body work on my 69 / she's finished!/ *UPDATE 5/25 * PICS*

[Todd Wilson]

So did you use any filler at the seam where the patch panel was welded back to the car?   Did you weld on the inside and outside since you could get at it from the trunk?    Very good pictures!


Todd

[Doc74]

So did you use any filler at the seam where the patch panel was welded back to the car?   Did you weld on the inside and outside since you could get at it from the trunk?    Very good pictures!


Todd

You mean the quarter panel patches? They were finished with sprayfiller, block sanded and primered.Regular filler was used to cover the patches and got sanded to bare metal leaving a smooth surface and better than factory straight.I used filler around the corner caps but not all that much since I cut the corners and brought them into place, the trouble was that they were so far gone that by the end of the day they were nearly build by welds, they sure are strong now 
I took my time looking at pics of corner caps on 2nd gens and they are never the same, I also found that the seams were very very wide and the small crease in the top of the corner cap doesn't connect properly to the quarterpanel bodyline, it's even worse near the tailpanel.
I didn't expect anything else from that era but now we have the tools I thought I'd give it a more modern touch or made it how I thought it should have been.The crease in the corner now connects to the quarter bodyline and fades going into the tailpanel, the seam is also only 4-5mm like a modern car. After the caps are in place just weld it shut and after prepping cut the seam in, you can easily see the inside to know where you have to be.

The patch got welded on the inside where needed, since I buttwelded it, with a mig instead of flanging, the weld went right through making it one solid piece, heat is a serious issue here, you need someone close to keep the panel cool.

The great thing about the quarters is that you have superb access through the trunk, the middle part right above the wheel has a nice bulge inn it which you can see if you look Fromm the right angle, you know which I mean, it had a serious dent in it but I was able to get it out lying in the trunk, again you need someone on the other side to tell you wth you're doing but hey it works !   

I got a lot more pics but because of all the dust and paint in the air they look terrible, I'm trying to clean up a few with photoshop.

[Doc74]

Two more pics

The beast getting ready for the trip to the shop, bare necessities are being put on, trunk lid ain't one of them 

The underside of the gastank still has the old undercoating on so that will need to be removed, time did the topside for us so all we had to do is clean it up and put some protective paint on it.

[AirborneSilva]

The patch got welded on the inside where needed, since I buttwelded it, with a mig instead of flanging, the weld went right through making it one solid piece, heat is a serious issue here, you need someone close to keep the panel cool.

Hey Doc, thanks for all the write-ups and explinations you give.  I know it takes a lot of time to do both and I for one do appreciate it.  I do have a question, or I guess I need a little help in understanding what you said in the paragraph above.  You said "you need someone clost to keep the panel cool", sounds reasonable, but what are they doing to keep the panel cool? 

Thank you,
Tony

[Doc74]

The patch got welded on the inside where needed, since I buttwelded it, with a mig instead of flanging, the weld went right through making it one solid piece, heat is a serious issue here, you need someone close to keep the panel cool.

Hey Doc, thanks for all the write-ups and explinations you give.  I know it takes a lot of time to do both and I for one do appreciate it.  I do have a question, or I guess I need a little help in understanding what you said in the paragraph above.  You said "you need someone clost to keep the panel cool", sounds reasonable, but what are they doing to keep the panel cool? 

Thank you,
Tony

Thanks for the appreciation, it's dearly appreciated    really

For starters I use a cooling paste or spray which you apply as close to the to weld seam as possible but it only works up to a certain point.
The only way i know to keep the panel cool is to use air.
We don't use those airgun thingies but just a simple connector, the metal thingies that are on the machines and sprayguns which you click into the compressor hose.I bolted two together for the best airgun around, basically a small steelextension of the air hose, so we get the most pressure out of it.It's all I need to keep the panel cool.
All my buddy has to do is follow the welds that become visible on the inside and blow it cold.
You have to blow a bit next to it so the fumes from welding don't go to the welder's face tho'   
Never use water to cool it down, it'll crystallize the metal.

I hope i wasn't too unclear, I just got up 
If anyone has any questions just post them here and I'll help out where I can.

[Mfr426]

Is that a dust mask? Make sure you use a real mask!! You can get them from paint shop for about $20. I painted like you are doing in the one shot (with a dust mask) and still feel that it caused my asthma and I'm in good shape (run, etc.).

You only get one (set) of lungs so TRUST someone who has learned the hard way--get a good mask, etc.  Can you tell I have a new daughter and just turned 40?? 

Otherwise the car looks great. I LOVE all the metal work!!!

Mike R in Reading PA

[CB]

it is a PA car. You can tell by all the panels he used to replace all the cancer

[Doc74]

Is that a dust mask? Make sure you use a real mask!! You can get them from paint shop for about $20. I painted like you are doing in the one shot (with a dust mask) and still feel that it caused my asthma and I'm in good shape (run, etc.).

You only get one (set) of lungs so TRUST someone who has learned the hard way--get a good mask, etc.  Can you tell I have a new daughter and just turned 40?? 

Otherwise the car looks great. I LOVE all the metal work!!!

Mike R in Reading PA

Guilty as charged, yes it is a dustmask, albeit one with an active filter but not a proper paint mask,you can't smell the paint through it but it's not designed for painting. With all the tools we have to swipe from work every friday we tend to forget some stuff.The paint masks were among it.I assume you mean the 3m masks that last 40 hours? That's the ones we normally use, good stuff.
I know it's a lame excuse but we hold our breath when we paint 

I used to have trouble because I never used a mask when i started painting 16 years ago and I felt it quite fast, not so much on my lungs but the toxins were killing my liver.
Never had any trouble since and I'd like to keep it that way.

Using gloves that can withstand thinners is something else I learned too late down the road but at least better late than never.

[Doc74]

A few more shots from the cellphone .

The first 3 are from last week, fitting the wheel to make sure it's still round...ok ok boys with toys, what can I say.
That sorry looking fella in pic 4 is me yes, can you see the pain I had to endure all this time ? Or am I just sorry to see her go 

Before take off we need to do some final checks and lose some of the dust it has collected. Tires are pumped, bumpers are on, taillights do their thing save one brake light, steering wheel is where it belongs again, very handy, and the tailgate is in the shop about a half hour drive that way.....oops.
CB also didn't seem to have the registration handy altough everything was in order soooo a quiet country road trip was in order, except.... with two foot pipes bolted to headers..it's not exactly a quite ride.

My colleague had his first drive in a charger with all known consequences following that event... so if someone has one for sale, real cheap, please don't hesitate to not contact me, I can't bare to do another one yet 

At this moment the charger's been stripped again and prepped for paint, yes it's flat black but it's still paint and it'll be satin flat so not really a primer look. I don't know about you guys but I'm excited !! 

More updates to follow

[Doc74]

Last ones

[CB]

 

[BigBlockSam]

wow!, thats a great job. keep the pics coming i luv it. Rene

[AirborneSilva]

Damn that looks good, I wish you lived around here 

[Doc74]

Thanks for the comments, it's dearly appreciated.
Airborn I just might be altough 'around here' is a fairly big term in the states. I'll be in Michigan before the year's over, permanent.

Little update. The car's ready for paint, as you know the entire backend has had some serious operations but the front hasn't, just the bare necessities so rust wouldn't find it's way through.
It was decided to paint the car flat black for several reasons, the main one is the one we all know too well, budget. Since the charger needs a lot more than just paint and since it's here in Belgium...well let's just say I wouldn't expect anyone to go order all parts in one go.It may or may not have a full resto later down the road but for now it's strong and has no more major issues, boy that crossmember scared me when I fist saw it!
As it sits now it's good enough to put a candy apple on it but since the charger needs some major mechanical work too I needed to find something cheap and I did, at least I thought I did...

Via work I got 5 liters of semi gloss acrylic paint, mainly used on industrial stuff, bulldozers and tractors and the likes. It's unbelievably strong, it's actually hard to scratch it and it's very very flexible as my thin sample card showed me but..oh yes there is a but...the structure it leaves is not pretty, not to me.
I followed the instructions mixing it but it lays like a syrup, doesn't flow or anything, what you see is what you get.
I was really surprised that for so little money this paint was so strong, now I know why.
I experimented with several mixtures, always keeping the paint/harder parts as they should and play with the thinner, used a bunch of different guns too.
I finally had a very very nice result, smooth as can be but I tested it on a flat piece and there's no chance that paint's gonna stick to the sides so I need to leave it a bit thicker giving me, again, flow problems.
I really hate this, after all the work putting this baby straight, I gotta go put on a reptile skin.  At least the gloss shade is very nice, not as flat as the primer by far which gives it that bit more..panache
Here's a close up of the doorjambs which I did yesterday, you can see the structure very clearly.
I'll do all I can with it to get it smooth, since it's semi gloss there's no option of cut and buff later on, what I paint is what stays.
You might ask so why not toss the paint and get something else, well I can but that would mean several hundred bucks more, which are not available.
I know it may be nitpicking and that most won't even notice, and nobody will when it's running for sure but just me knowing it is enough. For once I'm starting to like our Sikkens paints 

[AirborneSilva]

Thanks for the comments, it's dearly appreciated.
Airborn I just might be altough 'around here' is a fairly big term in the states. I'll be in Michigan before the year's over, permanent.

Are you sure you wouldn't rather move to Southern Arizona 

That paint almost looks like a vinyl.

[Danny Gutierrez]

Man I love the work!!!!! 
wish you guys would have done my car a few years ago!!!!!!!!!  Kepp sending the pics.

[Doc74]

Man I love the work!!!!! 
wish you guys would have done my car a few years ago!!!!!!!!!  Kepp sending the pics.

And here they are ! 
Danny just have plenty fun with your charger and I'll redo it for you in a few years 

After a lot of experimenting with cheap paint, lots of swearing and a minor depression..I finally found a suitable mixture to make the paint flow without losing any of those good qualities it owns. Still that wasn't the end of it because a simple dual coat would not have been pretty, so we, being me and my buddy whom you see in the pics, decided to paint it together, a side each because thanks to the wonderful mixture, it dried in about 2 minutes and honestly, I can't run around the car that fast !

After one sealed coat and plenty time to let it cure we started feathering the paint on intermediate distance and constantly crossing each others layers to create an instant satin effect. We will only know next monday if the 'clouds' have dissapeared, it still had a few, but we couldn't wait on it, it takes about 20 hours to fully set strangely enough but I'm confident since the sample cards I painted yesterday turned out great. And that's exactly how this beast looks, absolutely great. You can look at all those shiny custom car paints, all the pearls and flakes, chameleon paints, you name it...but paint a charger flat black and you have a REAL head turner, this thing is just wicked.

I didn't have time to finish the trunk lid which at this point has been beaten straight again, edge to edge so it's a big surface to get smooth. Besides it didn't really fit in the paint booth with the car.
So the lid will be done somewhere next week, I'd like to say monday but we're a man out next week so work will be plentyfull.
Also the insides will get proper treatment so keep a lookout for pics of that after the weekend.

Here's a few pics for your viewing pleasure

[Doc74]

Last ones for now

[CB]

man, that looks wicked

Can't wait to fire up and cruise around in my mean machine

[69 rt]

Looking Great Christian, keep them coming. Going tomorrow to pick mine up from the upholstery shop. really getting excited now.

69 rt

[AirborneSilva]

man, that looks wicked

You took the words right out of my mouth 

So Doc, ya wanna take a trip to S. Arizona, I can take you out 4 Wheeling in my Rubi in between working on my Rusted/Terd 

[mikepmcs]

MAN THAT'S TIGHT, WISH I COULD DO THAT FULL TIME.

WHERE CAN I GET THAT JUMPSUIT??
joking, very nice work and very envious of the talent
v/r
Mike

[BigBlockSam]

Yea Man! that looks mean. 

[Lowprofile]

Great Job Guys. When can I ship my car over? It needs lots of work!   

[tan top]

Yea Man! that looks mean. 

   second generation chargers always look bad ass in matt/ satin black