Would love some advice

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plumkrazee70

plumkrazee70

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I am in the middle of a rest mod on my 70 Dart and am getting around to the body work. The lower drivers quarter is toast, but it seems the patch panel will cover it. I started to DA the panel and the paint comes off really easily with 80 grit. It has been painted before in 2003.

The problem is I don't know where to start.

1. Do I take all the paint off in the lower quarter area to see what I am really dealing with?

I am new to this and am just not really sure the best way to tackle and in what order.

Thanks.

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Definitely. Clean to bare metal. That way you can see what problems you have, plus a clean surface for welding.
 
furyus2 said:
Definitely. Clean to bare metal. That way you can see what problems you have, plus a clean surface for welding.
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Got it. I guess it doesn't really matter if it sits around since it will be cut out anyway? I am pretty sure the lower trunk extension will need replaced considering the amount of rust here.
 
I would also strip the paint around the wheel lip, very common rust area there also. Better to find it now, than after repairing lower quarter area, finding out would have been easier to just replace the whole quarter.
 
spl440 said:
I would also strip the paint around the wheel lip, very common rust area there also. Better to find it now, than after repairing lower quarter area, finding out would have been easier to just replace the whole quarter.
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That is what I am afraid of... replacing the whole quarter. Fingers crossed.
 
Don't be afraid of the quarters, be afraid that the quarters will cause you to say...Well, now that I got the quarter off and can see that the rockers look scuzzy, it would be easiest to replace them now instead of later. THEN, it would be a travesty to have that trunk pan welded to those new trunk extensions............Ya know, it would suck to put paint on there only to find the lower door corners bubbling after a year, might as well open those up to get a peek-see.
 
RogerRamRod said:
Don't be afraid of the quarters, be afraid that the quarters will cause you to say...Well, now that I got the quarter off and can see that the rockers look scuzzy, it would be easiest to replace them now instead of later. THEN, it would be a travesty to have that trunk pan welded to those new trunk extensions............Ya know, it would suck to put paint on there only to find the lower door corners bubbling after a year, might as well open those up to get a peek-see.
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I know it. I think, this weekend I am going to strip that whole quarter to see what I am really working with.

If let's say the quarter is in good shape, minus what is obviously bad, can I just shoot some rattle can primer on the bare metal until I get all the metal replaced, to prevent from flash rusting?

The plan is to strip all the old paint off everything to be sure there are no other problem areas and then epoxy prime it all and then 2k and block sand. I just don't know exactly how long that will take.
 
All the above. I would strip the Quarter like said and see what you're working with. If you need wheel house or trunk extensions it is easier to do if you plan a quarter skin and have the quarter off for access. And in the end it makes for a cleaner job and less work that doing multiple patches on the same panel. Like said common for the inner rocker to be rusted out behind the quarter. Clean up, treat metal with Ospho or Rust-Mort as you go, buy a hand held spot blaster. As far as spray bomb primers it will not protect the metal nor will most 2k primers. Rust can breed under the primer. Epoxy is about the only option for a primer if you're going to let it sit in the weather. Also spray can products/paints can cause issues when it comes time to put a real paint over them because they are not catalyzed therefore not inert to solvent penetration or stable. Fisheyes, lifting, or other goofy reactions can occur. Some guys use them and get away with it but I've had it bite me more often then not. Any rust left behind will breed all over again. If it's in a garage and been stripped I use etch-prime, again not the spray bomb stuff. A little goes a long way. A quart will cover a whole car and keep it from flash rusting while you go around it doing bodywork etc and a lot of 2k primers and some epoxies want an etch prime on the bare metal anyway.
 
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GeorgeH said:
All the above. I would strip the Quarter like said and see what you're working with. If you need wheel house or trunk extensions it is easier to do if you plan a quarter skin and have the quarter off for access. And in the end it makes for a cleaner job and less work that doing multiple patches on the same panel. Like said common for the inner rocker to be rusted out behind the quarter. Clean up, treat metal with Ospho or Rust-Mort as you go, buy a hand held spot blaster. As far as spray bomb primers it will not protect the metal nor will most 2k primers. Rust can breed under the primer. Epoxy is about the only option for a primer if you're going to let it sit in the weather. Also spray can products/paints can cause issues when it comes time to put a real paint over them because they are not catalyzed therefore not inert to solvent penetration or stable. Fisheyes, lifting, or other goofy reactions can occur. Some guys use them and get away with it but I've had it bite me more often then not. Any rust left behind will breed all over again. If it's in a garage and been stripped I use etch-prime, again not the spray bomb stuff. A little goes a long way. A quart will cover a whole car and keep it from flash rusting while you go around it doing bodywork etc and a lot of 2k primers and some epoxies want an etch prime on the bare metal anyway.
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Thanks George! To be clear the car is stored inside an insulated garage so the weather isn't an issue. I am going to be using SPI Epoxy primer when all the metal work is done, I will double check what they require for prepping the substrate. I guess I should just go ahead and get it now and spray as I go, to eliminate duplicate work.
 
GeorgeH said:
Oh, and start a build thread! lol Lots will jump in with advice , slick tips etc.
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I really should. There is a really great story behind this car too, that I love telling. Maybe I will do that tonight so I can keep all of my questions in one place. :D
 
At this point, it is best to go down to metal, and fix all issues and go from there. My car was similar to yours in that it had been repainted once, and had the same rust issues. I replaced a whole right rear quarter due to sideswipe damage. the good thing these days is that replacement sheet metal is available that didn't used to be. It is pricey though. In the end, you want a rust free car with minimal filler to straighten the body out.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
At this point, it is best to go down to metal, and fix all issues and go from there. My car was similar to yours in that it had been repainted once, and had the same rust issues. I replaced a whole right rear quarter due to sideswipe damage. the good thing these days is that replacement sheet metal is available that didn't used to be. It is pricey though. In the end, you want a rust free car with minimal filler to straighten the body out.
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Thanks. I am going to start that work this weekend and also do a build thread. What makes me nervous about doing a full quarter is the fact is that this will be my attempt at big metal work. The Passenger side looks way better at least on the surface of the paint, time will tell what is underneath. I will link my build thread here, after I get it all together. :)
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Thanks. I am going to start that work this weekend and also do a build thread. What makes me nervous about doing a full quarter is the fact is that this will be my attempt at big metal work. The Passenger side looks way better at least on the surface of the paint, time will tell what is underneath. I will link my build thread here, after I get it all together. :)
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If you don't need a full quarter, don't do it. Just do a lower patch. The more original sheet metal, the better. If you do a full quarter, take your time, and don't go into the door opening. I stayed two or three inches out of the door opening, and didnt go over the top edge of the body. I stayed down in the first body line, which is the top body line that is approximately 1 3/4" and gets narrower into the door opening. There is some work involved filling the weld flanges, and warpage. I didn't do the welding on mine, but I am finishing the body/filler work, and it is teidious and requires patience. My advice is, be patient, and don't let anything pass as finished if you know/feel it isn't perfect or up to your standards.
 
Dartswinger70 said:
If you don't need a full quarter, don't do it. Just do a lower patch. The more original sheet metal, the better. If you do a full quarter, take your time, and don't go into the door opening. I stayed two or three inches out of the door opening, and didnt go over the top edge of the body. I stayed down in the first body line, which is the top body line that is approximately 1 3/4" and gets narrower into the door opening. There is some work involved filling the weld flanges, and warpage. I didn't do the welding on mine, but I am finishing the body/filler work, and it is teidious and requires patience. My advice is, be patient, and don't let anything pass as finished if you know/feel it isn't perfect or up to your standards.
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Great advice. Thank you! Now if there was only someone near me who could help. :)
 
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