My current deployment is almost over with, so I'm starting to plan how to tackle body work on my 65 Fastback project. I'll try to explain the problems and get some ideas on how to start.
Car was hit hard on the right rear, quarter was replaced with NOS. Might be able to salvage, I'll try. Outer rocker was destroyed in repairs, I have a donor car to remove a rocker from and replace it. The last six inches of the inner rocker was bent in a little, I will try to straighten it. B pillar seems damaged, it looks narrower than the drivers side, I think it was compressed in the hit. Roof has some damage where the quarter sail meets, and the impact seems to have popped the leading at the front edge of the windshield post. I am sure there is damage underneath, but hope it can be straightened.
Normally, I would want to align the door and fender before I did anything with the quarter, but I think the alignment on the quarter is already off. So, my thought is to replace the outer rocker first and straighten the inner, then pull the quarter panel off and fix the roof damage, and the B pillar, then get the quarter back on closer to the correct alignment, and hope I can get the door and fender to match up well.
Am I off on this? Should I do something else first? Pics aren't great, but show a little of the problem areas.
I have leveled the car and measured based on factory specs, the frame rails and body positions look like they are fine, nothing leads me to believe there are any alignment problems with the frame rails.
My method is paint strip via blasting or other.. - epoxy prime - rust repair - welding work/nicks&dings with body filler - test fit all panels - paint - drop the engine and tranny into the car - then work on wiring and interior and trim
1967 fiberglass fastback, all aluminum 427 supercharged and racing coilovers all around. "Still waiting to find a sequential manual transmission under 20k "
hey dd, welcome home, your plan sounds good. Usually, it is the inner structure that was not pulled out correctly and then replacement panels are put over top of the damage, and then to much filler to build up areas still pushed in. I couldnt tell from the photos how severe the collision damage was, but it certainly looks reversable. My 66 gt fb was a shell several years ago, but all I was dealing with was north east rust ! You may need to work with a local body shop to get any inner structural damages pulled back out unless you can rig something at the house to pull it with or find an old floor style damage dozer you could borrow/rent.
Align everything. If you can't check frame alignment in your work area, take it to a local shop that is capable of doing it. Given the description of the cars condition and how it got that way the first thing to do is make sure everything can be straightened back out. You may find that in order to get everything to fit correctly you could have to remove the old repair. Fit up the doors, hood, trunk lid, valences, quarter end caps, and headlight buckets. Make sure everything fits first. It is much easier to "persuade" your panels to fit before repair than it is to weld them in place and hope you can move them after.
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If it can't be fixed with a hammer, you have an electrical problem...(stolen from the H.A.M.B.)
[QUOTE You may need to work with a local body shop to get any inner structural damages pulled back out unless you can rig something at the house to pull it with or find an old floor style damage dozer you could borrow/rent.[/QUOTE]
It may be the easier, more sensible way, in the long run.
At least, get an opinion from someone with experience in repairs like yours.
I guess to start I can work on replacing/repairing the rocker panel and see how bad it looks from there. If I get the rocker in correctly, I should be able to see how far off the B pillar and quarter panel are.
Geicoman58, good advice on pulling out the inner structure. That might require more than I can manage in my garage. Wish I was closer to my dad's shop...
A body shop might be the answer for part of it, I guess I'll have to dig a little more first and then get some quotes from there.
I'm thinking more and more that getting the good rocker off a 65 parts car I have welded in correctly might be the place to start. Once it it done and I can get the B pillar pulled out well, then keep the quarter loose, install the door and fender, then slowly work them into a position based on the rocker that looks good before I weld the quarter back on. Adding the driver's door, fender, and hood would probably help that process out as well to make it all match like SpareTime suggested.
Just what this board needs, ....another damn Jarhead
S FI
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Wife,........."You drove how far for that thing?"
Daughter,..."Theres no inside and it stinks."
Friend,......."Dude, thats a rusted piece of sheet."
Son,.........."This old car is cool."
Always start with fixed panels. Start with quarters and work the doors,fenders,hood,etc,. since they are adjustable.
And simultaneously with the quarters, work your roof rails in also. My body shop man done my 69 mach1 that way and says thats the way he does all the Mustangs he does. Our mach1 is an MCA concours winner.
__________________ MCA member 27 years(#17780)
1969 Mach 1, Owned 43 years.
1967 Mustang, Owned 33 years.
Semper Fi Israel. My families comments were much the same as yours. Shock, awe, disgust, and a couple saw the diamond in the rough...
Either way, sometimes the best part about being in, is being out and being able to talk sheet the rest of you life,...
Knowing that when Rambo grabs an M60 with about one foot of belt sticking out of the chamber it's NOT going to unload over 1,000 rounds
or when he grabs an M203, (the grenade launching attachment under an M16, for you civilians) that this is a single shot weapon, NOT full or even semi-automatic,..it's actually just like a single shot, crack down/open shotgun; not fast at all. Now there is a FULL AUTO pod mounted, grenade launcher, this is a truely AWESOME weapon!!
My fav was the SAW, Squad Auto Weapon, 1,000 rounds a minute weapon,....get a few of these on line together and it sounds like a bunch of lawn momers coming at you, or a swarm of really pissed of Bees!
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Wife,........."You drove how far for that thing?"
Daughter,..."Theres no inside and it stinks."
Friend,......."Dude, thats a rusted piece of sheet."
Son,.........."This old car is cool."
x 2 on blasting first unless you are 100% on whats underneath the rest. Consider this: I have seen cars that metal work was replaced, pretty extensive work- then the rest of the car gets blasted- only to find more work- not a big deal- but sometimes it changes the order of work- at least once it would have been better to NOT fix the car but to locate a more sound body, and start there. Your car looks ok but pics are tricky, and even in person you never know whats under there (unless you did the prev work)
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Where to start body work?
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MCA member 27 years(#17780)
