Quality Repair.

[hemi-hampton]

Would you call this a good quality weld or repair? Had lots of duraglass & bondo hiding this work LEON.

[Dino]

Poor weld + excessive grinding = cracked metal next to the weld.  I've seen it a million times and it still makes me cringe.  Cut all that crap out and section in a new piece of fresh metal.   

[hemi-hampton]

Yes, your 100% right. Not my work though, some hack body man before me that quite or got fired, bondoed this heap up & it was a mess when I got it. Now I gotta bail him out again. See the stuff I gotta deal with LEON.

[Dino]

Not for a second did I think this was your work.   

Sorry to hear you have to bail out a hackjob wizard.  I got mighty tired of doing that myself.   

The scary part is, what else did he touch on that car?

[hemi-hampton]

After he bodoes car & leaves & they then have me prime it. They say hay Leon what do you think we oughta do with this rotted out rusted engine compartment. I say it's such swiss cheese it should get replaced. SO, They take my advice & buy nice solid original 99% rustfree inner fenders. Problem is all this should of got done first, not afterwards. SO, I bring in my Cherry Picker & Engine stand to pull motor. They say why should we use your cherry picker & engine stand when we can just rig up a chain fall from Ceiling & we don't need no stinking engine stand, we'll just prop it up on some 2x4's & 4x4's & whatever else we got laying around,  Real Professional like  don't you think LEON.

[Dino]

I worked for cheapskates like that and never will again.  As much as I loved doing body work, I'm glad I'm out of it.  It's the people around me that made me quit it altogether.  Health care is much better environment to work in.   

[hemi-hampton]

Yeah, I know what you mean, I feel the same way. I had my engine puller (cherry picker) & engine stand right there next to the car. They refused to use it, said would take to much work & time. Well just Earl Scheib it instead. LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

I'm having fun now.

[Dino]

What a mess!  I hope your boss will let you dismantle that engine bay so you can do it right.

[hemi-hampton]

The Passenger side not much better. Here some pics. Not done yet LEON.

[tan top]

Would you call this a good quality weld or repair? Had lots of duraglass & bondo hiding this work LEON.

  soo many idiots in this body & paint game 

The Passenger side not much better. Here some pics. Not done yet LEON.

[Kern Dog]

Sounds like you work for some real dip shits.   

[hemi-hampton]

Sounds like you work for some real dip shits.   

I never worked for any body shop that wasn't. Only worked at One Body shop I really liked alot but he went out of Business. Bummer. LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

One side mostly done. Since the inner Fenders & Frame bolt to the car this rusted peice pretty much holds the hole front end together. It was so rusted & weak one big pot hole & the hole front end might of caved in. Why Didn't Mopars just bolt theres in instead of welding them? LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

Finally got this Firewall Painted. Looks better then big rust holes. LEON.

[Dino]

Much better!   

[hemi-hampton]

Getting Closer. LEON.

[Lennard]

Looks great, another one saved! 

[Silver R/T]

Excellent craftsmanship, just excellent.

[hemi-hampton]

Got the engine back in today. Not a Mopar. Just a 66 Nova SS L-79 Motor. Muncie Rockcrusher 4 speed. LEON.

[tan top]

    you sorted that out !!  nice work  

[hemi-hampton]

The guy wanted it painted black. Then he said Bright Red. Then he said a factory 1966 GM Dark Blue. Did spray out & not enough pizzazz for him. SO, Customized the Factory dark blue with some White Pearl & Course metallic, He liked that. Painted the Cowl & cut in parts. LEON.

[Dino]

Oh man that is a beautiful color!   

[Dino]

Oh man that is a beautiful color!   

[hemi-hampton]

Looked like somebody replaced the Fenders with NOS back in 1983. But then oversprayed the backs in candy red. LEON.

[E5 Charger]

Nice work! What did you use on the inside of the fenders? Do you usually spray undercoating or a bed liner?

[green69rt]

Did you spray the Undercoating directly on the metal or prime first?

[hemi-hampton]

I usually use Undercoating But the Boss wanted me to use Raptor Bedliner. Which I guess came out OK. The back of fenders had factory black primer mostly there, so I sanded backs with 150 grit & then spraybombed any bare metal spots with self etching primer & then Bedlined. Not how I would usually do it but being low budget thats what you get. LEON.

[Bobs69]

I was doing a small project on a lawnmower.  For fun really.

I wanted to use spray on bed liner.  I was told at the store, on the back of the bottle, and from the tech line that it needs to be sprayed on a factory finish.

[Hudson Hornet !]

Leon,

I realize that Raptor Liner does not really look like undercoating, but do you feel it is a quality product?  I see that 3M has a bedliner that is also epoxy based. That sounds like the best of both worlds to me.  Have you ever used it?

[hemi-hampton]

The only thing I don't like about this stuff is maybe someday down the road in like 10 or 20 years somebody might want this stuff removed & it will not be easy. Being in the resto Business do you know how many times I had somebody come in with a Earl Scheib Maaco cheapy job where somebody will undercoat a rusty Trunk floor & then want me to remove it & paint trunk floor. Not a easy job. LEON.

[Hudson Hornet !]

I can understand what you say.  I am making my decision purely on a protective standpoint and I figure some SPI epoxy with a few coats of the 3m Autbody coating.  Here is a link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX6lpz3espg

[hemi-hampton]

I never used any SPI or that 3M Autobody coating. This stuff (bedliner) dries pretty hard. I think it would give better protection & durability then regular undercoating. LEON.

[hemi-hampton]

Should be Painting tomorrow finally. LEON.

[Hudson Hornet !]

Looking good! Be sure to show us some pictures when done.

[hemi-hampton]

Got ot Painted. First pic is after 1 coat of Sealer & 1 coat of base then DeNibbed. Next Pic it's painted. Used 3 coats of PPG 4000 Clear. LEON.

[birdsandbees]

You certainly have the "touch" with that gun Leon!! Sure wish you were closer to strip and paint my '69 Bee !

[hemi-hampton]

Did this 70 Super bee a few years ago. F4 Green with rare Ledger Green C-Stripe. LEON.

[jaak]

Hey Leon, is that a 66 or 67, and what color did u paint it.
Reason I ask, I am about to paint a 66 Nova, Im painting it GM Indigo blue.

Jason

[hemi-hampton]

Hey Leon, is that a 66 or 67, and what color did u paint it.
Reason I ask, I am about to paint a 66 Nova, Im painting it GM Indigo blue.

Jason

It's a 66 Nova SS with 350 horse L-79. I painted it a 66 GM Color called Danube blue, Code EE in 66 or code #WA3302 in todays translation. Color is not exactly stock though, It did not have enough Pop or Wow factor for him So the fine Metallic in formula was replaced with PRLX2 Silver Pearl & the medium metallic replaced with DMD650 Course metallic for that extra Pop & Wow factor in sunlight. LEON.

[jaak]

Hey Leon, is that a 66 or 67, and what color did u paint it.
Reason I ask, I am about to paint a 66 Nova, Im painting it GM Indigo blue.

Jason

It's a 66 Nova SS with 350 horse L-79. I painted it a 66 GM Color called Danube blue, Code EE in 66 or code #WA3302 in todays translation. Color is not exactly stock though, It did not have enough Pop or Wow factor for him So the fine Metallic in formula was replaced with PRLX2 Silver Pearl & the medium metallic replaced with DMD650 Course metallic for that extra Pop & Wow factor in sunlight. LEON.

Looks great, Leon