60 Biscayne

[idrivejunk]

Refreshed? My, my... look how wonderfully clean this panel is      Like springtime in a sunny meadow with the pleasant scent of wildflowers and gentle flute misic in the breeze with butterflies fluttering by...



Our man peacefully cleaned it up real nice and put the black stuff on both sides so smooooth    Boy O boy!

As I drag the thing to my stall, the background music changes... No... Noooo! Don't go in there, man!   :-}







Do NOT open that door! Noooo




How evil can a trunk lid look?    You ain't seen nothin yet  :evil:

Slowly, I turned. Inch by inch... creeeeak....






GAAAAACK! Or as Charlie Brown might say" "AAAAAUUUUUGH!".

Dang. Boy, uh... that one is a noggin scratcher    Close the door! Whew.

I was frightened and screamed for the broom tech in a bloodcurdling manner. Frantic, I glanced about. Elvira was nowhere in sight dangit. The nearest potential weapons were a pick tool and Sharpie. Insert Psycho music here. It fits. Me!  







(diabolical laughter)

Love to chop! But now what? To yawn in Technicolor? mmm
Stay tuned.  

[idrivejunk]

Lucky for you, I'm plumb tuckered out today!    If I felt good all the time, my personality might be intolerable.  :oops:    

Smells like that stuff the janitor used to throw down over the pile when a kid got sick in grade school in here.  But you won't smell it anymore after awhile.    Its gonna linger...

Heres a couple half days' work. That puts us at 3 days deep on this door so far. Theres a little left to go. Still, that may be less trouble than the alternatives. Anyhoo the lid still looks like that. Here we go on the door rot. I am trying to make it snappy  



Fret not, only this one truly barfesque shot today. The bottom front corner of that mangled passenger door skin. There is quite a bit of door shell damage from the elder fix that hides behind the trim panel but I'll probably flatten most of it out because some is pretty tall. See the wavy square holes below. That, and more.

We all know by now that I'm nuts from having to imagine that all these cars are Pontiacs...  :?    and I embrace that. But when I walked over to get the door and patch this, I grabbed the wrong one even though I thought I had done a double-take. That either means I have an eye for the obvious or that the right door didn't look much different from the left, damage-wise. Once I had the right right door flipped over, I shut down the thinking part and let the doing part just roam. Heres what happened-







































Still gotta grind that, drill the hole for the seal strip retainer, then patch the front. I intend to scuff, clean, and flood the area with epoxy on a brush afterward. I'll also dab some on the backside of the door skin while I'm in there, then show the whole mess to the paint shop in case theres anything further they'd like to do. I envision a swipe of seam sealer, no mud, down under the weatherstrip. Might still pass as unfixed if a judge peeked under there if I do my job.

I call this one of those areas where a pro knows that less is more. Rough cut but decent-fitting, overlapped and tacked patches where hidden for the win. Particularly in light of the numerous OTHER FANCY fixes the job requires. If I bog down, the painter ends up feeling the pinch. You all know I like Painter. So I want to balance these things as best I can so the customers can get more wants and be less drained by needs. For example, I'd like to get to fixing ugly spots fast enough that we can ask them if they would like to customize also. Rather than just repair. Thoughts of cool mods are like wild horses in a corral. I don't go near the gate but I'd like to, and turn em loose!  

This post ought to be good for a quilting wisecrack or two. Vom gags have always been a favorite so those are probably here to stay but I seem to be slipping on my toe bombs. Whatcha got?  

[chimp koose]

well you did stitch in the patches , yes ? no long welds . and I notice you kept the seams straight .

[kb426]

Just when ya think it's safe to go back in the water! Matt, I think it's wonderful that nature has provided you with job security by it's actions. By now, I assume every panel on this body has close to fatal cancer. I am so glad it's not mine.
About 10 years ago, I bought a 37 Ford pickup that came from Arkansas. I went out and drew a line around it where I was going to cut for rust repair. Then the next week I go and look and raise the line some more. I finally got above the window ledge and decided that somebody else should own it. I was fortunate that someone wanted the frame for the suspension parts. That was the 1st body i had seen that was rusted everywhere. That normally doesn't occur in sw Kansas. Because of that I have some insight into what you see. It still sends me to the vomitorium, though.  

[idrivejunk]

well you did stitch in the patches , yes ? no long welds . and I notice you kept the seams straight .

Did not stitch any more than what you see. I could have butted and welded all around, but the time saved would be gone. The dots may be in a straighter line than usual, is that what you mean?

[idrivejunk]

Just when ya think it's safe to go back in the water! Matt, I think it's wonderful that nature has provided you with job security by it's actions. By now, I assume every panel on this body has close to fatal cancer. I am so glad it's not mine.
About 10 years ago, I bought a 37 Ford pickup that came from Arkansas. I went out and drew a line around it where I was going to cut for rust repair. Then the next week I go and look and raise the line some more. I finally got above the window ledge and decided that somebody else should own it. I was fortunate that someone wanted the frame for the suspension parts. That was the 1st body i had seen that was rusted everywhere. That normally doesn't occur in sw Kansas. Because of that I have some insight into what you see. It still sends me to the vomitorium, though.  

Nature does provide well doesn't she?  As in nature, each individual (car / truck) is uniquely rusted. On a build where someone desires a certain model but does not have one, you can shop bodies (and still get burnt, bad). Almost every build we do begins with a treasured relic. If we just told them all to go get a better car we wouldn't be in business. So undoubtedly, a bodyman purchasing a project of his own, to fix at home, is in a much better position than most. This bodyman has never done a build for himself and probably never will, so I just eat what's on my plate and try to be frank about expectations. This customer wants a really nice build but I know better than to assume his wallet can take it. So I'll save where I can and shoot for reality!

[wayne petty]

IDJ... when you going to invest in a second cut off tool..


http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-High-Speed-Extended-Reach-Air-Cutoff-Tool-67996.html

ya never know if you will hate it or love it..  i want one but i have no need for it and no air currently.

the only issue might be.. how to keep it in your tool box.. when the others see it.. it will be all over the shop.

[idrivejunk]

I plan to buy one on Juvember 37th  

Howdy Wayne  

You are exactly right. The boss has an extended reach die grinder with a burr in it that everyone reaches for. Boss borrowed my  1/4" air ratchet other day because his tools get so scattered by the guys that it was simpler to borrow mine. I have been known to use his 8" DA profusely. He's cool. I do have only one die grinder (for strip discs, burr, etc. It was given to me) but have 3 cutoff tools. One keeps a 3" weld grinding wheel on it. Another keeps a 4" cutoff wheel. Those two are guarded and from HF. Another, a Campbell Hausfeld keeps an almost used up cutoff wheel for tight spaces. The guard broke off that one years ago. I do the best I can with what I can afford which is crapola.

[chimp koose]

you asked for quilting jokes ..... I tried .

[idrivejunk]

you asked for quilting jokes ..... I tried .

Hahaha! That one was about as sharp as a bag of wet mice

Thanks for taking a shot Chimp.    Now that I think of it, that's harder than it sounds...

How is THAT supposed to keep you warm at night?

Huh?

Well from the looks of all that patchwork, I figured you was making a bedspread.

Awww.  

Sometimes it takes a few tries for me to catch the snap.

[UGLY OLDS]

I was going to tell Matt that he had that door about sewed up..... :?      Looks like I missed my "stitch in time" chance ,huh     :?:  :oops:
I have seen a "stitch" setting on some mig welders .....   I wonder if that's where it gets used  :?    :?:

Bob..

[BFS57]

Hello;
Man you are through!!! Does anyone even realize just how through you are with their rusted out pile of bones? Has anyone ever "greased" your palm for a special thank you for the skills you have?

Bruce

[enjenjo]

If I am not being to nosy Matt what is the shop rate there?

[idrivejunk]

I was going to tell Matt that he had that door about sewed up..... :?      Looks like I missed my "stitch in time" chance ,huh     :?:  :oops:
I have seen a "stitch" setting on some mig welders .....   I wonder if that's where it gets used  :?    :?:

Bob..

Very good, Bob!    The thing kinda resembles a USA state map already don't it?     :-}

[idrivejunk]

Hello;
Man you are through!!! Does anyone even realize just how through you are with their rusted out pile of bones? Has anyone ever "greased" your palm for a special thank you for the skills you have?

Bruce

I try to leave no turn unstoned  :oops: but aside from the occasional donut, no. Boss man takes care of that going both ways and it works out. Time to rest is the unobtanium thing, especially now. But I have always figured theres at least ten guys within a ten mile radius at any given time / place... that can do same as me. I've just stayed at it and hoped for the best because it fits me. In recent times I have become more involved with customers and job plans. I enjoy figuring out ways to do stuff best, I think we all do.