Why do you own (or want to own) a Mopar musclecar? Don't think about it. It's not a trick question. You own your car because you love the car, and you want to drive it and show it off. But you also know that getting your dream car the way you want it is going to take some work. You're not afraid of getting dirty, but perhaps the thought of completely disassembling your car and then taking years to get it back together is a bit intimidating.
Yes, it's true that the most efficient way to restore a car is to do it all at once. You tear it down, find out what is needed, and then methodically restore or replace each component as it slowly goes back together. But that usually can't be done in a single winter season, and after what could turn into years of all work and no rewards, it can be tough to maintain momentum. Perhaps the restoration of every last detail is not your top priority. After all, you bought it to enjoy it, not to work on it all the time.
If you have ever tried to...
If you have ever tried to chemically strip paint by hand, then you know what a messy pain in the rear that can be...
...so leave as much of the...
...so leave as much of the original paint on the car as you can and have the trouble spots media blasted instead. The bottom of this quarter has some soft spots and has been patched and rusted through a second time.
This seam between the quarter-panel...
This seam between the quarter-panel and the rocker is supposed to be lead sealed. Perhaps that's why this repair didn't last-it wasn't sealed from the elements.
So, we would like to introduce a new series of articles to help you restore your dream car one bite-size piece at a time. The inspiration for this comes from our friends at Muscle Car Restorations (MCR) in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Owner John Balow, responding to a need in the restoration market, has started a new program called Progressive Restoration. The basic premise is to do only what can be done during one winter season so the owner gets his car back in time for summer cruising. The car is done one section at a time as the owner has resources available. It doesn't matter how many years it takes to finish what the owner wants done; every summer he is behind the wheel enjoying his ride. As John's personal '68 Barracuda goes through the process, we'll pick out selected parts of the restoration to provide you some inside tips that you can use for your project.
It's unlikely that you are going to find a car that doesn't need some level of rust repair, so let's start there. This is often the toughest hurdle for most first timers to get over. The best way, of course, is to completely disassemble the car and have it chemically stripped to completely remove every last speck of rust, but that requires complete disassembly of the car, which is what we are trying to avoid. Since many of you are going to end up patching the rusty areas of your car, we'll start by showing you the best way to do that.
After getting the rusted metal...
After getting the rusted metal out of the way, grind anything that is left of the spot welds flush, and then clean the entire area with a wire wheel, a Clean and Strip Disc, and/or something like a 3M Roloc Bristle disc.
You want to remove the rust...
You want to remove the rust but leave the remaining sheetmetal.
Those two larger holes on...
Those two larger holes on the left are drain holes, and they need to stay clear.
A lot of rust damage is caused...
A lot of rust damage is caused by water that can't properly drain from an area or from debris holding moisture like a sponge. Getting wet isn't the problem; the problem occurs when moisture cannot dry out reasonably quickly.
In most cases, the best way...
In most cases, the best way to remove damaged sheetmetal is with a cutoff wheel. It's the easiest way to cut nice straight lines that will be easier to weld later. Never, ever, use a cutting torch to remove bad sheetmetal. You'll warp everything beyond your ability to fix it. A little help with a chisel is often necessary to pop some of the spot welds free.
This would certainly be an...
This would certainly be an easy enough piece to form yourself, but an even better scenario would be a patch panel from someone such as YearOne so you canretain the original factory look. Parts you can cut from a donor car are also a great option. MCR just happened to have a YearOne panel that was damaged during shipping, so they were able to remove just the piece that was needed. Notice the piece was cut to fit the opening. There will not be any overlap of the parts as overlapped seams can trap and hold moisture.
This image shows the area...
This image shows the area at the front of the quarter-panel area that was originally spot-welded to the rocker. Once it is properly fitted, mark the locations of the factory spot welds so you can drill holes that you will later plug weld.
Since the patch will be welded...
Since the patch will be welded in several places to the rocker, 3M Weld Through Primer is applied before the patch goes on. You could also use POR 15. Just be sure not to apply anything in such a way that it will prevent moisture from freely draining from the area.
The first step to welding...
The first step to welding in your new piece is to place tack welds in key locations to simply hold the part in place. All seams are butted together, and all welds are a series of tack welds. There is no stitch welding! The goal is to achieve good weld penetration, but to use minimal heat to prevent any distortion of the area involved. The process is simple. Start by placing a tack weld about an inch apart, all along the seam. Cool the area with compressed air, and move back and forth across the part as you go. Then go around the part again, putting another tack weld in between the ones you just did. Do this a third time and you should be left with approximately quarter-inch spaces between all your welds. Resist the temptation to run short bead welds to fill in the remaining gaps. Instead, do a series of three quick tack welds, essentially tack welding the tack welds together. This might sound like it could take a lot of time, but it really progresses faster than you think, and you really save time by reducing your finish bodywork to an absolute minimum. When you have finished, use a 3M reinforced grinding wheel to grind the weld nearly flush with the sheetmetal. Watch that you don't grind any of the body panels as they will get thin quickly. When you are finished, look the seam over closely to see if there are any small gaps or pinholes that might need a quick tack to fill in. A quick pass with an 80-grit grinder is a good idea to smooth everything out.
All that's normally left before...
All that's normally left before painting is to apply whatever filler and/or sealer applications might be required. This seam area was leaded at the factory so that needs to be addressed first.
Leading is a simple process,...
Leading is a simple process, but many home builders don't do enough of it to justify having the materials. Another method that could be used is to weld the seam (using the previously described method), and smooth with a quality filler. While not the OE-correct way to fill the seam, it is acceptable.