I am not a bodyman at all, and it is a little scary attempting to fix some serious problems. So I am asking for a little help. I need to know the best course of action in repairing rust around the sail panels and window all of the damage is right under the trim, and also the rocker. Is this something an experienced body man should take care of? Or something that is relatively easy to fix. How would I remove this trim to get a better idea of how much damage is under there? BTW I do not have a welder. I would like to get these areas repaired before it does any further damage. The constant rain here does not help matters. The floors are still solid, and most of the damage caused by the sail panel leaking, was the rocker, and some interior (headliner, package tray) Here are some pics. Tell me what route to take. I circled the areas in blue.
If i was you i would let a expert ,not just a body man but a restoration shop ,alot of body shop's are commision(the faster you get done the more you make)a restoration shop will give you a better estimate on how much it will cost and they might be able to save the vinyl top ,if you want to. Laters Tim:3gears:
Not a difficult job to fix....need to determine the extent of the rust on each side/area......from a guess-timate.....$500-700....depends on how much metal needs to be hand fabricated.
There are generally two methods to rust repair. Bondo it up so it looks nice for a year........or to do it "right" or to rephrase, a more permanent repair, cut out all the rust and weld in new metal. For small sections like you have around the window the pieces can usually be fabricated. Mig welding is the usual method and butt welded seams are preferred at least to me. A butt weld is where the new piece is butted up to the old with a small gap and a series of many short off and on welds are made the entire joint to prevent warpage. The weld is ground down and very little filler is needed. If you already have stick welding skills, learning to mig sheet metal will be easier than if you have no welding experience at all. All it takes it determination and lots of practice before you actually work on a live body. A decent entry level mig welder and supplies to get started will set you back at least $650 or check craigslist for good deals on used equipment. There is almost always more work involved once you start cutting out the bad sections of rust. Keep in mind doing it "right" for some could be an inexpensive all bondo job depending what the priorities are for the car and how long they plan to keep it.
I agree with JZ, if you want to keep the car or sell it down the road, better to do it right the first time. I just had several patches made and installed for my Queen Mary III, now after 11 coats of primer and body filler, can't even tell where the patches were :TU:
Anyone have an idea on how to remove the trim from this area so I can get a better view at the problem? I don't want to mangle the trim anymore than I have to!
Hi Neil i belive that trim comes off from inside the trunk area and the quarter glass area, there should be small nuts holding in the clips.Rear side panel has to come off,looks like your trunk area clip is shot so the moulding popped, thats the same roof as 63-4 impala SS so if you need new clips go to impala suppliers .As far as the rust if there are no holes and you cant push a screwdriver through any areas (pitted areas) if you can, like the guys said new metal must welded in.If its just pitted Spot blast it (sand blast) i use 3 coats of por 15 scuff with 120 grit sand paper to get dura glass to stick, sand dura glass, next body filler, and a good primer.I have done both my impalas like this and im now doing a 67 gs roof that makes your car look like new lol and had no problems. Good luck, Greg
Ok cool got them off. A few rust spots, so far it looks like it does not extend into the window channel. I will be taking out the rear window this weekend to be sure. I have been looking for the clips to replace the ones that are completely rusted. and the only thing I have found is this. http://www.lategreatchevy.com/product.asp?pf_id=534017&dept_id=1490 Will these work, or is their a better place to get them?
Well I spent a couple hours cleanin everything up, and here is what she looks like. <a href="http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c274/kimb82/100_1835.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c274/kimb82/th_100_1835.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> <a href="http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c274/kimb82/100_1837.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c274/kimb82/th_100_1837.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a> I was lookin through my stash, and I knew I had a good quarter, so I was lookin for it to see if it was all there. It still has the part where it meets the roof on it, so I will be using it for my patch, and save the rest for later.
Hi Neil those look like the clips you need but check hubbards impala parts just to compare. Your holes arent to bad, if i were doing that repair i would cut out the holes out with a dremel tool with a cut off wheel, your holes are small to me i would put in smaller patches than one large one, the less welding around the glass the better.Less welding the less warpage. Cover the glass well before any welding
Well, I found a set of new trim clips for the back window, and I am going to use the rubber seal off of a 64 impala, looks like it should work! I have finished repairing the rust, and I think I did a pretty good job. Here are some detailed shots of what I had to deal with! Before!! After!!! My welding skills definitely need some work! After grinding down the welds, I plan on using some all metal to make sure any pin holes are filled. Then I can put the rear window in it!
Hey Neil you did a nice job, if you can try and seal the window channel and roof side where the moulding goes with por 15.Seal all the rust off from starting again even try to get some por15 on the underside of the clip holes its a bitch but the best way from having to do it again.I like dura glass , all metal is good also but a bitch to sand ,good luck.Greg
DOES EVERYONE have the Cornering Lamps EXCEPT for me? jeez.. show off! I'd trade your rust for some cornering lamps!
It was a pain in the @$%!!! This was my first time attempting any body work, or working with a welder. It took longer than it would take a professional to do it. most of the time was spent duplicating the curves at the bottom of the sail panels. then some of the metal was so thin I was just blowin right through it. I think the entire time spent was about 30 hours. My plan is to use the allmetal, then the por15. I never want this to rust out again ever!!!! I guess the trick with the all metal is to rough file it before it gets to hard! then sand the crap out of it.
