Josh's 73 Dart Sport - "Fred"

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Nope. But I can tell you all I did was cut out a square to get to good metal and cut a matching square from the trunk lid off the brown turd. Flanged the edges of the patch and managed to get all 4 sides behind the opening.
 
A little lunch hour fun today. Cut out the old and test fit the new.

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Another lunch hour in the garage today and the Left fender is roughed in.

Tomorrow, I hope to get the trunk gutter almost done. After that, we'll roll it out so I can get the 03 Dakota in for the exhaust manifold leak and front of the engine oil leak taken care of. Sounds like an old farm truck and leaves spots like a Mack in the driveway.

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School was closed on Monday, so Josh and I did a few hours in the garage. Got the right side mostly fabbed up.
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Saturday was ridiculously warm here. Josh wire wheeled and painted the carlisle k frame while I fabbed some more lower right qtr. Got an action shot he doesn't know I took (yet)

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No pics, but a little progress update. Josh stripped both doors. Left side is way solid. Right side has 3 pin holes in the lower front corner.
 
We also turned Fred around and I started poking holes in his left side and started eyeballing how to go about the tail light corner.

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Got an action shot of Josh this evening. Initial cut down low so we could get the wheel lip and bottom edge removed in order to see where the final cut should end up.
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CFD244 said:
Great to see the young lad looking working safely.:thumbsup:
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Couldn't agree more. The old guys at work always harped on me about protecting my back and knees, and I'm glad I listened because I don't have trouble with either. It's good to see Josh wearing ear protection while making racket. I wish the old guys had made me do that. I may not have Tinnitus if I'd worn ear plugs with all the noisy equipment a lineman uses.
 
A little more work today. Not having a full replacement qtr to work with, it's going on in 3 pieces. 3rd piece will be fabbed to take care of the lower front corner at the wheel well and meet the under side of the rocker..
We've also got some inner rocker to reconstruct, as you can see.
Somewhere in the shed, I've got a flip top fuel recess from a 68 Bcuda. That is going to be cut in for the conversion.
I'm feeling pretty ok about it, over all.

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Well, we got a little more done this week. Ended up building this side out of 3 pieces of metal. Not close to being pretty yet, but he's learning a lot. A little (lot) of weld grinding is on tap and then he can become a mud sculptorer.
We also cut the fuel door recess out of my 68 B'cuda qtr and sized up the cut line on Fred.

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Great project I am glad I found it!!
Father son projects are always remembered. Ask my 91 year old Dad and my 3 sons. Hopefully one of the 10 GK’s get interested in cars.
 
Took the afternoon off work today so Josh and I could get something done on Fred. Tail panel is almost done, as are both quarters. Maybe another half day or so and they'll be done. Josh also finished stripping the engine bay of all the bolt ons. Getting closer to getting the whole thing in primer. Wasn't too hot in the garage today.
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Well, progress has been made the last week and a half at about 2 hours at a time.
Tomorrow afternoon, Josh is washing it all down one final time.
This Saturday, I'm breaking out the spray gun and we are shooting primer on everything in a make-shift paint booth.
Then some of the final bodywork can take place while he saves his paychecks for the front end rebuild parts list.
 
ragtopfury said:
Well, progress has been made the last week and a half at about 2 hours at a time.
Tomorrow afternoon, Josh is washing it all down one final time.
This Saturday, I'm breaking out the spray gun and we are shooting primer on everything in a make-shift paint booth.
Then some of the final bodywork can take place while he saves his paychecks for the front end rebuild parts list.
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Just a great thread! Thanks so much for posting, even tho many of us are jealous of your body work skillset! You make it look easy, and I know for a fact that means you have a wealth of knowledge and experience behind ya.
 
Sublime one said:
Just a great thread! Thanks so much for posting, even tho many of us are jealous of your body work skillset! You make it look easy, and I know for a fact that means you have a wealth of knowledge and experience behind ya.
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Appreciate the accolades about my skill. However, I am by no means a skilled body man. I do manage to make things work in that regard.
 
ragtopfury said:
Well, progress has been made the last week and a half at about 2 hours at a time.
Tomorrow afternoon, Josh is washing it all down one final time.
This Saturday, I'm breaking out the spray gun and we are shooting primer on everything in a make-shift paint booth.
Then some of the final bodywork can take place while he saves his paychecks for the front end rebuild parts list.
Click to expand...
I'd certainly be interested in seeing the make-shift paint booth. I'm trying to decide how to do one, myself.
 
DartManPlum340 said:
I'd certainly be interested in seeing the make-shift paint booth. I'm trying to decide how to do one, myself.
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Here ya go. $40 party tent on marketplace. Next year when we shoot color, I'll plastic drape everything in the garage. For the primer work, this will be fine. Weather is 79 with 49% humidity.

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