The Sheriff

[Fratzog]

No, make a cast of the outside. This way I can see if the contour is correct. I have the paper template but I don't see how that's going to help me with shape. If I take a cast at least I'll have something to compare it to.

That's actually a great idea! Its likely more work than is necessary given the uncomplicated curve. I used a panel flanger for a flush seam and then a couple temp screws to hold into place. Remove repeatidly and gradually curve the panel. I used my thigh just above my knee. Once the corner points align you are good to go.

 

[rapidtransitrick]

how are you making out?

 

[67Monaco]

Not making out yet. I was working on the interior finishing up cleaning out the surface rust there. However it's been too damned cold here to finish up, and there's been a bit of work needed on my Ram. Since the Ram is a daily driver it unfortunately takes priority.

Hoping to get back out there this week.

 

[rapidtransitrick]

looking forward to it

 

[67Monaco]

Finally some warmer weather in the forecast and some time away from work this weekend. Perhaps I can get the interior back in, if I'm lucky the backlight will go back in too.

Edit/

Well Saturday didn't trurn out anyting close to the temps they were predicting so I was left with today to screw with the car. So the floor pans are covered and waiting the dry time.

I haven't been able to locate my spacers for the backlight. I have no idea what bag they ended up in. I guess I have a tresure hunt ahead of me this week. So needless to say the backlight isn't in. Nor did I get to work on the rust in the trunk yet. But right now getting the interior in and the trunk squared away before I start cutting the quarter panel. Still scares me a bit but I gotta do it.

 

[67Monaco]

The mold is finally done. Life has a way of slowing down a project.

With the mold done, I'm waiting for it to finish curing. It was hard enough to to remove but I don't want to trim until it's really solid. Once I get it cleaned up I'll spray another coat of release agent inside then the plug will get poured. That should be done by next week. Then I'l have something to form the new sheet metal to.

The rust wasn't as bad as I thought but there was one spot that was thinner than the surrounding metal for some reason. Anyway with that the cut has a small jog in it.



The section I'm going to glass up to recover the shape;

Taped up and ready for mold release;

Picked this up at west marine. I use it for release agent when I glass bed rifle actions;

 

[67Monaco]

Mold release sprayed on. I used a touch up gun run with the release agent straight up no thinning;

First layer of glass laid on. I will lay 3 more before I let it start to cure;

Mold popped off and will be set aside to finish curing. This is after 24 hours on the car;

Bad stuff cut out and waiting for the plug to be built so I can start shaping the new metal;

 

[Fratzog]

:sSig_thankyou: For me this is truly and education. I had no idea about this approach and look forward to further updates.

 

[cbarge]

Very nice approach to the problem--and still retain the factory lines.
Good work!

 

[YACHTSMAN]

72 newport

Yea,i could use that on a couple of spots

 

[D Dodge]

Any updates?

 

[67Monaco]

Started to weld in the structural metal in the quarter, but my life seems to take wierd twists and turns. That being said I haven't made a plug from the mold yet. We'll see how she gets this summer. I'd like to get it to the point I can drive it to Carisle next year, not gunna happen this year. I will be there loking for parts though.

I did however get the backlight in this weekend.

Right now I'm running slow with most of the work. It's really on the back burner at this point. The wife is 4 weeks from delivering our first, going to the doctor three times a week takes its toll. And back in Feb we were reduced to a one income household involuntarily. So I do what I can as I can.

But it'll get there.

 

[cbarge]

Well,congrats on the awaiting arrival!
I know where you are coming from as life does require more time away from the car.
Keep us posted!!

 

[67Monaco]

Wow it's been an entire year since any posts to this..

Well I get 15-20 minutes here an there to work on this thing. So I've had the drivers fender off and made some repairs to it. Pounded the dents out got to a point where I should need very little filler if any at all there.

The wifes dad was in town and we had a long talk about the car. Ddid some digging in some old repairs on the drivers quarter, turns out this thing may have been an actual cop car after all rather than just owned by a sheriff. On the top pf the rear quarter, drivers side, there's a patch that's brazed on, large hole with three small holes surrounding it. The only explanation is the whip. Now I have to figure out how to deal with it.

There is a similar repair in the center front of the roof. If it's what i think it is, this should be where the bubble passed the wires through. I've been reluctant to even start looking into this one. I'm afraid of what I'm going to find. So I may end leaving any filler up on top in place.

The lower quarter patch still needs to be made. I've been working on my tucking skills for and hoping I'll be able to get it shaped it correctly. I'm going down that road rather than buying a new quarter and using 10% of it.


The exhaust is off and the headers are in. I've got to work on the passenger side a little bit as the very end of the collector touches for the about 3/8 of an inch and not by much, maybe 100 thousandths. I'm using Summit SUM-638230 chambered mufflers to keep the roar down and the neighbors from complaining. Hope to be completing the exhaust this summer as it dumps just under the rear passengers feet right now.

As you can see the passenger side is cracked pretty good.

The modifications I had to make to the offset collector extension to make it through the crossmember;

Getting cleaned up and surface rust taken care of;

 

[detmatt]

Any progress is good progress! Little bits here and there is a good thing if that's all you have time for, it's when you walk away from it for that entire year that makes it really hard to get back to.
Looking great!

 

[67Monaco]

So while I was at it I did some testing on degreasing and paint stripping. I saw some interesting posts on other sites about using clr baths to derust metal etc, but i wondered if I could get away with the same thing for grease. Well the pictures below tell the tale. I can tell you it was 9 gallons of water to one jug of the degreaser. The results were pretty impressive for a 24 hour soak. I did this also for an aircleaner and the results were even better.

 

[67Monaco]

 

[67Monaco]

well I decided to see what was under the repair in the rear quarter. There was 1/4" of bondo here covering up a "repair" About 4 hours of pulling, hammering, grinding and cursing we're getting close to being back to where it should be.

 

[67Monaco]

Got off my butt and finally attempted to tackle the quarter panel patch. It's the first one I'm attempting and not being a body man by any stretch it's not been a task I've been looking forward to. So after much consternation, procrastination, and reading all I can find about it here's where I'm at. Using the passenger side to make a pattern I laid it out on a piece of 20ga trimmed and began to shape. I've got a ways to go and I have much more than I need at this point as outlined in the last picture, the square line is what I'll be needing. The low spot needs more roll. The edge needs some sharpening and other lows need to be brought up and some highs need knocked down. The surface was hit with a DA with 120grit paper. It continues tomorrow.

All I used for this was a pair of straight and left hand snips, body hammer, comma dollie, heal dollie, and a pair of needle nose pliers for the tuck/folds.

 

[commando1]

NICE (!!!) tin knocking.