Thread: Everybody that is currently building a car...

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Started fabbing and installing the panels in the trunk to gussy it up, got the front almost done, it will have a removable panel for access to the speakers and for storage. The trunk itself had a lot of bad areas that someone tried to hide with a trunk mat---still some work to do but it'll be nice and solid again!

Nice job, Dave! That's a back breaker working in the trunk like that. You're either hunched over or curled up in a ball. It's looking great!

Originally Posted by falconvan

Nice job, Dave! That's a back breaker working in the trunk like that. You're either hunched over or curled up in a ball. It's looking great!

Not to mention getting burnt from the welding.

WOW, that's coming out great! Very impressive.

Thanks guys, easy to tell the guys that have done this stuff cuz' they know what miserable work it is!!! I can only stay curled up in the trunk for a short time, then I crawl out and do something else for awhile.... I did get a couple of the side panels made and got the back of the trunk cleaned up and a patch made for it yesterday.

Going to go help a friend set the front sheetmetal together on his '49 Chevy today, his first build and unsure what he should do next....

Geez and I hate working on my back under the truck on the crawler. Get cramps in the forearms! No trunk to worry about! I guess the trunk is right up there with under the dash, no easy way to get up under there and see what your doing. Not to mention stuff falling in your face! Dave I can't imagine how you do that with your shoulder and knee injuries! My back hurts just thinking about it!

Dave,

I have seen pics of "creepers?" used for working under the hood where the elevated tray extends over the fender and you can lay out flat. Have thought about making one but have yet to do so. If I do end up making one it will be adjustable in height for working in the trunk too. I feel for anyone with back problems. If I bend over for any length of time it takes me forever to get straight again, and I have never had any back injuries, just getting old I guess.

Jack.

I tried a stand on the outside and hang over, Jack.... Didn't work well.... Another deal to throw into the equation is getting your line of sight at the right angle, and the distance correct, so that I can see to weld or fit with my bifocals......as I've said many times, getting old ain't for sissies!!!!!!!! I'll just have to settle for doing a little bit at a time, then doing something else for a bit---lots of areas on the car that need attention so I guess it's not really a big deal anyway....

I do have one of those stands, though and they are great for working on a normal height pickup!!!! When I'm doing stuff under the hood of my '71 I wouldn't even want to think of being without it anymore!!!!!

Figured I'd post up the progress on Dustin's El Camino. Ran into an oddity. The last parts I painted never cured. And yes, I used proper procedures for mixing, material thickness, flash times, temp etc etc. I really feel like it was a bad batch of hardener. Basically ended up with solvent pop...the result of top coat curing before the lower coats had a chance for the solvent to evaporate. That was two months ago....still sticky. Finally after much frustration, decided to do something with it. After many rags and nearly 5 gallons of cheap Omni thinner, I'm now able to scuff the sealer for another stab at paint. Really frustrating!

On the plus side.....interior is 90% finished. Yay!

Yeah, big time bummer!!! Had that happen once years ago with some DuPont, showed the guy from the paint store and he did come up with materials to re-do--didn't get a thing for the extra labor though....

That's got to be soooo frustrating! Not only going through all the steps to get a good finish, but then the time and expense of wiping it all off to get it ready agaiin. Did you talk to your paint supplier before stripping it off?

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Yeah, big time bummer!!! Had that happen once years ago with some DuPont, showed the guy from the paint store and he did come up with materials to re-do--didn't get a thing for the extra labor though....

As much as PPG costs I really expected better. Been using them for years. I noticed a decline in quality with the DP 90 when they had to go lead free. Not impressed with it at all. I'm switching to DuPont after this one. Cheaper and their line seems to be more in tune to a body shops needs for speed. Any thoughts Dave?

I should....but I quit caring about the money with my son's car. It's all about my time lost.

David

Originally Posted by rspears

That's got to be soooo frustrating! Not only going through all the steps to get a good finish, but then the time and expense of wiping it all off to get it ready agaiin. Did you talk to your paint supplier before stripping it off?

Yes. You know.....I've been doing business with this place for over 25 years and all they kept telling me was I mixed it wrong, or I didn't allow enough flash time, or too much material sprayed, or wrong solvent temperature. I'm no pro. I don't do this for a living. But I'm a bit of a worry wort when I paint. No one is allowed near the shop after the final blocking until its sprayed and cured. I know how to mix. I know how to set up my gun (Iwata LPH400LVX). I know what temperature it is at all times including the humidity and I only mix enough for a coat in case I have to adjust for temperature. It took time with this new gun and several test panels, but I have a medium coat down pat. They lost a good customer because they didn't give me the time of day. I have spent a lot of money there over the years. As soon as the hood, endgate, and floor is painted I'm walking in there and telling them to close my account.

I'm convinced it was the hardener. Too bad my only evidence went out with the trash that morning.

Bah....humbug!

DuPont does ok for me, but I've had decent luck with PPG, too. When I'm out of the stuff I have on hand I'll be switching to the SPI (I think) that Shine uses.

i worked in alot of shops may did not have mixing banks so it was use what match the best many times dupont would match up for a blend better then PPG a porsche i did comes to mind .on mopars ice blue and other Acme worked good .RM was good in the old days for gm brier brown . most all shops i worked at had two lines one shop was PPG and dupont. and alot of the knock off clears and thinners .hardeners . many times i like to kick the sales man in the ass just like ppg ? nope boss would buy it then i had to fight with it to get to work . i dealed with two paint shops in town over 20 years only asked to help out on one job