Brad' second '70 Cuda and first (and last) restoration project

[dixiedog]

very nice!! but why do those pics look so familiar? i know ive seen them somewhere before...
 
 My thoughts exactly.  I know I've seen all of this before except from a challenger point of view.

[usraptr]

Progress continues to be slow but steady.  Painted a couple coats of Rust Bullet on the new trunk floor pan and extensions.  Then sprayed a coat of single stage black on top of that.  When we get around to finishing the body work we'll respray with the correct black and make it look a lot better.

[TKat13]

that looks great! Thanks for the pics, just what I was looking for... my trunk is next after I finish up the front frame and inner fenders....

[ShelbyDogg]

Sorry to butt in, but I don't see enought spot welds for your gas tank straps. For an 18 gallon tank @ around 6.5 lbs per gallon equals 117 lbs. of weight trying to rip itself out while starting, stopping, and going around turns. I welded mine in with spots about every 1.5"s and even welded to the rear support.  Get it done now before you go any farther.

[usraptr]

Shelbydog, thanks, that's a good point.     We'll take care of that next. 

Brad

[femtnmax]

Brad
Nice work your doing.  thanks for all the pics too.
Good point shelbydog.  Unibody works only if everything is joined together properly to distribute the load.  Each spot weld can support X load, so need Y number of spot welds to support the weight of sloshing fuel,etc.
I work on airplanes, its the same idea, need to spread the load out using many fasteners of the correct size (think number of spot welds and weld diameter on a car) so the plane doesn't rip itself apart the first turbulence it passes thru.
sorry to ramble but shelbydog is right on the money.

[usraptr]

Been a while since my last update.  Unfortunately my body man's time didn't work out to be free as I hoped.  But we did make some progress the past two months.  Both rear quarters are now welded up and the trunk lid gaps tweaked.  The rear light panel is welded in along with the the new driver's floor and four speed hump.  Now that the welding is done he can actually start on the body work.     Just wish he had more time.  I'm really starting to get impatient but for the price he is giving me I can't be too pushy.

[usraptr]

Time for an update.  My body man has spent almost a week straight working on the 'Cuda and is making some great progress.  Let's hope it continues.  As all of you know that do body work the devil is in the details as they say.  A lot of what he's been doing doesn't show the detail work done to make the new repo panels fit correctly with the stock panels.  He is a perfectionist when it comes to fit and finish and the body gaps and fit and finish will be better then new when he's done.  Bare in mind that the pictures are still a work in progress and he hasn't finished with the fit and finish.  Hopefully, I'll have another update next week.

[wally426ci]

Awesome that he is rolling along!

I would HIGHLY recomend using lead in the C pillar b/c i am almost positive that it WILL crack. Mine did after about 4 years. 

[usraptr]

Thank you.  Re the pillars, he used some type of fiberglass mixture.  Very strong per my body man.  We'll see.

[Topcat]

Awesome that he is rolling along!

I would HIGHLY recomend using lead in the C pillar b/c i am almost positive that it WILL crack. Mine did after about 4 years. 

The amount of filler at the quarter panel seam should only be at the most the thickness of a nickel over the leadwork. Anything substituted for lead will eventually either crack or expand on hot days.

If he doesn't want to lead it, find some else who will.

Your dutchman panel edges confirmed what I went thru with me. The curvature meeting the quarters isn't exact. Mine was the same way.

[usraptr]

Not trying to be argumentative, or , but I'm curious.  My car still had it's original vinyl top when I got it.  When I stripped it off the seams between the roof and quarters were not cracked and were filled with a bondo type substance, not lead.  After the car is painted, I plan on replacing the vinyl top.  So if Chrysler did not lead the seam between the roof and quarters, why is it necessary now?
Thanks
Brad

[Topcat]

Not trying to be argumentative, or , but I'm curious.  My car still had it's original vinyl top when I got it.  When I stripped it off the seams between the roof and quarters were not cracked and were filled with a bondo type substance, not lead.  After the car is painted, I plan on replacing the vinyl top.  So if Chrysler did not lead the seam between the roof and quarters, why is it necessary now?
Thanks
Brad

The material they used under vinyl roofs is unlike any type of filler I've seen so far. It had a low particle amount of plastic compounds in it I therorize.

Taking a wire brush on a drill, and it would break off like saw dust. Where as body fillers with higher plastics would powderize.

Whatever they used, it didn't have as much of an expansion rate when it was warmed up to hot surface temps like a hot sunny day like body fillers do. Still it will expand.

Lead has flexability yet expands at the same rate as the steel around it. (Or close to it)

It just looks so crappy at a car show to see a nicely restored car have a pregnant sail panel during a hot day.

[usraptr]

Topcat   Thanks for the explanation. 

[Topcat]

Make sure you have your bodyman do a complete trial fit of the rear glass, clips, and trim.
I just did that today on mine.

I replaced my left quarter with a Goodmark. The lowest edge curve isn't exact. Now I have to take it everything back off, make a small slit on the curve, slightly push it in,  butt weld it, grind it off and re try. I put green tape on first so none of the tar rope sticks to the primered channel. This will allow you to see any edges on the sides too that aren't close enough also you need to re contour.

What happens is that if that curve isn't perfect it kicks the trim out away from the body edge making it look hideous.