1st attempt at "body work"

[hemi68charger]

Well, it isn't anything big, but it's a jump for me.. As some of you know, I have to take back my '68 to the body shop to have them repaint the underside and engine compartment for it was too wrong.. So, I've sanded the complete underside and engine compartment with 320 and red scuff pads.. So, she should be ready to go.. Before I get it over there, I decided to take on a challenge.. The quarter extensions didn't have the holes for the body plugs, so I'm making them... Here's an "almost done" driver's side...  May not have all the fancy tools, but the dremel has worked great thus far.......  Most people don't go to this extreme, but I try to be anal and getting as much as possible back to what it was before......

[hemi-hampton]

I cut those before I weld in. Just makes it easier. LEON.

[terrible one]

Looks good man, gotta love Dremels!

[hemi68charger]

I cut those before I weld in. Just makes it easier. LEON.

That's what I was hoping my body man would have done,  but alas, it wasn't....

Thanks terrible...

Troy

[hemi68charger]

I'm curious what the rest of the car looks like. From the photos you have shown, the metal looks a bit rusted and welds in the top corner look sort of cobbled. Hey, I've been wrong before. Please don't take it the wrong way like some have recently.
Mark

Mark,
No offense.. The car is in excellent shape, it's rock solid. Any cobbled welds will be cleaned up. All will be covered with undercoating in the wheel wells anyhow..... There are some areas he "forgot" to attend to for which is one of the reasons I'm taking it back. I discovered some stuff while sanding. I've gone over every square inch of this car now... The rust appearance is from the very thin coat of epoxy primer and paint he applied.. He rushed the bottom side of the car to have it "home" for me when I came home from Iraq.. Needless to say, there were corners cut... And, needless to say, he's going to have the time he needs this go-around. The major problem I had with the car was the roughness of the engine compartment and underside. When he painted the top side, it naturally got overspray dust every where under it. Since he was in a rush to get it home, he didn't sand and prep the underside and engine compartment properly, hence creating the roughness to the finish.. Along with that, there were areas that the primer and paint were VERY thin.......  The exterior of the car looks fantastic. He had always said he was going to give it a final cut/buff once I got the car together, but I don't want that. I want it done...... I'm pretty careful to not harm the paint, but if I do, then I'll pay him to fix it...

Troy

[hemi68charger]

From a bodyman/painters point of view. Rushing a project only bites a guy in the ass. I can say that cause we all learn from our mistakes. I did a '68 charger and '67 camaro on a rotisserie, amongst other brands. I found the completes much easier vs. a basic paint job. No room for error plus the cars were gutted. I wish I could do nothing but restorations vs. collision repair sometimes. I hope the body guy corrects everything for you with no hassle. I think I remember seeing photos of your charger painted, but haven't found the photos yet.
Mark

Hey Mark..
Here's the link..
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,28812.0.html

Before I left to Iraq, I told him I would LIKE it to be ready for my return... He had the car for 5 years and it was due time... Well, as I left I told him, and he says he doesn't remember, that I didn't want a rush job if it looked it wasn't going to be completed to my standards.. We've known each other long enough to have an understanding of what one's expectations are.. Needless to say, I was pleased to see it at home, but as I got under it, I could tell it was rushed.. Blessed to all my friends who helped him get it ready.. They all saw the writing on the wall.. Hence, I'm taking it back after doing ALL the sanding in preparation of the job....

Now that he's having to redo it, I may have him do the "OEM primer/overspray" approach.. The juries still out on that one.. My personal preference is to have it all nice and turquoise.......

Troy

[hemi-hampton]

Let me guess, he had it 5 years, but after 4 years & 11 months you say I'm coming home in a month & then he decides to hurry up & get it done. Seen this scenario happen many times. LEON.

[hemi68charger]

Let me guess, he had it 5 years, but after 4 years & 11 months you say I'm coming home in a month & then he decides to hurry up & get it done. Seen this scenario happen many times. LEON.

Something like that.. I've been with the car ever since he got it.. It's was a painfully slow process.. Throughout the years, there was spurts of production, then the brakes again... Finally I had enough... It boils down to nothing more than time management..

[gordo1968charger]

being a body man i did all the fabrication,filler work and prep on mine  myself,a good friend of mine,took it to his bodyshop he has use of and sprayed in a booth,if i had took it somewhere to get done there tends to be no enthusiasm in doing old cars,or a "that ll do"approach,or "it ll be alright".
you can t beat doing it yourself to how you want it,
main thing is you got back from iraq to enjoy it.