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Stress Therapy

4K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  Doright 
#1 ·
I been hanging out here for a couple weeks thought maybe I should start a project thread as much as I would like it to be about my 62 Studebaker Gasser project it cant be till I get a few of my current projects completed and sold off unfortunately.

I have 4 projects going right now in various stages of build 3 are mine and one is a Buddies.
mine are: a 70 Fire bird with Major rust surgery nearing completion of all the rust repairs, My 73 Satellite Road Runner clone that I have to redo the paint on long story but I messed it up and walked away from and let it sit, and I have a 98 Corvette I have to put a motor in all the machine work is done just have to assemble and put it back in all I need is time.
Then I have to work around all my Kids projects at the same time! I am sooo sick of junk being tore up in my shop I am used to the place being uncluttered and clean it hasnt been now for many years. I want to get back to one project at a time so till all my current in progress stuff is done NO starting new ones even though the yard is full of waiting projects lol

as it started


What a mess


It gets better














So the cutting and drilling started





hmmm pretty big to go threw the Trunk


off comes the Tail panel


Fitting Trunk pan


Trunk drop offs


lower quarters patches








Believe it or not I reused this panel


 
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#2 ·






A few weeks ago


Since I got the Rotisserie I have made a Lot of progress, I got the Cowl panel removed and Lower A pillar repairs completed took it out side last weekend Glass blasted the door frames and all the window frames blasted. I will have to get pics of that stuff and spray some Epoxy on my bare steel this week. And i need some more glass to Blast the floor.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I really enjoy rust repair its a lot like fixing aircraft at times I enjoy it for the most part.
Making patches can be very challenging and welding thin sheet metal is a whole nother world.
 
#6 ·
great job on the projects. glad you were able to make time. Rotisserie has to be a major plus. Just curious are you fitting the trunk lid before you finish the tail pan? I didn't see a support across from quarter panel to quarter panel.
 
#8 ·
Mario
No I did not and yes I am worried, I Cant find The Trunk lid Its buried in with all the other parts some where in that shop? although I could have removed one from one of my other fire birds I have in yard but didnt think of that at the time and yes I should have checked it! but got inpatient and went for it.
On side note Tail panel original drilled out spot welds up along the top did line up before welding.
Its the first time I have ever done so much metal work to a body tore down this far.
Please note that the body is supported at the Pinch welds and not at front and rear.

Lash
I loved that Lincoln hated to see it go bye bye but would love to do another. It was an all original build with the flat head V12 3 speed with over drive Hydraulic windows very cool car.
Sold my 51 Merc about same time Lincoln was sold It was also a Stock build but had plans to put heads, headers and cam in it but never got around to it before selling cant find pics of it on this computer probably on one of my others that burned up some day I will get around to pulling my old computer hard drives and scavenging pics there all buried out in garage under junk.

No progress yesterday a buddy called me up to go out metal detecting for Gold in a new area it sounded too much like fun not to go and I hadn't been out all summer long so I had to go and dust off my Beeper. Getting out in the Gold fields beats any day of work as does fishing. But today will find me out there working on the rust bucket.
 
#9 ·
Well let’s hope for the best. Sometimes our comments are too late after the work is posted.
 
#10 ·
I am and I think its gonna be ok if not well I can always start over although I wont like it very much lol.
Started Patching up left wheel half I removed to gain access to the trunk the main part of the rust repair done to it I cut the lip out of another good wheel well and cut and spliced it to the original just have to make the little circle patches to fix the Spot weld cutter holes now.

I am of the belief that its always best to repair an original panel rather than replace it with cheap China repop panel that doesn't fit or match correctly.
Panels are only original once a car with new repop quarters is not an original car! There is no way to fully install a new quarter the way the factory did it.

Case in point 2nd gen Camero or Firebird quarters were welded to the upper and lower Rocker panels first before being welded to the floor panels then the roof panels.
Because of witch the Quarter panel cant be welded to the Rocker panel correctly then to the floor panel. I have dissected these panels and know this to be a fact.
 
#11 ·
My neighbor had a '67 Camaro convertible that he had a fab shop put new 1/4's on years ago. I helped him finish the car a couple years ago so he could sell it, and when we put the trunk lid on it there was a 1/2" gap along one side! We loosened the bolts and pushed it as far as we good, but didn't gain anything on the horrible gap. We pulled the trunk lid and ground out the hinge holes to let it move more, and got it even, but ended up with a 3/8" gap on each side. It just looked bad, but he didn't want to cut the 1/4's loose to fix it since he was selling it. I hated doing it, but we did some measuring to see if one side was out more than the other, and made up metal fillers to weld in along the trunk opening. Once they were sanded and filled you couldn't see them, and the trunk lid fit perfect. A cheap, quick fix, but not what I'd have done if it was my own car.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I will be checking it out before I finish up installing the wheel wells back in it at this point I can cut it loose fairly easily if I had too but I probably wouldn't be able to save the Tail panel again if I have to remove it.

You guys are scaring me now lol I want tghis thing done and gone out of my Hair! Sick of looking at it!
 
#13 · (Edited)
Well you guys had a valid point and I should have checked it before so I went and found my trunk panel and the hardware to bolt it on, so I bolted it on...............


Drum roll.....................



It fits perfectly! perfect line up with the quarters both sides and its strait across the top and bottom I couldn't ask for a better fit from the factory! I am so glad I did all the work on the car with the body supported at the Rocker Pinch welds. ok had to come in and post that!
Ok back to work Im headed back to the shop.
 
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