[iceman411]

It's hard to gage the filler thickness in these pics. It's up to almost 1/2" in places. There is also extensive damage on the driver's side too so panel replacement is necessary and the only viable option at this point. Part of me is excited yet I was really hoping to keep as much original sheet metal as I can......Mike... Enjoy....(or cry)... The level of sin under the paint is staggering, yet I'm sure there's worse out there....

[GOAT WHORE]

Man, hate so see what that decklid looks like.
I would certainly take off the vinyl top and fix everything if your going thru the trouble of doing the quarters.
Good luck and keep the posts coming.

[iceman411]

Considering how the quarters look, the deck lid id surprisingly nice, same as the fenders and doors. I find a little spot on the inner structure that's soft, yet the outer shell and the seam/lip on the underside is remakable. Still has the original paint on the underside. When I get to this panel I'll post some pics to share...

I am considering removing the vinyl top. Thoughts?? I kinda like it and feel the vinyl breaks up the car some. I even considered painting the roof black yet feel that wouldn't look right...Mike

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by iceman411

I am considering removing the vinyl top. Thoughts?? I kinda like it and feel the vinyl breaks up the car some. I even considered painting the roof black yet feel that wouldn't look right...Mike

I am of the minority here and really like the vinyl top. Used to hate them when I was a kid but love them now for some reason. I really do not like the black painted look at all. Either way I would remove it to address issues under if going through all the trouble of replacing quarters.

[elefantrider]

Car looks sweet as is with the Cordova top, liberty blue and rear wing.

[iceman411]

Well, its been a bit since I posted anything and things have been moving along nicely. I have the doors and trunk lid both blocked in, in epoxy primer and aligned nicely. The headlight bezels and the remote door mirror are at the chrome platers awaiting their turn to go swimming. Surprisingly, the doors and trunk lid outer skins and seams were borderline perfect. I find this unusual since the quarters and outer wheel hoses were rotted the way they were. Not to mention the amount of filler I found in the quarters once I cut them off. Now in the process of fitting the passenger wheel house in and soon the quarter skin.

Shown here is the all so usual patch requirement and the large gob of sin from a previous idiot.

now the patch is butt welded in place and the stainless trial fit. This car didn't have them on when I bought it yet they came with it.

Took a few trys to get the profile right as I want to use the least amount of filler to make it right.

More to come.... Mike

[iceman411]

The tape line is set for the cut to start and I may move it some for the result's I'll need. I like to keep the factory seam that's at the bottom of the quarter in front of the wheel. This is a pain to replicate.


Glad this car is going back to all steel. It's frustrating to find this type of sinful butchering in a car your passionate about.

The area with the marker light will be cut out and I may use this to help align the new panel with or use this as a template to modify the existing cut-out in the replacement panel.

Here's the new outer wheel house being fit. I almost hated to have to replace this whole wheel house yet by the time I figured in my time and fabrication involved with patching the original, I was WAY ahead in time and $$ for what this replacement cost...

The panels I got locally and are sold thru Sherman. I saved big time on shipping. Funny thing is, ONE place makes these panels and everyone put their name on them and offers them as their own. I put a set of "Goodmark's" on a clients '70 W-30 442 last summer and with all the contours they had and I've done a set on my 71 LeMans convertible(which are beyond the worst panels you can install on a car as far as a quality panel goes) and they all have the same manufacturer sticker on them. The only exception I've found is AMD and Dynacorn. Mike

[iceman411]

I also need to fab up a patch for the right side trunk extension. This is my best option since those extensions aren't the most fun to fit it anyway...Mike

[charles bledsoe]

Nice work Mike!! Is there any documentation out there that shows the different panels and how they fit to construct a whole vehicle? Do you know if the Fisher body plant had any manuals that took the worker thru build up of a car? One would think that they had to have some type of training for employees. I really like the color and options on your 69. The rear spoiler with vinyl roof, hood tach and Rally II's really stand out. Please keep posting your progress, I'm sure I am not the only one saving the pics for reference. Thanks!!

[iceman411]

What a long process it has been. Laying the color tomorrow. PPG omni base clear in liberty blue. Progress pics coming....

[nh68gto]

Can't wait to see pics.

Guy that did the original body work to yours must have done my 69 also.

[69 RA GTO]

Looks Great Mike !!!!! Love the Liberty Blue, Black Vinyl Top

[2002Z4CSS]

Nice job!

[iceman411]

Ok. Thank you all for your patience. There has to be a better way for pics. I run them thru photobucket so I can post good sized pics here... It took 2 hours to upload 70 pictures. I may need to do smaller quantities yet every spare minutes I get I try to get quality time with this project(I not only have 2 of my other cars to do yet I have a friends '70 Z-28, another friends '70 SS Chevelle, a future client's '70 442 convertible to do) along with working 50-60 hrs a week at my regular job... I'm seriously considering Bringing my shop River City Muscle to a full time level to push some work out...
Anyway, this is all done at my home garage by me only and is done on somewhat of a budget. I'm not too big on short cuts and believe quality products aid in quality results. The 442 W-30 car I did for a client last summer really made me aware of how important fit and finish is as these cars were horrible when new. I have decided to keep the pedigree of colors true to this car. It does have it's born with body panels and since I only used skins, the #'s in the trunk jam are still there. The hood has a slight kink on the driver's side(typical) yet with this car being and original hood tach car with a stamped, not sawed hole, I just had to use it. Here's some pics....

[iceman411]

I decided not to bore anyone with the installation of the outer wheel houses... Not very glamorous and I did put a 3 piece trunk floor in this car back in '97 due to the center above the gas tank being rusted thru. I suspect standing water was the culprit. See the '70 espresso brown original paint Z waiting it's turn?? On to the pics...



on to the mock-up stage....:

[iceman411]

You can see the hood with the shaker cut hole for my '71 LeMans sport convertible still on one of my rotisseries(in the back round). More pics:
Here the endura bumper is in a flexible PPG epoxy primer that had excellent sanding properties. I has used a flexible primer from SEM in the past and decided it was garbage.

Here everything but the front bumper gets a coat of sealer.




I have this thing about not painting panels out of car position. Never had an issue with metallic's and pearls not matching once I started doing this...
Basecoat going on...










These next few pics are a little different.... I have one bedroom currently devoted to interior parts....For three cars. All Pontiac and all black. My T/A, convert and the '69 GTO. Yes, my wife is awesome!! I also have the powdercoated frame for my 'vert on our three season porch covered in sheets. I'm gonna have a ton of space once I get these cars together. Yeah.... It's a blessing and I'm very fortunate to have the hobby cars I do and please take it from me... If you have any ounce of sanity and well being.... Do NOT dismantle all of them at the same time....


Always fun to get new stuff in the mail...

[iceman411]

I'm currently wet sanding and polishing the clear coat. Then a little assembly in the rear and then the aluminum headed 469 and the rest of the drive train comes out(this car was capable of low 11's) and a more subtle drivetrain is going in. I have a 10 bolt and a very nice 4 speed going behind a '68 vintage d-port 400. Should provide miles of fun cruising. I had a blast going fast. Then the front clip goes back on. I'm thinking console delete, rally gauges and the fixed headlights this car was born with. I'm adding power steering though. I had the remote door mirror and headlight bezels replated and I must say that it was a HUGE mistake. I like to keep my $$ local and in west Michigan there's only one chromer.Wow...did they ever drop the ball. Knowing what I do now and since my time frame is outta whack(I wanted this done and driving about a month ago-isn't that how it goes??)I should have went with PY's repo bezels and a new repo remote door mirror. Live and learn..... Headers or Ram Air's?? Will need exhaust too. Makes me tired just thinking about it all....Mike

[gtohurstjudge]

You are doing a nice job on the car......it's looking good! One thing though
that you might not be aware of. I noticed in the pics that the middle of your endura bumper is tweaked at the bottom of the center vertical bar from impacting something.
That is why in the pics that the inside edges of the grills are not parallel to the bumper
center bar edges. This is a very common problem on 69 bumpers, and it can be straightened rather easily by a bumper shop, but most likely it would crack the paint
and you would need to strip and refinish the bumper after straightening. Here is a pic
of my front bumper for comparison....(it has never been hit). Just thought you might
want to know before installing the bumper. Again, nice work!

[vidguy]

Love reading this. All the best to you and keep us posted on this great car and your great work. If I lived near you I'd keep you busy painting!

[iceman411]

Thank you vidguy for waking this post up. A lot has happened since I posted last. I just got it running a week ago and finally put it back on it's four tires today. I started to hang the front sheet metal. Interior is complete. Love the 3rd pedal addition. I also added rally gauges and power steering. Interior will remain console delete. I just love the "meat and potatoes' look of the interior now... Here's some pics...: