Thanks .... it's getting there :thumbsup:

This is why
 

sandblasting doesn't get ALL the rust! This is my inner fender that was sandblasted in 2002 and painted with epoxy primer and replaced on the car.

As you can see the areas that were sandblasted and epoxied are fine but .... the rust continued from between the panels :mad:

So I drilled out the spot welds and cleaned everything and I will put some POR15 on the areas tomorrow when I can get the time for two coats and the final black. Then I'll weld her up and all is good with this one, the other one needs a patch fabricated and the same steps to stop the rust.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4803/1207221130.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7559/1207221127.jpg

Lesson learned ... do it right the first time.

You sir are a mad man, but, you are doing it right!!! what kind of epoxy you using??

Thanks ... gotta do it right or not at all!

I am using an epoxy primer called Finish 1 under Acme label which is made by Martin Senour and sold through NAPA, really good stuff w/o paying for a label if you know what I mean. If it's good enough for Steve Davis' (president of Barrett Jackson) 64 Ford Fairlane it's good enough for little ol me.

Got the first coat of POR15 on the inners and just waiting for the second coat.

What sort of wait time do you find works well between coats?
I picked up some POR15 recently partly because of the inspiring work you are doing here and sharing with us.
I'm going to start with my floor pans prior to Eastwoods' thermo-coustic barrier. They aren't rusty but I will be exposing a lot of metal and want a brush on product.

I was just out in the garage putting on the second coat of POR15 on my inner fenders and it was just tacky at 3 hours since the first, I'll let it dry overnight and then I can scuff the POR sections and top coat with POR black and she should be good for another 45 years :cheers:

If you plan to do your floor pans I would break up the pans into quarter sections and do just a section both coats and then move to another section after that one dries .... just so you know you got coverage and you're not missing anything. If you had another color you could change colors and that is a sure sign that you got everything covered. That is why I use silver and then top with chassis black POR ... just a thought!

7/29 Update
 

Had a couple hours in the garage to get the inner fender welded back to OEM without the rust!

This is what a little TLC and a couple hours can do to refurb your inner fender wells. Hopefully I can get back out in the garage later and start on the other inner ... same rust spots and it needs a patch welded in the corner.

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/696/1207291135.jpg
Plug welding with a copper backing!

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1051/1207291138.jpg
Ditto

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/323/1207291141.jpg
Much better than before:thumbsup:

Still need to finish welding some of the holes and then touch up with POR over the welds and she'll be done .... one down one to go:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thanks for looking...

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's better to say something now before you get into structural parts of the car, your welds do not look good:)
It's hard to tell without being there in person, but the welds either look as if you do not have enough wire speed, not enough gas or the metal isn't cleaned well enough. Also, you ground too much metal away when you ground down the welds. On the photo of the ground welds, you can see you did not get penetration into the surrounding metal. It doesn't look as if you are using the proper technique for rosette welds, as well as the what I mentioned above.

Rosette welds should look like this...

Wow--just went through your entire build thread. Huge amount of effort you've put in. Must be a great feeling to be able to do all this type of work on your own. I really admire the effort--will keep watching to see it come together. I love the "Just keep moving forward" approach. Great work bro!

Doug

I see what you are looking at with the welds ... the first pix is the only one with rosette welds! The last two are the back of the plug welds (with a copper backer) to fill in the drilled holes when I removed the panel from the other panel .... make sense? I then welded to this plug from the top panel.

I assure you I will finish the back of the plug welds with some heat before I call it done.

Clarification
 

Maybe I should not have posted a between shot of the inners .... but that was good that Jeremy said my welds look like sh$t, that means a lot to me THANKS:thumbsup:

Started with a 1/4" hole (drill bit size) undercut the welds and put a 3/8" rosette weld on the top and finished the welds, looks like this now:thumbsup:

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2704/1207291158.jpg

Doug thanks a lot for the kudos ... before I know it will be ready block sanding, :willy:

Much better looking:thumbsup:

Nice welding, nice progress, I want to see pics when the roof skin comes off,

8/5 Update
 

Fixing more rust on the inner fender and first coat of POR15.

Got out in the garage and cut out the rusted spot and welded in a new piece.


http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5083/1208041188.jpg
Drilled out the welds and found rust.
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/893/1208051190.jpg
Welded in a new patch.
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/1109/1208051192.jpg
First coat of POR15 :thumbsup:

Not much for excitement but the inner fender was next on the list so I just got out there and goter done.

I'll put another coat of POR on tonight and weld the inner back together this week.

Thanks for looking ...

Steady at it. Your car will be well put together and hopefully last longer this time

Hanging in there Chief?

It has been a little while. I was thinking of your thread while I was cleaning the jute and grime off my floor to prep for POR15 and thermocoustic barrier.

So... I had to look you up and wish you well.

I am doing well ... my boys (young men) have been with me visiting before going back to college so the car was on hold while I spent time with them.

They flew home this morning so I'm back on track ... after I clean the house post boys :lol: :lol:

8/25 Update
 

Well mark the wheel wells off the list, after being on the road for some time I got in the garage last nite and finished welding the other well and then today I got both ready for some epoxy prime (what a mess!).

Not too exciting but they had to get done the right way! Hopefully I can get some primer on them next weekend, I am going to tackle the firewall and get those side cowls mocked in and ready for welding.

My dealer had to send pictures back to AMD cuz the driver's side didn't fit ... they didn't know they had a problem with the stamp until I called them, go figure :willy: I know what I have to do to make them fit to my liking so that's what I'll do :thumbsup:

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/7426/1208251417.jpg
Little filler and all better!

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5613/1208251420.jpg
About wore out my fiber disc on the undersides!

Have to go and do some homework now ... more to follow.

Nice work they should last another 45 years.

Nice chief!!!

was wondering what you were doing,

The project is really lookin good.And the welds on the iner fender's will prob. work great.It's hard to the mig too lay down perfect after the panel has had that must rust on it for that long.It easy to get the perfect spot weld on a super clean rust free panel.You are doin an awesome job.Way more then most folk's would to the trouble to DO!!!!!!!!!.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Been slowly looking through your thread. Love it. Especially this picture. Is that a glove in there?

Maaaaan, you had your work cut out for you Michael. Good thing you got your sheetmetal skills down. Great work and documentation... You do it my style. Speek with pictures. :thumbsup:

Keep it up.
Brett

Thanks
 

Thanks .... hope so! Not sure if I want to be around in another 45 years thou.

Thanks Steve ... been on the road, Fish Biologists belong in the field!!!!

Thanks for noticing .... just gotta do it right! I wish I was welding on a rust free panel, if it were easy everyone would do it :hail:

Thanks Brett ... I have been keeping track of your interactive thread, not sure I'm ready to make new wheel wells now but maybe in the future. I'll keep watching .... you are definitely in your own league, good job :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

That is a sock that was in the driver's rocker ... dunno!

I like pictures too :thumbsup:

Thanks ...
Michael

Good day!
 

Made some progress in the garage today, spent most of the day prepping the side cowls and the inner fender wells for epoxy primer, and when the temp cooled off I spray all the panels :thumbsup:

Had a slight delay first thing this morning ... I had a flat on the cart, huh? Those Chinaman can't make a caster last more than 3 months? But a new one and swap out the tire and I'm good.

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/5431/1209031421.jpg
Should have bought the 45 series tire, couldn't get the jack under there:lol:
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/140/1209031433.jpg
Metal finished the wells ... almost can't see them :thumbsup:
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/9661/1209031432.jpg
Epoxy primer both sides, looking good!
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/967/1209031444.jpg
This is the pile of parts I got done today!

So .... spent eight hours prepping the parts and two spraying with epoxy, sounds about right. One more thing to cross off the list, now I can get to installing the side cowls and work on the firewall panel.

That's another day thou .... see ya!

9/8 Update
 

Not too exciting but I had to patch these holes in the rocker panel cuz GM never did .... I don't want water running down and getting into the rocker :thumbsup:

I still have to make a patch for the very front of the rocker just ahead of the patch I welded in ... it's always something :unibrow: Then start on the other side, yeah!

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1689/1209081447.jpg
Little bit more and these two are good to go!

Thanks.... more to come.
Michael

Progress is good. :yes:

Rock solid build.:thumbsup:

X 2......... keep up the great work :thumbsup:

Thanks!!!!
 

Thanks ... progress is slow during the summer with field work.

:thumbsup: Thanks ... gotta do it right :thumbsup:

Thanks Al .... I shall continue with the same drive I started with and NO SHORTCUTS:thumbsup:

Well ... didn't get as much done today as I would like cuz I have STATS homework to do now.

So ... I finished the driver's side patch and got one of the passenger side done. Not too bad for a couple hours thou :thumbsup:

http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/4099/1209091452.jpg
One patch down!

Thanks for looking ....

Michael

Cheif, where ya been,

X2:cheers:

Thanks for thinking of me ... been busy with work, traveling and conducting sonar surveys on our lakes and reservoir .... and taking Statistics 511 from CSU to count towards my Master's program which I should be enrolled in 2014. Been awhile since I had homework due ... and STATS no less :_paranoid

Should slow down after finals week in Dec and I should get back at it hard before the next class starts in Jan ..... Stats 512 :thumbsup:

NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN!!!!

Thanks
Michael

Still here!
 

Finally Thanksgiving break is here no more Statistics for a week, so I worked on the car ... didn't feel like thinking so I got to work on the bottom of the car. Got to the forward spring brackets and ran outa steam and discs ... I'll get the rest later. Came out nice and clean ... unlike me :unibrow:

Oh yeah, I made a bracket outa 3/16 Al for a led brake light for my dual sport... the one that came with the kit had 10 leds and fit the contour of the fender and 6 had gone out already. For safety I put a 24 led light meant for trailers and such and now I have retina burning brake and tail lights :thumbsup: May need a 3rd revision to smooth out the corners.

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/2325/1211181580.jpg
Mo better now!

http://imageshack.us/a/img840/7300/1211181583.jpg
Couple dents I need to pound out.

http://imageshack.us/a/img7/7853/1211181578.jpg
This is a cool pix.

http://imageshack.us/a/img231/590/1211181591.jpg
Version 2 of the bracket.


Thanks for looking ... have a Happy Thanksgiving! :cheers:

Chief...you where forced to do all the bright work on the ship when you where in the Navy didn't you. Now it's a sickness you can' let go of. :_paranoid

Friggin crazy nice! :captain:

To what address do I send your plane ticket Chief?

I will have a full box of rolocs ready and waiting if you want to get some more thoughtless therapy under my Camaro.:wow:

Actually, again you inspire me with your work. On that note, rather than prolonged procrastination I am about to place an order for rolocs, thin cutoff wheels and some spot weld cutters. I get a nice price with a local tool vendor so no driving and they should be delivered tomorrow.:thumbsup:

nice an clean, what kind of dual sport????

looking for a Suzuki DRZ400SM, but the kids around here have driven the price up, looking at others too,

It came out great, Nice work. It looks to be in good shape.

Thanks guys!
 

Actually that is the root cause of my OCD.... a clean ship is a happy ship, right?

I thank you for the invitation, however, it's the pride that you did the work yourself and I would not want to deprive you of that pride, no would I?
Thanks thou ...

I bought this 2001 Honda XR650R in '03 and have 8 years on her with a little over 15,500 miles on her ... would not trade the rides I have for anything. I mainly use it for commuting and going from pavement to dirt for fishing expeditions.

Thanks ... no worries about the floors, she's solid. Now to work on getting the AMD side cowls to fit and welded in ... just have to get the insides sand blasted first and then POR'd.