E-tek Restorations: PROJECT THREAD

[Omphaloskeptic]

"O - you musta missed something....I already DID my 2-car...."



Dang, I need to take notes! I must have missed that post. E-Tek, you work so fast and on so many projects, I just can't keep up even reading about it. lol

 

[HOTFR8]

Ohhhhhhh, don't stop me HOT. The more I get to know about E-tek's abilities and fab skills, the more likely I am to declare my undying love in public and totally embarrass myself. I can do all right but some of you guys just amaze me!

"Be Prepared To Stop" indeed ... even the Cuda's "lightning fast" Aerospace disc brakes wouldn't be enough if I was passing that garage.

.
Sounds like you should turn the Hot Tub off Ed and get into the workshop so you can teach Cuda some new skills.

 

[e-tek]

Awwww - You guys.....

 

[HOTFR8]

Awwww - You guys.....

 

[e-tek]

After trying in vain to get shop we had the 40 Ford at to get started on the final body and paint work, I finally had enough and pulled it out of there. I did not want it to turn into one of the many body-shop horror stories we have all heard of. In the 2 months it was there all we have to show are towing charges, surface rust, road dirt and a window into another shop about to implode from hubrus and inexperience.

Anyhow, the rod is back in my capable hands (if I may say so!) and the first thing I did was take the hood, fender and window surrounds to my sandblaster.

Once that was done, I managed to get some fresh Etch Primer on my 32 wire wheels today...

Then stripped the doors of the 240Z:

 

[HOTFR8]

So what next for the 40 ? Try another paint & body shop. I have the same hassle here with Upholstery shops.

 

[MP&C]

After trying in vain to get shop we had the 40 Ford at to get started on the final body and paint work, I finally had enough and pulled it out of there.

Ed, are they that busy that they don't need the work?

 

[CudaChick1968]

The problem with body shops is that they concentrate on insurance work -- instant money -- rather than less secure long term projects for private payors. I know even 13 years ago when I got my Cuda in for paint and the very limited bodywork it needed, it still sat at their shop for almost a year. During that time, countless fixed fenders and busted bumper covers got fixed while Slimer sat there mostly ignored ... it was only when there was a break in the insurance work that it received attention.

I'm glad to see your baby back home with you E-tek. NOW the fun can begin!

 

[e-tek]

So what next for the 40 ? Try another paint & body shop. I have the same hassle here with Upholstery shops.

No change - they are all the same - which is why people seek me out. Every job I've done for someone has been a "rescue" from a bodyshop that sat on it for years.....

Ed, are they that busy that they don't need the work?

Exactly! We all know the insurance story, but now there's so much money out there that even the resto shops only take high-dollar jobs that they can bill 200 hours a month on - no questions asked.

I do this mostly as a hobby and have learned over the years that I don't like the block-sanding part of the process, plus painting in my shop, in a residential area, is a non-starter so I have been sending that part of my builds out to local shops I know. Some may recall the 67 Cougar I got ready for primer and blocking - it's stil sitting in a shop waiting.....so this one went to another high-end shop I know. At first he wanted the job and was to start on it right away, then he got "famous" at SEMA and took in several $100,000 jobs that took priority. Last week I called to push him on it when he told me he severed several tendons in his arm when a zip-disc broke....

So I brought it back to get it done. In the 2 months it sat in their yard I could have had it in final blocking. I'll get it ready for paint and talk a local shop into doing it the same day.

 

[HOTFR8]

So I brought it back to get it done. In the 2 months it sat in their yard I could have had it in final blocking. I'll get it ready for paint and talk a local shop into doing it the same day.

In other words more work for you findind someone else to do the job.

 

[e-tek]

In other words more work for you findind someone else to do the job.

Exactly, but I wasn't about to leave the owner hanging like so many bodyshop owners would do.....I thought this guy was different....wrong again!

Anyways, I picked up the parts today from my sand-blaster, put some etch primer on them and set them up for metal-finishing.

 

[HOTFR8]

To quote Ned Kelly "Such is Life."

 

[e-tek]

Got the freshly blasted parts in etch primer until I can get the body blocked out once - then I'll spray high build on it all.

In between all that I adjusted the doors on the '27 T to close properly -

 

[HOTFR8]

I like the adjustment tool.

 

[Wingnut65]

e, I need to take some lessons from you in multi-tasking (and everything else your talented hands can do)

Just catching up and seeing how many projects you can work on at one time and make actual progress on all of them. Very impressive!

 

[e-tek]

I like the adjustment tool.

Sometimes the right tool is the most basic tool!

e, I need to take some lessons from you in multi-tasking (and everything else your talented hands can do)

Just catching up and seeing how many projects you can work on at one time and make actual progress on all of them. Very impressive!

Well I'm not sure if I'm qualified to teach multi-tasking ....especially since most would call it "scatter-brain" syndrome!

 

[e-tek]

I'm gonna get this printed for my rod and shop:

LOL!

 

[HOTFR8]

I would like to see you post that on the HAMB

 

[Kevin54]

The problem with body shops is that they concentrate on insurance work -- instant money -- rather than less secure long term projects for private payors. I know even 13 years ago when I got my Cuda in for paint and the very limited bodywork it needed, it still sat at their shop for almost a year. During that time, countless fixed fenders and busted bumper covers got fixed while Slimer sat there mostly ignored ... it was only when there was a break in the insurance work that it received attention.

I'm glad to see your baby back home with you E-tek. NOW the fun can begin!

That's about all the body shops around here. There is one that will still work on individuals vehicles doing panel repairs and rust repairs. But even at that, some of them are slower than hell. A few years back I had my '62 completely stripped, put in new floor pans, and bought all new panels for the trunk pan and fenders. I took it out to a guy that was going to cut out the old stuff and weld in the new as I couldn't. I just had surgery, and I can't weld too well. He had it for a year or close to it. He fixed one spot on it. And in that time, it went from zero surface rust to looking like it was shot with red oxide primer. I got it back, bundled stuff up, and sold it.

I've pretty much have given up on people altogether as far as getting things done.

 

[zmotorsports]

No change - they are all the same - which is why people seek me out. Every job I've done for someone has been a "rescue" from a bodyshop that sat on it for years.....

Exactly! We all know the insurance story, but now there's so much money out there that even the resto shops only take high-dollar jobs that they can bill 200 hours a month on - no questions asked.

I do this mostly as a hobby and have learned over the years that I don't like the block-sanding part of the process, plus painting in my shop, in a residential area, is a non-starter so I have been sending that part of my builds out to local shops I know. Some may recall the 67 Cougar I got ready for primer and blocking - it's stil sitting in a shop waiting.....so this one went to another high-end shop I know. At first he wanted the job and was to start on it right away, then he got "famous" at SEMA and took in several $100,000 jobs that took priority. Last week I called to push him on it when he told me he severed several tendons in his arm when a zip-disc broke....

So I brought it back to get it done. In the 2 months it sat in their yard I could have had it in final blocking. I'll get it ready for paint and talk a local shop into doing it the same day.

I know exactly what you are talking about Ed. Back when I had my "paint shop" at my parents farm I had the perfect setup. I would do the mechanical work and fabrication at my home shop then when it was ready to go into body work, primer and paint stage I would load it onto my flatbed trailer and drive it about 7 miles to my parents farm and do the paint/body work. I would then haul it back to my home shop for cutting/buffing and final assembly. Perfect setup.

My parents passed away and the farm was leveled, there went that option. I still get calls and people almost get upset when I tell them that I don't do paint and body work anymore. Like it is my responsibility to find them someone else to do it. I still find myself doing some panel replacements on a few projects but anymore I focus mostly on mechanical work and fabrication. Mostly on Jeeps and motorcycles.

I don't miss not doing the paint and body work for others but I will admit, I hate having to take my stuff to someone to have painted. Right now we are prepping and painting some half doors for my son's Jeep and I am already getting the evil eye from my one neighbor. Last night I threw some primer on the two doors and hardly even created any overspray but he was watching my every move.

I enjoy watching your progress on projects. Your work is very impressive. Keep it up.

Mike.

 

[e-tek]

This may be the next ride in the E-tek shop:

It's a 10 or 12 year old restoration showing it's age (and a few metalwork sins). Overall a real beauty, but the owner wants it to look and work as nice from inside the 2 foot radius as it does from outside it.

Currently though, I'm focused on getting the 40 Ford ready for paint. Today I did a thorough cleaning on the front clip and steering parts in order to apply POR15 and have the other parts ready for detailing once it's ready for paint.

Tomorrow I'll complete the metalwork on the fenders, then it'll be block-sanding-city

 

[IGO2XS]

Looks good E-tek. I know of a few shops around my area that will rent their paint booths for a few hundred bucks a day. Have you tried this option? I cant believe after all the work you did on your Cougar they haven't painted it. I know part of the problem is these shops just take in a car just to have something sitting around to work on if they are not busy. The other problem is guys who work at body shops. I think it is a trade that has high turn over and also there is a lack of truly skilled people in this area. I am sure body shops fight this problem all of the time. Guys with your talent are getting more scarce because not as many guys are willing to work at it. They want to show up, talk on their phones, send text messages, talk to co-workers, then pick up a check on friday.

 

[e-tek]

Looks good E-tek. I know of a few shops around my area that will rent their paint booths for a few hundred bucks a day. Have you tried this option? I cant believe after all the work you did on your Cougar they haven't painted it. I know part of the problem is these shops just take in a car just to have something sitting around to work on if they are not busy. The other problem is guys who work at body shops. I think it is a trade that has high turn over and also there is a lack of truly skilled people in this area. I am sure body shops fight this problem all of the time. Guys with your talent are getting more scarce because not as many guys are willing to work at it. They want to show up, talk on their phones, send text messages, talk to co-workers, then pick up a check on friday.

That is EXACTLY the issue - I couldn't have summed it up any better. As far as renting a booth, #1 I didn't want to do the sanding of the high-build, and #2, like anything, if you aren't painting all the time, you can't be as good as those who are. But I'll be sanding out the 40 Ford over the next while and if the Cougar is still sitting after that I may have to do the same with that one too.... Hopefully once I have the 40 ready for paint, either I'll have found someone to do it over a weekend - or I'll just do it myself.

 

[e-tek]

Working on the 40 Ford....

Here comes 3 days of welding, sanding, filling and grinding.....woo-hoo....

 

[e-tek]

A lot of activity coming up at the E-tek Shop! I want to get the 1940 Ford and the 1971 Datsun ready for paint, which will take many MAN hours of sanding! I have July off, so I should be able to get them close!

Owner and me got plenty of sanding done today - with lots more to come tomorrow!

Door gaps were addressed too - here we're pulling one of the hinges with a come-a-long to get the door to sit level. Worked well!

 

[e-tek]

Here's some metal finishing on one of the fenders. I made a video of it but it's pretty long. Maybe I'll edit it shorter and post it on my YT Channel.

Kinda blury, but you can see part of the crease here -

By running the metal file over it, you can quickly see the high and low spots -

Backed up with a variety of dolly's, I used hamers and the slapping file below to work the low surfaces up to be even with the undamaged parts -

I continued this system of running the file over it to check my work, then using the hammers and dollys to pick up the low spots. Once it was all very close to the same, I finished it off with 40 on the DA and a skiff of filler -

 

[gustoffur]

Are you renting a paint booth to paint it?

 

[e-tek]

Are you renting a paint booth to paint it?

If I have to! Hopefully I can find someone who will take it in and paint if over a weekend. Got a line on a couple places finally.

 

[e-tek]

Lots more metal work and sanding today....

The dash had square holes on either side that originally held ashtrays (!) - one for the driver, one for the passenger of course. The Vintage AC system had square outlets that "almost" fit, but not quite. After a few discussions, the owner decided the round ones would look better, so asked me to fill and cut round holes instead -

He also asked me to fill the giant speaker hole in the centre - so you wouldn't look through the chrome grille and see wires and AC tubes -

Shaping the patches crown to match the hole -

After the outer holes where filled I cut them open again with the hole saw -

And the round AC outlets fit right in -

In between doing that and metal-finishing the patches, we sanded.....and sanded....and sanded -

This shot - with flash - shows all the **** in the air....

Going to get the 240Z sanded out too before spraying more high build primer on both vehicles...

 

[HOTFR8]

Progress.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

What's more fun than sanding one vehicle? Why, sanding TWO vehicles, of course! lol

You sure do know how to go for the gusto in life E-Tek; just kidding.

 

[e-tek]

What's more fun than sanding one vehicle? Why, sanding TWO vehicles, of course! lol

You sure do know how to go for the gusto in life E-Tek; just kidding.

More like a SUCKER for punishment!! I tried to get around sanding didn't have any luck. Oh well, when they are painted and going together it'll all have been worth it.

 

[tcianci]

What type of high build are you using? I went with Claussen All U Need and it was like sanding concrete!

 

[MP&C]

Ed, maybe those guys at Dupli-color sent Guido around to all your local body shops so you'd be using their stuff exclusively on this build....and then you could show all the paintwork in this thread

 

[e-tek]

What type of high build are you using? I went with Claussen All U Need and it was like sanding concrete!

That's interesting you say that Tom....after seeing it on Powerblock and emailing them I was offered a gallon to try, but then they decided they couldn't ship it to Canada. The guys at powerblock seemed to like it, even rolled it on some spots and sanded it off.

The HB on the 40Ford was sprayed on 10 years ago by the body shop that did a lot of rust and metalwork on it. I'm not sure what brand it is, but it's really nice - easy sanding, thick and fairly soft even all these years later.

I have PRO-Form HB to use over top, which I've used before and it is also good - easy sanding and buildable. Otherwise I used to use Sikkens 3+1 high build on all my projects before moving to SK, as I had an "in" with the distributor in BC.

 

[Responder]

Happy Father's Day Ed! Your skills never stop amazing me man!!

 

[e-tek]

Thanks man - hope all the Dad's out there had a great one too. Been draggin' my *** this week due to the weather and getting caught up at my "real" job. Gotta get my ducks rowing ahead of my annular "Builders Holiday" in July. The month will be full between getting the 40Ford ready for it's second (and hopefully final) trip to the painters, getting my Datsun ready for - then painted - and doing some mock-up on the 27 "E-Rod".

All that, plus having my hammock out beside the shop should make for another fine summer holiday!

 

[e-tek]

To check our work from last weekend, I put a guide coat (contrasting color misted over panels) on the 40Ford and knocked it off with 120 on the long board. Most of it looks very good and it should be ready for paint by mid July.

 

[ddawg16]

I find body work very therapeutic....about par to finishing and staining of wood.....but the mess.....saw dust is not bad....but filler dust...**** gets everywhere.....

One of the problems with body work....for the kind of finish detail you want...you couldn't afford to pay someone to do it....

Looking good sir......

BTW....do you always wear your watch while your working on the cars? I haven't worn a watch in years....and....are those steel toed crocks?

 

[Kevin54]

I find body work very therapeutic....about par to finishing and staining of wood.....but the mess.....saw dust is not bad....but filler dust...**** gets everywhere.....

One of the problems with body work....for the kind of finish detail you want...you couldn't afford to pay someone to do it....

Looking good sir......

BTW....do you always wear your watch while your working on the cars? I haven't worn a watch in years....and....are those steel toed crocks?

I used to love doing it, but anymore, I hate the mess. Any grinding done, the stuff just gets everywhere. And doing machining for so long, I find it therapeutic like you find bodywork. And it's not as messy. Chips are way easier to clean up than dust. With that being said, I would still like to find a project to work on sometime, but not anything where it's hard to get parts for. I'd like to find a smaller car and drop a V8 into it. Something that has more fab than bodywork.