front flares and grilles - louvers -- project finally started

[SmokinBBC]

What are your paint plans? Blend in same color? New color? Maybe same color with fat white racing stripe?

 

[MYBAD79]

What are your paint plans? Blend in same color? New color? Maybe same color with fat white racing stripe?

same color.... didn't plan on all this anyways.... although a stripe would look pretty good

 

[MYBAD79]

On the subject of Vanacor, did you not like the quality of the product they sent you?

Quality overall is great, however, the passenger side was 3/8" narrower. If they (Vanacor) get this fixed these flares are great, just like the rear flares I got from them.

I have no complaints about the thickness, although their parts are thinner than the stock OEM panels....

 

[Fuelie74]

On the subject of Vanacor, did you not like the quality of the product they sent you?

Quality overall is great, however, the passenger side was 3/8" narrower. If they (Vanacor) get this fixed these flares are great, just like the rear flares I got from them.

I have no complaints about the thickness, although their parts are thinner than the stock OEM panels....

Have you made them aware of this problem, so they can fix it?

 

[MYBAD79]

Have you made them aware of this problem, so they can fix it?

I emailed them :thumbs:

 

[MYBAD79]

Update:

the bumper seam is pretty much done and the side markers are gone :trumpet:

I cut the side marker "buckets" with a Dremel and then glued fiberglass in there from inside the fender. the grey stuff is Evercoat SMC adhesive


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3 layers of glass, ready for filler/primer



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[PoorVette]

Nice work! Looks great so far! What kind of primer you shooting over the bodywork?

 

[MYBAD79]

after some grinding, sanding and a few coats of urethane primer it's almost ready for paint.... almost ...


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I sprayed the primer wet so the reflections would show imperfections.... 2-3 more coats and blocking in between and it'll be ok...


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[MYBAD79]

Nice work! Looks great so far! What kind of primer you shooting over the bodywork?

thanks

I use PPG shopline urethane primer/surfacer. It's a very good product and not too expensive.

 

[PoorVette]

Right on! My buddy used Sikkens in his shop for my car but unfortunately we ran out of time so I'm finishing the body work in my garage. What kind of compressor and gun do I need to purchase to re-primer my car? Thanks! Oh. I'm also looking to run a d/a and maybe an air file.

 

[Arthur Brown]

home depot has a very nice 60 gallon compressor for $400.

 

[MYBAD79]

That's what I have, 60 gallon Husky compressor. It's more than I need but it's a good deal at that price. It's a great compressor.

 

[Ozzy]

Right on! My buddy used Sikkens in his shop for my car but unfortunately we ran out of time so I'm finishing the body work in my garage. What kind of compressor and gun do I need to purchase to re-primer my car? Thanks! Oh. I'm also looking to run a d/a and maybe an air file.

US General is a lot of bang for the buck.

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Click Here

 

[MYBAD79]

Just saw a Hausfeld Campbell 60 gal compressor on sale at Tractor Supply - $399.

Time for an update on the bodywork: I sanded some more and applied some more primer... then sanded some more....

 

[MYBAD79]

Update after a few weeks and a few hours of sanding, guide coat, sanding, primer, guide coat, sanding.....

The photo looks just like the one I posted weeks ago :



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guess it's time for paint now..... :lol:

 

[saudivette]

...after using it for the first time I think it's good enough to glue a dollar bill to the moon... holy crap, this stuff is worth the money...

When I was doing all my mods, I used a ice cream stick (dunno what you might call them in the US) to mix up the adhesive if I was only using a little bit and didn't want to waste a tip. I left one on the car port floor one day and only noticed it a couple of days later. I pried it up and when it finally came, the stick was complete with a piece of cement stuck to it! Good stuff indeed :shocking:

 

[saudivette]

Hey Karsten, have you started on the louvers yet?

 

[MYBAD79]

Hey Karsten, have you started on the louvers yet?

I started yesterday




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I'll have to look thru your photos to see where you located the vertical bonding strip, I am tempted to simply place it next to the one that's already there.... I do remember you placed it a little further towards the front. wonder why ???



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[denpo]

What's the plan on the louvers?

 

[MYBAD79]

What's the plan on the louvers?

I'm installing 70's style eggcrates - same louvers that Saudivette installed on his '82.... it's a lot of work but since I have to paint the front surround anyways I thought I might as well cut the fenders and install the louvers now... :bounce:

 

[saudivette]

Hey Karsten, have you started on the louvers yet?

I started yesterday

****, that must have taken you a while with a dremel! That Fein saw I used was brilliant and money well spent.

I'll have to look thru your photos to see where you located the vertical bonding strip, I am tempted to simply place it next to the one that's already there.... I do remember you placed it a little further towards the front. wonder why ???

That little bit of bonding strip won't allow the louver to sit inside the panel properly. The passenger side's ok but that bit needs to be moved on the driver's side. I just moved it back far enough so that it was behind the green bit in my pic.





It needed to be shaped like this to allow the panel to fit in.

 

[mrvette]

That Fein saw I used was brilliant and money well spent.


I picked up a cheepie at Harbor Freight, and i'ts done a bunch of tough jobs for me, I never seen one until the cabinet guy used one to cut a hole for a electric install on a cabinet side, neat as a pin...1/2" cabinet ply, like it was punch at a factory....there is no doubt it would do fiberglass, and it's piece of cake through sheetrock....

 

[greg75vette]

Nice work! I always admire fiberglass work done that well :thumbs:

 

[MYBAD79]

****, that must have taken you a while with a dremel! That Fein saw I used was brilliant and money well spent.

Hey Wayne,
no, the Dremel cut thru the fiberglass like butter. I am using reinforced cutting discs and the disc didn't wear at all. You can make very clean cuts with this thing

 

[MYBAD79]

Update: The so called :heavy duty" paint stripper that is available at the hardware store is apparently not as good as it used to be.... I have to soak each grill 3-4 times and there's still paint on there.... looks like old school epoxy primer....



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I still have a lot of cutting and fitting to do but here's a pic of what it's going to look like when it's done....



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I made some bonding strips today and also placed an order for another cratridge os 3M 8116 adhesive.... damn.... when this is all done I have spent $120 on adhesive alone (both flares and grills).... holy crap....

 

[saudivette]

Update: The so called :heavy duty" paint stripper that is available at the hardware store is apparently not as good as it used to be.... I have to soak each grill 3-4 times and there's still paint on there.... looks like old school epoxy primer....

Try this stuff Karsten. It's reusable too.
http://www.eastwood.com/ew-powdercoat-and-paint-dissolver-quart.html

I made some bonding strips today and also placed an order for another cratridge os 3M 8116 adhesive.... damn.... when this is all done I have spent $120 on adhesive alone (both flares and grills).... holy crap....

Expensive but it'll never come apart! How are you using the adhesive? Smyda recommended to me that I use fiberglass drywall tape behind the join lines. I put the 8115 in the joins then smeared some behind the joins then stuck a length of tape in the smeared stuff, making sure it was covered and "buried" in there.

 

[MYBAD79]

I still have 1/2 of the paint stripper that I bought, it works but it's very slow.

I have some of that tape, think it's a 3M product that I bought with some adhesive for plastic. it sure is more expensive than the drywall tape, probably the same stuff :lol:

 

[MYBAD79]

not much progress but here's an update:

I made bonding strips and glued them in place with the 3M 8116 adhesive.... just took the clamps off a minutes ago and "holy cow"... these strips won't ever come loose....

 

[MYBAD79]

[

That little bit of bonding strip won't allow the louver to sit inside the panel properly. The passenger side's ok but that bit needs to be moved on the driver's side. I just moved it back far enough so that it was behind the green bit in my pic.

I just cut some more today and removed the entire bonding strip, I'll move it back to where you have it glued in place.... if all goes well I'll have at least the driver side done by next week.....

 

[69427]

Gonna look great when you're done!