65 GTO

[milner351]

Great work Todd - it's got to be very satisfying to you to see the thing in all one color with no more holes! Have you tracked your time on any of these projects? Just curious.

I actually like red oxide colored primer - looks cool to me.

[Thumpin455]

just over 1400 hours at this point. Actual work hours, not standing around in the shop thinking hours.

[yellomalibu]

just over 1400 hours at this point. Actual work hours, not standing around in the shop thinking hours.

Wow. If you were charging by the hour to do that, it would be mighty expensive!

Glad you're saving a classic!

[Huskinhano]

Now that the GTO is getting close to paint, I feel like a 5 year old waiting for Christmas to see the next update.

[Thumpin455]

Now that the GTO is getting close to paint, I feel like a 5 year old waiting for Christmas to see the next update.

I would post pics but its all block, fill, block, shoot, block, fill, block, shoot, block.... repeat to infinity. So the pics look just like they did before, just different shades of primer.

So its gray now and just knocking down the high spots as I find them.

I am trying not to just rush it and slap the paint on it. I want this thing done so damn bad now. Other projects need done, and Dave needs his toy, and I want to see this thing running, driving, and nice. Might take until next year to get all the trim on it, some of it I have, some of it I need off the other car.

[Thumpin455]

I dont want to sand and align panels anymore. Why cant my garage fix it for me?

[Thumpin455]

Drivers side needs a bunch of work yet. Thing fits like crap, but then again it was pretty beat when I got it.




Passenger side isnt too bad, spent most of today fixing the fit, still needs work but the gap is ok and so is the alignment.



C pillar came out nice, and the back half is pretty darn smooth now. Just need to make the front match.

[milner351]

You my friend are a picture of patience and determination.

[Huskinhano]

Looking good. At least you won't have to cut and weld a new LF fender is a good one comes along.

[Thumpin455]

I got the fenders lined up pretty good today, and fixed a screw up on the rear quarter. Tomorrow or the next day I will do some more sanding, shoot primer on it and get some new pics.

[Thumpin455]

Between dentist appointments, lots of pain, and a road trip to pick up the LeMans, not much happened with the GTO until today. Then everything I did doesnt really look different in pics. So, lots got done, but its hard to see what it is.

The one big thing that I had to do was work the drivers side fender over because when I patched it, I didnt have the hood ready to go on. So the body line that matches the hood was off a bit. So I had to cut a slice in the inner fender and raise it up so it was level. Live and learn, its better than just filling it with 1/4" of filler, even if I had to fill a 2' slice to fix it.

[Bob Holmes]

yikes.

I feel your pain, I come in after spending hours on the car, look at the pictures I take and wonder...what did I do today? LOL

[Thumpin455]

I can see what I am getting done, it just doesnt show well in pics. That makes it easier for me to get a car to look great in a photo, because you dont see the waves, bumps, dents, and screw ups in low resolution pics, and even some high res pics dont catch it depending on angles.

Here is the slice I had to make, turned out pretty well but I am waiting to grind it down until I have the hood aligned and the fender gapped right. It doesnt hit so its no problem. It needed about 1/4" at the worst part of it, so it looks worse than it really is. Kinda sucked filling a big gap like that though. This car does not want to line up the front end, must be too many parts from too many different cars or something.





I lined it up as best I could from behind, and with the hood, isnt perfect but it is better than factory from what I have seen of unmolested cars.




And the long view. Took some pics of the LeMans and the front end is tweaked to the passenger side on that one.

[Huskinhano]

Todd, looking good! Man I remember just how bad panel fitment was back them. A friend of mine use to run a body shop at a Chrysler dealer in the late 70's. He told me once he had a new Chrysler that the doors on the driver's side closed fine and the gaps were even. The pass side was a different thing. There were no gaps and the doors rubbed. He was puzzled and measured the car. The right side was actually a couple shorter!

[Thumpin455]

I know they werent that great back then, even had waves and bumps in them, nowhere near show car quality body work. That is ok, I want this to be very nice so I am getting it as straight as possible. Might as well challenge myself and see what I am capable of. What would it say about how I tell someone thank you for supporting me when they didnt have to if I gave them a bondo bucket that waved at you and invited surfers to ride the flanks? Its worth the effort to make the gaps and panels line up.

Today I got more filling done, lots of it actually, and lots of blocking too. I shot more primer on it, then saw a few spots I missed, so I went back over them with some metal glaze. Tomorrow it will get another coat of red oxide anf blocked again after I sand these spots down. That should be almost everything that needs attention, and you know what that means... Paint coming soon. First will be the black on the dash and firewall, then the jambs, and with any luck at all I can go pick up the base on Monday or Tuesday. I will be so happy to get this thing painted, and start putting it together. It had better come out nice or I will feel like a failure. ;)