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Need help with some body work

Benjamin Nelson

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Hey everybody, I have a few questions about the re paint of my 74 challenger. It’s going to be a race car so it doesn’t have to be perfect paint job.
first question: do I need to use a sealer on top of the primer?
What’s the best way to strip paint off of the car?
How do I repair the rust in the attached photo? Mostly concerned about the stuff that is just on the roof line around the trim
What colour should I paint it? I have centreline wheels for it. I was thinking lime green with a flat black hood.

any help is appreciated this is the first car I’ve actually worked on.

947EA6DD-DB1E-4588-B704-5BD0ED6A79D7.jpeg


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70chall440

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So here is what I recommend if you want it to be "decent"

1. Strip it by one or a combination of the following means;

A. find someone who can blast it (either take it there or find a mobile blaster)
B. dip it
C. use a crap load of flap wheels and grind it off
D. use paint stripper (make sure to neutralize afterward)

2. Spray it with epoxy paint

3. Do all the panel replacement/body repair

4. Prime it

5. Block it

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as many times as it takes to get it straight or straight enough

7. Seal it (use thinned epoxy)

8. Paint it

As to color, thats all you. Lime green is good (I have a Cuda in that) but so are many other colors. Think about the theme you want to go with as a race car, search the internet until something "speaks" to you.
 

gzig5

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The hole on the quarter should be fairly easy to make a sheet metal patch for from scratch. You may post a WTB for a patch section from someone who has replaced their entire quarters but kept the remnent. Same thing with the roof edge. I wouldn't replace the whole skin. Either get patches from a donor, or form them in managable lengths, maybe 2" wide by 10" long and stitch them in. Theoretically you could slap mud over it all, but that won't last long and it would be bubbling and cracking.
 

BuckeyeCuda

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What I have done with small rust holes like those on your roof, is to clean it out, and take the rust back to where you have good metal. For the small holes, I use JB Weld, which can be formed and shaped like Bondo, but doesn't absorb water to swell and blister like Bondo. Harder to sand, but gives you a solid, essentiailly rust-free patch.
 

70chall440

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You can use All Metal which is like body filler but is metal and doesn't shrink. I use it instead of lead for seams.
 

fasjac

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Get after it Ben! Some good advice here. I know you can weld already. You got this.
 

Challenger RTA

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If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.One has to decided what are all the limts or goals. place time money experience .Remember you can change your mind. run the numbers. there's already good advice posted.​

 

Challenger RTA

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In for a penny in for a pound. Personally if it were mine. I would put money in the drive train and suspension to get it track ready for the track. tack weld patch behind holes glass over.paint the hood flat black roof and trunk. leave the rest for later. Just make it rough and ready. Go shake it down,see what comes loose.Go have some fun see who is the bad ass on the block. body and paint can be one step at a time in phases.
 
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