usaroadrunner
Well-Known Member
Sorry bout your lab Kahn, but your Great Dane is awesome. The Dane will be loving the vert too...lol
My 1967 Belvedere Convertible Plans and Restoration (aka - Mad Scientist Build)
- Thread starter conv67bdere
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JimKueneman
Well-Known Member
You have nailed, I bought about $800 worth of filler, epoxy and high build primer. About $50 is still on the car, the rest is dust in the wind. Eventually you will start to be able to "see" and "feel" what is going on and it goes way faster. I got obsessed with perfection and over did it. Hit it with the skim coat and then use the blocks with 80 grit. The minute you see you sanded through to the primer stop and repeat. Don't stop and think about it just re-coat it. When it is flat you will just know it by the way it sands.
JimKueneman
Well-Known Member
Oh and having these few DuraBlocks made all the difference for me:
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/e04c6e6d-3996-c1c8-adc0-b385aba487da
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/feeb618c-ba74-fabb-d639-1d4a7fcb4e7e
and this for specific areas
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/f7cea266-2e18-65f1-a67d-e8118daf7acf
Note these are not the 24" ones. A bodyman here told me 18" or so is all you need. Any longer and you can start having problems keeping constant pressure along all the surfaces. The first two would be perfect your quarter panels. I used them almost exclusively except for small ones for special tight areas.
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/e04c6e6d-3996-c1c8-adc0-b385aba487da
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/feeb618c-ba74-fabb-d639-1d4a7fcb4e7e
and this for specific areas
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/f7cea266-2e18-65f1-a67d-e8118daf7acf
Note these are not the 24" ones. A bodyman here told me 18" or so is all you need. Any longer and you can start having problems keeping constant pressure along all the surfaces. The first two would be perfect your quarter panels. I used them almost exclusively except for small ones for special tight areas.
I've got one of these Durablocks and I'm learning to really like it with my bodywork . . . I'm still learning . . .
Side Note: Having some transmission troubles with my daily driver Truck ( 315,000 miles ) so I'm in the process of pulling the transmission to send it off and get it rebuilt - which means that my work on the Belvedere is going to suffer a bit until I get it pulled . . .
Argh . . . always something . . . . then I get to have fun re-installing it when it returns too ( I'm just so excited, I can't stand it ) . . .
Glenwood
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you're having way too much fun Larry!
JimKueneman
Well-Known Member
Fixing a daily driver does not have the same appeal as the classic Mopar......
Which one did you buy the curved one? I used that almost exclusively on the quarters and the flat one on the doors and front fenders ('68). Work on rolling the curved one at the same time you are moving it down the quarter panel. You will make those nice lines really defined. I also ran masking tape down the body lines and sanded one side of the tape then removed it and taped the other side of the line and sanded the side the tape was on. It allows you to keep nice sharp edges where they are suppose to be sharp.
Not the Belvedere . . . But I'll take "any progress" that I can make these days . . .
Got the transmission out of the truck today . . . 315,000 miles . . . time for a rebuild . . .
And a big old gaping hole under the truck ( in case you thought is was just a spare trans sitting around . . . )
Got the transmission out of the truck today . . . 315,000 miles . . . time for a rebuild . . .
And a big old gaping hole under the truck ( in case you thought is was just a spare trans sitting around . . . )
usaroadrunner
Well-Known Member
Holy crap Kahn you knocked that out like a cheap date...lol
Believe it or not . . . I actually found a transmission under that pile of dirt . . .
And here's a view of the durblock that I got for my bodywork . . . got the 16" version, and it seems to work well on my panels . . .
Posted a pic of the one that I bought and use . . .
LMAO . . . is "that" what we call this ? ! ? ! ? ! ? . . . glad you got me straightened out . . . I was starting to wonder . . .
Gotta have the daily driver to be able to play with the toys . . . thanks for the tips on the bodywork, I've been doing a lot of research, watching you-tube, and videos,to try and better understand this process . . . I'm getting there.
If my car turns out half as good as yours, I'll be happy, I want to drive this beast and not worry about dinging my paint job . . .
Dang USARR . . . I hope that's a good thing . . . I was hoping to have it done to get it to the shop this week and let them get started on it . . . so by my measure I'm running late ( what else is new ) . . . but thanks for the kind words of encouragement . . . and I'll take the successes ( as rarely as the come ) . . .
And here's a view of the durblock that I got for my bodywork . . . got the 16" version, and it seems to work well on my panels . . .
Posted a pic of the one that I bought and use . . .
LMAO . . . is "that" what we call this ? ! ? ! ? ! ? . . . glad you got me straightened out . . . I was starting to wonder . . .
Gotta have the daily driver to be able to play with the toys . . . thanks for the tips on the bodywork, I've been doing a lot of research, watching you-tube, and videos,to try and better understand this process . . . I'm getting there.
If my car turns out half as good as yours, I'll be happy, I want to drive this beast and not worry about dinging my paint job . . .
Dang USARR . . . I hope that's a good thing . . . I was hoping to have it done to get it to the shop this week and let them get started on it . . . so by my measure I'm running late ( what else is new ) . . . but thanks for the kind words of encouragement . . . and I'll take the successes ( as rarely as the come ) . . .
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Been a busy week, and none of it related to working on the Belvedere ( argh ! ) . . . But I did . . .
Get my transmission out of my truck
Get my daughter/husband set up for the HVAC replace at the house they're trying to sell
Pick up a load of firewood from my neighbor ( he let me use his truck - Dodge=cool - Mine isn't working too well . . . )
Spent the day working on this panel, and it's really ( finally ) coming together for me ( except the wheel lip )
And this area . . . I think I've finally got it nailed down . . . ( good thing I don't do this for a living - I'd starve ) . . .
Still fighting with the area behind the wheel, one spot over the wheel, and the whole wheel well lip . . . lots of angles and curves . . .
Back at it again tomorrow . . .
Get my transmission out of my truck
Get my daughter/husband set up for the HVAC replace at the house they're trying to sell
Pick up a load of firewood from my neighbor ( he let me use his truck - Dodge=cool - Mine isn't working too well . . . )
Spent the day working on this panel, and it's really ( finally ) coming together for me ( except the wheel lip )
And this area . . . I think I've finally got it nailed down . . . ( good thing I don't do this for a living - I'd starve ) . . .
Still fighting with the area behind the wheel, one spot over the wheel, and the whole wheel well lip . . . lots of angles and curves . . .
Back at it again tomorrow . . .
JimKueneman
Well-Known Member
Looking good. For the radius around the lip, broken record time:
http://www.dura-block.com/product-page/round-hook-loop-block-11-l
Don't be afraid to cut the round one in to smaller pieces to work the radius around the lip and use big long strokes around the wheel well. It will take a while. I spent a good week getting the wheel well in front of the rear wheel rebuild to look normal (where a long ago accident happened).
JimKueneman
Well-Known Member
Are you using expensive filler that dries fast and sands like butter? I used Marsol (3M now) Platinum Filler. That stuff drys in 20 minutes and sands like drywall plaster with 80 grit. I was getting 2-3 coats on each evening as I was getting that corner shaped. Put on what you think in your mind is too much and when you start thinking you can sand off just a little more and it will be perfect stop and throw on another coat 
Are you using expensive filler that dries fast and sands like butter? I used Marsol (3M now) Platinum Filler. That stuff drys in 20 minutes and sands like drywall plaster with 80 grit. I was getting 2-3 coats on each evening as I was getting that corner shaped. Put on what you think in your mind is too much and when you start thinking you can sand off just a little more and it will be perfect stop and throw on another coat
I'm using this stuff - was told it was good stuff . . .
Thanks Joel . . . haven't seen you around here much lately . . .
Shhhhhh . . . don't say that too loudly or others will want me to help them out too . . . ( lmao ) . . . YEAH RIGHT . . .
( think I now know why rat-rods are so popular these days . . . )
Got myself a$$ deep in a 70 Duster project. On the rotisserie and actually getting blasted this morning, so I will be in the mud slinging/sanding/repeat process this coming week. Father/son project that is turning out to be a father project because my 17 year old has found himself a gal pal that is taking up most of his free time lol. Been poking around on abodies a bit, but am migrating back here because I am more familiar with the members here.
Glad to have you back on board . . .
It's an outright conspiracy . . . that's what it is . . . to prevent me from working on the Belvedere ! ! !
Get up this morning to go to the grocery store, jump in the 66 Shoebox . . . turn the key, one round of the starter and then the dash goes black . . . ARRRRGH ! ! ! The top of the battery is all wet, apparently from spitting out acid . . . great. Start the car with the battery charger and drive to the Auto Store where I bought it about a year ago . . . FULL WARRANTY . . . they're getting ready to put the "same" battery in the car and I ask them which one of the Optima batteries will fit in my car . . . the difference - $60 . . .
Well . . . she's got a new "heart" . . . ( then I spent a couple hours cleaning up the acid with baking soda and water, found loose and missing bolts on the battery tray from the previous owner - fixed all that - and did a little much needed cleanup on the 66 ) Now I need to make a "new" battery hold down . . . YEAH - Another project . . .
But after all of that, I still made it to the shop and here's the first round of sanding ( I thought I was close - WRONG )
In front of the wheel well - thought this was nailed . . . WRONG . . .
Behind the wheel well, I knew this was bad ( don't even look at the wheel lip . . . ugh )
But after a couple rounds of plastic filler skim coats, epoxy primer, and high build primer . . . I'm liking the results . . .
The whole body shot ( even got the shop cleaned up, swept up the dust on the floor . . . I'm pretty happy . . .
Couldn't resist . . . 747Mopar gave me an old 365-50-R20 tire he had at the house . . . do I tucked it up under the car . . .
WOW . . . I like it ( if only it was a little wider . . . yeah . . . )
Then, like always, I get treated with my puppy dog greeting me at the back door . . . as I come in from the shop . . .
( no he's not standing on anything but his feet - the bottom of the bottom window is 40 inches - yeah . . . )
Let someone try and sneak in the house . . . LMAO
A good day in the shop . . . after a little TLC on the 66 . . . and I've got tomorrow off . . . so more work on the car ( Maybe . . . )
Get up this morning to go to the grocery store, jump in the 66 Shoebox . . . turn the key, one round of the starter and then the dash goes black . . . ARRRRGH ! ! ! The top of the battery is all wet, apparently from spitting out acid . . . great. Start the car with the battery charger and drive to the Auto Store where I bought it about a year ago . . . FULL WARRANTY . . . they're getting ready to put the "same" battery in the car and I ask them which one of the Optima batteries will fit in my car . . . the difference - $60 . . .
Well . . . she's got a new "heart" . . . ( then I spent a couple hours cleaning up the acid with baking soda and water, found loose and missing bolts on the battery tray from the previous owner - fixed all that - and did a little much needed cleanup on the 66 ) Now I need to make a "new" battery hold down . . . YEAH - Another project . . .
But after all of that, I still made it to the shop and here's the first round of sanding ( I thought I was close - WRONG )
In front of the wheel well - thought this was nailed . . . WRONG . . .
Behind the wheel well, I knew this was bad ( don't even look at the wheel lip . . . ugh )
But after a couple rounds of plastic filler skim coats, epoxy primer, and high build primer . . . I'm liking the results . . .
The whole body shot ( even got the shop cleaned up, swept up the dust on the floor . . . I'm pretty happy . . .
Couldn't resist . . . 747Mopar gave me an old 365-50-R20 tire he had at the house . . . do I tucked it up under the car . . .
WOW . . . I like it ( if only it was a little wider . . . yeah . . . )
Then, like always, I get treated with my puppy dog greeting me at the back door . . . as I come in from the shop . . .
( no he's not standing on anything but his feet - the bottom of the bottom window is 40 inches - yeah . . . )
Let someone try and sneak in the house . . . LMAO
A good day in the shop . . . after a little TLC on the 66 . . . and I've got tomorrow off . . . so more work on the car ( Maybe . . . )
JimKueneman
Well-Known Member
Ha Ha and you thought you were close The next words of wisdom I can give is if you think you know where it is low/high it is really low/high at least 4x larger than you think. When you slather the filler where you believe you need it take it out 4x from where you planned to and and make it way thicker than you think. It will be about right!
The next words of wisdom I can give is if you think you know where it is low/high it is really low/high at least 4x larger than you think. When you slather the filler where you believe you need it take it out 4x from where you planned to and and make it way thicker than you think. It will be about right!Similar threads
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