carterb Posted August 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 Now it's time for everybody's favorite task - stripping the sound deadening off the floor. Brenda came out to help with that one. http://datsun510.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/2034606305_07172018greengo.MOV.cfa6e212140b6ca11696619132dae51a.MOV Nice! Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 Next step was to build a dolly, but found out that Jeff had one he was not using so Corey and I finished stripping the suspension, jacked up the car, and assembled the dolly underneath. Now where are we going to put all those parts?! 2 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 It's mid July now and we just have a few more small things to remove from the shell. Funny looking hat! Finishing with the removal of the hardlines Paint Code! doors stripped as well 1 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 At this point it was time to get serious about what to do next. I was weighing the $ cost of sandblasting vs the time cost of sanding. I had heard of a new (to me) process called "mobile dustless sandblasting" and found a guy in the Seattle area who quoted $1,000 plus ("I don't get out of bed for less than $1,000" he said) but he was booked out through October. So much for that. I called Alternative Blasters in Marysville and he quoted between $800 and $1,500 depending on whether it would be just the shell, or the doors, hood, etc as well. This would also take two days of time to trailer it up there and back. Jeff mentioned one of the guys that works with his brother has a mobile blasting rig. At first, he didn't get back to me and I think I was pretty much resigned to sand the whole thing by hand but then the call was returned, the price was right in the middle of everyone else, and he was able to come out on a Saturday morning a week and a half or so from the call. We have a plan! So the morning of, we pushed the car out to the center of the lawn and cleared all the other vehicles out of the way: 1 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 They they showed up. Three guys and a trailer and like 1,500# of media. (crushed glass in this case) Go time! Video link: http://datsun510.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/1152088771_07282018greengo(1).MOV.a1cab488fbb4ab1b4f130f4cbcd2277f.MOV Video link: http://datsun510.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/627926254_07282018greengo(2).MOV.fe8b53a228e962e9b9a02c24371a8293.MOV 1 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 I can assure you that these guys were working for their money. Two of them took turns with the nozzle while the third helped control the hose and keep the hopper full of media and water. So glad I don't have to sand all those nooks and crannies!!! Did they say dustless? Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 The headliner was in really nice shape in the car so we are hoping to get away with not having to replace it. Time will tell if that is a good decision but at the moment, we were wondering... ??? About 4 hours after they stated, they ran out of media, packed up and left. Not really a problem - as they blasted about 95% of what we were hoping. I was very impressed with the process. Give Jay a call if you want to witness this phenomenon in your own front yard! Here are some photos from later that afternoon once stuff had dried off. The panels were not stripped 100% clean. Partly due to lack of media, partly due to fear of warping. Even with the wet process, it can happen, and may have with one of the front doors. Yet to be determined. We will be cutting out the spare tire well so we didn't bother having them blast it. A little cancer here. We'll have to graft in some replacement metal. Some bodywork required 2 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 So glad I didn't have to sand this!!! Used to be a vinyl top car! Dang vinyl top!!! More bodywork needed Previous patchwork exposed Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 We'll have to pull this one out for sure Lawn looks like the beach now. None of the media used is recycled, it all stays right where it was sprayed Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) Next step was to start converting my garage to a paint booth and sand the roof. When I painted the 620, I hung some tarps on the walls and it was okay, but let allot of dust past the tarps and also blocked all the light from the back of the garage. This time I used clear heavy duty plastic and fastened permanent strips to the wall and ceiling to anchor the plastic so there are no more draping holes. Let the sanding begin! It took Corey and I two to two and a half hours to sand the roof. We could have used more aggressive paper and tools but I wanted Corey to get the feel of it first before he could cause any damage. We just wanted to get down to the factory primer. I figure that hasn't let go in the last 46 years, it probably wont' let go in the next 46... Next step - primer! This was under the stock green paint. Looks like some bodywork had been done at the factory? Oh yeah, beyond the sanding, I spent probably another hour or two vacuuming and blowing sandblaster media out of every nook and cranny in the car. Every time you'd think you were done more would mysteriously take its place! And it just kept coming! One thing I was very happy about was that I was able to clean out the cowl vent during this time. It was 100% blocked with dirt. 90psi has a way of motivating that junk to get out of the way. ? Edited August 25, 2018 by carterb Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) Jeff recommended SPI primer so I ordered a gallon of epoxy primer and a gallon of high-build. Super nice guys to talk to over the phone and made in the USA! https://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/ The clock starts ticking as soon as the sand blasting is done, and one thing I learned about the "dustless" blasting is that because it is suspended in water, all the media left behind sticks to the car and keeps the moisture close by so it is important to get rid of all of that stuff right away. Because of the ticking clock and the need to spray right way, not only did I need Jeff's recommendation but I also needed his gun as I just could not get mine to stop pulsing... We started spraying in the trunk. Even thought it is just the first cot of primer, It had been a while since I've sprayed and this would be Corey's first time. I gave him some pointers and painted one half, handed him the gun and he painted the other. We immediately ran into a problem: Looked like we were having some serious adhesion problems. I was already worried about water in the air line and this wasn't making me feel any better. One more bit of help from Jeff though - advice to "fog" the first coat. Sure enough, we could get it to go on nice and even going light - and it was just that we were putting it on too thick (you can see the sagging under the voids on Corey's side shown above) Adjustments made and Corey gives the thumbs up! Now you can really see where the body work is needed http://datsun510.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/978247777_08082018greengoprimer(1).MOV.200253b8cbe518d52855858a39ab6d77.MOV http://datsun510.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/1131135731_08082018greengoprimer(1).mp4.b067f43619604ac296ffb7c8b57a799e.mp4 Edited August 27, 2018 by carterb 5 Quote Link to comment
Trophy24 Posted August 25, 2018 Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 Looks like you guys do great work! Nice to see a father and son project Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 We're having fun Paul but as you know, there is still a mountain of work left to do! Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2018 (edited) Got the doors done last weekend. More sanding: Paint one side on Saturday As you can see, my "paint booth" is quite small so the car is rolled out into the sun while we use the booth for other panels. Corey's getting better each time he holds the gun. Video: http://datsun510.com/uploads/monthly_2018_08/1493079265_08192018greengo(1).MOV.37370a54697989a80b94f6f31aeaed7a.MOV Side two on Sunday Next step - hood, trunk lid, and fenders... Edited August 25, 2018 by carterb 4 Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 That wet sandblasting is pretty cool. Is the car going green again? Quote Link to comment
paradime Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 On 8/24/2018 at 8:08 PM, carterb said: Lawn looks like the beach now. None of the media used is recycled, it all stays right where it was sprayed Looks like the opening scene of an X-files episode. Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted August 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 23 hours ago, ]2eDeYe said: Is the car going green again? Yes, the stock 021 green though, not the lime green that was painted over it. 18 hours ago, paradime said: Looks like the opening scene of an X-files episode. Let's call it "Alien Green" Actually, serious question, is there a name normally associated with the stock 021 Green? Like "Cactus Green", "Bamboo Tan", "Sahara Gold", etc...? 1 Quote Link to comment
paradime Posted August 27, 2018 Report Share Posted August 27, 2018 (edited) Nissan didn't get particularly creative in naming 021, everywhere I look it's listed simply as "Green".? What a gip. I say they left it open so you can name it. The O.G. Green, Envy Green, The Exorcist Green, Forest Gump Green, Kermit. Edited August 27, 2018 by paradime 1 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted September 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2018 The fenders were wavy beyond my bodywork skills so I pulled down a set of Futofab's finest and test fit them to the shell. They look like fenders to me! : ) The left fender sits out in front of the core support a bit. Not sure how you'd manage to push it back though as it sits tights around the headlights. You can see up at the cowl, it looks like it needs to scoot back though. However the upper bolt hole lines right up. The tab is pretty flexible though, and was mostly folded over is shipping so that's not saying much. The bottom of the fender would like to scoot back. I can pull it to get it to fit but it makes me wonder what the door gap would look like... Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted September 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2018 The right fender has a similar fit to the top of the core support. And fits tight around the headlights like the left fender But fits much closer to the cowl Not that you'd know it looking at the upper bolt hole. But again, this is pretty flexible and was bent over in shipping. Lower bolt hole is off a little. So the fitment makes me wonder a little... Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted September 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2018 For kicks and comparisons, I hung a pair of stock fenders on the car. The fit was almost identical to the Futofab fenders. I guess the moral of the story is that these were cheap cars and panel fit is always going to be "ish". I'll stick with the new fenders and adjust where I can. 1 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted September 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2018 When I bought the fenders, they were earmarked for another car. I had heard horror stories of different size housings for arrow side markers so I bought a set with no cut-outs and figured I'd cut to fit when the time came. Well, fast forward to this project and we will be using 70+ USDM side markers so that wasn't really a concern after all. I transferred the location of the holes from the white fenders over to the new ones so I could cut them out. In addition. Corey and I looked over the car once more and realized that we will kill ourselves trying to straighten that front valance. I have an NOS piece 5 feet from the car so I think we'll use that instead. Here I am holding it up just to make sure it is a 70+ (same front marker light cut-outs) This weekend I cut off the old front valance: And deleted the battery tray Then set out to finish the side marker light holes Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks. Just needs deburring. Test fit time: School has started and the weather has changed but as long as we keep chipping away like this we'll get there eventually. What do you guys think about weld-thru primers? Are they worth it or do they cause more problems than they solve? 3 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted September 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2018 Removed the taillight panel and rear lower valance Sunday afternoon. I started with a spot weld cutter but it is super slow and hard to tell exactly when you have broken through the top piece of metal. Since I am not saving the parts, and since I have to use a grinder anyway on the lower portions of the taillight panel where they seam welded it in place, I just went to the grinder - actually a small cut-off wheel. It is easy to control and pretty quick. Easy access to bend the bumper bracket back in place now. Looks like trunk floor repair is next on the list. 3 Quote Link to comment
carterb Posted October 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 Kind of fun pretending like I know what I'm doing. Found a decent spare tire well. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I carefully marked the perimeter and cut out the old rotten one. Then trimmed the flange on the replacement to match Test fit Rather than butt weld the whole thing, I have the replacement well supported by the factory drop flange from the old well. This will allow me the ability to fillet weld around the perimeter without having to fill in all the gaps that would have undoubtedly been there after cutting and trimming. So I just needed to clean up the flanges to facilitate good welds. Before I weld it in, I think I'll replace the floor from the spare tire well back where it is rotten, instead of patching that in later. I will just need to weld a strap across the floor before cutting it out in order to hold shape/distance. The rear end is pretty flexy at the moment. After I weld it in, I will seam seal around the bottom of the flange to reduce the chance of moisture getting up in there and causing a repeat of this problem. 2 Quote Link to comment
Trophy24 Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 These steps looks familiar Carter. You are making good progress with the shell. It will be painted before you know it and on the road! Quote Link to comment
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