Classic Car Restoration?

[.21Rc10GT]

Hey guys.

As most of you know, i own a 1967 Mustang Coupe. I haven't worked on it for quite a while, but am now getting back into it. My goal at the moment is to strip it down to the body, and do most of the body work/paint prepping myself to save some money. My question is, have any of you done this? All i have left on this thing is the driver's door, and some glass. All of the suspension/drivetrain/steering/etc is out. I am thinking of scraping off most of the heavy grease in and around the engine compartment with a putty knife, and powerwashing it. Is this a good idea, or is there a better alternative? I thought about having the body, and its parts media blasted, but i do not have the money to have it done, so that is kinda out the window. My neighbor is going to be installing some new floor pans (the only rust on the car) and some bracing underneath to reduce flex when cornering, etc.

The body itself is in excellent condition. No rust (other than the floors mentioned earlier), very light dings (maybe 5 or 6), nothing major at all. My friend suggested fiberglass resin, in place of bondo. Never used either, so i really don't know. Maybe someone with experience can help? Maybe the dents can be "pulled" out and no filler has to be used?

The plan for paint is a pearl "ish" white with some pearl/metallic red comp stripes. All the trim, etc, will be the same color as the stripes. Chrome will be very scarce, or non existant in this project.

Anyone have any useful tips, or helpful hints? Or maybe just random comments?

 

[Hunter]

ok something that I heard (saw on TV) that works well on small dings is dry ice. Just pick up some dry ice and hold it (press to metal) over the dings, and what happens is as the steel around the ding contracts from the fast freezing the dings pop out.

I saw this done on some show at some point but have never gotten around to trying it out.

Oh and always wear gloves when handling dry ice.

 

[Plaidfish]

the right way is to pull the dents out and grind the nubs off and smooth it out and shape it with either, you keep sanding until the metal and glass make on continuous fluid body line again.....duraglass is stronger than bondo but takes longer to shape and it eats other plastics if it touches certain ones......if you already have all the other stuff out of the car you should go all the way and strip it down to bare metal and do it right the first time.......shortcuts are not for restoration jobs.......

 

[scottm]

I have done many projects like that: a 71 camaro, a 76 blazer, a Beismeyer speedboat, an RV, and probably a dozen motorcycles. I dont even count RC car projects! Now I am building a desert race truck, and I just picked up a cheap Chevy 1 ton dually that needs work to pull my race trailer, in the pic below.

I can tell you its going to be a lot of work to do your car right, but that Mustang is worth it. How much it costs and how long it takes will depend on how much work you do yourself, which depends on your tools and your personality. It takes a lot of patience and attention to detail, but there is nothing better in my opinion than doing an awesome project yourself. But I am wierd, no doubt about it, just check my thread on the sut in members projects!

The main lesson I have learned is it will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you think. Plan on replacing or rebuilding every single moving part from bumper to bumper, from the fan clutch to the rear axle. Any part that doesn't need to be replaced is considered a bonus. The next lesson is, accept the fact that it will be a long, expensive project, and dont do anything half assed. Doing lousy body work for example, will make it less valuble than not doing anything to it at all. Third, do cosmetic stuff like body and paint last, after the driveline, brakes, suspension, ect, is rebuilt.

You have a great project to start with, so my hard-learned advice is this: Do it right, but don't start until you have the time, space, patience, equipment, and support to do it right. Figure out what you want it to be, such as a stock restoration, or more of a performance upgrade, which should include modern brakes and suspension parts. Personally I would upgrade the brakes and stuff.

Then start out doing stuff that doesn't cost much money, like stripping and cleaning. I recommend getting 6 good jack stands, put the car on them, then take it all the way apart to the bare chassis. Thats why you will need a lot of space. Take digital pics as you go, because it could be a while before it goes back together. Then go through everything. I would definitely replace all the rubber suspension bushings and rebuild the brakes if nothing else.

 

[.21Rc10GT]

Sounds good guys, keep em coming.

Scott, and anyone else who cares, I have put on all new suspension (springs, shocks, bushings, brackets, etc), i did a disc brake conversion in the front, and going to put disc brakes in the rear. The rear axle "seems" to be in good shape, but it is getting new ring and pinion, diff locker, bearings, and gaskets. I have brand new brake and fuel lines (thanks to Inline Tube), going to get a new fuel tank (larger capacity), a few choice engine components to start (i hope for a new engine/driveline in the future). I plan on doing the paint right the first time. What kind of tools do i need? Is there anything special that i will need? I and getting a die grinder, but i am planning on getting an air sander of some sort.

Also, on the under carrige, is there a type of sealant or coating specially for the under side of a car? I thought about painting it, but then thought that paint my not be the best choice for being under the car... Suggestions?

The car is up on jack stands (8 ton i believe... I dont like taking chances ;-) Almost everything is off of the car, so it is basically the body. I am going to start disassembling the driver's door and get that off.

Also, is there a special technique to getting glass out? Specifically the rear window?

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

[4u2nv]

What Id do and what I plan on doing with my next project truck, is taking the whole body off, and bringing the frame and getting it sandblasted. Then undercoated. My dads we sandblasted and painted, but theres already spots coming threw, and plus the undercoating would be a awesome sound deadner.

With body work all I can say is take your time. This is the most important step to make or break the car. Also good thing with white paint is you can hide alot of imperfections on the body work.

As far as dents, if there bigger, best thing ya can do is weld a nail to the body (Or get a dent spot welder) and then get a dent puller and do it that way. Dont fill any bigs spots in with bondo. Bondo cracks and flakes if theres to much.

But yeah, thats about all I can tell ya. Key is to take your time with the sanding and paint prep.

 

[Ryhton]

You have a great car to start with in the Mustang. My best advice is to get some practice on the body work, find an old door or something and put some dents in it so you can practice repairing them. You need to be very careful to feather the old paint out so that when you apply the paint that you don’t see an edge from the old paint. An old body work trick is to prime your repaired areas with one color primer and when its dry dust over it with another color primer. Then when you finish sand you will see were the low spots are (the dusting of primer will still be visible) and you can do some additional filling. Just take your time and don’t rush it. I spent 2 years on my 66 Vette, it was a very rewarding project. Good luck and keep us posted.


My 66 Vete

 

[.21Rc10GT]

4u2nv: The mustang is a unibody, so the frame is basically the body without the front fenders and doors, and another reason why i want some bracing underneath to tie the front and rear of the "frame" together. Is there a specific undercoater for cars? I read somewhere they used rhinoliner or line-x, and it worked... I just want to do it right.

Rython: Let me first say that the vette is one slick car. For some reason, that pic keeps popping up around here... Show off... lol

I am thinking i am going to sand ALL of the paint off. Heres why: This was my grandfather's car (i am the second owner). He did not care about cosmetics as long as it worked. He kept up on maintance (i have the grease piles and splatters all on the underside of the car to prove it), if something leaked, it got RTV in the hole, and all around it.

The original paint started peeling off about, oh, maybe 15 years ago (well, it started before then, but you get the picture). About that same time, he decided to paint the car. No, he didn't take it to the shop to have done... $3k is too expensive. Far more than the car was worth (to him), so he did it himself. Not with automotive paint and a spray gun... No, to easy... He did it with a paint brush and red rustolium primer. Now, some of you think WTH... SO do i!!! BUT, i believe that is what preserved the body. I have seen many cars with bad paint, and rust. The RTV, i believe that also did wonders in preserving the car. He even had pieces of carpet in the drivers seat (no foam or anything left). He made a piece of wood, with carpet over it to cover up the holes in the floor. He let the whole car go to hell, BUT, the only rust i have found (so far) is in the floor. IMO, he did a damn good job!

I have been working on and off on this project for close to 3 years (he gave it to me on my 15th birthday). He has had Alzheimer's disease for probably a good 10-15 years that we know of. He always seems to remember the mustang though. Always, hey, is the mustang running yet? I say no, but it will be soon. Then he kiddingly says "yeah, in the year 3000". One of the smartest guys i know, but the disease has turned him into a little kid again. I want to get this car done, even though he may not like how it looks, sounds, or smells, he will at least enjoy the fact that i kept the car, and i made it work. I want someone to airbrush "in memory of - --- -" on the back.

 

[Ryhton]

Sounds like you have a good plan. You may want to look at renting a sandblaster to remove the paint it is messy but would be a lot quicker than sanding all of the paint off. You also may want to check with your local auto paint supplier and see if there are any automotive paint strippers available. Good luck, and I hope you can have it done so your grandpa can go for a ride.

 

[scottm]

Sandblasting is good for heavier metal in the chassis, but not for the body skin. The best thing for body metal is a radom-orbit (dual-action) sander, or chemical stripper.

 

[SMaxxin]

Tip:

Anything you sand/blast to bare metal should be primed asap, it takes only minutes before rust starts to form on the shiny stuff.

 

[Ryhton]

Sandblasting is good for heavier metal in the chassis, but not for the body skin. The best thing for body metal is a radom-orbit (dual-action) sander, or chemical stripper.

Yes and no, there are different types of sand that can be used that are not as abrasive. You also don’t want to crank up the pressure on the blaster you just need enough pressure to clean the paint off. It takes a bit of practice to get a light hand with it. I have done a couple of cars with one and had no problems. But it is always a good idea to practice on an old door or something before jumping into your project. And yes Smaxxin as with any bare metal you want to get some primer on it as soon as possible, different climates have different effects on metal.

 

[RatzoRC]

My 1940 Chevy pickup has been sitting in my driveway so long, that I feels like I bought it new.

Get going on it and don't look back.

 

[scottm]

Ryhton, any sand blast grit, even glass bead media can warp sheet metal. Maybe people can do it successfully but its not worth the risk IMO.

 

[Ryhton]

Scottm, I understand what you are trying to say and yes if it is done incorrectly it could be a bad thing just like a lot of other things if done incorrectly. This is why I suggested that he practice on an old door or something else he has kicking around. Like I stated earlier I have done this on cars myself and had no problems and the results were just as good as if I had sanded it down with an orbital, it was just a lot quicker. He was looking for some suggestions and that is what I gave him. I am sure he will check into it himself and make the decision that works best for him.

 

[.21Rc10GT]

I have seen and read about people media blasting cars and their parts with crushed walnut shells. This proceedure does not heat up the metal like sand and most other media, therefore, no warping. My question is, do you think you can use a sand blasting pot? Probably not, but i would like to try it myself... If i can't to that, the orbit sander will be my next best thing. I need to have the primer and gun set up so i can wipe the area down and prime it, so it doesn't rust.

 

[Hunter]

I have seen and read about people media blasting cars and their parts with crushed walnut shells. This proceedure does not heat up the metal like sand and most other media, therefore, no warping. My question is, do you think you can use a sand blasting pot? Probably not, but i would like to try it myself... If i can't to that, the orbit sander will be my next best thing. I need to have the primer and gun set up so i can wipe the area down and prime it, so it doesn't rust.

Just so you know most primers do not seal the surface the metal will still rust under/through the primer coat. Unless you buy a sealing primer so read the can before you buy.

 

[.21Rc10GT]

Yeah, i wanted to make that clear as well. I was going to use an epoxy primer (sealer). It does just as you said, seals the metal, then the other primers go on top of that. Forgot to mention that, so thanks for reminding me.

 

[SumoDethRat]

Did anyone mention soda blasting, its not as harsh as sand and its better in confined spaces and you can just wash it out with water, just be sure when it down to bare metal to coat it with two coats of wash primer or etching primer. For grease a steam cleaner works wonders just rent one. Chemical stripping is also an option just be carefull with it and use HEAVY gloves. With rust buy a chemical conversion coating its easier than sanding. And when working with dents, be very careful if you don't know what your doing it is very easy to warp metal and make a small problem worse. I suggest taking a weekend or night class on body work and possibly paint as well at your local community college. The instructors usually will give you discounts on supplies and you'll have access to the shop equipment.

I'd also recommend against sanding a car with a da sander or hand, its a lot of work. For a door to prep it for repaint took approx. 8-10 hours because you have to remove all hardlines or it will screw up the new paint. But if you do choose to sand, figure out what kind of primer your goind to use and get a hold of the manufacturers TDS (technical data sheets) sheets it will tell you the coarsest sand paper you can use, or you'll end up with nasty sand scratches in your new paint. I've been there and it sucks.

And for your body and paint needs

http://www.eastwoodco.com/


Spray your own car too, its hard work but fun, leave black and silver to the pros though.

Also you don't need to prime over epoxy really, its top of the line stuff very expensive. Wash primer is better if your priming over it with a primer surfacer all you're looking for is a etching primer with acid in it for corrosion protection.