73 LDO 302

I’m going to move from my garage to the project thread. I have my LDO ready to sand and prime for a touch up job. I just want to get some paint on the rust repairs and since they are down low, I’m going to just paint a the bottom 6 inches along the driver and passenger sides. I’m not ready to paint the entire car. Here’s where I am now. I’m back from vacation on the 18th and I hope to get this painted shortly after that. Here’s what the car looks like right now.

 

That's not terrible rust, overall she looks in good shape.. both mine were bout the same, with more door dings than can imagine...

 

More places to sand and prime:

 

If the rust comes back, ( and it will eventually), I may get the MIG welder out, but for now I used Rust bullet and Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. For now the car is a garage Queen and is only plated for summer. I’m avoiding rainy days. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks for those pics.

 

Here’s a couple of pics of applying the primer and paint. I removed the front valance panel because there was rust where the valance was attached to the body. I ground the rust out and treated the bare metal with Rust Bullet. I then used a grey primer on it and painted it while it was still off the body. I left the original undercoating on the inside ends of the valance. For the car body I used white coloured primer but found it did not do a good job in covering the reddish brown Bondo glazing. After four coats of primer I applied three coats of Ford 9C Pearl White.

 

Here is a license plate holder I had made. Although the car is a 73, 72 rhymes better. Close enough.

 

Here’s how it looks prior to reinstalling the front valance panel. There is a slight image of the Bondo glazing underneath the freshly painted areas. I wouldn’t use a white primer again. If I find some time I’ll sand apply more coats of white paint or else remove the paint and prime it again, this time with grey primer, which is a bigger job. Earlier, I had used some black primer on the rear quarter panel and the white primer was able to hide it, but not the Bondo glazing. Live and learn.

 

I would suggest having the car painted from the bodyline/trim DOWN. A good decent body shop can do that and it will be reasonable compared to getting the entire car redone. That is what I did to THIS car for the same reason you have done yours.

 

Thanks. That would work really well in combination with a 73 Grabber color scheme. For the others, here is what a 73 Grabber looked like. There were no hood scoops or spoiler, just decals and a second color below the trim line. My vinyl roof is in good shape and it is dark brown. Dark brown was also an optional color. So far I haven seen any dark brown decals but they can probably be ordered. I may put it on the to-do list.

 

'73 Grabbers had the spoiler...

 

I stand corrected. The 74’s and onward did not have the spoiler any more. Thanks.

 

I installed compression fittings on the 5/16 steel transmission lines and crossed over to rubber transmission line. The previous owner had a transmission cooler installed by cutting the steel lines, slipping the hose over and tightening two hose clamps. It leaked badly. It’s leak free now.

 

I'm doing the same thing, lol I just flared the ends but I like your approach way better..

 

I went back to priming and painting some smaller areas, one under hood area on the driver’s side fender and a spot inside each of the two doors, near the bottom rear section of each door. For those sections I ground out the rust and used Rust Bullet, fiber Bondo, regular Bondo, and am now priming and painting. I know full well there’s rust lurking on the frame below the fender, but that’s for another day!