[CMC#5]

Ok, so I shouldn't quit my day job and open up Al's Autobody just yet...but, considering this is my first time using an automotive paint gun, mixing paing, using bodywork tools (hammers and pullers) and laying up filler...I'd say it turned out ok.

(IMG:http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com/images/Other/before.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com/images/Other/Damage1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com/images/Other/Damage2.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com/images/Other/Repair1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.camaromustangchallenge.com/images/Other/Repair2.jpg)

Tomorrow I'll take all the masking off, clean everything, throw some stickers on it...and it'll be ready to wreck again!!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[trackbird]

Looks good. Race car bodywork is always fun. I taught a crash course in metal fabrication (no external metal damage, all sheetmetal structure stuff) at VIR. I don't mind banging panels, filler is another story....

[98_1LE]

and it'll be ready to wreck again!!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)

[rmackintosh]

GOOD DEAL AL! You look like a PRO already.....two colors on your first try!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Did Finishmasters set ya up?

Why you waitin to take off the masking....I can usually wait about an HOUR max before I cant stand it and SLOWLY peel the tape off!

:drive:

I see your "paint booth" looks alot like mine! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)

Good thing you have a graphics sponsor!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[CMC#5]

Graphics sponsor...I wish! Actually, I'm working on it. Interestingly enough, the guy that owns Briggs Graphics built this car for Motorola Cup a few years back...its even on his home page. We'll see what he says.

So, HVLP my butt! I spent an hour compounding the pink haze off the white panels and the white dust off the red panels that didn't get masked. I also had to razor blade half the rear glass and all of the front glass. PITA!

Yep, I went to Finishmasters in Concord. The guys were pretty amused when I said "I've never done body work, or paint, but I have this quarter panel I need to fix...so what do I need?" It looks a lot better here than in person, but I learned a lot and I'm glad I did it. Next time it'll go smoother and look better.

[rmackintosh]

...try rubbing out your wife's washer and dryer to get the green off the things.....THAT is a PITA!
(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I now go to the hardware store and buy a 20 foot by 10 foot roll of cheap plastic drop cloth....and tape that over the WHOLE CAR! It is much easier than taping the Sunday paper on the car as I see you did.....have done THAT a million times though too....

I also have razor bladed my share of windshields....and rubbed out a lot of overspray....plastic makes that a lot less, and CANNOT razor blade the front Lexan... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Naw...you did good for your first time...and KNOCK ON WOOD....when you do it again....you will be MUCH better at it!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Trance]

Looks good enough. As long as it looks good from 10 feet, right? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif)

[rmackintosh]

50 feet @ 50 MPH is the "common" guidline....

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[slowTA]

Hahaha.... I know what you mean about using plastic drop cloths. I didn't have any overspray to clean up... at all, even on everything else in the area. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif) Granted the car cover helped some too, but that isn't showing any signs of overspray either.

This was my first time painting a car too. I don't think it came out too bad, but I'm still glad it's kept under the hood all the time.

http://www.vilipend.com/~frrax/Paint

[rmackintosh]

Hahaha.... I know what you mean about using plastic drop cloths. I didn't have any overspray to clean up... at all, even on everything else in the area. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif) Granted the car cover helped some too, but that isn't showing any signs of overspray either.

This was my first time painting a car too. I don't think it came out too bad, but I'm still glad it's kept under the hood all the time.

http://www.vilipend.com/~frrax/Paint

WHEW!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

That's an AWFUL lot of work for something 99% of the people WILL NEVER SEE.... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool2.gif)

[9T7 Trans Am]

I am planning on taking some bodywork courses at my local college in the spring. People say the bondo is not good, but if done properly, I don't see any problem with using it. It's kind of like drywall work with the coats and sanding etc. Good work.

[Lucas Black]

question: will bondo withstand shock as well as the fiberglass/plastic fender pieces and the such? i can't immediately think of a situation that might cause enough shock to possibly "break" the bondo because of stress/warp/shock...but is that possible?

[slowTA]

WHEW! 

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

That's an AWFUL lot of work for something 99% of the people WILL NEVER SEE.... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool2.gif)

I figured since the motor was coming out and the new one looks SO clean it would be a shame to leave it alone. Also you can tell how the orange and red compliment each other SO well, and the orange overspray from the crappy guys who did the repaint.

Also... I usually wind up looking under the hood more than actually driving the stupid car anyway, so after all that work I want to see something that at least looks nice.

I added some before pics, I think the work was worth it especially when the guys at tech notice!
http://www.vilipend.com/~frrax/Paint

[rmackintosh]

question: will bondo withstand shock as well as the fiberglass/plastic fender pieces and the such? i can't immediately think of a situation that might cause enough shock to possibly "break" the bondo because of stress/warp/shock...but is that possible?

A good body supply house will have "flexible bondo" to be used on bumpers and our rubber fenders....

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

[rmackintosh]

Also... I usually wind up looking under the hood more than actually driving the stupid car anyway, so after all that work I want to see something that at least looks nice.

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

...been there....DONE that......

....I am with you.....I MUST have a clean looking car above ALL ELSE!

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/2thumbs.gif)

[CMC#5]

Well boys and girls...my pristine and almost professional level (I can say that now...since nobody will see it any more!! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) ) repairs lasted almost an entire weekend. (see my post re CMC at Infineon in the road racing forum)

I backed the car into the wall at turn 10 pretty hard. The rear window exploded, and the top of the hatch dug into the rear section of the roof panel. The right rear quarter and inner quarter got pushed in all the way to the tire. The bumper cover and underlying supports are wasted. I'll get some pics some time...

Amazingly, the bondo on the quarter held up really well! It didn't all pop off or anything. Looking under the car, it appears to be fixable. The roof is still straight, the suspension didn't move...everything structural looks like its still in place. Unfortunately the extent of the damage means this really needs to go to someone that knows what they're doing.

I was thinking of proceeding as follows:
1) clean the car up, remove the bumper cover, bumper supports, what's left of the tail lamp and the piece between the tail lamp and the bumper cover, remove the rear hatch
2) take the car to a real shop that can replace the quarter and inner fender, as well as putting the car on a stretcher and measuring the uni-body to make sure its still square
3) find a new hatch, glass, bumper cover, light and fit them on
4) paint the back half of the car

What do you guys thing? I'm thinking if I minimize the work a shop does, it should minimize the cost. Alternatively, I could just find the necessary pieces, bring everything to a shop as is, and just hand it all over. What would you suggest? Also, does anyone have an in with a body shop in No. Cal that would be interested in doing this? I'm ok with towing the car somewhere to save some bucks.

[rmackintosh]

F*&%CK! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/nutkick.gif)

Man Al, I am REAL sorry to hear that.....guess I forgot to tell you RULE #1 about fixing dents and repainting a race car....as referenced from the road racing manual:

".....said car will almost assuredly be scratched, dented, hit, smashed, totaled etc. IN THE VERY NEXT RACE after effective repairs have been made..."

I am glad to hear you avoided the "totaled" part!

I had one bad wreck in my 510....got T-boned in the passenger door HARD in turn 2 at Laguna.....WENT ON TO WIN THAT RACE....I WAS PISSED! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) It bent the A & B pillars in almost a foot. Wiped the whole side of the car out!

I took it to a friend who did road race cars for cash at night.....off the books type of stuff...took it in at 6:00pm on a Thursday and picked it up at 7:00am on a Friday...guy worked all night on it on the frame rack....dunno if they do it anymore...he moved the bodyshop from Pleasanton to Tracy a year or so ago...

I will contact him and see if he is interested....last I heard...he was "tiring" of all the beat up cars he was seeing....

Hang in there....

[slowTA]

Damn that sucks... I send my sympathy (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I would do as much work as I could do myself. But if the frame shop can spray the car for pretty cheap then it may be worth it to save yourself some time. I kinda like masking and spraying the paint, but mixing and cleaning up just plain agrivates me.

[rmackintosh]

Ok Al,

Just sent the word out to my body work guy. I will let you know what he says....

I will say that when I had my Datsun done by this guy I was amazed....I was thinking a whole quarter panel up to the roof, new pillars, etc...he got it all pulled straight on the frame machine and the body in "ROUGH" shape in just those few hours....

Of course that left me with a TON of finish work like you just did to get it back to my standards.....but then you just practiced that skill huh?

(IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[CMC#5]

There are those that say I tacoed the car intentionally to hide the results of my previous body work (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

You know, considering I have a pile of body repairs, and it may turn out I grenaded the motor...I'm surprisingly in a good mood. I guess the bottom line is I'm ok, and if I weren't out there racing I wouldn't have these problems. So I go back to not racing for a few months...its not the end of the world.

Thanks for asking your repair guy about this for me Randy.