FCRB30 Wagon

[NO NAME]

I didn't use the back seat, i used the front seat.

[pedro]

Well that idea just got shot down in flames, now i see why you were talking about buying discs in bulk John, ripper stripper discs are $18-$20 each , if i use 15 thats $300 + paint stripper, wire discs and sandpaper that would come to around $400, as Jamie said i mght as well pay $500 get it sandblasted and save myself a lot of work.

[NosFEratu]

Hi Pedro

We just saw your post about the discs - now you can understand why we bought a whole heap of the 3" ones for $2 bucks each from the states.  We use them for all sorts of things - removing gaskets, sound deadener off the bottom of Project 58 and just stripped the two pack off my engine stand to repaint it.  Also got a whole pile of flap wheels and surface conditioning discs at the same time to minimise postage costs.  We are totally ripped off here in Aust for anything abrasive wise. 

Nothing wrong with bare basics rotisserie - it worked well for NosFEratu back in '89. Tyres underneath and padding against car port uprights and we stripped the paint off with paint remover and scrapers . The underside was sprayed in two pack in the car-port with drop sheets hanging down and it still looked good when I got under there a few years back and gave it a real good clean up.

Absolutely nothing wrong with budget build ups Pedro - NosFEratu was done on a very tight budget and it still looks quite respectable all these years later. 

Keep up the good work!

Kathi 

[pedro]

Yes Kathi, I noticed i'd been put on the hit list, unfortunately i've come to a complete standstill on the body , she goes to the sandblaster in 4 weeks, but to avoid the mafia staff car i've decided to start painting and assembling other bits and pieces, also my mig welder is getting fixed so i will be able to start doing some rust repairs soon

[NosFEratu]

Very happy smiley face    awarded for developing and actioning a contingency plan Pedro!  Remember, any progress is good progress.  Look forward to your update on Sunday night!

Kathi 

[smithy]

well i'll give you a  aswell mate.
one thing i had to do for the 16 months my car was being painted was find other things to keep me motivated.
in that time every time i opened the garage door all i had was a engine on a stand, very hard to keep motivated and see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel with
just that
try restoring your stainless mouldings it is quite easy but time consuming to knock out all the little dents etc from over the years. if you want to know a very cheap and kinda easy way drop me a line
while engine is out degrease it maybe even de-burr it and repaint if ya wanna get fancy ( should have done that to mine )
clean all the crap and dust from you gauges, look at how the wiring is especially behind the dash
and if you really want something to take up some time try polishing all your alloy  i did all mine by habnd and at times i felt like my right arm was going to look like popeyes

good luck
dean

[pedro]

Yep, i'm right into that list Dean, just came in for some lunch, sorted out my best doors, guards,tailgate etc. ready for sandblasting, fortunately i have heaps of stainless bits so i can choose ones with no dents, i'd still like to hear your tip for getting out dents though, never know when it might come in handy, the engine was done up a little while ago just have to get the cam reground and a new oil pump, there are four wiring harnesses so in theory one of them should be good, being an old biker i'm used to polishing alloy, a bit of autosol, some elbow grease and the mafia staff car on our backs will ensure it gets done , 16 months to get painted no wonder you needed motivation, luckily i'm in the situation where my wife works and i renovate and do ALL the housework, which still leaves me time to work on my car some days, anyway better get off here and go and get something done

[smithy]

just a thought, maybe strip the doors by hand take away any chance of warping ??

you want polishing fun, try doing that manifold of mine by hand
they came from factory with a very average casting and coated in some sort of plastic like powder coat.
now that was fun
i read someone was quoted maybe $300    to get theirs polished, given what i know now, i would pay that

dean

[FC427]

Dean I got my striped at REDI STRIP in the Aluminium Tank  for $25 come up like new some things just are not worth doing at home ....FC427.......

[smithy]

hindsight is a wonderful thing
thing was at that stage, my budget was next to noting and there wasnt a great deal i could do to the car so i thought id give it a go, and once i got started i kept thinking not much more now, surely cant be much more to do, damn my arms are hurting. and the biggy why the bloody hell did i even think of doing this
 i learnt a bit and if i was asked now to do it the answer would be *^%( off ya got to be kidding 

[EffCee]

Dean,

When I looked at that intake manifold, I thought WOW, that just sets the whole engine bay off. To have done it yourself and by hand is an absolute credit to you. It is an achievement that many would have thought "Bugger this for a joke" and put it in and have had it professionally done. your manifold would be as good as any other "professional" job, and full credit to you for sticking with it.

Keith

[EffCee]

Pedro,

Sorry for stealing your thread, I just feel that if someone takes the time to do it themselves then so much the better for them. At least when the car is finished the builder of the vehicle can say I did this or that, rather than I sent this of here and that off there.

Good on you for having a go at yours, I look forward to seeing the finished project.

Keith

[pedro]

You did a good job on your manifold and like you said to me it feels better when you know you did it yourself, when my brother got his EH sandblasted it came back really badly warped on almost every panel, so was thinking that i'd just get them to sandblast the outside edges no panels Keith, feel free to join in anytime you like, we all enjoy a good chat

[EffCee]

Pedro,

I had a '36 Ford sedan that I had sandblasted and every panel was warped. I wouldn't get a whole car done again, just the sections that are required, like the door frames, roof gutters, floor etc.

The sandblasters wrecked the '36 and I have seen others that have had their cars severely damaged by the sandblasting process.

I have a small sandblasting gun just to do the edges and that at home. This way there is no possibility of a warped panel.

Keith

[FC427]

Keith There is always Redi Strip not cheap but I have been using them for the last 10 years and not one warped panel in all the jobs I have done I still get some stuff Blasted but the guy at IMPACT BLASTING is very good and has been doing cars for over 20 years he also does Glass and Plastic Medium Blasting .........FC427......

[smithy]

hi keith cheers heaps for the compliment on the manifold
i can still picture your eyes the first time you say under the hood, it made me feel pretty damn good at the time

pedro, i would definately just get the edges done, as you said you have the time, if the paint is still original then it wont be too bad to do with the paint stripper, then once the first lot of stripper has gone off you will then see exactly how much work you have.

hey at least you could have some fun telling the wife that youve been in the shed all day playing with the stripper

keep us posted.

[FC0058]

Ret
I think if you look a little harder Pedro is using both the front and back seats to rest the car on.

Pedro
Looking good, but would have to agree with Ret on the seats.

Cheers Jim

[pedro]

You can't see it in the pics but those seats( rear top and bottom) are all rotten and falling to pieces, I have four sets but only one i could use without re-upholstering, I can picture that one Dean " I'm just going out to the shed to strip the old girl and do some hand polishing on my gearshift"

[smithy]

but nothing beats a bit of hand polishing to put a smile on your face

now thats just getting nasty

[pedro]

Even better if you can get the missus to help with the polishing , the sandblaster i am going to use did an FE for a mate and also a rare sloper that there are only two of left in Aus. so i'm hoping everything will be alright and he'll do a good job