Getting Started Again!

[dusty]

Okay here is how she sits today. I have begun sanding the engine bay down with 1600 grit wet..




Here is the underbody, I know it isn't "supposed to be black, but it actually is slick and clean. Gotta love bead blasting!



One thing about block sanding.. I sure found a high place early.. I guess the holes will be filled soon enough, but first the high spot needs to be knocked down.


And here is the other side..As you can see the fenders back there need to be blasted, and I think instead of bothering with the two trunk lids, I'm just going to  buy a new one.. Anyone have thoughts on that?




So, in short, I am going to spend a lot of time over the next week or two and really buckle down on the engine bay and trunk compartment, and then have Maaco shoot them...

[GranCuda1970]

Beauty of a challenger. I like the color.

[dusty]

Beauty of a challenger. I like the color.

Yeah it's a super rare special order color!

[GranCuda1970]

Your gonna shoot it plumb crazy if i recall.  My wifes favorite color. Looking at the primer I thought it was citron at first.

[dusty]

Yeah man, it is a grape car... One of these days it will be at least.

[dusty]

Here a few pictures from today..


And one of the sticker on door... (I'm saving these  pictures to get a new one printed).




And just for fun I hung the fender on, just to remember what she used to look like:


And lastly, I sanded a bit on the fender just to see what was behind the under body spray. I'm taking this particular fender to be media blasted tomorrow. 

[dusty]

Spent two or three hours cleaning the transmission up..

[dusty]

Welp, I have about 6 hours in the engine bay and trunk.. Man... I hate sanding, but am trying to do a good job. I figure if I feel it with my hands it will show in the paint. So progress is being made, but honestly  how does anyone 'block sand' a trunk and engine bay? Too many weird shapes in there to block it, so just following contours and being thorough seems to be working. *progress*

I pulled the power steering unit off of the K member and cleaned it, but i will  probably  do that stage 3 unit from firmfeel.. It looks good and hopefully feels better.

Also, me wife and I are going to Huntsville to get the hood, and the SE roof liner. After tomorrow, the only thing that is all the way in  Huntsville is the  engine (shoulda done had R & R paid, but  life intervened). They are  nice folks  at R&R, and have been very understanding. Hopefully the  383 magnum will be paid for when Uncle Sam gives me some money back! I'm excited to have the car at home, and able to work on it here! Life is good.

I took the fenders and the front valence  to Flintstone Media blasting, in Flinstone, Georgia on Friday. I should have them back with etching primer sprayed on them this week. *progress*


So, no  pictures but I feel she is getting a bit less rough around the edges. Still a long journey, but all we have is time. It's fun.

Until the next update.


p.s.: I still hate sanding.. 

[GranCuda1970]

Yep, sanding sucks that's for sure make sure your wearing a face mask don,t want to breath that shiste in.
You got one up on me. I did not sand nearly as much as you and it turned out sparkly shiny after paint and clear coat. Only had one spot of orange peel near the upper cowl vent in the back hardly noticable. It's a engine compartment. I figured the motor would be the eye catching jewel for me I do not plan on selling anyway. The origional factory jobs were nothing to take home to momma about either!!, paint runs galore. Yours will be great!!

[dusty]

Thanks for the support GranCuda1970!

I hope you guys don't kill me but here goes. I have been working on engine bay and trunk. It is looking good, but then after really looking i found two pinholes in the firewall to the left of the master cylinder. What's funny is that the guy who was doing the metal work didn't fix them! My dad gave him 9 grand, and I paid him three I think and he fixed the window channels, had it blasted, put a few floor pans in, and trunk pans and fixed the roof pinhole... That's 12 grand and there were two pinholes in the firewall and three in the trunk area still..


Kinda pisses me off.  That is a lot of money! I  mean the work he did was good, but where I come from 12 grand buys a lot of metal work. It should be flawless for that kinda money..

Anyway, moving on..

I have been researching pinhole fixing, and since I am now working on my car I guess it's up to me now to mess up real good.. 

I've read all the pros/cons for all the methods out there, and I mixed up a bit of bondo and laid it in the firewall, the trunk pinholes, and the two holes in in the metal where rotissserrie connects in the rear.

All in all I think this will be fine. the bottom of car has etching primer and epoxy  primer on there.... That epoxy primer is hard as nails..

I know what the guy who was working on the car was gonna do: Glazing compound..

I will post pictures later.. NEED FEEDBACK before it's too late.

peace out mopar-heads..

12,000 grand and 


Oh yeah, he never removed the trunk latch before blasting and all that work.. take a look what I found behind it.

[jimynick]

DON'T use bondo to fill holes, it'll come back to haunt you. If you're gonna fill them, I'd use either JB Weld or short fibre fibreglass- we call it Tiger Hair. Sand the panel to bare metal and clean it with brake cleaner first. Both the JB and Tiger Hair are impervious to water. Bondo is a powder in a resin and it's porous. Good luck. 

[peterro]

I had my power steering box done by Firm Feel a number of years ago. I'll know sometime this summer how it works. It is a stage 2. I seem to remember that they said there's almost no need for a stage 3 but they'll do it if you want. I'd recommend giving them a call before you have it done.

[Chlngrcrzy]

Great start and do it right the first time, so it dont haunt you later. I have a few haunts hid away and still visible. If i only asked more questions !     
Looks great keep us posted 

[dusty]

Thanks guys!

So JB Weld. Check! I got some today and holes aren't large anyway so JB Weld is going work! The media blasters called and the fenders are done and in primer. Dad and I are pulling the rear end out tonight and taking it to be blasted. I figure 300 bucks to blast, prime and paint the springs, rear end and shackles ect is a fair price!

Thanks for all the support folks!

Oh yeah I figure while the rear end is out,  probably a good time to paint under her skirt...

[dusty]

Welp,  dad and I pulled the rear last night. Just got a new compressor (thanks Dad!!)  and a gun.. my neighbor is bringing a rotisserie over Saturday and I am going to go ahead and paint under here in week or two. I have decided to paint the bottom of the car Mopar Grey single stage.  Performance Car Graphics has the correct paint for the car and I spoke with one of the dudes there..

Sounds like a plan!


Will post pictures of the blasted and primed fenders later today..

Stay Mopar my friends!!