I forgot how big of a pain the driver side windshield frame is! It took me about 30 minutes to get that off and I had to use two extensions separated by a u-joint connector. This was my setup to get the bolts out of the windshield mount.
Yesterday we put in about 6 hours (12 man hours) on the car.
We started off mixing up some HSRF (high strength repair filler). We decided to get the long fiberglass stand type, since the body shop recommended it for extra strength. We are going to have to build up the door edge because the gap is about 1/4" in places, and I wanted better reinforcement for the edge of the door.
We had 4 deep voids along the parting lines. I took a dremel and finished grinding them out. It was amazing at how the voids kept going. The largest was about 2" in diameter. We mixed the HSRF and filled the voids. I have read that it can be a pain to sand, so we filled it just barely below level with the body. The HSRF is harder to sand than the Rage Gold, but it didn't take much since we didn't fill the void to above the top.
Next, we mixed up some Rage Gold and put it along the parting lines. For us, mixing a blob about 4" in diameter was about the right amount. That way the filler wasn't setting before we finished applying it.
We found that we could put filler over all the parting lines before we started sanding. By the time we finished laying the filler, the area we started at would be ready to sand. Then we would sand half the car, clean that half, then put more filler where we sanded. Then we would sand the other half while the filler was curing on the first half. This allowed us to work in circles around the car.
We also tried to bend the spatula so it fit the curve nicely. When i figured that out, the application of the Rage Gold went much quicker.
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We made sure that the edges of the filler were feathered nicely. I frequently closed my eyes and ran my hands across the area to feel any low or high areas. I would sand the highs and then allow the filler to fill the low on my next pass.
Using a pool noodle cut in about 18" length was perfect for block sanding. The curves make a ridged block worthless.
We ended up doing about 2 full passes with the Rage Gold. This got us and 80% of the way there. On the third pass we did most of the parting lines but some areas didn't need it. The fourth pass was just touch up to areas that were flat or low. I think there are a few small sections that need a slight amount of filler but the parting lines are almost finished.
Over all, I'm impressed with the body. Most of the parting lines lines up really well. The front fenders lines up great, the front area in front of the hood was flat, behind the cockpit was neatly perfect (that took 1 pass of body filler to fix). The only area that didn't line up well was under the windshield. That took several passes and we still need to extend the filler out.
The hardest part to sand and to get right were the back fenders just behind the door and the areas around the headlights. I had to use a 6" cut pool noodle for those areas.
Overall, I'm pleased with the parting lines. There are still some areas that need tweaking, but it went well and is confidence building.
We took a break from the parting lines and started gapping the hood. We are setting the gap at 3/16". We are using paint sticks that are 3/16" to hold the gap and it is perfect. Needless to say, setting the gap was a nice change from block sanding for 6 hours!!!
We only got the top of the hood gap set, but it looks so much better. The hood was rubbing at that point, so having a gap makes a world of difference.
Let me know what you think. I hope we went wife enough on the body filler, but I'm not sure. It feels right when I run my hand over it and it looks right when I sight down along the curves so I think it was the right amount...
Total time up to this point: 26 hours
Total time includes removing all the hardware, deep cleaning the car, etc.
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Originally Posted by hineas
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