WTR388

Well, my funding for my ls project developed more than I expected and will have around $3000 to spare.
The car has some minor rust. Typical a pillar bubbles, a little bit under the front edge of the hood, seams of bottom of doors, a couple pinhead bubbles on the rear fender lips and some under one of the gfx on one of the fenders.

Eventually, I want a full strip and re-paint. But, I would like to stop the rust in the mean time. I'll do spot repairs, and take the windshield out to get those a-pillars done right, scuff the current paint and shoot.
I'll have to purchase a compressor, and I'll get one of those tarp garages to use as a paint booth. I need a compressor anyways so that $ isn't wasted.

Is it worth my time and $ for it to last a couple seasons? I have some body experience and some paint experience so it's not really over my head (I just hate body work). Also considering doing all the prep, removal etc and have a shop shoot it as is and owe them for materials and approx 3hrs shop time.

It's either this or I get a real axle under the car.

Ron U.S.M.C.

When you say "real axle" what exactly do you have in there now. (Gears, etc.), and what would you replace it with?
If your car has a 2.73, etc. and open differential than I would replace that first.

You might as well have something that is fun to drive and with my gear swap and posi install the fun factor shot up 100 % and felt like I just added 40 HP.

WTR388

By rear end I mean something like a moser.

Already have a "posi" read end with (I think) 3.42 gears. I want to be able to hammer it and not worry about blowing up the rear end.

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iTrader: (2)

I would do the body and stop the rust before I spent $$ on a rear end

Ron U.S.M.C.

Since you already have the posi rear with a decent ratio. than I would also work on removing the rust then do the prep, etc?
Then I guess you have to ask yourself what level of paint job do you want.


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One of the things I did not mention earlier is you may want to stop the rust and do some prep but save the final paint until after you have the new rear in. There’s nothing like working around brand new paint with large pieces of steel, etc.

WTR388

And that was my theory behind getting the drive line done first... With everyone's talk of how weak the stock 10 bolt is, I'll be afraid to step on it even with a completely stock LS1. Don't know how hard I could launch the car or do a 2-3 hard shift on the highway and not snap it.

I've been looking at doing the body myself...
Options are to strip the car down to the steel, take out all the trim, glass etc and even the hatch. The bumpers and GFX will be down to the plastic the car will go to a shop ready to be sealed and then have them do the body and paint and I put it back together.

Or, I do it all myself, set up a paint booth using one of those tarp style garages.
Means I have to get a good compressor (but, since this isn't something I will do very often I don't have to go crazy) and I'll buy a used, light duty MIG welder.
I think I'm going to likely just buy complete rear 1/4 panels. It's similar amount of time to cut out the old, weld in the new and blend it in, than it would be to cut out the old arch, form a new arch and then weld it in... With more area that requires sanding. I don't even think there is a hole in the rear 1/4s, but as I want to do this once and for all I wouldn't mind new sheet metal.
A pillars... Meh, I don't mind forming the little bit that will be required, I haven't been able to find replacement sheet metal for those.
As far as I can tell, there is no other rust on the car that will require new metal. Maybe just a bit of clean up in a few spots and a bit of filler.

As much as cost is a factor, so is the factor of time taken to get it done. Since this will be early in the driving season. I can have the car stripped down in just a couple of nights and rip the paint off the weekend before I take it to a shop and have it back in less than 2 weeks... Or start the project and finish hopefully in 3...
I HATE sanding, my 2 years in a body shop was more than enough, but I would really like to say "yeah, I did that". Black sure isn't a forgiving colour!

Waiting for the off season to do this isn't possible, it gets COLD up here.

I'm also possibly switching trades this summer, so that would mean some serious time before I can have a spot to work on the car... Another reason to get it done now.

The only reason I'm completely stripping the car, is that it has had one repaint and we just aren't sure of the quality of that last paint job... It looks bood but it is flaking off on the front bumper.

BTW, love your car!

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

I would look closely at the rear quarter panels and around their fender wells, the floor pans, around the strut towers and behind the front wheels. Those are areas where if rust gets in between the seams it spells major work. Take the rear wheel wells for example, if rust entered at the seem of the fender to wheel well and has now started to bubble up above the wheels on the exterior of the body. You will need to cut all of that open to clean it and probably end up welding in patch panels or new quarter panels.

WTR388

Had a talk with a body shop yesterday and came home to take another solid look at the car.
I checked it pretty good when I bought it and remember thinking it was good.
Strut towers are totally clean. Not a spec of rust and still all orig paint. Firewall totally clean.
Floors were done with a patch about 5 years ago, not a spec of rust.
The rear fender lips, it's maybe a dime or quarter sized spot on either fender, where it seems to be some surface rust pushed up a bit of paint.
A pillars, I tried to put my thumb through any type of hole, nothing moved, the rust bubble there is maybe 2" long on either side. I'm going to take off the plastic cowling and have a look behind there. I know it had a leaky heater core since right now there are no coolant hoses running towards it.

The car had the floors done and the entire underside looked to have been cleaned and then sprayed with truck bed liner or a good undercoat. It was done at the same time as the re-paint, about 5 or 6 years ago. It hasn't seen winter or much rain in about the same amount of time.

So I'm feeling good about doing it myself. Poor car has had an average of a new owner every 2 years! Obviously the guy who had it before the last owner bought it was taking care of it.

I know there are always surprises in these tasks, but it doesn't appear I'll be doing much heavy body work.

WTR388

Decided to do it myself. Complete strip aside from power train.
Once I have all my New interior pieces and weatherstrip.
Home made booth from one of those garage in a boxes, and I'll take a week off work to do it.
Gf will help me strip it down, I'll seal it then do the bit of body work it needs and go from there.

Going bandit scheme, I just can't fight the urge. It's one of my favourite cars, it's iconic and one of the most memorable cars we had as a kid was my moms 87 black and gold sunbird convertible GT Turbo.
I know 87 is the wrong year for the paint combo, but it feels right to do.

I'm still researching equipment (might go lvlp if I can find enough info so I don't need to buy a massive compressor. I don't own the garage here) and the proper process of doing it.

Epoxy sealer/primer, body work, polyester build primer, block sand, base coat clear coat. Unless I'm missing a step.

Hopefully doing this in June before the humidity and heat kicks in.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

One thing that may help you when you are finished priming and blocking you can wipe the car down with a slow drying wax and grease remover to see if it is straight

WTR388

I plan on doing guide coating while block sanding. It's already a pretty straight car. Has an almost invisible ding in the passenger door. That's it for dents that I've seen.