Road Runner Nest

Spring break was no break I tell ya. I decided to bite the bullet and get my RR painted. Little did I know that my project would turn into a rust hunting and destroy adventure.

Now, those that know me realize that I have never done body work on any car EVER, and to be honest, I never wanted to learn either. But, I bit the bullet and commenced to start the trial by fire (literally and figuratively).

First, in order to replace rusty panels you need to know how to shape sheetmetal and weld, of which I knew nothing of either. Luckily, I have a buddy who does and he taught me enough to make me dangerous so that I may learn the hard way (i.e. make mistakes and fix them) Thanks Russ! (moparguy01). I did alot of the sanding, filling, sheetmetal fab, and welding. *disclaimer, I HAVE NEVER WELDED BEFORE IN MY LIFE* I learned the hard way on how to do this. Granted, it would have been easier if I had a welder with gas, but I did not. So it was flux core for me and a crap load of patience and contorted angles. My ability to weld progressed immensely from each panel to the next and the last one I was actually proud of.

Oh well, this car has not seen its original color (spinnaker white btw) since 1978 so I am happy with it. So, without further adieu, the pictures of what she looked like to what she now looks like. Hope you enjoy it.

Jamey

What she looked like when I first got her:





4 years ago got the trunk and engine bay painted:




AND FINALLY.. AFTER 6 YEARS, SHE IS PAINTED!




























prior owners makeshift patch panel.. yes that is pieces of sheetmetal riveted and sealed together

and some more:

NICE! It looks Great!

Wow; what a lot of work in a week. Bet your a very happy guy.

Be proud of what you accomplished. I have never done anything like that.

You can do my car LOL

cooooooooooooooooooooooool

Take that Foose and your 7 days.

Looks good!

GOOD JOB! now if only i had the time, space, money...

thanks everyone, i am really excited about it (if you couldnt tell ) I will be putting the 400 back in it soon and get her ready for the cruise/show circuit this year.

For what it is worth, I did all the bodywork without an english wheel, without any big body shop tools. I did have a angle grinder, die grinder, DA sander, fiberglass resin, putty, 110v flux core Clarke welder (el cheapo), and sheet metal (22 gauge) I bought from a local hardware shop (in varying sizes).

Anyone can do what I just did, believe it or not. I am now extremely comfortable with completing my rusty 73 Charger now too! So, when that one is started, a huge amount of pictures will be oncoming also.

Thank you again, and I will be adding pictures as I get the decal kit on, interior complete, etc.

welp.. here are some pics of me putting the ol girl back together... the front bumper has not been on this car since the 70s from what I understand and boy, it showed it. talk about a pain in the butt!!! all the moving around the car did, i had to "come-along" the bumper brackets to get the bumper to line up.. the driver's side is still too low, so i will get that bent upwards later on.

did windshield trim, grille, headlight trim, bumpers, and sidemarker lenses.. also, did the wiper assembly (arms, etc.) i have the rear bumper on too.. but it was getting late and I was getting hungry, so I didnt finish tightening down all the bumper bolts.

WOW, I am impressed, it would have taken me a week (at least) just to upload those photos!! Looks Great!! Is the guy who painted the car still alive? That respirator is not sufficient, should have been air fed...

Elvad wrote:WOW, I am impressed, it would have taken me a week (at least) just to upload those photos!! Looks Great!! Is the guy who painted the car still alive? That respirator is not sufficient, should have been air fed...

lol yeah.. but he is still coming down from his "high" LOL!!! he did good and no ill effects (that weren't already there)

Beautiful!


Posts like this give me a boost of motivation to make the vision in my head of my car a reality.

Smellslike1974 wrote:Beautiful!


Posts like this give me a boost of motivation to make the vision in my head of my car a reality.

ty so much... i have, far too often, been where you are and it is very satisfying to see my dreams coming true. you will love it when you get here dude, i promise.

nice work . i need to get my rr to that point but it will be a long time before that happens

rav, your car WAS my inspiration

well its been forever since i have logged on here, moved, didnt have internet, blah blah blah, the excuses will never end.. but here is the finished product