Finally got some time.

[charlief1]

No prob, I`m always here. Even if my body working skills are being wasted working at Muffler Man

Cool. Now on to more updates.:biggrin:

Tonight was about prep and some repair, but first, here's the hammer and dolly kit I picked up at Harbor Freight. It's on sale for $24.95 right now so if you need one get it now. It's normally around $40 and it's a good deal.

As you can see the rust isn't that bad but rust is a pain to say the least. I also had a few visitors while getting things done. For some reason one of the goats seems to like body work and comes to visit me every time I'm out in the shop.

I cleaned the patch panel with a wire brush in a drill so it wouldn't have the under coating on it and to remove any rust. It's a little agrivating but it needs to be done. The holes in the wheel well are filled up and the metal was so rotten that I had to weld it and then grind it down just to weld it up again. Much better and it's welded up nicely. :smile:

 

[charlief1]

The panel is squared up now and it looks good. The spot welds are ground down now so it'll fit better and it looks pretty good. The end is also cleaned up and squared as well. The only thing you cant see that well is a small crack at the bottom of the rear of the car. I'll work on it tomorow if I get the chance but I've got a long shift tomorow. Subing for the boss because he's got to have his teeth pulled. Long story and he's an idiot to say the least.

 

[FlintBuick4Life]

Looking good, soon you will be spreading the filler and sanding... the fun part I know all about Harbor Freight, don't hammer too hard now... you might a piece of it stuck in your face:biggrin: Like the ratchet I bought awhile back

 

[ZNix]

What are you doing to the spot welds when you put the panel back on? Re-doing them as spots, or riveting? Or maybe some other option I haven't considered . Looks like your's is going quick! Should be done in no time to drop in that new setup your working on!

 

[charlief1]

What are you doing to the spot welds when you put the panel back on? Re-doing them as spots, or riveting? Or maybe some other option I haven't considered . Looks like your's is going quick! Should be done in no time to drop in that new setup your working on!

If you look at the cut outs of the spot welds you'll see some small holes in them. I'll be using a pair of vice grips to hold the two together and weld in between where the holes are. This should secure the welds and make it solid. Where the panel meets up to the cut section I'll be using plug welds again. I'll try and take a pic for you so you can see how to do it.:smile: It's a pain but very effective at securing the two together.

 

[ZNix]

Okay, thanks!

 

[mat231v6]

Looking good, soon you will be spreading the filler and sanding... the fun part I know all about Harbor Freight, don't hammer too hard now... you might a piece of it stuck in your face:biggrin: Like the ratchet I bought awhile back

some of there things stink. you get what you pay for at harbor freight.

 

[charlief1]

Small update tonight.:redface: I decided to do the area I had to cut out and it was a pain to say the least. The metal was very easy to burn through and I had to re-weld it several times. It looks much better but I still have more to do to it. I close tomorrow night so I won't mess with it until Thursday. One of my co-workers needs an ignition switch replaced on his truck and I'll be doing it tomorrow night after work.:redface: Extra cash is always welcome but I wish I had the time and money to get this thing done. I'm getting impatient to drive it after 3 years now.

 

[mat231v6]

I'm getting impatient to drive it after 3 years now.

thats the worst thing to do . never get impatient when doing bodywork/ rust repair. just spend the time now. when you rush you mess up simple things.

 

[charlief1]

thats the worst thing to do . never get impatient when doing bodywork/ rust repair. just spend the time now. when you rush you mess up simple things.

Not gonna argue with you at all Matt, that's why I'm taking a break tonight and working on something else. It took me 2.5 hours to get that little section done and it's got me frustraighted again. Body work isn't my forte andd I'm dying to get to the mechanical part of this build. That's where I feel most comfortable working.

 

[FlintBuick4Life]

Yeah, body work sucks... but if you rush it, it will show... I have some small areas that I need to redo

 

[charlief1]

A little more done

Well I took a break from welding and cleaning it up tonight and fitted the outer skin. I took my time and fitted it up so it looks much better than the other side. Not perfect but I think I can make it look better than the other side and with less work.

For ZNix. The little things sticking out of the back of the fender are called Clekos and are made to hold sheet metal together. makes working on body panels much easier. Two sizes are available from what I understand. 1/8" and 3/16". We've got the bigger ones here but I'd love to have the 1'8" ones instead. They're not very expensive and reusable. Pic 2 shows the tool and 2 of the retainers.

 

[FlintBuick4Life]

Nice, looks good.

 

[mat231v6]

looks like you bought some clekos. that will make your life easy. it looks like its all comming along. great work so far.

 

[mat231v6]

i just found these.
81-87 Buick Regal Grand National QUART PANEL driver LT: eBay Motors (item 190417260720 end time Jul-18-10 15:15:19 PDT)
81-87 Buick Regal Grand National QUART PANEL passanger : eBay Motors (item 200494693507 end time Jul-18-10 15:19:21 PDT)

 

[charlief1]

That's one of the members here selling it too. Not a bad price Matt.

I used the clekos on the other side as well Matt, didn't you notice them? I put the info in here for ZNix since he's new on doing body work like I am.

 

[rmar]

Looks like progress Charlie.....

You know not to show a pic of that end of a goat to TY.....
It confuses him..

 

[charlief1]

Looks like progress Charlie.....

You know not to show a pic of that end of a goat to TY.....
It confuses him..

Thanks Ronnie, but I think it would turn him on and can you imagine the mess he'd make on the screen.:biggrin:LOL

 

[mat231v6]

That's one of the members here selling it too. Not a bad price Matt.

I used the clekos on the other side as well Matt, didn't you notice them? I put the info in here for ZNix since he's new on doing body work like I am.

if they were not so far away i would have got them. i guess i didn't notice the clekos in the other pictures. i'm just so use to using them and seeing them i guess. some of the older dudes i have seen use rivits to hold there panels up then drill them out. thats more work than its worth. i still see people drill holes in panels to pull dent. i alway tell them to get with modern times and get a uni-stud welder. now what all the newer guys use is panel adhesive to hold in patch panels. i dont use the stuff personally but i hear its stronger than a weld but i cant see how that is. what i do know is it takes less time to do a repair.

 

[charlief1]

Well I got the holes welded up finally and it looks good. I did find one thing tweeked though. The wheel well to the inner fender were about 3/8" apart so I put a couple of vice grips on it to hold it together and plug welded them together. It's much better now and I'll need to put some sealer on it later but it's not going anywhere now.

The last 2 pics are for ZNix. This is the best angle I've found to weld panels on and you need to be fairly close to do it. I had a little help with the pics but he's not familiar with my camera so the pics don't look that good.