68 Camaro bodywork

[idrivejunk]

With the pay week ending mid-week, of course the plan is evolving on the fly and its push-push time because everything is urgent. Sounds like crash work, don't it?

Today's plan has me yes doing the '69 metal work. I comitted to having the '68 roof fully installed by tomorrow's end, and another guy is to step in and do mud on the 68. And I'd start on the '69. But I wasn't finished with the 68... doesn't matter... the other guy is plenty good.

Just whatever, me fix. Off we go-



I found the '69 to be like this:

Trunk hinge bracket on one or both sides are positioned incorrectly, holding the package tray and rear window filler panel in a twist, relative to one another. A deck lid would never line up!

Other than that, she's alright. Needs rocker work, not too bad. Cowl, firewall, all floors, roof, tail panel are all new and owner-installed decently. It must have gotten a little too 3-D at some point due to the mini-tubs. Not a problem, at least I don't think so.

It has one usable fender, doors are cruddy. Decklid new and dented, just like the full quarters. We also got rear window panel and a 3pc gutter kit.


So back to the '68- continuing from the patches I made yesterday that may or may not make sense yet. Come on, I'll show you in detail-











See whats going on there? I stared at it awhile and this was all I thought of for a solution. Fitted that patch edge to the quarter's edge and welded it up. Next I'll cut the face of the quarter right next to that seam.

Here was the tool pile for the next step-



Now I slice the quarter and bend it out for the contour I need, leaving a void to be patched. Also trimmed the edge of the patch flush with the tail panel's face.






I made another patch for that slice, with Tape Aided Design. Slapped a piece of 1 1/2" masking tape over that and traced it with my pen, then stuck it on a scrap as my rough pattern.

Another post will take it all the way, til I ran out of day....

[idrivejunk]

I let the patch lap over the quarter face while I welded up the inside edge, and made sure to keep that flush with the trimmed edge of the first patch.

Once that was like I like, I trimmed and leveled out the second patch and quarter, and welded that as I went. It came out alright but will need some filler at the bottom. After appropriate grinding and touch-up welds, I rattle-can etch-primed it because its humid out. The wind was working against me a little in my stall welding today, but I opted to keep fresh air and light coming in and just dealt with it.

[idrivejunk]

Today was a slam-bam put the roof on day. Its on now. Didn't stop for pics during the bonding process, for the camera's sake. Its a rubber glove affair.

But there are a handful of pics-

This is how I transferred the exact old weld locations for new plug welds. Taped the old flange and marked them, then using my screw holes as register marks, I placed that strip on the new flange and made pilot holes with a Snap-On 1/8" double ended drill bit from the topside. I patterned from the rear and used it up front too. Front was too pitted to find them all. Notice theres a skipped weld place near the four corners, in a ways. I suspect that might have to do with side crumple zones so I honored it. Its near where the cage sits.




Flipped her over and went some more. Used a HF nitrided stepped bit with the tip busted off and drilled four steps deep except at the windshield end where I went only three. Four is about a quarter inch on this small bit. Sucks having the tip busted but it still works, kinda. See scratches around holes, lol. Anyway, drilling from the underside leaves the burr on top.



I chose to put four sheets of Hush Mat on it and call it did. People use this stuff like wallpaper but i think its mostly just heavy. Kinda avoided the dome light area just in case. The roof sounds solid when patted with open hand.



The gently grinded edge is adhesive prep. 36 grit on a new 2" twist lock disc chucked in a die grinder at low RPM. After that, you clean with thinner. Then using a 3M Automix gun loaded with a panel bonding adhesive cartridge, dispense a bead to bond areas. I spread it out to cover all bare surfaces with a slice of a plastic bondo spreader then apply another bead. This happens on both panels and is per training and instructions. Sorry no adhesive pics at this time. I was in high gear, but the work time on the goo is about an hour.




So I hollered at my bud and we set it on the car. I have a bunch of these 8 mm bits that worked just right to clamp it down in the rail channel. I fussed over the clamps for most of the work time then I left it be whilst I et.







Zap-n-smoke, three hours later all the plug welds and corners are done. And yes this morning I test fitted this once before bonding, and checked my tabs at the quarter top flanges for correct dept then welded those and etched 'em.





Clamps could have come off today but I left them overnight because there was no reason not to.

The plan is to patch over the places where GM used lead. More on that if I do it. I tweaked the Miller 212 settings and found a sweet spot that worked nice for me. Each weld hole was clamped and / or screwed tight, and cleaned with a flat nose 6 mm spotweld bit like I showed before, and there are some places it looks nice enough. Not many bad uglys and no detectable warpage at this point.

That new in the box roof dent- I was able to push it out a little but I believe a little mud patch is the safest bet there. Not too bad.

You may also be delighted ha ha to know that the nasty old front piece of inner structure... welded up nice even where it was shaggy.  Should be an easy enough grind session. Whew. Its all solid now!

I suppose I'll switch to the 69 tomorrow? What a day! Glad its over.

[UGLY OLDS]

drilling from the underside leaves the burr on top.

I gotta remember this one ....      

Neat way to clamp in the gutters .....

Bob...

[idrivejunk]

Thanks    :!:

I get to finish... the week anyway... on the 68.  

Off I go, sparks flying  

This was yesterday's close-up stuff-















Result of a couple hours' smoothing, and the rest of today's tasks in a moment...

[idrivejunk]

After grinding down welds per usual-










Etch primed the quarter seams and welded more up front, for fill mainly.






Made these patches to go over those quarter seams.








Then again, more zap-n-smoke. This is as far as I got today. Well I did start grinding a little...






There was warpage below the right patch that I'll need to deal with but our filler will lay on a solid bed this way, rather than bridging a flanged joint.

[Rrumbler]

This has been an educational trip, I'm enjoying it.

[chris spokes]

very nice work , never thought of patching over a join well done  

[idrivejunk]

Well thank you guys  

The patching over the seam could be done more nicely with more time, but I had to go-go-go at the end. Like all of them. If stress is not present, it will be created for me. I had to absolutely fly through today and there was little opportunity to get pics. I reckon I'm due to slow down in that department, theres about 500 images here already.

Heres what I got-

Left side, carefully welded:



Right side, grinded but not sanded or tapped on for shape.



Left side is a little flatter but as you can see, a trench still exists. Actually two trenches. Theres so much difference in height between the two panels... its like when you shave a drip rail on an old truck and find out the door does not line up to the roof edge as imagined.

If I can advise here, for another doing same, I'd say that the top edge of that patch can be expected to level out nicely. But there will remain a horizontal step out where the quarter's face begins at the bottom. Either do it perfect (difficult because its tied to the inner structure, giving llittle control over that) or live with the ridge and blend it in. It will never be a nice flat place and it was never intended to be. But you can feel better about not burying an overlapped seam under filler.

This one at least got some clean-n-strip disc time just barely-



This was the kicker, I had to pack it into a five hour day as well. It lines up from the other angle too now. Just had to walk out, no time to take it further...



When I had three tacks left on the top patch, the welder gas guy that I thought would be in early next week arrived to change gas bottles. I went back at it... and the day turned from not just having to hurry on something that can't be, to now the welder doesn't work right. I'm not sure the right gas is in the bottle despite the label. No adjustment of gas flow could get me back to where I was with the nice bzzt-bzzt welds. It was just one of those days when you don't look up the whole time and without a moment to spare while things try to work against you.

[UGLY OLDS]

Matt ... Thank You for taking us along on this adventure ....    
I know that I learned a BUNCH & have to assume that others did too ...

We now have a much better idea in what is involved in doing proper body repairs ... );b(

Bob.....

[idrivejunk]

Aw Bob, thanks. Proper or not, I don't know! But its my ways, and you guys can file this stuff under "seen it" then maybe one day it will help someone out in a garage somewhere. I try to display the uncensored car body gore that nobody else will, in order to reveal the plain shop tricks behind the magic.

Photobucket appears to be having issues today. The pics should appear later, if you don't see them now. At the moment theres just a bunch of "Your image was linked incorrectly" placeholders. Don't worry. I think.

So I dressed those sail patches down some more. Keep in mind that few neatness points are required here, since its a heavy filler area no matter what. The quarter is supposed to stick out a little so the factory lead has a shelf to rest on when troweled on at GM. What you see is just the lesser evil, and I've tried to prepare a sound bondo bed without needing a calendar to figure the labor hours.

Right side-






Left side-






Fronts-




You might have to press your nose to the screen for this one. Below is the homework study pic for you all, lol.  Pardon the UFO lighting. I made two tiny L tabs to plug weld the floor kick-up panel ahead of the tubs and the inner quarter together. Also made this oddly shaped piece at the bottom to tie all the panels together at the base of the B pillar. Nothing was connected before. I have more like that to do, but...

See one of my new tabs trying to hide behind the rollbar under the door bar brkt? If I hold on to the rollbar, I can still rock the top of the quarter in and out a little by hand. I'm thinking new ones were probably that way. Not much there.

[idrivejunk]

I switched over to the '69 Camaro today, and Bryan took over on the '68. He started by welding the decklid skin to the shell to firm up that panel. When we left, he was doing exploratory sanding in the left quarter area to find out if the epoxy on it is good enough or if it should be redone before filler work starts. It will need fresh epoxy everywhere I've been. He will be concentrating on filler work on the roof, trunk, tail panel, and aft sections of the quarters for the time being.

I took a couple pics to show the hood "on" it. It doesn't fit well and the scoop is crooked but that will all be approached in due time.

I am debating having a thread about the '69. It is a whole new mess and I already started chopping. My new photo hosting account for this thread is half full now. But it would be QUITE the adventure, I assure you. I could just back off on the nitty gritty details I guess.

Opinions? Ideas? Want more?

:?:  :?:  :?:            

[UGLY OLDS]

Matt ..It's always neat to see work being completed BUT not at the expense of your photo account ..... Maybe if you just showed us the "weird" things you find  :?:  :?:   We have seen what you can do with the first set of photos .....

 You decide .... :?

Why does all the epoxy work that was completed need to be redone  :?:  Did something go wrong during the curing or  :?:

Bob...

[enjenjo]

Matt, I would like to see what tools, and your technique for grinding the welds.

[idrivejunk]

Howdy gents  

Replies after supper.    Thanks for the inquiries :!:

Only one pic today, but the customer popped in and liked what he saw. For the first time I saw moments of enthusiasm. The mood was good and I got teased about cheating on his honey. He is pretty cool and I hate to think what he has been through with this build. Looks like Bryan will do a bang-up job on those gaps, its starting to look normal-esque.  Who-da thunk it :?: