71 500 Finally in the bodyshop!!! (Updated)

[haueter66]

I was excited and thought I should share...

[Charger_Fan]

Cool! Looks like a fairly clean body from here!

What color are you gonna paint it?

[haueter66]

The car was 99.9% rust free... only rust was a few pin holes in inner passenger quarter and top edge of windshield... I am going with gunmetal gray ... it was dark green originally... if I had everything to do over again (I have been working on it for 10 years) I would have left it green to save alot of work!  But, I was only 14 when I bought it and I hated the color then... it has since grown on me    Oh well... gray it will be.

Here is the car the day I bought it circa 1996

[cudaken]

 Haueter66, in the PIC of the right quarter panel, is that all filler? Other than that a Charger looks pretty good.

                                       Cuda Ken

[haueter66]

Well, sort of... I asked the body man about it and this is what I got.  The quarter was really, really banged up/creased etc. at some point and had just been filled with like 3/4 of an inch of putty... So, What the body shop did was pull everything out as close as they could get it to the correct location.  Then I guess they put a thin coat of putty over the whole quarter which they will then sand to the correct contour... I am not a body man, so I really don't know how bad that is... but they assure me the putty no where is thicker then 1/8 of an inch... and should be much less after sanding...

It looks really good, so I guess I will take their word... What do you guys think?

[cudaken]

 With out seeing it before, during and after I would say you needed a new panel. But I was not there, did not run my hand a cross the panel or see what it looked like after a air file was ran across it. I would go with what they are doing. With out being there it is real easy to second guess, but I was not there so don't give it a second thought.

  More PIC when you find the time, I like to look at other peoples work. Might pick up a new trick of the trade.

                                 Cuda Ken                                                           

[haueter66]

I would agree with you that the best way would have been a new panel... The guy doing the work is a "freind" of my fathers and I think he was probably trying to save me money (?) ... I dunno... anyway, he knows my budget is limited and that I am looking for the best cross I can get between value/quality.  I guess if it looks decent when he is done I will be happy.  I figure I can always have the car redone when I am older if the bodywork fails at some point.  I really can't complain as he is doing all the body work and paint for $3000.  The only down side is that it is a "side" project so it only gets attention when he isn't busy.  Like I said it's a trade off at this point.  I have owned the car 10 years and never (legally that is) driven it down the road 

I will definately post more pictures as I get them.  Thanks for the input!

[73rallye440magnum]

i see green! same story on my quarters.

[haueter66]

I figure I can always have it re-done some day down the road if it isn't what I want or if it fails... but what I have here is a car that is going to be driven... alot... and I built it as such, so I really don't need a 10k paint job just to worry about it all the time ... I was at the shop again the other day tho, and I'll tell you what... for doing it with filler and not replacing the panel he sure does have it looking good!

[haueter66]

Ok.  Not really much of an update here, but I was at the shop today and they were at least working on the car... the pass. quarter is looking pretty good... the drivers side is stripped now... the second picture isn't very good because there was dust in the air...

[Silver R/T]

looks like body is pretty straight. Better color choice too than that green you had on there

[haueter66]

yeah its pretty much rust free... that green was the original color... i never cared for it... although I probably would have left it go if I had to do it all over again just to save a little time/work...

hopefully have it back sometime around first of the year... ill keep my fingers crossed!

[haueter66]

shop called today, said I better come tomorrow and take a pic cause its ready for primer... WOOT



Ill post as soon as I get them

[haueter66]

Here are some updated pics ... ready for primer

[haueter66]

couple more

[cudaken]

 Why was that guy laughing in the one PIC Say he was glad it was not his Just kidding.

That is a lot of filler, could be my Charger. But as lonf as it not to thick you will be fine.


                                   Cuda Ken

[haueter66]

the guy in suspenders is my body man... not sure what they were laughing about... my dad is the one in black and my brother in carhart...

it is definately alot of filler... he told me that... but he said he pulled everything as close as possible and its only a thin coat, so hopefully it will last... the car was just very abused at some point in its history...

says he might have it to me by Christmas!!! 

[73rallye440magnum]

looks cool, lots of filler in there, but if done right it will be fine for 10-15 years. keep us updated.

[haueter66]

Ok.  First stage of primer is complete... here are a few pics.

[haueter66]

Some more pics from today...

[cudaken]

 That is a lot of guide coat! One of the tricks I like to use s tint the last coat of primer with paint or use 2 colors of primer. Does the same thing.

                                     Cuda Ken

[Silver R/T]

looks like he's getting it straight

[haueter66]

I hope 

it looks good to me, and like I said before ... someday if I have to money I can get a $10000 paint job... for now I think it looks pretty good for $3000 or $4000

should be painted next week, I'll post pics as soon as I have them!

[haueter66]

Small update... Made it down to the shop today.  They had all the first guide coat off, the low spots filled with icing, two more coats of primer and a new guide coat on and part way off again.  They have been busy 

Here are a few updated pics... although not much has changed really.

[73rallye440magnum]

wow they are REALLY going to town on that thing... looks cool... hopefully it will block out great. Are you going to have them sand and buff it. Base/Clear or single stage? are they doing all the jams?