1974 Roadrunner Re-Paint and Some Upgrades

[RR Fan Dan]

Drivers door is closer to fitting off the bat. Slight gap in circled area. Still tight at the rear of door to quarter panel.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Slightly off on bottom gap to rocker but not to bad.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Got the back of the door using ladder as wedge to level it. The bottom of rear fender fits the rocker panel rough. This is the side I believe was wrecked before.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

After shifting the door around more the bottom gap on passenger side is 1/2" along the rocker panel. There is a larger gap on drivers door about 2 feet parallel to rocker panel gets larger than front of door gap. Both corner rear bottom gaps suck! Time for more metal work. Going to add round stock to the doors to close gaps.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Working the passenger side door hinges. The bottom rear door is just simply bowed out at the bottom area. Need to take a large hammer and wood to it, to try and get it back shape.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Ok, that's better. Here's the area to fill.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Look at what was found in the bottom of the passenger door. Small rust area under sealer.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Glad we did the entire seam area of the door that runs parallel to rocker. It is is super thin with rust behind it.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

That’s better. Have to stop here for the night, the welder tip switch it sticking once it warms up.

 

[RSMS]

Looks like the rockers are not shaped properly, especially at the curvature to the 1/4. Have the rockers been replaced, can't remember if you mentioned that, before you started modifying the doors it looked like there was a bow in them thru the pictures. I will take a look at mine later tonight and see what I can see, being a 70's chrysler, it might be their wide tolerances and no other way to make clean gaps other than creating them as you are doing

 

[RSMS]

Looks like the rockers are not shaped properly, especially at the curvature to the 1/4. Have the rockers been replaced, can't remember if you mentioned that, before you started modifying the doors it looked like there was a bow in them thru the pictures. I will take a look at mine later tonight and see what I can see, being a 70's chrysler, it might be their wide tolerances and no other way to make clean gaps other than creating them as you are doing

The bottom rear corner of the door to 1/4 shape isn’t ideal from the factory and although my gaps are straight and equal on each gap they are by no means tight tolerance. I think with you making gaps you will be much better than OEM

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Looks like the rockers are not shaped properly, especially at the curvature to the 1/4. Have the rockers been replaced,

No they were not replaced. The large factory weld seams were smoothed out, but that was an improvement.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Well started chasing rust inside the doors at the lower seam areas. Looks like the doors are quite finished with metal work.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

 

[RSMS]

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Lots of rabbit holes to go down while working on old cars!!! It’s good to see you aren’t short cutting it as most do,
especially once they discover hidden issues. Your car constantly reminds me of why I’m such a proponent of unrestored cars

 

[RR Fan Dan]

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Your car constantly reminds me of why I’m such a proponent of unrestored cars

Yep. Unless you do the work yourself, you don’t know what you’re getting. I look at restored cars in a whole different way now. Most people just put lipstick on a pig. If you want something done right, 99% of the time, you have to do it yourself.

 

[RSMS]

Yep. Unless you do the work yourself, you don’t know what you’re getting. I look at restored cars in a whole different way now. Most people just put lipstick on a pig. If you want something done right, 99% of the time, you have to do it yourself.

As someone that does the work personally or one of my guys that work for me do it, i totally agree. Buying a restored car is a crap shoot. I make a living by being able look at something and knowing what it is and I’ve seen some very good work making a very bad car not show what it was previously. There are good restorers but the problem is there are also good bondo guys. Original paint cars have little to no surprises. As you know 1st hand, it takes a lot to do what you’re doing and a flipper could never recover his investment unless it was a top tier car. Hopefully others (including me) will pick up things for your restoration to make our cars better!!!

 

[RR Fan Dan]

There are good restorers but the problem is there are also good bondo guys.

You need to be good at both, especially when doing a car that you can’t get replacement panels for. It’s the ones that use the filler to cover up the problems without fixing the problems. I envy the 68-72 guys who can basically buy all the sheet metal for an entire car. What I wouldn’t give for a couple of door skins and fenders.

 

[RSMS]

You need to be good at both, especially when doing a car that you can’t get replacement panels for. It’s the ones that use the filler to cover up the problems without fixing the problems. I envy the 68-72 guys who can basically buy all the sheet metal for an entire car. What I wouldn’t give for a couple of door skins and fenders.

metal fabrication and hammer and dolly work beats bondo every time. It's crazy some of the really straight cars I've seen that were built from a can, they look good when they go out the door but your days are numbered once you buy one.