DIY Bodywork: When a drunk hits you...

[Jed118]

... and you're on a budget, here's how you do

This is, of course a continuation of this thread: (page 2 has pics)
MOTHER****ER!! hit my car!


So, looks pretty bad eh?

After taking off the wheel and pounding the **** out of the fenderwell with a 16oz hammer, I made a series of holes in the sheetmetal and used a vice grip to pull at the affected area, with little success. From the inside of the car I pounded back what I could from the back of the QP. Here's what it looks like so far:



It's starting to faintly take the shape of what it was. Further pounding with hammers yeilded nothing... so... I began to think of how the accident happened: Cadillac (3200 pound car) turns INTO the door. So... I need a heavy car to "pull" the QP out. Hmm... My friend has a 92 Grand Prix. To make the illusion complete, we each had two of these, to simulate the drunkennes of the original driver that hit me




Then we decided to use a chain, and attach it by peircing 3/8 inch holes in the most weakened places on the fenderwell and pull it. Here's me trying (HONDAS IN A MOTHER****ING DITCH Styles):



The chain is actually bolted into a nut that is attached THROUGH the car's sheet metal and also the inner fenderwell. Needless to say pulling like this yeilded absolutely no results (photochop tourney open)

We needed something with power... something with... 170 ft lbs torque:



I attached it around the Grand Prix's rebar underneath the plastic. A series of pulls (some of which violently shook the car, and pulled it several feet sideways)
resulted in this:



Not too bad, starting to take shape...

Next, well placed hammer blows and C-clamp/vicegrip applications yeilded



MUCH straigher!!! Now there's about a dozen holes in the fenderwell area, and a lot of light rust to patch up. Im going to beat the panel down somemore tomorrow, aswell as clean up all the rust and the obtrusive holes (grind them down so they aren't sharp) and apply the rust neutralizer to whatever I cannot get to with a sander/grinder.

If you're wondering about the door, I'm getting a replacement one on friday. The fender "lip" will never be straight again, but I do have a solution for that: '81 rabbit fenderflares, on all 4 corners. Not only will those look good, they will shave my repair time in half.

I'm going to post my progress of this car, and eventually paint the entire thing (probably before May) so keep checking back, you may learn a few things!!

[cclngthr]

A morgan knocker works even better. You should pull it out even further than it currently is (about 1/4 inch) and sand the **** out of the rust areas. Weld/solder up the holes and put as little mud on it as possible, then seal up the area.

Try to see if you can access the backside of the panel from the interior. Sometimes you can and that makes pounding out the dent or using a porta power (with a 2x4) to straighten out the panel much easier.

[boob]

my pony fell in a ditch!!!!! bahahahahahahahahahahah!!!! dude that is some funny ****. good to see the pony coming back to life.

[Jed118]

Well I got a new door (MINT shape) but Liz dropped the camera rendering it useless. So much for a step by step DIY...

[Jed118]

I'm back and I have a camera. Here's what I have done so far:



Layers of primer to fill the basic bodywork up...








I added some black rubberized undercoating to help with stones and debris when it does actually hit the car.

All rust was either mechanically removed or chemically neutralized.

[Jed118]

Then I put on some masking tape and started to paint... masking everything off took several hours, the actual painting took 30 mins. I let it dry, sanded it down again (after a week) and applied another coat.



I then re-attached the sideskirts, and the new WV fender flares (off my buddy's 81 rabbit)

Starting to look familiar?



I changed the grill to the old "HD" badge and painted it, as well as the side trim and the light bezels



THen I masked off the skirts and flares, and all the bumpers, and painted them black. The turn signal lamps and the rear taillights were sanded 1500 grit and laquered.



The right rear of the car still has the damage (bare fibreglass work) and both QP's have to be painted. I also have to wax it and use rubbing compound on the entire car when done.

[2003GS]

For a TRUE DIY I give you mad props.

That's so awesome. Reminds me what I did to my old '84 chevette. Spray bombed and clearcoated myself. It actually looks pretty good that way. I mean for a cheap older car you just want to make 1 uniform colour that's the way to go.

Thumbs up to you Jed, as always.

[TAK82]

jedd is the DIY king and the true old skool hyundai guru..period!!


he's Mr.old skool Import

[2003GS]

Amen Brudder!

[Jed118]

I'm gonna use rubbing compound to smooth out any loose paint that's half-adhered, then wax the shit out of it. THere's a bit of swirl marks too, and the finish isn't as great as I would like it to be... I didn't use the right grit for final sanding. We'll see how well the wax looks.