Where to start?

[Dreamcar]

A simple question...where would you start the project knowing that as a hobbiest with a day job and two kids, it all takes time:


1- Stripping, priming with epoxy (roof, pillars, doors, firewall, engine bay, frame rails, etc), the parts you know will stay on the car;  or

2- Removing the rusty metal (quarters and floor pans).

I'm just trying to pick a direction to start now that spring is here.

[GordonGriggs]

 I knew a guy that was doing his own bodywork and was in same situation. He was restoring a 74 dodge pickup. He started with the driver's side rear quarter panel. He removed the rust, welded in new panel, then painted the panel. Next he did the roof, and worked his way around the entire truck. The truck looked funny because the sections he fixed made the truck look new. But doing it that way he could still drive the truck, and not get too frustrated. I think it took him about a year.

[Dreamcar]

Thanks. The difference is mine would be driven during the work.

[crj1968]

I am kind of in the same boat as you. My car is a driver but needs work everywhere.

I think I am just going to pick one panel at a time.  I also have to deal with window trim clips, etc, which I've no experience with.   

[cudaken]

I knew a guy that was doing his own bodywork and was in same situation. He was restoring a 74 dodge pickup. He started with the driver's side rear quarter panel. He removed the rust, welded in new panel, then painted the panel. Next he did the roof, and worked his way around the entire truck. The truck looked funny because the sections he fixed made the truck look new. But doing it that way he could still drive the truck, and not get too frustrated. I think it took him about a year.

Thanks. The difference is mine would be driven during the work.

Dream Car you lost me there, will you be driving or not driving the Charger?

I agree with Gordon friend, do one section at a time. Is the Charger running? My self when I did my Charger, first step was to get her running well. Later I pulled the engine so I could paint the engine bay, but I rather have a runner than a roller. Next I tackled what bugged me the most, which where the quarters. Then I just worked my way around the Charger till it was ready for paint.

After it was painted, I did the interior. I still kept her running so I could make a blast around the block to motivate myself. I all so got the suspension done, replaced the top and etc. Last thing was pulling the motor and painting the bay.

Personally I do not like taking the car so far apart that it becomes Modern Art with boxes.

My   worth, Cuda Ken  

[Dreamcar]

Thanks. The difference is mine would be driven during the work.

This is what happens when my kids are screaming in the background....what i meant to say is that my car will NOT be driven during the work. Sorry for any confusion!

[Baldwinvette77]

I always start with rust repair, and tracking down parts i need 

[six-tee-nine]

Cant drive a car and do a top shelf restoration at the same time, period.
This how I'm doing it :
Strip it, get rid of everything like dash, wiring and suspension parts.
on a side note, I have mine on a rotisserie wich is a great help. (cheap self made with some square tube)
first I removed all of the underbody coating, then stripped most of the rotten sheet metal.
I put new lower quarters in place and a new rear valance and endcaps. I sandblasted the frame rails and the inside of the trunk before epoxy primer. now I'm putting the trunk floor in place. then I will move to the front of the car bit by bit. I will only strip or blast as much as I can do in one day, meaning the part that gets stipped in the morning needs to be primed in the evening.

I'm at it for a year now,but only averaging 6 hrs a week at this point, I hope to be ready for paint by the end of the year

[PlainfieldCharger]

Cant drive a car and do a top shelf restoration at the same time, period.
This how I'm doing it :
Strip it, get rid of everything like dash, wiring and suspension parts.
on a side note, I have mine on a rotisserie wich is a great help. (cheap self made with some square tube)
first I removed all of the underbody coating, then stripped most of the rotten sheet metal.
I put new lower quarters in place and a new rear valance and endcaps. I sandblasted the frame rails and the inside of the trunk before epoxy primer. now I'm putting the trunk floor in place. then I will move to the front of the car bit by bit. I will only strip or blast as much as I can do in one day, meaning the part that gets stipped in the morning needs to be primed in the evening.

I'm at it for a year now,but only averaging 6 hrs a week at this point, I hope to be ready for paint by the end of the year

What type of primer are you using with this process. This is how I will do my 70 bee and I am not sure on the primer.

[Dreamcar]

Cant drive a car and do a top shelf restoration at the same time, period.
This how I'm doing it :
Strip it, get rid of everything like dash, wiring and suspension parts.
on a side note, I have mine on a rotisserie wich is a great help. (cheap self made with some square tube)
first I removed all of the underbody coating, then stripped most of the rotten sheet metal.
I put new lower quarters in place and a new rear valance and endcaps. I sandblasted the frame rails and the inside of the trunk before epoxy primer. now I'm putting the trunk floor in place. then I will move to the front of the car bit by bit. I will only strip or blast as much as I can do in one day, meaning the part that gets stipped in the morning needs to be primed in the evening.

I'm at it for a year now,but only averaging 6 hrs a week at this point, I hope to be ready for paint by the end of the yer

Good plan. 6-10 hours per week is about all i'll have too.

[wingcar]

The best plan is to do small jobs that you know you can complete in a reasonable time frame, then move on to the next small job.  Trying to take care of a major job or to many small jobs at one time will leave you frustrated  meaning you will trend to drag out the job, not giving it the attention it needs to be completed in a timely manner.  The basic idea is that if you see progress, even if it's small...it will keep you motivated.  Then with many of the small issues taken care of....you can tackle the larger jobs knowing that you can make progress.  Just my two cents

[six-tee-nine]

Cant drive a car and do a top shelf restoration at the same time, period.
This how I'm doing it :
Strip it, get rid of everything like dash, wiring and suspension parts.
on a side note, I have mine on a rotisserie wich is a great help. (cheap self made with some square tube)
first I removed all of the underbody coating, then stripped most of the rotten sheet metal.
I put new lower quarters in place and a new rear valance and endcaps. I sandblasted the frame rails and the inside of the trunk before epoxy primer. now I'm putting the trunk floor in place. then I will move to the front of the car bit by bit. I will only strip or blast as much as I can do in one day, meaning the part that gets stipped in the morning needs to be primed in the evening.

I'm at it for a year now,but only averaging 6 hrs a week at this point, I hope to be ready for paint by the end of the year

What type of primer are you using with this process. This is how I will do my 70 bee and I am not sure on the primer.

I stoppend using spray cans.
Buy a paint gun. Theres room for mistakes or runs in your primer since you still need block it all down. I use a 4/1/1 epoxy primer wich I let sit overnight. The Day later I shoot Some high build primer over the epoxy.
Talk to Some good paint suppliers, loads of good products out there like PPG or Glasurit.

[PlainfieldCharger]

Thanks for the info Putting together a plan starts somewhere. I just know that I will need to do small sections at a time.

[cudaken]

Dream Car, who far are you taking the Charger? Full blown spin it around and flip up side down restoration or just a nice sold driver?

I have seen way to many people bite of more than they can chew and give up. We don't want your name to become Box Of Dreams! Even when I replaced the rear 3rd of my Charger you could tell it was a Charger. And I could start the start her up if I wanted to. Would not move with nothing to bolt the rear end to, but she would run! 

If you want to paint the bottom of the Charger you don't have to take the whole car apart.

Cuda Ken

[Dreamcar]

Dream Car, who far are you taking the Charger? Full blown spin it around and flip up side down restoration or just a nice sold driver?

I have seen way to many people bite of more than they can chew and give up. We don't want your name to become Box Of Dreams! Even when I replaced the rear 3rd of my Charger you could tell it was a Charger. And I could start the start her up if I wanted to. Would not move with nothing to bolt the rear end to, but she would run! 

If you want to paint the bottom of the Charger you don't have to take the whole car apart.

Cuda Ken

Thanks for the advice. I know these things can become a nightmare really quickly. But, this not my first project car and what i am starting with is not driveable anyway. Look for an interesting story on the forum about my car in a few weeks   

[six-tee-nine]

Glad you know how it works.

I also have a daytime job and 2 kids (3 and 5 yrs old, you know what that means I guess)....

I did my first full restoration when i still lived at my parents home long before mariage and kids. It's a whole other story when you have up to 20 hrs to spare to keep motivated.

If you have a decent plan and go step by step you'll get there. Sheetmetal wise mine is coming along pretty OK at this point. Final paint will probably tak another 6 to 8 months at this point but I see the body growing towards a complete car again.
Trust me if you strip / blast a full quarter and you spray a uniform epoxy coating on that clean surface if looks already a lot better than the rust/multi color thing you had several hours before.

Never put deadlines on anything.  I bought my car in '06 and said for a while that I'd like to have it done by 2014. I'm lmao when I think about it now, because I did'nt knew back then what having kids means....
Going slow has another advantage, the bank account kan keep up a little better...

[Ghoste]

I would strip things first just so I know for sure how much of what stays on the car is good.

[Dreamcar]

I would strip things first just so I know for sure how much of what stays on the car is good.

I think that's where i'm leaning towards since what is rotten is already rotten, so it can't get worse, and i'll be able to epoxy what can be saved.

Thanks fir all the replies!