1969 Chevelle body repairs

idrivejunk · November 18, 2016, 09:11:05 PM

Here begins another at-work project, a 325 HP SS396 1969 Chevelle. Bench / stick car originally, butternut color with black top.

A little history- the owner has had it since around the turn of the century and bought it as a work-in-progress. It really is a nice specimen but with corrosion hotspots here and there, and some evidence of typical use and abuse.

Before his purchase, somebody broke into it through the trunk with a pry bar, then ripped the rear seat back area brace loose from the package tray to get at the interior. Thats still ripped loose, and the tail panel has been patched with a donor section. Kinda poorly.

There was wreck damage to the left rear, also poorly repaired using a GM quarter. Everything behind it is still bent and the quarter install was not the greatest. At that time, the repair man also started patching the rear window area but progress stopped midstream.

It appears to have had multiple shifter hump episodes and has ugly welds there. The right quarter's wheel opening flange has been rolled for tire clearance somewhere along the way, and both outer wheelhouses have quick nasty patches down at the trunk drop areas. Oh and theres the nasty rear window bed, presumably rusted out due to vinyl top.

So, on to the pictures from day one-

idrivejunk · November 18, 2016, 09:13:33 PM

I began by putting it on a rotisserie, and an inexperienced assistant began sanding some of the existing finish away on big outer panels where the customer preferred sanding to blasting, roof and quarters-

idrivejunk · November 18, 2016, 09:25:02 PM

A mobile blaster was called in, and spent 3 days or so getting it stripped using a mixture of baking soda and glass, in water. That was just too ugly to take pics of!

I spent another 3 days preparing it for epoxy primer, and could have spent more but y'know I had to stop somewhere. Just about wore out a shop vac on it and definitely wore myself out. But I got it to a point of my satisfaction and the boss says I am picky so I wiped it down some more and kept picking away caked soda until I was out of time.

The spotty metal discoloration you see on the quarter was from a kid with earbuds in running a DA and / or stripping disc wide open while I wasn't looking. Theres no gouges in it but dang how do you even do that?

idrivejunk · November 18, 2016, 09:34:09 PM

This is the donor section for the roof rot-

We just gave the roof liner a quick scrape-

I applied epoxy primer. Skipped the trunk floor because after a bare metal stage customer consultation and repair planning, the decision to replace that was made. Also being replaced are right trunk drop, right quarter lip and lower patches, driver's front floor section, and other various patching that you will see as the repairs progress.

kb426 · November 18, 2016, 09:35:36 PM

I can't say anything without 4 letter words so I'm going to be quiet and go puke!

idrivejunk · November 18, 2016, 09:37:30 PM

Aww, at least its not ate up with brown bottom disease.

You should have seen the blasting mess

kb426 · November 18, 2016, 09:55:28 PM

Why did they use soda and the glass? From looking at the plymouth suburban pics months ago, the glass did a real nice job.

idrivejunk · November 18, 2016, 10:04:04 PM

Quote from: "kb426"Why did they use soda and the glass? From looking at the plymouth suburban pics months ago, the glass did a real nice job.

I don't know. My guess is that the glass being added cuts quicker than soda alone. In my opinion, the finish it left was pretty nice. Only required a couple passes with 80 grit afterward.

Carnut · November 19, 2016, 12:17:53 AM

I so wish you could be working on my Chargers rear quarters.

Heh, heh, bought the car brand new in 67 and it was already rusting out.

57larry · November 21, 2016, 09:15:47 PM

are you going back with the butternut yellow?

idrivejunk · November 22, 2016, 08:04:36 AM

Quote from: "Carnut"I so wish you could be working on my Chargers rear quarters.

Heh, heh, bought the car brand new in 67 and it was already rusting out.

That would be interesting, I have not done any metal work on classic Mopars at all. Bet I could fix you up, given enough time. There are a lot of places on lots of cars that just never recieved any coatings so yep they start rotting at day one. Sad but true.

idrivejunk · November 22, 2016, 08:06:57 AM

Quote from: "57larry"are you going back with the butternut yellow?

I think so, with black stripe on the sides. Color is always up in the air until paint time though, so don't hold me to that.

idrivejunk · December 08, 2016, 08:35:52 PM

I have some updates to share:

New parts are in. Full trunk floor with braces, both trunk drops, full tail panel, both right quarter patches, and the driver's floor section.

While I was looking the other way, the existing bolt-on parts got stripped and epoxy primed.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately...

) a flurry of work on this car has begun and I am stuck on continuing my existing task. Works for me, and I will get in on it but will have to wait awhile for the change of scenery.

So one guy took off doing filler work on decklid and a door-

While another has been patching a little rust and a lot of holes. He has the firewall area knocked out and made a good start on the roof repair. I may finish the roof part but later on. For now, I like what I see. The guys are making a good effort to get nice results because this is a choice Chevelle owned by a cool guy.

idrivejunk · December 30, 2016, 10:26:39 PM

Our man Mike has been busy plugging away at the metal work since last post. Heck if I had known somebody else was going to do all that I would not have posted this thread. Here are a few snaps I have shot but I have not really paid any attention to whats going on with it nor have I made an effort to show the process.

As it sits, all the cabin floor and firewall work is complete, as is patching on the roof, cowl, and rear window areas. Trunk floor and drops, and tail panel are in and currently patchwork on the right quarter is happening. Sorry for the confusion about the work plan and lack of detail. He did al the stuff that was easier on the rotisserie then set it on a dolly to do the trunk area work.

I sprayed the primer on the doors today, lol. Yes, the wax and grease remover is still flash drying in the pic. Those are blasted original doors with a patch or two. Another new guy did the door mud. Last new guy is gone now. Mike is doing a heck of a job mowing down the list of metal tasks though.

kb426 · December 31, 2016, 07:55:54 AM

Matt, I don't care who does the work. It's interesting to see what your shop is doing. The work seems to flow at a timely manner and we get to see how people are having their cars repaired or modified. If you believe that 2 heads are better than 1, this is always good. Thank you for your efforts.

When you said the new guy was gone, did you mean : no longer employed?