68 el Camino Resto-Mod

Good job, Dean. It's not easy but, your learning, as I am. It does get easier the more you do it. Let me see if I can link a welding video that MP&C did explaining open air mig welding. I live by this video now. I'm waiting for Pugsy123 to make a tig welding video for me, wink wink.


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123pugsy said:
Good stuff Dean.
That fender appears to have salt all over it.
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Lol. It sat at the coast, outside, for years. That is probably why so much rust.
But what you are seeing is residue from the acid dipping process the whole car went through.
It ate away all paint, rust, filler, sealer, everything.
And it has been totally neutralized.
It will get 80 grit sanding and be shiny metal before epoxy primer, after the metal work is done.
 
Now that @tedgbert's bug is out of the shop (and I was glad to help!) I can get back to the el Camino project. It was a nice break but also good to get back to this.

Working on the panel alignment and gaps.
Oh the joy of reproduction and/or patched sheet metal.

Door Fender 1.jpg

Door Fender 2.jpg


Welding and grinding, and welding and grinding . . .

Door Fender 4.jpg


Door Fender 6.jpg


Think I am finally getting really close. A little more welding and grinding and welding and grinding and it will be at the stage I can skim with filler and call it good.

Door Fender 8.jpg
 
Getting there. I could say as an el camino owner it's not hard to improve on the factory gaps & alignment, but actually it is a lot of work. But like a good color sanding & buffing on good paint, so worth it and so above average looking when done.
 
Factory gaps on 68-72 A-bodies were never great, especially on the Chevies. But the knock off parts make it so much worse. I honestly despise aftermarket sheet metal because of the necessity to do what we see above. Imo, this is optional if one can find factory parts, but almost always mandatory with aftermarket.
 
I feel for ya Dean. Welding up the gaps is tedious work. Then to properly shape the welds is another art in itself.

Keep up the good work, it's looking great!!!
 
MJM said:
I feel for ya Dean. Welding up the gaps is tedious work. Then to properly shape the welds is another art in itself.

Keep up the good work, it's looking great!!!
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Thanks. I actually enjoy the metal work. Tedious but forgiving. Put some on, take some off, put more on . . .
 
Now working on the aftermarket SS hood. Fit was "pretty good" but work needed.
I keep reminding myself "I'm putting an aftermarket hood between aftermarket fenders, with aftermarket inner fenders and core support, against aftermarket door skins, which are lined up to aftermarket quarter skins."
It's a miracle any of this can be made to fit!
Turns out the fenders were just a fraction longer than stock.
All good except it left a huge gap between front of the hood and front header panel.
Picture doesn't really show it, but just over 1/4".
20220915_163247.jpg


Solution? Lengthen the hood by ~ 1/8".
I welded 1/8" rod on the front edge, ground it pretty smooth and filled in pinholes/pits with All-Metal filler.

Getting very close...and managed to not warp it all over the place.

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Now right at 3/16" which is GM spec.
 
^^^ oh yeah baby, that's what I'm talking about. Great gap and smooth even line at the front edge of the hood. You have the rod method used for edges down pat.

Job well done!
 
WoW lot of work Dean Just asking if you could have moved the hood forward a tad? maybe had to slot the hinge hole and split the space. This is aftermarket world we have to deal with. But your car will turn out great.
 
El Toro said:
WoW lot of work Dean Just asking if you could have moved the hood forward a tad? maybe had to slot the hinge hole and split the space. This is aftermarket world we have to deal with. But your car will turn out great.
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There is a trim piece at the back of the hood and corresponding ones on the fenders.
These have to line up perfectly or they will look terrible.
Here is representative picture.

BCM-4154-3.jpg
 
Getting it "shiny." 80 grit to take off repro EDP and getting ready for epoxy primer.
Gaps are soooo close, can fine tune with tiny bit of filler.
Plan is to take doors, fenders and hood off, then epoxy inside and out.
Then jamb it with base/clear, then reassemble (hopefully get it all lined back up) then do final blocking, fully assembled and then shoot the thing.
Friends keep asking when it will be done. Answer is "I'm going for an outcome, not a date." It'll take as long as it takes.
20220927_182307.jpg
 
Dean Jenkins said:
Friends keep asking when it will be done. Answer is "I'm going for an outcome, not a date." It'll take as long as it takes.
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I like your answer, I may have to borrow it. My other favorite is the one from the guys at id Software, the game studio that created DOOM: "...when it's done".

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Emil
 
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So, I "blew it apart."
With every bolt removed I remembered the hours spent getting it aligned. Hope I can get it back easier. I tried drilling holes through the brackets for reference, but that won't work for a variety of reasons.

Oh well, gotta be done . . .

And, I realized that putting on the starter, headers and steering shaft will never be easier.

So I'll shoot the epoxy and while it is curing I'll do the mechanical stuff.

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