Work has begun...Topcat

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Wow, Mike looks like you really made some progress since I looked last. Keep it comin' my friend!! 

[Topcat]

True'd both doors, fenders, header, and hood. All rubber parts installed in doors to get final alignment. It's really close to perfect. At least it's looking like a car now.

[Chlngrcrzy]

Great job on the alignment mike.  I am still working at mine, 2 weeks and counting.

[dutch]

nice... 

[Topcat]

Last week I put on the rocker trim to see how it looked against the body. Wasn't pleased.

So today I decided to re-do the lower lead seam on the driver's side. I felt it didn't have enough lead from the first time I did it. Came out alot better this time. After that, I skin coated with filler.




Later, pulled a dent out with the stud gun. Man I love using that gun! Works great.

[72hemi]

Looking good Mike! 

[troutstreamnm]

Nice work for sure

[Sean]

Looks great, keep the momentum going!

Sean

[Topcat]

Today was my first day back working on my car since the surgery last week. It was really great getting outside again and working again.

I didn't take any pictures today but wanted to share a little trick I came up with today.

When I hung the quarter panel earlier, I let the quarter panel edge that meets the door un-welded. I did this of course because I still needed to get the door exactly where I wanted. I had it close but it wasn't perfect.

Once I was satisfied with how the door sat, I cut slits every couple inches on the door seam. This was so it could move in different angles to get the countours matched up. Then I drilled holes every 3 inches on the seam.

Here was the trick I wanted to share.

I used the stud gun tool/puller right at the quarter panel edges and pulled gently. Opening and closing the door over and over and re checking. Got it where I liked it and then I welded in the inner seam. Then spot welded the slits after and follwed everything with a skin coat after.

These Goodmark panels do take alot of work. In fact more than I expected when I first started. 

[Topcat]

Took a few weeks off from doing body work. Got the itch and re motivated to get going on it again today.

This pic shows it not quite ready for another top coat of Primer. But getting closer. End of the day I sprayed it and did a few touch ups of spot putty. Leadwork paid off. Just a skin coat of body filler less than a nickle thick. Still many hours ahead of me I foresee.

[DMZ73]

Your Cuda's looking good mike! 
Glad to hear your back is doing better.


Dan

[Challenger III]

  Coming along nicely! 

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Mike I've been so buried in NIKKI lately I haven't checked in here. You are making great progress my friend!   

[Topcat]

Thanks Bigs. Yeah it's really starting to take shape again. By Sept, I should have it getting really close to scrutiny stage. I feel certain now I can put the mig away.

What's really fun and sad at the same time is that while I'm sanding; I find areas that are high spots. Or areas that are low spots. Like a small metal area was never given the attention it should've had. Areas like this were either overlooked or short cutted by the previous bodyman I had do it way back in the eighties.

All they had to do was get the body hammer and dolly out, spend a few extra minutes here and there; thereby reduce filler needed.

I figured these guys out who did the work in it's past: Emphasize the drivers side.
I never take shortcuts nor will I ever!

Be aware!! There are shortcutters out there!

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Agreed Mike there are short cutters everywhere. There's plently of them on NIKKI but little by little I'm raising the bar!