Ok guys.. here goes. I need some help with finding a good body work or restoration book.. Just so noone thinks im a noob ive been a mechanic for quite a while and can fix or repair just about anything except i have no idea when it comes to body work.. I have a 72 grabber all original and the rear quarters are starting to bubble the paint at the top lip. The inners are rusting out and the bottom corners and on the top of the rockers panels and the very front. The rear pan around the tailights is getting thin but all in all the body is really in great shape.. What is a good book or even info from you guys that would tell me the best tools to use, to bondo or not to bondo( i am a welder by trade) and the best repair for the rear pan.. I have a complete shop so tools and air supply is not an issue but as far as what body hammers are used for what and which air sander, grinders are the best to use for these small areas.. Sorry for the long post but this is my baby and i dont want someone else cutting or grinding on her.. Thanks alot for any help..
im not a body expert either but i'd probably practice on a few scraps before i cut into such a pretty car wish you the best of luck with it
Hmmm tough call. I don't know of any book or books that teach bodywork. I learned by watching and doing. I actually made friends with the owner of a body shop near my work and would volunteer there when I had spare time. I'd recommend the same thing to you. Maybe there's someone from this board who lives near you and would teach you? Just an idea. Since you're not a stranger to cars and tools, you should be able to pick it up easily. Very nice car you have there, good luck with it.
If your tail light panel is rusting through in spots, you can cut the rust out and weld in patches, if it's in a number of spots, you may be better off finding a NOS panel and welding that in. The thing about Body Work is, everyone has their own opinion, if it's a show car be very careful who you listen to, if it's your daily driver and not a show car, then it doesn't matter as much. I consider myself lucky, My best friend in a professional body man.
Yeah its definately not a show car and once i get the rust solved it will be once again my daily but i guess my biggest question is once i weld in the repair panels or bondo in the small spots.. Do i use body filler and sand it smooth using the scientific eyeballing it method? I know you guys will keep throwing me good ideas so ill just sit back and wait for the wonderful think tank that is Maverick.to
Theres nothing wrong with a skim coat of high quality filler, it's mostly in the prep and how you seal it. You should PM "rayzorsharp" He's a body guy, and hangs around here.
man that's a beautiful car! As far as bodywork I'm in the same boat, been a mechanic for years, never done much bodywork. unless you count the occasional flybomb black primer jobs
Heres a book for you to buy.Its called "Standard guide to Automotive restoration"Its written by Matt Joseph and published by Krause Publications.It has more info than you need to do body work.Setting up your buisiness,Choosing a shop set up ETC...But when you get to the actual body work stuff(about half the book) Its a wealth of info,and its not written in a dry textbook form.The author is very engaging.Its a good book.If you allready have access to fabrication equipement and a welding shop you are on the right track.Best thing you can do is talk to some people who do it for a living like razorsharp.Ultimately some basic knowledge patience and practice will get you going in the right direction.A little skill and alot of patience will do wonders,good luck.
After welding in your patches and grinding, be sure to spray some good epoxy primer on the metal first. Putting mud on bar metal will cause rust problems down the road. I was a bogyguy for almost 15 years and epoxy primer will save a lot of reworking. Be sure to wear a respirator this stuff is nasty on the lungs.
