Ok, I took everyone's advice and decided to not get the coupe. Instead, my son's and I purchased a 1970 Fastback. It has several body issues. Some surface rust that was primed over and the previous owner welded in some patches but did not grind down anything. the bottom of the passenger door is completely rusted so I will be replacing it.The motor is a 302 2v and runs very good, no leaks, smoke, etc. Anyways, I want to take it down to the bare metal and build it up better, stronger, faster. So I need some advice from those of you that have been down this road before.

1) Which is better, Sand or Soda blasting? Pros, cons, etc.

2) Do I have to get a rotisserie or is there another way to get rid of the rust underneth the car?

3) I need to buy a grinder and disks, any recomendations?

4) After surface prep, which type of primer do you recommend?

I know, I am asking a lot. But this is very exiting and I want to get going. I will post pics this weekend.

Thanks in advance!
Robert

 

1.Soda blasting is easier on the metal.
2. A rotisserie is only used when the car is completely torn down to nothing but a shell. Is that where you are going with this? If not, then find a place that rents lifts and use a wire wheel to clean up underneath. If you are going to strip her, then we have an article in the FAQ about building a Rotisserie yourself.
3. Sears sells good grinders, etc.
4. Self etching

 

Welcome to my world..


Be careful with a grinder. I picked one up at Menards and a few discs. You can put alot of heat into the metal with a grinder as well as gouging it to the point its very wavy and needs an undue amount of filler. Buy quality and it will last longer, but you dont need a super expensive one. Move it around the welds so you dont get the blue or blackening from it, in other words dont hold it in one spot too long or it will heat the metal.

You can use a blaster on the underside of the car if you have plenty of room to do it, silica sand isnt adviseable due to health issues, but there are other abrasives. You will need a large capacity air compressor and all the safety gear for blasting. Soda works to remove paint but takes forever on rust and undercoating. Aluminum oxide is a good choice, so is red garnet for heavier rust and gunk.

A rotisserie is a good thing to have, makes things easier for sure. How many cars do you plan to do? Because if its only one then do you really need a rotisserie?

Dont use a blaster on the exterior sheetmetal, you can use it in the jambs, under the hood, the suspension areas, and under the car. The fenders, doors, hood, roof, etc. should all be avoided with a blaster. Get a quality DA sander and adhesive backed discs for it. You will need a bunch of sand paper so buy bulk.

Epoxy primer makes a great base for the high fill primer. Do the filler work first, then epoxy primer, then high fill. Do the block sanding using a guide coat untill its straight, then apply a sealer to keep anything from reacting with the paint. Remember about the filler, it can be over a large area but you dont want it thick. I have been having great results with Evercoat lightweight filler.. except that the epoxy primer and filler both need the metal and air temp to be over 50F.. tough to get that up here this time of year..

Its not a bad job, and I doubt yours is as rough as the 71 in the pic.


[IMG]local://upfiles/14646/3DBE1E06A02C4B28BC8C37B9FD72EBCC.jpg[/IMG]

 

Ok, Here ia a link to the pics. I will update this web page as new developments occur.

http://www.rhughesrealty.com/robert/Stang/Index.htm

 

Looks like a good one to start with. A rotisserie is priceless. I made mine for about $60.00 but I had most of the scrap steel from the mines. Makes life easier.

 

Watch eBay for a Snap-On crud thug or a Monti MBX. They a very diffrent belt system, and you can get a bunch of diffrent wire brush belts for them, you can get a fine belt for paint removal with no metal damage, or you can get a heavy belt for undercoating removal that leaves a light sandblasted look on the metal. They are awesome, no damage!

Have fun with the project,
Peter

http://www.monti.de/e_produkte.php

http://www.tifco.com/pdf/ds.pdf

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....mp;dir=catalog

 

its not that bad id cut the patchs out they where done so wrong its better to start over. to straight out alot of the spots get you a set of body hammers dollys and spoons. theres many ways to remove the paint and rust i had mine soad basted but there was a few spots i had to massage because of it good luck with it keep us updated

 

All of the above is great advice. I can't really add to any of it as the meat of it is already said.

However...

Sit down and get a budget going. Write down a list of "must" do's and another list of "wish" to do.

You have to do the things that will get the car up and going, safe and fun to operate. Those are obviously on the "must list. IE: all suspension, brakes, wheels and tires, etc. ( motor issues if any ). All drive train from the motor back needs attention. Don't just assume that the trans is ok, drop the pan and check everything while you change fluids, etc.

Alot of times, folks dive into projects with great intentions and ambition but fall short of even ever driving it because of poor planning. They either run out of money or just lose intrest. The best part of owning one of these classics is driving it. If you can get the car in safe operating condition to drive it as you resto it, you're going to appreciate and enjoy the ride much better along the way.

IMO, of course.

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Fortunately, the corrosion on the bottom doesn't look that bad. We have to do steps 1-4 below. Step 5 is the most fun and expensive part. It will take a couple of years but we intend to do it all. Let me know if you have any suggestions or modifications.

Here is the order of events as I see it.
1) Disassembly - We have already started this. The goal is to get everything off and leave the shell.
2) Rust removal - I am going to purchase one of the devices mentioned and get to it. I will use self etching primer to protect the surface as I finish each section.
3) Sheetmetal repair - The passenger door and the rear valance needs to be replaced. The rest looks like patch and fill. Then Sand, sand, sand.
4) Paint - The original color was metallic green. I want Red, One son wants Yellow, the otherwants Grabber Blue.
5) Re-assemble (Fun part) - Put together all Sheetmetal Parts, New wiring harness, Coil over front suspension, add disc brakes to the rear,replace 302 with 5.0 EFI crate motor (already purchased), retrofit fuel delivery for EFI, replace C-4 with AOD, replace interior with as much stock as possible (another arguement over color), and finally new wheels and tires.

 

Good decision on the '70 fastback!

1) Soda is much better than sand...sand will over heat the panels and make them wavy. Also could use crushed walnut shells
2) Grinder= hard way to remove underbody rust...strip the car and have someone blast the bottom=easy way
3) Can't kill a Milwaukee grinder. You will need some wire wheels (cupped and braided) and some of those scotchbrite sanding wheels.
4) After surface prep prime the car with an epoxy primer...you can fill right over top of it.

Don't worry about asking alot of questions, thats what this forum is for