Streetneats FC Ute

[streetneat]

Here is the new and the old. I have cut out a floor from an FEsedan wreck I was given . ( I was doing this on that famous sept 11 ) . This floor need repairs too and was an easier operation to do this out of the car . You can see where I have been here . Floor braces under neath had to be replaced too with good ones. A very lenghty repair here....All is sand blasted and etch primed with wattyl black etch....B4 welding braces back in etc...

[streetneat]

Entire inner and outer sill was rusted... This was removed completely.. At this stage I considered seriously scrapping the entire project.... I was fast running out of Ute!  Perserverence was running mighty thin... Th ewhole thing was getting very floppy and there was no wher to add bracing to that would not get in my way. I flipped the ute on its side to stop it from waving in the breeze...

[streetneat]

I cut another rusty sill/pillar corner from a doner car and painstakingly over 22 hrs commenced a operation involving removing a small section hand fabricating a new peice, oxy welding it into place  and removing the next rusty peice... this is made up of dozens of peices ... all hand made and metal finished .... very time consuming and very finnicky. Here you can see the old and the new... the old is about to be cut out using a reciprocating hacksaw...

[streetneat]

 A close up of the pillar cnr. This shows the inside of the item . all internal bits have been faithfully reproduced as well .... Note where the subframe bolts on... When all was said and done it fitted perfectly...

[streetneat]

the entire sill is fitted inner and outer from doner vehicle ( EK actually).  Even though its not seen I also replaced the bracket bits that tie it all together. most would not bother but I want it right... am obsessed with perfection at this point and am not nice to be around ...madness continues...

[Emu]

Excellent Photo-Journalism Streetneat,

Question: I'm going to re-spray my Wagon in 2 pac.

If I discover any sections needing fill, do u recommend etch priming the bare metal first? then filling, then priming then paint.

Is Wattyl black etch the one to use?

Thanks for your input to the site

Matt F

[streetneat]

The subframe has been powdercoated(  Very poorly! ) and the engine has been built.  Trail fitting taking place here

[streetneat]

Trail fitting continues .....Notice no powder coating under outrigger !... I was mightily pissed of at this and I wont mention the name of the LOCAL powder coaters that pissed me around , I just post pics of their poor quality control... I dont recommend them and I tell others of their poor work . They never wanted to remedy the work and it was too late once it was fitted into the car.... I just painted that area. The price went up as well to add insult to injury!... and they lied to me about the powder priming they reckoned they did  as well. You can plainly see that  there is bare steel there ...no priming. Also the subframe had powder coating over grease .... Crappy job that I had to re -do myself with two pack satin  Black.... Moral: use the people you have always used . dont fall into the trap of convenience...

[streetneat]

Doodle ( Graham the kiwi painter that works with me) gets caught in the frame... Handsome bloke he will tell you ... let you be the judge  of that!....

[streetneat]

A door and a guard in bare steel  The door was made from a sedan door on this side... I sandblasted them and run the 3m clean and strip disc over the areas that were starting to rust again . These then get EPOXY PRIMED witha high quality very exspensive two part ( not two pack ) EPOXY PRIMER  ( glasurit)  You CANNOT put this stuff over acrylic etch . The inside surfaces with wattyl black etch is covered with a normal two pack primer (glasurit again in this case)

[streetneat]

A second FC mud guard was obtained that was in better nick than the one I started with .. so I repaired it as well. A panel shop snapped up the first one for $350 for an insurance job....I get asked for these all the time and they are not getting any cheaper.. I get annoyed at guys that offer me less for panel beaten guards and other good quality parts ... so be warned!  I would like to see them get it done better and cheaper...  

[streetneat]

Its all coming together here . I have ommitted a lot of boring rust cuting stuff Note the tyre door fitted and tailights squared up...All that black etch has to come off. Its the way it comes back from the blasters- so I cant do much about it... its full of grit as well, so I would not want them putting my epoxy primers on!

[streetneat]

This is a process known as oxy hammerwelding. I am fitting a new fabricated bottom section to the lower of a FC guard... this one did not end up on the ute... but shows how I repair panels...

[streetneat]

Starting to take shape FE grill is used for holding the front together only. Brakes and front end have been rebuilt and most mechanicals finished..

[streetneat]

OK..... Keen observers will note that the right guard is an FE  - Until I  could find a FC guard ... which eventually I  did ... none of this front was actually used... There was nothing wrong with it ... just found really mint panels on another car I bought later in the projects life.... Bugger...

[streetneat]

my good mate Marty Dean Making the 2/12" Mandrel Stainless exhuast... Boy this thing is Loud!

[streetneat]

Tig welding is an exacting process... Marty makes this look easy .. I am  often  asked what the machine is in the background ... its a guillotine....

[Emu]

Maybe you should use the Guillotine on the Powder-coater!!

[-KIWI-]

just a question here strretneat
if all this work had been contracted out to a panelbeater
cause we were panel beating skill challenged what would the approximate cost have been ?

cheerrs kiwi -panel beating skill challenged bird

[streetneat]

The ute is assembled and panels gapped. All surfaces are coated in epoxy primer... Bog work where necesary is done OVER the epoxy primer... This acts as an adhesion promotor and is far superior to Bogging over bare steel where it can sweat and delaminate. As a mater of interest I dont use much bog... I panel beat then after epoxy priming I will use a final glazing putty for the minor imperfections. All rust repairs are first primed and then given a thin smear of fibre glass bog to ensure that any moisture cannot get through to the bog work through tiny pinholes in the welding process.. Bog is hydroscopic so this is a very important step to take...