'71 Hits the Paint Booth

[CFMopar]

Work is coming along nicely. 

[71charger_fan]

Final fitting and welding finishing up on driver side.

[71charger_fan]

He found more rust in the trunk gutter that the previous shop had hidden using seam sealer and painting over it.

[71charger_fan]

Trunk gutter rust fixed.

[71charger_fan]

Just about done with the driver quarter panel. Up in the air as to whether to replace the entire passenger side or just the bottom. Probably the whole thing.

[71charger_fan]

I had contacts in the door jamb for power windows. A previous shop left me with several dead shorts and I got disgusted with it and pulled the power windows and reinstalled the manual. So, I had him weld up the holes in the jambs.

[71charger_fan]

Previous body shop REALLY loved filler.

[CFMopar]

The progress is great. At least this shop knows what they're doing.


  I was wondering if you considered doing paint removal yourself to save some money?

[DownZero]

I noticed the Maryland tag. Whereabouts in MD?

[71charger_fan]

Just outside the western city limit of Frederick on the north side of US 40.

[71charger_fan]

The progress is great. At least this shop knows what they're doing.


  I was wondering if you considered doing paint removal yourself to save some money?

I didn't know it was going to require stripping until it was already at his shop. Otherwise, I probably would have done a lot of the paint removal myself. Would have saved a lot of money though.

[ACUDANUT]

Sounds like you found a great shop. !!

[71charger_fan]

Moving on to the passenger side. A POR-15 and fiberglass patch I put on back in the '80s finally cut out and fixed properly.

[71charger_fan]

Under the quarter, the rocker was pretty rusty. He found that another shop had just welded a plate over the rust. This is passenger side, just ahead of the wheel opening.

[71charger_fan]

The bottom of the trunk drop was very rusty and has been rebuilt.

[71charger_fan]

A cut off piece of the outer wheelhouse as a cutting guide to make a patch. Another piece I have already paid to have fixed that was just hidden under filler, seam sealer, and undercoating.

[71charger_fan]

A few photos I took on my visit to the shop today.

[71charger_fan]

Passenger side inner structure has been rebuilt.

[71charger_fan]

Seam sealed and the portion that will be pretty much hidden hit with basecoat while it's open. Heat lamp shifts the color toward pink.

[71charger_fan]

Passenger quarter fitted, sectioned, clamped, and ready to weld.

[71charger_fan]

Passenger quarter on. The panel was poorly made at the top of the leading edge and needed some body work.

[hemi-hampton]

In the past those 1/4's leading edge I've found to be way to round with no point to them. And they actually bulge out some at the bend/curved edge to make it a high spot all along edge. LEON.

[71charger_fan]

In the past those 1/4's leading edge I've found to be way to round with no point to them. And they actually bulge out some at the bend/curved edge to make it a high spot all along edge. LEON.

It had that going on but is also seemed to have a double stamping with two edges. Not bad enough to send it back, but cost me an extra hour or two in labor to straighten out.

[71charger_fan]

The rear of the unibody should soon be in epoxy primer.

[CFMopar]

Hey if you don't mind asking your shop next time you're there.

Do they know of a source for Cowels and front frame rails for 71?