Vintage Mustang Forums banner

restoring direction delima

4K views 48 replies 14 participants last post by  105810 
#1 · (Edited)
Would appreciate to get all input, the more the better.

So my '67 will be going into a sandblasting shop near by, I've been qouted roughly in the range of ~$1,000 +/- $200. Some gave no promises and just said from the lowest $75/hour to the most quoted $120/hour. Okay....so


Getting a quick visual feel and look, I know the floor board of my mustang has been replaced with a new piece. The hood, the lower front bumper, and the lower rear bumper.

Looking inside the engine bay, I can see some previously rotted areas that have been cleaned off - I think. there are holes here and there inside this area. So yes, that area is going to cost me some $$$ to get it repaired.

the body is dinged up, scratched up (some look like deep dremel cuts). All of it, the entire body expect for the newly replaced sheet metal parts


Since I'm going to sandblast my stang, should I stick to sheet metal or just say **** it and get fiberglass or carbonfiber?:shrug:
 
See less See more
#3 ·
For that kind of $$$ I'd go to my local tool rental house and rent a compressor and blaster and do it myself. Also, there is only one proper repair for structural components and that is cut and remove the rusty/damaged part and replace with like kind and quality steel. As far as the typical Mustang is concerned, the only body parts that aren't really structural are the hood, deck lid, front fenders, valances and stone deflector. Everything else pretty much depends on each other.
 
#14 ·
Because the PO used Silver rattle can spray to cover up the orginal dated - IMHO- ugly lime yellow color. Pretty ugly color

I see some bubble through the paint, so there is rust there. I just need to see where else.

A lot of good information here. And to those comments about fiberglass being wavy, I'm assuming that person paid for a cheap source. I don't think the Carbon Fiber peices would be "wavy"

Checking out this site, scrolling all the way to the bottom:
Hi-Perf. Items

seems, fine to me. a good price for what it is worth.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, like Pete said, I don't know what you're talking about with fiberglass/carbon fiber panels. Buy the best sheet metal available. Call NPD and ask for the best available. They can keep track of that stuff. Guys like you and me cannot.


I would suggest you buy some tools and do the metal work yourself. With that many issues, a shop is going to rake you over the coals fixing all that. I've been working on my Mustang for four years and the metal fabrication is just endless. It's always one thing after another. There is just no way I could have paid someone to do all that.
 
#7 ·
We used this process a few months ago and couldnt believe it.



 
#19 · (Edited)
#9 · (Edited)
Black strap molasses is the real stuff.

My grandma used to mix up some seriously bitter herbal cures for me when I was a little kid. I had a lot of health problems and almost died a couple of times but we couldn't afford doctors. She would dope up her herbal cures with black strap molasses so I could swallow it.

That sounds really expensive for a basic sand blast. I had my VDub chassis sand blasted and it only cost a couple hundred bucks. Perhaps if you remove everything that is removable(doors, decklid, hood, valances, bumpers, totally everything) it would not cost as much. You may wind up replacing some or most of those parts anyway but if you decide to keep something, you can have it blasted later or get out the phosphate and remove the rust yourself on the smaller parts.
 
#10 ·
the body is dinged up, scratched up (some look like deep dremel cuts). All of it, the entire body except for the newly replaced sheet metal parts


Since I'm going to sandblast my stang, should I stick to sheet metal or just say **** it and get fiberglass or carbonfiber?:shrug:
Well, you have no choice on the body shell, even the exterior skin is part of the structure, 20% in the case of the quarter panels. As for fiberglass fenders, hood, and doors, well search for threads on "my new fiberglass hood is a wavy piece of crap" and you'll drop that idea real fast.
 
#11 ·
Sand blasting body panels should be your last resort. Media, walnut shells, soda, plastic bead should be the first choice. If you are set on blasting.
You will get back a bunch of warped panels that will require more time in labor fixing them than if you stripped them by hand with sand paper.

Use the fiber disc to strip the paint, and surface rust, cut out the rot and replace with good metal, only blast the hard to reach areas that are curved or have reinforcing ribs, or corners bent into them in them. Sand blasting is not for sheet metal 20 gauge or less. It's like hitting the panel with a million little hammers, they will warp to some degree, even if shot with low pressure. Don't get me wrong. Their are folks out their that can blast panels with no ill effect. But very few, so why take the chance with all the other methods available today.

Look up dustless blasting.
 
G
#16 ·
I have posted many times how you can strip a Mustang to bare metal in 4-5 hours. If the paint is thick, a bit longer. If the paint is lacquer, add a bit more. If you are slow, add more. But, you can definitely do it in a day if you are a working man. All it takes is the right equipment and using it correctly. You can save $1000.
 
#21 ·
Yes, you can certainly strip the OUTSIDE of a car using sanding discs. But if the car has rust, there's lots of other places where you cannot sand.


I suppose you could sand the outside to bare metal, then buy pressure pot blaster to take care of all the nooks and crannies inside.


I agree with 22GT. Fiberglass/carbon fiber panels will leave you broke and disappointed. Those things are for custom cars where people can spend countless hours cutting, grinding and reshaping. Not even the original Shelby panels were very good. Just buy good, replacement sheet metal and weld it in.
 
G
#22 ·
Let's remember rust is Nature's protectant. If it is not in a wet environment, it isn't a problem. Surface rust is a protectant. Although unsightly if seen, is not a problem where not seen. These cars are 50 years old . . if the surface rust has not eaten though . .it isn't going to do it. These areas can be handled with a rust paint, like Master Series. Being so anal that every little place has to be bare metal again, just isn't for everyone or every situation. Cars that are intended to be driven can suffice with lesser techniques in the spirit of money savings. Plus, in the end, there will be no functional difference. Worrying about the surface rust on the back of your metal dash is just a lesson in finding a way to worry :)
 
#24 ·
Thank god I get to save $1000-1200 and put it on somewhere more useful. Now if I were to do the under side I just may have to jack it up to a good height and get underneath there?
 
#27 · (Edited)
G
#25 ·
Tough to do the underside with out a rotisserie. If you wanted to blast the underside, you would be too close to the bouncing sand. You could hand sand, use stripper, scrap old undercoating, paint with Master Series, etc.
 
#29 ·
I'm gonna agree with Pete on this one. Though I used a less aggressive grit I was able to sand mine down without too much issue. To be honest I really just did it because I was concerned about warping panels and dealing with contamination later on. But those fear may have not been valid. I would recommend getting a good respirator and some face protection and gettin' to it. Even while using a DA most of the time and less aggressive grits I was able to totally strip mine in 2 weekends.

I then treated the entire shell with a phosphoric acid solution from Eastwood. They call is afterblast. I have tried several Phos. acid products and it is the one I currently like the best. Then I shot the whole thing with PPG DP-90 Primer so I could do my body work as time allowed. If I can do it in a 2-car garage anybody can.

Anyways, heres what I did.

Rust repair, spot rattle can priming as I went. (This part took a few months, I had a bunch of rust to deal with)



Then I stripped the whole car down with various sanders, a lot of it by hand and with a DA


Then used the afterblast to treat any rust left behind. It leaves the metal almost white looking afterwards I really felt like it got it nice n' clean.


Then I shot the DP-90 (which is compatible with PA treatments) in fact they recommend using one. Not all epoxy primers do.
 
#33 ·
Thank for furthering the details for me, makes me feel much more comfortable doing this. All that's left is to make some phone calls and ask around for some tools. Lucky you, your sheet metal is undamaged. Oh well, either I gotta bondo mine or just purchase new ones
 
#34 ·
Believe it or not my metal was actually in really bad shape too. The car had been hit on 3 of it's 4 corners. Both rear quarters had pretty significant dents in them, the one on the pass side was about the size of a soccer ball and extended to the crease where it blends into the tail light panel. I spent weeks metal bumping to save the original metal. I would much rather spend an hour metal bumping than sanding filler. Plus when you are done the results will last longer. If you have an interest in giving it a shot, there are lots of folks on here that can walk you through learning how.

Of all the things I did on the whole car including painting it myself nothing was quite as satisfying as taking what looked like a lost cause rear quarter and learning how to literally erase the damage. It does take some patience but I highly recommend giving it a shot.
 
#35 ·
If that's the case, then it's time to start learning!

Should I upload pictures to give a better idea of what time of condition I am talking about? it's not necessarily 'car crash damange' but more of bump and dings (all over the car) and cuts on the surface metal.
 
#37 ·
An upload would be a great idea. I would also recommend you pick up a copy of "the Key to metal bumping." I read it twice before I picked up my hammers. I worked for a while as a metal and composites fabricator and thought I had decent skills with a hammer and a dolly gettin metal to do what I wanted. But when it came to fixing damage as opposed to making shapes it was really helpful. The basic idea is to understand how the damage went in and do the exact reverse to make it come back out. Really neat process honestly.

Just noticed you are in LA. If you ever go over to bob's on a friday night lemme know. I will bring my copy and you can borrow it.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Nice! I just read some reviews and they are overwhelming positive. Of course, there has to be some negative reviews :shrug:

The one in Toluca Lake? If so I can always drop by. Thank you for the help.

Will upload some photos tomorrow
 
#40 ·
Yup, it was printed forever ago. I personally think that is part of why it is such a good book. It was before the days of repop and replacement parts. You had to fix what you had and it's not like they could bondo it either. A body man back then really had to be a metal artist. And they did it all with pretty basic tools.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top