4th Gear Member
Well, you can always glue your car together. I did. There are probably new guys here who have not seen my panel adhesive repairs. Sure, if welding was possible for me I would have welded. However, I don't have a welder, no place to weld and no welding skills. So I used the same panel adhesive which is used these day both by manufacturers in assembling new cars and by autobody shops replacing quarter panels. You cannot make structural repairs with this (no attaching frame rails or replacing floors) but you can do a lot of other stuff. I installed my body panel patches with it. It costs $45 to $40 for a caulking size tube. Here are a few photos of the repair to a lower front fender and inner fender brace.
Typical lower fender rot
After bonding in the brace patch and panel patch from NPD.
From the outside prior to smoothing the seam with filler
Typical lower fender rot
After bonding in the brace patch and panel patch from NPD.
From the outside prior to smoothing the seam with filler
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As for taking on a project, know your limitations. Dont start a ground up resto or rebuild until you have the skills, tools, time, money, and a place to do the work. You can do little bits at a time, slightly larger tasks and projects as you go, most people cant just take off and do it all. It took me 21 years to get my Cougar painted after I started on it. It was the 2nd vehicle I painted for myself, prior to that everything I drove looked like a beater, and most were painted with Krylon rattle cans. No need to rush things, just do what you can when you can and try to enjoy your ancient car while you have the opportunity.
Try not to make a beautiful car out of something most wouldnt consider a decent parts car...
I understand. And when I got the car I wasn't aware of all the rust stuff which was my fault for not checking like I should. But I had wanted a mustang ever since I moved to Oklahoma... which was 9 years ago and when I saw it for sale I was like I want it... It seemed simple enough... Fix some wiring, put the headlights and grill back on and the turn signals, fix the brakes and go... The guy told me it was virtually rust free... After I got the car, I realized there was Lotsa rust *Bad rust anyway, not counting surface rust since that's an easy fix* Needed to replace afew things and wiring was more messed up then it seemed... Though one shouldn't trust someone trying to sell a car as I've learned. But I have the car, it's got a title and I'm just taking it one step at a time.Originally Posted by THUMPIN455
It just takes time to get the tools you need. You buy what you can afford when you need it, no need to buy something you dont have a use for. The tools in the shop pic I posted are the culmination of over 25 years working on cars. There is no way I could afford to buy them all at once, and I cant replace them all at once either. It is an investment, something you take care of and they will take care of you. Not everything I have was new either, estate/farm/yard sales are perfect for getting great tools on the cheap.As for taking on a project, know your limitations. Dont start a ground up resto or rebuild until you have the skills, tools, time, money, and a place to do the work. You can do little bits at a time, slightly larger tasks and projects as you go, most people cant just take off and do it all. It took me 21 years to get my Cougar painted after I started on it. It was the 2nd vehicle I painted for myself, prior to that everything I drove looked like a beater, and most were painted with Krylon rattle cans. No need to rush things, just do what you can when you can and try to enjoy your ancient car while you have the opportunity.
Try not to make a beautiful car out of something most wouldnt consider a decent parts car...
Quote:
Typical lower fender rot
After bonding in the brace patch and panel patch from NPD.
From the outside prior to smoothing the seam with filler
wow... I should really look into that!... So I can like... replace a rear quorter panel with that?...Originally Posted by honeygoldcoupe
Well, you can always glue your car together. I did. There are probably new guys here who have not seen my panel adhesive repairs. Sure, if welding was possible for me I would have welded. However, I don't have a welder, no place to weld and no welding skills. So I used the same panel adhesive which is used these day both by manufacturers in assembling new cars and by autobody shops replacing quarter panels. You cannot make structural repairs with this (no attaching frame rails or replacing floors) but you can do a lot of other stuff. I installed my body panel patches with it. It costs $45 to $40 for a caulking size tube. Here are a few photos of the repair to a lower front fender and inner fender brace. Typical lower fender rot
After bonding in the brace patch and panel patch from NPD.
From the outside prior to smoothing the seam with filler
What about a door skin?...
5th Gear Member
Rust isnt the end, its either a nuisance or an adventure depending on your outlook. Your car looks relatively clean, sure it will probably need floors as most do, but only having one spot in the engine bay with none on the torque box is a good sign. A car that has rusted bad there is going to be seriously rusted in other parts, and it was not well taken care of.
Its a 40 year old car built to last about 10 years, so its going to have some rust unless it sat in the desert for most its life. What is bad rust to one person is light rust to another. Someone from Arizona would look at one of my yooper vehicles as a total loss, and something they consider very rusty down there would be considered clean up here.
I dont think you did too bad, you just have some learning to do. All of us can still learn more about our cars, I learn more every day about mine. Its a continual process unless you sell it and buy a Kia.
Its a 40 year old car built to last about 10 years, so its going to have some rust unless it sat in the desert for most its life. What is bad rust to one person is light rust to another. Someone from Arizona would look at one of my yooper vehicles as a total loss, and something they consider very rusty down there would be considered clean up here.
I dont think you did too bad, you just have some learning to do. All of us can still learn more about our cars, I learn more every day about mine. Its a continual process unless you sell it and buy a Kia.
4th Gear Member
Door skin, yes. that is specifically listed as a use. In fact, the door skins on my 2005 Mustang are bonded on from the factory, not welded. As far as a quarter panel, not the whole thing. You can use panel adhesive where it joins the rear tail panel and the door frame. For the long joint at the top you still need to weld. That has to do with the sun expanding the metal. The expansion can cause cracking on a long seam like that. I did, however, repair my floors with it. The red outline is the area I cut out. You can see I have lots of overlap which is bonded. Probably stronger than the original overlap weld from the toe panel to the floor.
5th Gear Member
You go crazy with that wire brush dont ya HGC?
5th Gear Member
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How about a full coupe quarter panel that gets welded on the short span roof pillar were it was covered factory with the lead?Originally Posted by honeygoldcoupe
As far as a quarter panel, not the whole thing. You can use panel adhesive where it joins the rear tail panel and the door frame. For the long joint at the top you still need to weld. That has to do with the sun expanding the metal. The expansion can cause cracking on a long seam like that. I
Lynn
Quote:
I'm more so speaking of the wheel well area... where the lip of the wheel arch isOriginally Posted by honeygoldcoupe
Door skin, yes. that is specifically listed as a use. In fact, the door skins on my 2005 Mustang are bonded on from the factory, not welded. As far as a quarter panel, not the whole thing. You can use panel adhesive where it joins the rear tail panel and the door frame. For the long joint at the top you still need to weld. That has to do with the sun expanding the metal. The expansion can cause cracking on a long seam like that. I did, however, repair my floors with it. The red outline is the area I cut out. You can see I have lots of overlap which is bonded. Probably stronger than the original overlap weld from the toe panel to the floor.
And the door skin thing, Yay! That means I can just get the door skins, open em up take out the light rust that's gotten in there, install new window crap and repair stuff easily then seal it up and be done with it! WOOT!
Ummm... Random question still pertaining to metal... The little bolt holes where reflectors were... and Letterings and badges were... What do you recommend to cover those up? I don't want to just bondo over as I'm afraid of cracking...
5th Gear Member
Welding the holes shut would be the best.
Lynn
Lynn