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February
19, 2002
Geez, I guess it's been awhile since I really made
any progress on my car worth writing about. Business has been booming,
and it has kept me from my own projects. I was also a little freaked
out about the bodywork thing. You see, I have been tainted dear
readers, tainted by all the Pebble Beach quality cars I've been
privy to work on and be around. I was not a body man (notice that I think I am one
Old Damage Discovered
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now, ha!), I had no experience with a hammer and dolly and I was freaked about doing this thing right. This is, after all, my
rod, man. I bought a bodywork book on Ebay for $4 and
it is extremely comprehensive. I got over my fears and
bought some bodyworking tools. I messed around a little
bit and was having a bit of fun until I went to price
paint.
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| I mentioned my desire to paint this beast myself, but when I discovered the cost of the paint I wanted, I panicked. The blasted stuff is expensive as hell and that isn't including primer, reducer, hardener and clear. Besides, I was talking about simply spraying this thing "suede", but after seeing the numbers on paper, I couldn't see spending in excess of $500 on the paint alone only to flatten it. If I'm |
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going to spend that much cash, I want a proper paint job. If the car still had all the windows in it, I'd probably spray it with primer and drive it, but I've stripped it and I'm not about to go through the trouble of reassembling it only to have to take it apart again to paint it.
Once I finally chilled, I just decided
to get rolling on what I could do. I am a fabricator,
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Dent Repaired
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and
I do understand metal. Fortunately, all my experience
with being methodical, patient, and understanding metal
has made banging out dents feel pretty natural. I've
impressed myself with how well I've managed to massage
out the dents, and that's without the application of
body filler. Once I get it all done, I'll be primering
my work. I think seeing
the car in one "color" will help me feel a
great sense of accomplishment. The most rewarding aspect
of this bodywork mojo is seeing instant results.
I took a break from the banging to tackle the engine compartment.
Scraping
The Frame
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I wanted to test fit the engine in the car and figure out the mount thing. The compartment was a filthy mess and so desperately needed a good cleaning. Again, it was something that I could see instant results from. The thickness of crud on the frame and suspension pieces was in-freakin'-sane. I thought the suspension parts were ultra beefy, but found out that they are relatively
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little with an inch of grime scraped off 'em. I went nuts with the scrapers and the shop vac. I got the bulk of the nast off the parts, which will make disassembling the suspension all the easier. Speaking of the suspension, I can't get over how sweet it feels. My speedometer says 81k and I'm beginning to think that is accurate. The front end is so solid with no play that I'm thinking upon disassembly, that it will simply need a cleaning, repainting and reassembly. There's my paint money.
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Somewhere between the last entry and
this one, I picked up my rechromed bumpers, which
shall remained wrapped and unseen until all is
finished, a completion present if you will. I
also found some NOS taillight lenses, which is
cool. I am falling in love with this car the more
I stare at it out in the shop. Sometimes I just
open the shop door, sit outside, and dream about
the sound of barking exhaust.
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Test Fit
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