57 Rustbucket 1957 Chevy Bel Air

1969 Olds Cutlass Convertible Restoration
Page 12

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1969 Olds Cutlass Convertible

February 3, 2016

Finally time for an update. It's time to kick it into gear so she's ready when spring rolls around.

Quarter panel smooth Passenger quarter done

I spent a lot of time on the passenger rear quarter getting it as smooth as possible. It really turned out nice.

Rocker damage Old accident damage

The rocker on the passenger side was damaged from an accident years ago. It had been pulled partially out then they slathered on the body filler.

My plan is to cut out the damaged part and section in a new rocker.

New rocker panel

It was a good plan until the new reproduced rocker panel arrived and it was not even close to the original. There was absolutely no way to make it work.

Repairing original Massaging rocker

I repaired the original rocker and massaged it to be as close to perfect as I could.

Fitting rocker Test fitting

I fitted it to the car several times until I was pleased with its fit.

Welding rocker Slow welding

Then I slowly welded it back in place.

Grinding welds Looks like new

After grinding the welds it looks like new.

Skim coat filler Ready for primer

After a skim coat of filler it's ready for primer and paint.

Seam sealer Replacing seam sealer

I went around and replaced any seam sealer that was damaged or had been stripped for body work.

Masking car Plastic masking
Car masked
I took a lot of time to mask the car. Using the plastic made it considerably easier.
First up is going to be two coats of epoxy primer. I used Omni MP170 which is gray in color.

I wiped the entire car down with wax and grease remover and then mixed up the epoxy.
Omni MP170 epoxy
Epoxy primer applied First primer coats
All one color
Wow it's nice to see it all one color!
High build primer
As with the doors and front fenders I'm going to lay 4 heavy coats of Omni MP282 high build filler primer.

It's a slightly lighter gray color.
4 coats applied Ready to cure

This will sit for about 4 days. Then I'll start block sanding it to verify a perfectly flat smooth surface before paint.

In the meantime I'm going to get the trunk finished and painted.

Lots of progress! It's getting fun now.

Lots more to come!

Check back often.


Updates almost daily I hope!

Contact me! [email protected]