Rookie's First Restoration Attempt...

[1Michel]

you do such NICE work, can I get you to do some for ME???

Gene I think the kid is going to do a lot of work for a lot of people.

Keep it up kid nice work.

 

[stinger12]

you do such NICE work, can I get you to do some for ME???

Gene I think the kid is going to do a lot of work for a lot of people.

Keep it up kid nice work.

Lol, that post made me smile. I appreciate all the feedback guys...I really do.

Round 2. Most of the undercoat is off the car now, but there are still a few areas which need cleaning. the interior is undercoated, but you are not going to see that anyways.



That job sucked!

 

[stinger12]

You DO realize you ARE crazy, I hope

Yeah, but only until the car is done, then I turn normal again!

but it's cool, you do such NICE work, can I get you to do some for ME??

Sure, just fly up to Canada

 

[JPhil]

Yeah, but only until the car is done, then I turn normal again!

Sheeee-itt!

BULL-Sheeee-ittt!

This is how it works:

A) The car is NEVER "done".

("No really darlin', I'm almost done with it. All I have left to do is _____________________." And as she kisses you and says, "Well OK honey", your brain goes: "And _________ & _________ & _________ & ......")


B) If perchance it ever gets "done", it's only because you're bored with it. That means it's time to sell it, buy another & start again.

C) Repeat

 

[stinger12]

Yeah, but only until the car is done, then I turn normal again!

Sheeee-itt!

BULL-Sheeee-ittt!

This is how it works:

A) The car is NEVER "done".

("No really darlin', I'm almost done with it. All I have left to do is _____________________." And as she kisses you and says, "Well OK honey", your brain goes: "And _________ & _________ & _________ & ......")


B) If perchance it ever gets "done", it's only because you're bored with it. That means it's time to sell it, buy another & start again.

C) Repeat

I promised myself I would never sell this car. Too much pride and work went into it for me to sell it to someone else.

 

[Fuelie74]

Just because you get bored with it doesn't mean you will sell it. It just means that you will drag another project home.

 

[stinger12]

It just means that you will drag another project home.

Not until I have my own house and garage - I'm not restoring one of these again in my family's garage, too much work trying to coordinate a restoration and the belongings of the rest of the family.

I am still removing parts from the body. I need a bare starting point (a bare body, with everything stripped off of it - paint, rust, undercoat, parts, grease/grime...), then the real work can begin. I am pushing myself to get this body done and back on the frame. I have been putting in 5+ hours a day on the body since it came home last friday - between that and work, I am exhausted. Its like having two jobs!

 

[stinger12]

That trip to Dallas really paid off. I learned a lot when I was down there - and the way I work (or "style" if you will) has totally changed. Mike also taught me how to properly strip a vette without removing any fiberglass or material from the car. The one thing he told me was to never sand on bare fiberglass, unless you are going to be adding material, or scuffing up the surface for a primer/paint, resin/mat or bonding adhesive. I started stripping the car using his techniques, and my god, they work awesome!

You use stripper to remove the paint, then neutralize it with lacquer thinner and scotchbrite. You need to use a ton of lacquer thinner to clean the car after you use stripper on it. Get two paint cans, and fill them both with thinner. One will be for initial clean up of the glass with scotchbrite. The other will be for the final wipe-down of the panel. Use a bondo spreader to squeegee off the goo, then scrub the whole panel down with thinner and scotchbrite. Keep it saturated with thinner (keep dipping it in the paint can, this is important), and use the palm of your hand to scrub the panel (this will prevent a wavy surface...scotch brite will remove material if you try hard enough). This will also remove the primer from the car, which the stripper will not do. Keep scrubbing until all the primer is gone. Once the panel is clean, remove the dirty lacquer thinner from the car (what has not fallen off the car that is) with clean rags or paper towel. Now, get some new clean rags, and dip it in the clean thinner paint can you prepared earlier. Wipe the entire panel down again. You are essentially washing a car with lacquer thinner - this kills any residue left from the stripper. This method works awesome. Be very careful around edges when using the scotchbrite...this also is very important. It is a messy job, but look at the results - a clean fiberglass panel with no material removed.

This body is very clean. In fact, the paint I removed from the car was factory...it has not been repainted. There has been some repair work on the rear fenders, but other than that, it is a beautiful body. I like bodywork a whole lot more than mechanical work, it is way more satisfying I think (even if it is only stripping paint from a car).

 

[SmokinBBC]

Nice work. Do you put any metal prep on the birdcage?

 

[stinger12]

Do you put any metal prep on the birdcage?

I have not prepared the birdcage for paint yet. I need to sandblast it to roughen it up for paint, and I still need to sandblast the floorpans and rocker channels. I used a wire wheel to clean up as much as I could so I could get started working on it without making such a big mess with the sandblaster. I have to build a booth in the garage when it comes time to blast everything, or else I will get pissy neighborsush:

Plus, the sandblasting will go much quicker now that it is down to bare metal - I just need to roughen up the surfaces for paint, and remove some coatings from surfaces the wire wheel could not reach.

 

[stinger12]

Another 8 hours put into the vette - lots of elbow grease to get it down to raw glass. Tons of washing/scrubbing with lacquer thinner to kill the stripper. Most of the rear deck is done, just a few spots left. rear quarters and door jambs are next. I can't wait till the cleaing/stripping stage is over, and I have a brand new fresh starting point - then the real work begins. I cleaned up the area where the gas tank seats, squeeky clean now. I also started to remove the undercoating from the interior...worst job ever!

 

[stinger12]

I think I've kept you guys in the dark long enough - here's a picture my dad took of me yesterday after he checked out my progress (he was happy lol).

 

[1Michel]

Well well cant hide anymore huh?

He should be happy, hey despite the dirty work youre doing, you seems to keep the shop pretty clean.

Good job. keep it up we're following you more than you might think.

Should'nt you prime or oil that birdcage to protect it from suface rust?

 

[stinger12]

Should'nt you prime or oil that birdcage to protect it from suface rust?

Calgary is very, very, very dry. I can sandblast a part and leave it uncovered for months on end, and there will be only rust inside the rust pits...that's it. I have not put any oil on the birdcage, and it is still spot free since I wire wheeled it a week or two ago (and I have been touching it with my hands constantly too).

I have to keep the shop clean - I barely have enough room to work as it is, and I need all the space I can get. Plus, I'm a cleanliness freak...I can't stand working in a dirty shop, drives me mental:nuts:

 

[1Michel]

Ok for the rust, just a heads up.

cool too about the clean shop, meticulous work doesn't stop at the mechanical and assembly part of the job.

Keep it up

 

[stinger12]

Stripped the right side of the car today...lots of elbow grease to get it nice and clean as seen in the pictures. Awesome condition. Only one bubba repair area, and it isn't even that hard to fix! I also test fitted the new rear bumper. Needs a little work, but overall I am very happy with the fit...they all need work.











c

 

[TimAT]

Be happy you've got a place inside to work. When I was trying to work on my car at your age, it was outside. PERIOD. And I got chewed on daily for any spots on the drive. And don't even think of asking to use the garage.

Looks good. Keep up the story!

 

[kwplot34]

I use to have to work in the pole barn along with the cattle,hay,and feed.
I sure do not miss those days. Nothing worse than laying under the vehicle and a cow close by takes a piss or a crap and it splatters all over the place :suspicious:

 

[stinger12]

Be happy you've got a place inside to work. When I was trying to work on my car at your age, it was outside. PERIOD. And I got chewed on daily for any spots on the drive. And don't even think of asking to use the garage.

Looks good. Keep up the story!

I am very fortunate that my parents are letting me use the garage for this restoration, I really am. I told my mom and dad I'd pay them back some day - and I will once I am on my own and living under my own roof.

 

[vette]

Did your Mom and Dad tell you once you are done they're taken the car? :rofl::rofl:

Danny

 

[boeing46]

Stinger12,
If my son was doing a project like you're doing i would be extremely proud and even put my Vette outside and keep it covered.
I would even enjoy helping him as much as he would want me to. While allot of young guys are chasing skirts and playing video games you are creating something you and your parents should be proud of.
I can't wait to see the pics as you continue.
Boeing

 

[stinger12]

Stinger12,
If my son was doing a project like you're doing i would be extremely proud and even put my Vette outside and keep it covered.
I would even enjoy helping him as much as he would want me to. While allot of young guys are chasing skirts and playing video games you are creating something you and your parents should be proud of.
I can't wait to see the pics as you continue.
Boeing

Thank you. I'll keep you updated!

 

[stinger12]

Words cannot describe how much work it has taken to strip the car thus far. I am beat. I've gone through 3.5 five gallon pails of lacquer thinner, and I am still not done (a little bit of a perfectionist I guess you can say:willy. Anyways, here are the latest pics. I am very tired. All the undercoating was removed from the interior. All the window sealant was scrubbed clean. All the paint is off the main body now - I just need to finish the doors. All without using one piece of sandpaper - only stripper, lacquer thinner and scotchbrite. I have a lot of respect for body guys, I really do. The engine should be heading to the machine shop shortly.





























Before the repair...





After the repair (still needs a little work, not entirely satisfied with the way it came out...need to clean it up a bit more)

 

[stinger12]

Been working my ass off stripping the car, and removing any of bubba's previous repairs. I have another batch of parts coming in from Mike - I hope to have the entire underbody fixed and undercoated/painted within 2 months, and I am confident that I can complete that goal. I barely have any bodywork to do on the rear clip (ignoring the flares and body seems that is) - there are only a few repairs I need to fix due to bubba. It may look bad to you guys, but this is an easy repair - its very simple. That trip down to Dallas to learn bodywork has already paid off



what you are seeing here is a piece of sheet metal, which bubba rivetted onto the backside of the glass before he laid new matt and resin down.















Take a look at the condition of the seat belt reinforcements - look friggin brand new

 

[turtlevette]

Are you using all that laquer thinner in the garage? You're goiing to rot your brain.

That body is kinda beat up. You couldn't find one in better shape.?

Even MY car is in much better shape than that.

 

[stinger12]

Even MY car is in much better shape than that.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

 

[stinger12]

Doors are stripped.

I'll be sandblasting the inner door frames this saturday. Need to mask off all the fiberglass areas to prevent damage.

 

[1Michel]

Are you using all that laquer thinner in the garage? You're goiing to rot your brain.

That body is kinda beat up. You couldn't find one in better shape.?

Even MY car is in much better shape than that.

Rot his brain? hell he cant do worse than we did in the 70's.

And I think his body is in a good shape, got a few issues but that's why he's rebuilding it.

How about a llittle encouragement or constructive critisism instead!
The kid's doing a hell of a job.
Where were you at his age?????

Keep it up Stinger, great job!

 

[stinger12]

WOW, WOW!!!!....I'm finally done with the paint stripping on the body:nuts: Time for some sandblasting - birdcage, floorpans, inside of doors, door hinges and radiator support. Once again a big thumbs up to Mike for teaching me how to strip a vette, without making it an ocean full of waves! I tell yeah, the paint stripper/ scotchbrite method is very slow and tedious, but you can't get a panel in any better condition...the feeling of a job well done is friggin awesome:bounce:

 

[nifty]

ive just spent the best part of 2 hrs reading this thread...'IM AWESTRUCK FOR WORDS....
what a PLEASANT surprise to see a young kid with a bit of respect for elders,and committed to a project for so long.
im impressed, and believe me...it takes a lot to impress me.
my background is im a boilermaker/welder first class for the last 26 yrs.
i mostly do pressure vessel welding of high pressure stuff...gas mains, ultra high pressure water etc etc, and i can apprectiate what you are doing here....
if only thee were more kids like you... we get young apprentices at my job, and they cant live without a mobile phone in their hands texting every 5 bloody minutes..
ask them to do a test weld and its like asking them to flip off the pope....
just for future referance...cast iron IS weldable.takes a special touch and sometimes a bit of cheating to keep it cool ( we use a damp rag) and dont forget to PEEN it to take out any stresses, but when welded correctly it will hold.( you be surprised how many people dont know why some hammers are called BALL PEEN,,,,
WELL DONE LAD..... AS A NEWBIE, IM COMMITED TO READING THIS THREAD.
thanks a lot.