Joe's 1972 240Z adventure

[A to Z]

My comrades in arms in China, are providing me with the ability to finish this car!

 

[A to Z]

All is proceeding well.  "All-Metal" filler is a godsend.  It is the modern equivalent of leading in a car!  Bondo shrinks and leave air holes, whereas All metal leaves none, and it does not shrink !  It can be sanded and worked with 80 grit or stronger.  I love the stuff. 80% aluminum filings, 20% resin.  The Pharaoh Tutankhamun was buried 3500 years ago with resin in his final coffin.  After all of these years, the resin was so hard that it required extensive chiseling to remove him.  So yeah, Resin is TOUGH as hell.  All Metal filler is "liquid metal".  Don't like it? TOUGH.

[calZ]

So you're just filling all the rust holes with filler? What about the large ones where entire areas are missing? 

[A to Z]

I remove the rust with a Dremel into good metal, then fill the hole.  Any rust hole only has cancer out a certain amount before the metal is good.  When you use the Dremel.....the rusty metal present....it burns through it like butter, so fast!  Then once you hit good steel, it slows WAY down.  Small little rust holes usually get opened up on average 40-50% larger to get into the good metal.  This is out of sight, out mind work, that once sealed up and repaired never sees the light of day again.  Out the outside  I will be installing an outer dogleg skin.

Larger holes are patched with sheet metal, with a finish coat of "All Metal Filler", which is 80% metal and 20% resin.  Does not shrink, does not crack....it is the modern version of using lead.  It used to be that the only way to properly fix anything was to use a MIG welder.  But, over the years, many composites and glues have become so good, that many manufacturers, including BMW, now bond body panels on....no more welding.  "All Metal Filler"is 20% Resin.  Resin is so tough, after 3000 years, The Pharaoh Tutankhamun had to be forcibly chipped out of his casket, as his body was stuck inside.....they poured around the outside of his body with black resin thereby gluing him inside......and after all those years, it was still rock hard.  THEN, add 80% aluminum filings so small, that what you end up with is essentially "liquid metal".  So, the rust is removed, the metal treated, and then sealed up.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by A to Z

[A to Z]

1-31-2022 update. 55 degrees, nice day for Z car time. Both Doglegs.....still working on them. Small steps. Used some scrap sheet metal to bend up a patch for the hole in the driver's side (left) dogleg inner panel. I attached it and then used the Dremel to turn the bolt heads into more like rivets. Before installing I did paint inside the hole and on the inside of the patch with gloss black. I also went ahead an Used All Metal Filler to seal around the edges, and patch some holes. Doesn't look very good now, but after it's cured, I will clean it up and paint the area black to seal it up and then get on attaching the new outer dogleg sheet metal. On the passenger (right) side, I used my orbital sander with 60 grit discs and get it all down smooth, but found that there was one area that needed a bit more work, so I added more All Metal Filler to that area, and will have to wait for it to cure. I also tried some more work with the Glaze, but made the mistake of trying to work it before it was cured.......so I am going to let the whole thing sit for at least a day or so before I continue the small snail's pace forward. It's pretty tiring even holding the orbital sander upside down and pushing it up to sand down there. Anyhow, here are a few pics and some video to watch. Cheers!

V1.MOVV2.MOVV3.MOV

Edited February 1, 2022 by A to Z

[57GMC]

Nice, Lots of elbow grease..  

 

[57GMC]

So are you just going to paint over the duct tape?   LOL... Just teasing. We have all seen people who have taped their car bodys for repair...🙃

[A to Z]

2-3-2022 UPDATE: I got some orders in today. My Hung Vu Z car floormats with red Z, my left side dog leg from Mill Supply-Made in the USA, a Nissan factory valve cover gasket, and a Molotov Chrome paint pin in 4mm wide. Happy Happy!

[57GMC]

Nice, Its like Chrisrmas at Joe's "Z" garage..

 

[A to Z]

2-6-2022 UPDATE: Prepping a bit for a work day on the Z hopefully tomorrow. A portion of the inner wheel well down near the dogleg on my drivers (left) side is a bit chewed up from rust.....to I used the dogleg to make a template, so that I can patch the spot.

[A to Z]

2-7-2022 UPDATE:  Dogleg work again.  The passenger side I sanded down smooth and added the layer of bondo to dry.  Once dry it will be ready to be blocked and feathered down.  On the driver's (left) side I went ahead and cut the patch panel to where I wanted it.  I then held it up to the body and marked where I needed to cut to make ti fit correctly.  Everything was going well until I looked at the bottom of the patch.  All of the bends were off!  I had to use tek screws and mount the piece, and then using a ball peen hammer, a 3/8' extension to beat on, and a screwdriver as well, I was able to form the piece a little at a time, screwing it down as I went.  That was TOUGH!  Once that was done, I removed the piece, painted it on the back side as well as painted the interior space with gloss black paint after cleaning it up a tad.  I applied the bonding glue and re-attached the patch with the screws to hold it where it needed to be.  Then I used a combination of JB Weld and All Metal Filler around the edges.  It looks terrible, but once dry the screws will be removed and I can then sand it down, and get it ready for a thin coat of Bondo to be block sanded and feathered out.  I attached a few pics and 2 videos.  click the letters at the bottom of the last pic for the video's.  Cheers!

IMG_1781.MOVIMG_1783.MOV

Edited February 8, 2022 by A to Z

[YoBrother]

It looks good.  I watch videos on YouTube of pro body men doing work.  They never work on rusted out stuff.  So there is nothing to compare it to.  They just replace everything.  But if you can't replace everything with new parts then this is what you have to do.  The body men probably would either not do it or do what you are doing.  Can't weld it either.  Weld warps everything.  Most fabricators figure out with a vison in their mind of what the end product will be.  That is exactly what you are doing.  Good luck and remember to have fun!  

[A to Z]

Thanks for the encouragement.  Some things are fun, some aren't.  bending and shaping that metal was very hard....or tiring....laying on my side hammering.  Gave me a sore arm for a day.  It was fun initially, but every step requires 24 hours to cure...sometimes longer as it's cold, so it takes longer for stuff to dry....too cold to paint, so my hope is to get it as far as I can with the cold weather.  Then it will be easy painting.  I have to redo the headlight buckets, as I can see scratch lines in the paint, and the tip of the hood, theh filler is showing through and needs to be blocked smooth.  Other than that, it is ready for some white and clear.  The frame rails have a few spots to patch up, then the body and paint are done.  Soon, I will be back to doing the fun stuff (to me at least).

[A to Z]

2-9-2022 UPDATE:  Ok, so I went out to the garage again for a little bit....spent all my time on the Left/driver's side dogleg.  I initially started to remove the bolts....but then realized, they added extra strength, so why take them out?  I put the screws back in, and took my die grinder and ground all the screw heads down REAL thin.  I also found out while doing it, that the heads got cherry hot, and when they were hot, I could smooth them out with the grinder!  Then I used the grinder to go over the center patch area, which brough both sides of sheet metal down more flush.  By doing this you are tapering both sides down, and the ends are real thin, but are supported by the sheet metal behind it.   Then I started on repairing the wheel well edge again, grinding the bolts down flush.  Using the Dremel as well as the die grinder I was able to get it real cleaned up.  I then taped off the body line between the dogleg and the rocker panel and started applying All Metal Filler.  once done, you pull the tape, and you have a nice clean line (see video).  Now, once this is dry, I will use my orbital sander with 60 grit to smooth it all out, and then add Bondo.  That will take at least 24 hours to dry.  Any pin holes that show up after sanding will be filled with glaze and block sanded smooth.  Feels good to see SOME progress.  VERY time consuming, as every step almost is "wait 24 hours".  I am used to making a lot of progress at a time, but this body work REALLY slows it down.  Anyway here are a few pics and videos.  

Edited February 10, 2022 by A to Z

[A to Z]

2-14-2021 UPDATE.  More dogleg work and rockers.  I decided to go after the passenger (right) side first, then went over to the left.  On the right side, I was able to sand the Bondo out smooth, and then I prepped and sprayed the area with filler primer.  It showed that the scars on the dog legs visible, So I added a layer of glaze, and then a couple little spots of filler where needed.  On the bottom of the dog leg, , I sanded it down, and found I needed a tad bit more mud to get it just right, so I added some mud there again as well.  On the left side, I sanded down the all metal and then added a bit of sheet metal on the wheel well inner edge to level it out, and then covered the area with another coat of All Metal Filler to get it as good as possible before adding a top coat of Bondo to get it perfect.  The rest of the dogleg I covered with a coat of mud (Bondo).  I then sanded out the rest of the rocker area, and found I needed a coat of mud on the bottom of the front fender, and a couple spots on the rocker.  I just have to wait for things to dry now. 

 

I am attaching videos of it.

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Edited February 15, 2022 by A to Z

[57GMC]

Kepp it up and come spring you will need a new project...

[A to Z]

Thanks.  I just want this one to turn out okay.

 

[A to Z]

2-15-2022 UPDATE: Ok, so I got out to the garage, and sanded down the doglegs with my orbital and 60 grit and then used a sanding foam block at 80 grit to fine tune areas, and then cleaned up and filler primer coated the doglegs the rockers and lower front fenders. It's in pretty good shape, but I am finding that the Bondo "borders" are bleeding through the paint! So, I read online, that what is needed is a "2K primer" which is an epoxy (i.e. wear respirator!!) that REALLY fills things in and works well, so I suppose I will be heading that route, although I can also see that I will be needing to do a tad bit of filling with Glaze and light sandpaper on one of my sanding blocks to get it really smooth! Here are a few pics. 🙂

[A to Z]

Today I picked up some new Glaze.  I was advised to get a glaze with hardener over the red spot putty.  So I went ahead and bought this can, along with some 180 grit paper that was also recommended to block sand it out correctly.  Both sides are all closed up and done....now it is just beautification being done....so taking a brake from the heavy grit paper and old fashioned Bondo Mud.  A couple of mugs of Fat Tire is necessary to keep the motivation up after a shower to make the work acceptable to my old bones.

[57GMC]

Yum........... Nice car and some Fat tire liniment... Nice