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Another 55 F100 build-Long Term

Miter Wrench

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Colorado
This is an awsome project - thanks a million for documenting it. Your fabricating skills are off the charts!
 
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DrunkSmurf

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Mar 12, 2011
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NorCal
It was a bunch of work, but cheap to build and not like everybody else.

Drew



And it's amazing how often the inexpensive but well planned details are the ones most commented on in the end. I can already envision people crouching down to check out those exhaust ports at showings...lol

Beautiful work and thanks for the updates.:thumbup:
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
Haven't posted anything in a while............been cutting grass and working on odds and ends around the house and in my spare time I work on the F100.

I spent a little time roaming around in the local u pull it salvage yard and picked up some bucket seats and a cable operated floor shifter for 55 dollars. I'm always on the lookout for unique features on the high end cars that I can modify to use in my builds. The seats that I bought were out of a Mopar (yeah, the pedigree is watered down even more) and seem to be very comfortable. The shifter.....I don't know if I can make it work or not, but it was cheap enough to give it a shot. Sorry no pics of the shifter.

P1010432.jpg


It's really hard to find seats that are decent in the u pull it yards. Even if the seats were good when the car arrived on the yard, some of the yo yo's screw them up throwing junk in the car or tear up the seat trying to get it out. I usually take an 18 volt battery from my drill and I power the seat up and check all the drives and also move the seat forward so that the rear bolts are accessible.

I spent a little time polishing the stainless panel that will be mounted in the front of the bed. Also welded in the studs that will hold the panel and did a quick mock up.

P1010451.jpg


P1010452.jpg


P1010447.jpg


P1010545.jpg


Since I had some scraps of stainless laying around and I'm a cheap ***, I decided to build my steering column drop. I cut out a sample out of wood and later in scrap steel before I took a shot at the stainless.

P1010535.jpg


P1010533.jpg


I'm still a newby at tig welding, but I managed to weld up the stainless where it looked decent. A little grinding and a bunch of polishing and I think it's ready.

P1010541.jpg


P1010536.jpg


P1010544.jpg


Sorry for the lousy documentation in this post. I'm bad about getting an idea and just doing it without a thought of taking photos. I'll try to do better on the next installment.

Drew
 
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jlckmj

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Dec 7, 2009
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732
Location
SE Wiscosin
Nice build!

My first project was a 55 F100, I had it done for about 3 months and I got an offer I could not refuse, so I went on to a 54 F100 panel with a BB Chevy.

Wish I still had that one, but college tuition for the kids got in the way.

Keep up the good work,
Jim
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
Haven't posted anything in a while. Seems that I've had a lot of life get in the way of this build over the last 5-6 months. In looking back over my photos, I see that there has been some undocumented progress that I'll try to bring up to date.

After building the column drop I decided to get started on the brake swing pedal. I had several old swing pedals out of a variety of vehicles laying around so I took the best of the bunch that looked like it might work.

I decided to mount my booster between a couple of ribs in the firewall and fabricated my brackets that would connect the booster and swing pedal.

P1010609.jpg


P1010618.jpg


P1010612.jpg


I had to do some surgery on the pedal to get it to clear the column and come out on the right side of the column. I've seen the pedal dropped on the left side of the column, which would have been easier but for some reason that seems weird for the pedal to drop on the left side.

P1010613.jpg


P1010614.jpg


A little welding and some grinding ..........

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Also got rid of the ignition on the column and formed a stainless sleeve to cover the lower part of the column to hide some of the ugly parts of the gm column.


P1010631.jpg


More to come............
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
After getting the booster/swing pedal issue worked out I decided to try to smooth up the firewall. It had what seems like 50 holes drilled in it and was also beat up pretty bad. After a lot of welding, hammering and smoothing with magic dent remover and priming.............

P1010768.jpg


In hindsight I would probably cut the firewall out and put in a smooth firewall. It probably wouldn't have been any more work.


P1010770.jpg


While I was at it I decided to knock the front suspension apart and sandblast and rebuild all the worn parts.

P1010634.jpg


P1010638.jpg


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After some paint and a little assembly.

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more to come........
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
The cab corners were nothing to write home about so I picked up repair panels, whipped out my 4 1/2" grinder with a cutoff wheel and did a little surgery.

P1010792.jpg


A little sandblasting....

P1010801.jpg


Since I'm going to relocate the fuel tank, I welded a cover over the hole where the filler neck was originally located. I coated all of the surfaces with weld-thru primer

P1010809.jpg


P1010798.jpg


My patch panels were not the best so I was rather selective about what I cut away from the original sheet metal. I'm using HF panel alignment clamps to hold the everything in place for welding. Note that this panel also eliminates the gas filler hole in the outer skin.

A whole bunch of spot welds spaced around the panel to keep heat down.

P1010811.jpg


I usually weld small areas and grind them down almost flush to the surrounding surface using my die grinder with a fairly thin grinding wheel, rather than welding everything up and grabbing a grinder and grinding off everything.....creating a lot of heat and maybe thinning the surrounding metal unnecessarily.

P1010839.jpg


Basically the same routine for the passenger side........

P1010844.jpg


I'm not gonna try to tell you that I'm so good that I don't use any plastic filler, I try to use as little as possible. After a little smoothing and primer.

P1010871.jpg


more to come............
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
Coming along vey well. I am headed to the salvage yard myself shortly for some seats for my 40. nice chioce

Red

Salvage yards are my favorite places to spend an afternoon looking for ideas to use on my build.

Grab that 18 volt battery from your drill and some jumper wire in case you find a seat that is power. I find it almost impossible to get all the bolts out without powering up the seat to move it.

Drew
 

emeraldcoupe

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Jan 4, 2010
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Location
spring hill, florida
Salvage yards are my favorite places to spend an afternoon looking for ideas to use on my build.

Grab that 18 volt battery from your drill and some jumper wire in case you find a seat that is power. I find it almost impossible to get all the bolts out without powering up the seat to move it.

Drew

never thought of that trick, i'll have to remember that one!
 

countryroad82

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Mar 18, 2011
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Kentucky
I'm not gonna try to tell you that I'm so good that I don't use any plastic filler, I try to use as little as possible.



That is the key to it all. I have seen a couple cars that are honest to God no filler machines, and that is zen. I have not achieved Zen myself and I do bodywork all the time. I have done some patches that didn't require filler at all but it was He$$ doing it. I always go by the 1/8" rule and it is acceptable, plus you have less of a chance of your weld material bleeding through later on in years. Anyway keep the build pics coming!! You have a great looking truck going!!
 

Jamesbbh

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Jun 16, 2011
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211
Location
Pensacola, FL
This thing is the ****!!!! I have a 1960 C10 apache that I'm slowly but surely building and I'm using some ideas I saw on here haha
 
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drewski

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419
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Mid-Tn
Some of you have seen my engine test stand that's mounted on a small trailer that I fabbed. It also has a wheel chock that will allow me to carry a motorcycle.

EngineTestStand002.jpg


trailerbuild002.jpg


I wanted to be able to pull this trailer with the F100, but putting a trailer hitch on it and keeping it hidden was leaving me scratching my head. The problem was the roll pan and the location of the gas tank relative to the roll pan. The gas tank that I originally had mounted was from a 1971 Ford Maverick. It fit great but gave me no room to add any kind of hitch. So I went to "Plan B" which was a 69 Mustang tank which had to be mounted in a completely different way but gave me a smaller footprint inside the frame allowing me to work in a hitch. After some measuring and installing and removing the roll pan about 2 dozen times, I notched the rear cross member and located the receiver with a couple of spot welds. Using poster board, I cut out a pattern for a reinforcement plate to surround the receiver

P1010891.jpg


Roll pan back on again to determine where to cut the opening in the license plate recess.

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Reinforcement plate welded in..........

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Another cross member for a little more reinforcement.

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Hopefully I've overbuilt the hitch for it's intended use. Next trip to the salvage yard I'll be looking for a fold down license plate holder.

With the hitch welded up, I dropped the rear and removed the leaf springs for a quick sandblast and some satin finish black paint.

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P1010907.jpg


A little custom touch for the grille on the next installment..........

Drew
 
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brslk

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Mar 12, 2011
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Location
Edmonton, AB, Canada
Beautiful work Sir.
I would love to have half of your skill and knowledge.

I have seen that trailer somewhere else though... do you belong to a motorcycle forum?
Or maybe the welding web.

Bruce.
 

charger891

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Jan 19, 2011
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91
Location
manitoba
Drew looks really as usual! Man i gotta get my A** in gear and get some stuff on my truck done! Love the big stainless tube you used for your steering column, i`m using the crown vic column and have to build a cover like that for mine! now at least i know how it will look!! what are you doing for guages? i have visions of modyfying the complete opening and installing a newer mustang cluster,or at least something like that, I don`t line those S.S or alluminum plates everybody is using to pluck their guages in, and the orinial guages and opening just looks too tractor like for me
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
Drew looks really as usual! Man i gotta get my A** in gear and get some stuff on my truck done! Love the big stainless tube you used for your steering column, i`m using the crown vic column and have to build a cover like that for mine! now at least i know how it will look!! what are you doing for guages? i have visions of modyfying the complete opening and installing a newer mustang cluster,or at least something like that, I don`t line those S.S or alluminum plates everybody is using to pluck their guages in, and the orinial guages and opening just looks too tractor like for me

Gil, I haven't decided on gauges as of yet. I really would like to do something really different, but that is the reason this truck build has gone on so long. I'm with you on the S/S and billet plate inserts, just don't get it for me. Too bad we don't live closer, I can't imagine what we might come up with, given a little time to brainstorm. I do think part of my gauges will be incorporated into a center console. I'm still dreaming on that part

That cover on the lower column is just some thin ga S/S slip rolled and located by some tabs I installed on the lower column. Those GM columns are not very pretty down on the floor side. Just trying to make what I have work.

Fire up that welder and get going..........I'm looking forward to some updates.

Drew
 

charger891

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Jan 19, 2011
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91
Location
manitoba
thought hard on the center guage concept but it just dosen`t seem practical to me, always looking to the side to see how fast i`m going, i do have an idea for the center but its hard to explain, i`ll have to draw it out. welder`s ready to go! bought a cheapie english wheel a few weeks ago, just have to do a few mods and she`s ready to go, life`s too busy for the old truck right now, hopefully this fall i can giver! Keep up the good work bud!!
 
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Phoneman

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Jan 2, 2012
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Missouri
Drew - absolutely stunning. Your work is an inspiration to the rest of us. Thanks for posting and sharing.:bowdown:
 

Omphaloskeptic

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Oct 11, 2008
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Location
Ultima Ratio, Wa.
Dang, your work is just impressive!

Wish there was someway to video even just a piece of this project to record your work methods. To us wannabe fabricators, watching the entire process would be one heck of an education. Subscribed, and I can't wait for the next photo installment.
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
For those of you that frequent the Hamb and follow the Tech articles, you might recognize the following installment. This was my submission to the the Tech contest that was recently held.

One of the things that I personally have never cared for on the 53-55 F100s is the bug-eyed look of the headlights. I have read discussions of using the 56 F100 headlight trim rings in the 53-55's but I've never seen any details on exactly how it was performed. So this is my approach for using the 56 trim rings in the 53 grille that I intend to use. I would add at this point that this modification could probably be applied to the 48- 52 F1 since they use the same headlight bucket and trim ring as the 53-55 F100.

The 56 ring won't fit flush into the opening without some surgery.

P1010920.jpg


I duplicated the original headlight openings on poster board and applied some dimensions to work with.

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mod4.jpg


I found that the 8 1/2" dia. shown in the drawing would allow the trim ring to sit flush in the opening.

I made a poster board pattern that had a 9 1/2" outer diameter which is equal to size of the headlight housing and a 8 1/2" inner diameter.

mod2.jpg


After I got the pattern located I marked the 8 1/2" cut lines that would allow the trim ring to sit flush. I used a 40 grit flap disc to simply sand away the unwanted material inside the 8 1/2" dia. The four depressions circled in the photo below were used in maintaining orientation of the headlight bucket in a later step.

grillemods.jpg


At this stage I welded in some tabs at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions that would be used to hold the 56 trim ring in place. Just some simple sheet metal tabs that I pre-drilled and used J clips to run the trim screws into. I welded the tabs in at the approximate angle of the trim ring.

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The headlight buckets have to be recessed into the headlight housing. To accomplish this I made up 4 angle brackets for each bucket out of 14 ga steel. I decided to recess the buckets 1 1/2".

a.jpg


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Brackets mounted in headlight buckets.

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After some quick checks and some adjustments made of the 4 brackets I welded the brackets to the headlight housing using the 4 depressions in the housing for correct orientation of the bucks.

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All assembled and this is what you get.

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I need to add at this point that the air deflector will have to be modified due to the fact that the bucket now sticks out the back side of the grille. Note that the 1956 air deflectors already have this depression.

mod6.jpg


The front end is off the truck at this moment but I did stick the grille in for a photo anyway.

P1010964.jpg


I'll submit a better photo as soon as I get the front end reassembled.

Drew
 
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willymakeit

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Apr 27, 2009
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Springfield Mo.
Absolutley stunning work. Im buiding a 56 myself. Im also doing all of my own work. Sometimes 2 or 3 times.
Have you went to the Showme F100 event in Branson ?
I am subscribing to this thread.
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
Absolutley stunning work. Im buiding a 56 myself. Im also doing all of my own work. Sometimes 2 or 3 times.
Have you went to the Showme F100 event in Branson ?
I am subscribing to this thread.

I've never been to that F100 event. If I ever get this project on the street it might make a good trip to plan.

Do you have your project posted on this site or elsewhere? I'm always interested in seeing what others are doing, especially if it is being built by the owner in his own shop.

Drew
 

willymakeit

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I havent posted pics any where yet. I proably should. So far everything is being owner built. Im started on wiring, but seem to have a fear ofit, but will have to get over it.
Come to Branson anyway, it is a small event but, has been around a long time.
I was one of the orginal founding members but drifted away and now have started back in the auto scene.
This 56 has great sentimental attachments to it. It was my shop teachers, who was my best friend. After he passed away 20 yrs ago ,their family gave it to me. It was rough after 20 yrs of sitting but will be on the road by Aug.[not complete but moving.].
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
I havent posted pics any where yet. I proably should. So far everything is being owner built. Im started on wiring, but seem to have a fear ofit, but will have to get over it.
Come to Branson anyway, it is a small event but, has been around a long time.
I was one of the orginal founding members but drifted away and now have started back in the auto scene.
This 56 has great sentimental attachments to it. It was my shop teachers, who was my best friend. After he passed away 20 yrs ago ,their family gave it to me. It was rough after 20 yrs of sitting but will be on the road by Aug.[not complete but moving.].

Great story behind your truck. Consider a build thread on this site, I'm sure there's more than just me that would like to see your progress as you get back on the road.

Drew
 

Phoneman

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Missouri
I agree with Willy about the Branson F100 show. It's a good show with lots of good people. I've attended several times and always had a great time. One of my buddies was a member of the host club.

Another GREAT show is the F100 SuperNationals. This show has maybe 2000 F100's from around the country and even a few from countries outside the US. I had the good fortune of winning the grand prize of a full custom chassis for my truck from No Limit Engineering. Some years they even give away a complete finished truck as the grand prize for those in attendance.

Here are some pictures of my projects. Right now I'm doing a full restoration of a 57 Chevy phone truck. I need to go and update my page as I have tons more pictures.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bobsclassictrucks
 
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drewski

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I agree with Willy about the Branson F100 show. It's a good show with lots of good people. I've attended several times and always had a great time. One of my buddies was a member of the host club.

Another GREAT show is the F100 SuperNationals. This show has maybe 2000 F100's from around the country and even a few from countries outside the US. I had the good fortune of winning the grand prize of a full custom chassis for my truck from No Limit Engineering. Some years they even give away a complete finished truck as the grand prize for those in attendance.

Here are some pictures of my projects. Right now I'm doing a full restoration of a 57 Chevy phone truck. I need to go and update my page as I have tons more pictures.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bobsclassictrucks

I started going to the Supernationals when it was held in Gatlinburg, and later moved to Pigeon Forge. The move to Knoxville kinda of killed the event for me. I understand that is has come back to Pigeon Forge and is open to Ford cars also.

There is another F100 show in Pigeon Forge held in June that I think has recaptured the camaraderie of the owners. It's a smaller show but the people that I've talked with say it's a great show.

Thanks for the link with the photos. Always interested in projects.

Drew
 
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drewski

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Not a lot of progress to report on my build lately due to my wife and I having to deal with health care problems of an elderly relative whose care had fallen in our lap.

I've welded in a few small patch panels in the lower cowl area and inside floor area. Yesterday I located the old windshield to the 55, gave it a good wash job, wax, shot it with pva and did a few layers of fiberglass.

plug.jpg


plug4.jpg


I'm going to fit the fiberglass pattern to my windshield opening so that I know exactly what size to have the windshield cut.

I'm leaning toward trying to do a glue in windshield with late model type trim. I'll use the pattern to determine what I'll need to do.

Drew
 
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willymakeit

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Springfield Mo.
Looks good,any progress is good. Hope the wife is better.
Know what you mean by no progress,took some vacation I had to burn up to work on mine. However the sewer decided it needed attention,so it got replaced instead od working on the 56. There went my truck money. Such is life.
 

Bill Crowell

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Jun 10, 2011
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167
Really nice build, Drew. I'm enjoying this thread very much.

May I please ask one question? Obviously your epoxy primer has overcured. What method do you plan to use to scuff its surface before spraying the high-build primer (if you intend to use any) and/or color coat? This is something that has been bugging me about my Porsche 356 resto.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
 

willymakeit

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Springfield Mo.
My epoxy says to scuff with 80 grit if over cured . Personally I think overture may be better in some cases to let the solvents out ,unless you can spray immd. With high build.
No science to back it up tho.
356 is a nice car.
 
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drewski

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Really nice build, Drew. I'm enjoying this thread very much.

May I please ask one question? Obviously your epoxy primer has overcured. What method do you plan to use to scuff its surface before spraying the high-build primer (if you intend to use any) and/or color coat? This is something that has been bugging me about my Porsche 356 resto.

Thanks in advance for the advice.


I usually just hit it with some 180 on a block or DA. I've never had any issues with over cured epoxy. It does have a window of opportunity to be coated over without scuffing, but I usually have to many things going on to get back to it in time. I've never had any adhesion problems. I'm sure you'll get some different opinions from other painters since we don't usually agree on techniques or products.

Drew
 

Bill Crowell

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Glad to hear that you haven't had any adhesion problems even when you haven't scuffed overcured epoxy primer. I sure was wondering how I'm going to be able to scuff up all those nooks and crannies!
 
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drewski

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Glad to hear that you haven't had any adhesion problems even when you haven't scuffed overcured epoxy primer. I sure was wondering how I'm going to be able to scuff up all those nooks and crannies!

Don't take me wrong. I always create a scratch pattern in epoxy that has cured past the window to be recoated. I would probably use a 3M red scuff pad in the really tight areas and I usually use 180 grit in the other areas.

Drew
 
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drewski

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Mid-Tn
Progress lately has consisted of some boring details that I really didn't think would add to this thread. Presently I'm in a mock-up stage again, trying to make sure things fit. The wife and I have been batting ideas around regarding paint. I would like to get the firewall, jambs, and dash painted so that I can put this thing together and drive it a while to sort out any potential problems before exterior paint is done.

It's nice to see this face peering out of the garage since the grill has been fitted.

P1010990.jpg


Running boards mounted.......and I find that I've got a little trimming to do to get the fit right. I think some of this stuff either shrinks or gets bigger while it's laying on the shelf waiting to be put back on.

P1010997.jpg


P1010999.jpg


Scouted the salvage yard and found a fold down license plate holder, did some more trimming on the opening in the roll pan for the receiver hitch.

P1010992.jpg


P1010993.jpg


P1010994.jpg


Also been working on installing bear claw door latches which have given me a fit trying to decide how I wanted them installed. Sorry no pictures on this yet. It would consist of a bunch of scrapped ideas anyway.:headscrat

I had to add a stiffener to the fiberglass pattern to make it retain correct curvature. I've done a lot of trimming on it, but not quite where I want it yet. I intend to glue my windshield in and use some of the late model moldings to trim it out. ( Something like is used on an S10 maybe.)

pat2.jpg


Hopefully I'll have more to report since the temperature here in middle Tn has cooled down somewhat. If we have another summer like this one I'm gonna have to break down and install A/C in the garage.

Drew
 
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