Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024
I made some progress on the Plymouth on Saturday. I welded the metal patch panel on the driver’s side fender. I ran into some issues with my mig welding — I blew a few holes in the patch and the sheetmetal. I stopped and and welded a 22 gauge panel patch, practicing my spot welding. I filled several of the holes, but left a little gap on one side of the patch. I was afraid of blowing new holes while trying to fill the gap.
I ground down the welds and then laid down a thin layer of fiberglass reinforced body filler over the patch. I also filled the small rust hole near the bottom of the panel. I beat around the lower fender with my pick hammer and found a spot weakened by rust that turned into a small hole. I filled that hole too the fiberglass filler too.
While I need to finish the filler with body filler, I’m going to cut out the rust spots on the corners of the drivers side door. If the holes don’t get very large (they shouldn’t), I’m not going to weld in small patches. I’ll use fiberglass reinforced body filler, and the coat the lower inner door skin with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator.
The big job I need to tackle is the front quarter between the door opening and wheel well. That’s going to require a sizeable patch panel I’m probably going to need to piece together.
WINDOW STUCK?? I tried recently to roll up the rear drivers side window, which has never been a problem. However, with the car up on the Quick Jacks, the window only rolls about 2/3 of the way up. I’m not sure, but I’m thinking that the car, resting on the frame and not the suspension, may have led the body to flex enough to interfere with the window operation.
I’m really wanting to get paint on the car by summer time. The passenger side front quarter needs approximately the same repair as the drivers side. The lower corners of the passenger door also needs attention.
There are some paint chips on the top of the passenger fender, and I’m wondering if the paint loss is related to failing body filler.We’ll wait and see about that I guess.
4 BBL INTAKE, NEED A CARB. I paid way, way too much money to buy and original 1956 4 barrel intake for my car. The bolt patter fits the old Carter WCFB carb, and I’ve already purchased an adapter that will allow me to run a Carter AFB/Eledebrock AFB on the intake. It kind of negates my oil bath conversion project. I won’t use my original, I’ll have to use something more stylish, lol!
I have no shortage of things I need to do with the plymouth, but finishing the paint and bodywork is job 1.