Top Banana Challenger

[Plum6Pak]

   I'm shocked to see how you can take something so rough and make it look like new. Nice work, keep us posted, this and other threads like it help all of us. Thanks! 

[Lunchbox]

Seems that my summer hobbies out-number my Chally, plus a number of other excuses I don't even want to hear myself. Anyways I did work on the firewall slightly today and over the last month. I wanted to take a breather on the cowl it is a tough nut to crack, but I am almost there just a couple of the tough spots left.

I still am up in the air on how I am going to handle the rust above the patch in one of the pics. The whole front end was blasted a year ago and one of the only places to rust is on top of the cowl. The pits are deep and prevented the blaster from penetrating enough. The pin holes don't go all the way through. I did by some muriatic acid to attempt to treat it. I also thought about welding in a patch, but that would be a full day process to butt weld it it.

Ah decisions-decisions 

Lunch

[farmboy70]

The acid should remove what you have there. If not try DX-579 by PPG also.
Keep at it, sometimes it's a little tedious.
Dave

[Lunchbox]

The acid should remove what you have there. If not try DX-579 by PPG also.
Keep at it, sometimes it's a little tedious.
Dave

After acid use do you have to neutralize it somehow? I will be painting with zero rust before I weld the cowl back on also.

[farmboy70]

The instructions say to rinse well, but I just use a damp rag to finish up with. I found the rinsing is too hard to control where the water go's on areas that are not yet treated causing rust.
Also hitting the pit areas with a stainless steel power wire brush will dig out the inbeded rust. Then reapply the DX-579.
Dave

[farmboy70]

Also any area that has had rust and been blasted will rerust.The rust may not be able to be seen but there is always a small amout still in the metal so an acid clean is always a good idea on any surface. Rust Bullit or POR-15 in hidden areas is good insurance.
Dave

[Chlngrcrzy]

I noticed a while back that you were using a small air sawzall, do you prefer that over say a 3" cut off saw? I can see how the small blade might be able to get into areas the disc can't. Your patching is really an inspiration to me.

[Lunchbox]

Thanks for the tips Dave, funny thing is the whole front of the car has been sitting in white since about feb of last year and the only part that really started to rerust is on top of the cowl. The rest of the car has no visible rust  not saying its not there but definatly thought it would have rusted more.


I bought that body saw from harbor frieght for $40 bucks. Then a week or two ago it was on slae for $10 bucks  Anyways it is a pretty neat little deal. It has its place right next to my 3 in cutoff wheel. The saw works good when the steel around it is secure, not half hanging off a work bench, then the metal just wants to move with the saw. For 40 bucks I was impressed.

Lunch

[Chlngrcrzy]

Thanks Lunch. I have had my eye  on one at the Harbor freight store here in town.

[toomanyprojects]

WOW-
you guys amaze me-as i read and see what you guys repair-it is nothing short of amazing-
i mean back in the early 80's i would cut up cars w/ alot(and i mean A WHOLE LOT LESS) less rust for parts!
i guess i'm just a spoiled california wussy -

[Lunchbox]

Playing around with some rust converter stuff I had, seemed to work pretty well.

Look at the hidden rust, be hard to get at if you didn't take this part off, you would probably never get it if you left the inner fenders on.

[Lunchbox]

Did some more work on my firewall. Should be done really soon, then I have to fix a couple spots on the cowl and the front end will be next.

That one little patch was a bugger, it had a compound bend which is hard to replicate with what I got.

Lunch

[farmboy70]

Good job. Once you get past the harder parts it go's much easier.
Dave

[Lunchbox]

Good job. Once you get past the harder parts it go's much easier.
Dave

You've helped me a lot, always appreciate the help and a push here and there 

Lunch

[Jacksboys]

Looking good, keep it up