welding in the patch.

[larry47us]

Then he put on the door, already ground down to the bare metal, and ready for priming.

[larry47us]

And then here's a shot of the passenger side with the door in place and the new fender installed.

He is detailing the engine, which means painting the engine compartment body color, and then painting the engine crossbow, the valve covers and the engine tin black. Thought of powder coating, but I am running out of budget space. Mike uses a special paint with ceramic in it -- he says should last 10 years under normal use -- longer if I use it abnormally

A question about POR15. This is supposed to be the best primer/rustproofer. Doesn't most rust appear insidiously from the inside of the fenders and doors? Is there some way of spraying a rustproofing primer on the inside of the panels to halt any starting rust, or prevent any new from happening? And, does the car need to get completely down to bare metal, or is the speckling of original paint on the back fender the usual starting point? More learning curve stuff.

larry

[Shawn]

Larry, as far as I can tell POR 15 is one of the best rust inhibitor products...I have used it. I don't believe that it recommended for use as a primer...at least not where it can be seen. I would recommend spray application to those areas that you mentioned.

You should think about a temporary drivers seat to get the car home on time. At least you can break in the engine and give the car a proper road test. This would allow you to discover any post restoration issues that will need to be addressed while you are waiting for your sport seats.

One last note, I would be interested in some houndstooth insert fabric for my seats. Let me know about availability.

Thanks, Shawn.

[pwd72s]

Larry, back in the hot rod days, I was told that leaving some old paint on the metal was more than okay, as long as the surface was "right"...the old paint gave the new a better "grip", since the old paint was baked on at a temp most body shops can't use because of damage to wiring, etc. Man, I admire your courage here...a project like this would leave me, the one who writes the checks, as nervous as a mouse at a cat show...

[larry47us]

Shawn:

I wasn't really aware that there were no inner fenders on these cars. Mike told me he is coating the inner fenders and inside of the door panels with POR15. The outside doesn't need a rust inhibitor like POR15.

The engine isn't being touched, only detailed. We got good results from a leakdown and compression test, and will redo them prior to pickup. I have never driven one of these, so I wouldn't know what to look for. Picking it up completed, is OK for me, even with the delay. Someone is doing a "post-restore" PPI, and he is going to watch the mechanicals like a hawk.

And I expect to have enough fabric left over to sell to whoever wants it. This might become a small side business. I will keep everyone posted.

Paul:

Thanks for the comment on the paint. Kind of like any repaint. If the base is solid, then it is OK to paint over it.

I guess that it is either naivete or total faith in the craftsman. I have gotten good recommendations. Also, he is doing things that I didn't suggest which I found out later are the totally right approach. He didn't want to send me these pix saying that they were too scary. Well, I just find the process interesting.

I have remodeled too many houses to be scared by the interim process. I know how the houses turned out (I did them myself) and I expect that this car will be a green maraschino cherry when it is done!!

larry

[HarryD]

Originally posted by larry47us
.... I have never driven one of these, so I wouldn't know what to look for. ....
larry

Larry,

I am enjoying watching your progress. As far as your comment about knowing what to look for, believe me, you will know when something is wrong. The sounds will grate on your ears and your eyes will water from the sight. If you want to develop some ideas on how things should and should not be, see if you can tag along to a PCA tour (or AutoX) where you can ride in other guys cars and see how they are. It will give you a frame of reference to decide if yours is ok and help you start to develop a local network of buddies.

Keep the news coming.

[larry47us]

Originally posted by HarryD
. . . believe me, you will know when something is wrong. The sounds will grate on your ears . . .

Harry
I know that you are telling the truth just from the guys that say that they don't have a radio, because they like to listen to the "music" of their engine.

I hear . . . . uh . . . will hear that.

larry

[Rick Cabell]

Larry,
Paul it half right. If you were working on a rust free car and doing a simple repaint, then all the paint that is original does not have to come off.
In your case, take the rest of what remains OFF. Your are 80% there. If not, then your working surface will not be flat.
Etch and high build primers are NOT cheap. If you don't start with a smooth flat surface, then your body man will be chasing his tail with extra priming and block sanding.
1) bare metal
2) etch primer
3) body work and minor filler as needed
4)block sand suface to the level of prefection you are looking for.
5) high build primer, and block sand untill you hands go numb.
6)base coat of paint, and then needed additional coats.
7) clear coat.
8) wet sand and buff as needed.
Your car was originaly single sage paint. Today most people go base coat, clear coat for ease final finish.

On the early single stage cars, I repeat the single stage process most of the time.
All body and paint guys have differant opinions.