Painting and such

[redfury]

Options are always welcome. I explored many of them when dealing with my current tranny issue. Doing it myself would have saved me a bit of money, but being that it's winter, no garage, a sloped driveway and little access to someone willing to let me take up their garage for a week or better lent me to the option I'm going with. The nice thing is, I just found out that my ex brother in law used to be his neighbor ( and they liked each other, so that is a good point! ).

[Munken]

^ thats not a little fender bender price at all! Sorry to hear about that kenny.

Munken, How should i paint my headlights buckets? I want to paint them white like the van, but im limited to spray cans. The local ap store mixes custom paint in a spray can and have used some on the van and it matches good. Will that paint stick to the plastic? Any help would be great, and also i thought about doin the mirrors to, let me know what you think, thanks!

Take a look at page 4 in this topic

[kennyj]

So four months after this happened it looks like I'm finally getting a very nice check from the insurance company. The thing is, based on the age and value of the car I'm thinking of repairing it myself. The last time I did some serious bodywork was in the 70s, I repaired a sideswipe on a 69 Charger and then had it painted by a pro.
Reading up on repair technique a lot has changed since then! I'm wondering if there's a way I can use my wire welder to weld studs for pulling; I've also read of people welding washers to the panel. Then there is Harbor Freight with a stud welder for $100, it may be good for my purposes. http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 98357.html
This dent is a lot worse than most of the demos I've looked at on youtube but I would guess that the basics are the same; start with working the outer parts of the dent and work gradually around the perimeter. Fortunately the damage seems to be only in the dented area, the reveals of the trunk opening look fine.

SANY0818small.jpg (55.22 KiB) Viewed 274 times

[Munken]

If it is possible to reach inside of the fender from the trunk, I would not weld any studs or washers. Just working out the bump from the inside and outside.
We have a tool similar to the "Stud Welder" at work, and I only use it when ther is only "one side" to work from.

[kennyj]

Thank you Munken! I do have access to the back for all parts of the dent . The crease down the center is the support between the trunk and the wheel well. I suspect it is crushed and will have to be relieved to get the panel pushed out. I will also have to remove the fuel filler pipe, but it may be damaged anyway.
I really appreciate your pro advice.

[Munken]

My pleasure.

If you use a "stud welder", you make a lot of small dots that stick out. That means, the fender will come out, but it will not be smooth. And it's easy that there will be holes if you pull to hard or when you snap of the stud/washer.

[diego89]

i just got my 1984 regal running a month ago and it has chrome headlight bezels made out of plastic what product can i use to bring back the chrome. have a drill and polishing wheel can i use chrome polish or is there some product for plastic.

[chevymaher]

i just got my 1984 regal running a month ago and it has chrome headlight bezels made out of plastic what product can i use to bring back the chrome. have a drill and polishing wheel can i use chrome polish or is there some product for plastic.

The stuff they use to restore headlights works. It basically a plastic polish. And you can use your buffing wheel with it.

I use regular paint buffing compond, Wizard fine cut. On my things like that. Because I got it and it handy.

[diego89]

thanx ill try that this week. also can alternators be polish to a chrome look. i was looking at autozone web site and it says that alternator are made out of aluminum, just wondering if i can be sanded and then polish

[chevymaher]

thanx ill try that this week. also can alternators be polish to a chrome look. i was looking at autozone web site and it says that alternator are made out of aluminum, just wondering if i can be sanded and then polish

Yes sand the aluminum with 1000 grit it will shine like a aluminum mag. Then you can polish it with mag polish.

[diego89]

sweet more chrome to the Regal here's my Regal and whats under the hood

[chevymaher]

Very nice car. New tires they still blue.

[Lumpy]

Look at all that space in the engine compartment of that Buick. Like an old Ford 150. You could sit in there while doing a tune up.


Lump

[Jasen]

You gotta love those old ones, with the 3' long fan shrouds.

[kornphlake]

So the clear coat is falling off the hood on my van, it started with some small bubbles in the clear coat but the bubbles popped and have spread quite a bit. Is there anything I can do to stop the problem from spreading? I'm not really interested in repainting the whole front end at this point, but I'd like to keep the problem from getting any worse than it already is.

[tedanderson]

You gotta love those old ones, with the 3' long fan shrouds.

Yeah.. I guess that was Detroit's last minute effort to build cars with smaller engines. I remember being traumatized as a kid when I saw that long shroud for the first time. Up until that point I thought that ALL GM cars of that type had a V8.

[Jasen]

I had a 74 Riv with a 455, I swear the hood on that thing was 7' from cowl to hood ornament.

[TDMobile]

So the clear coat is falling off the hood on my van, it started with some small bubbles in the clear coat but the bubbles popped and have spread quite a bit. Is there anything I can do to stop the problem from spreading? I'm not really interested in repainting the whole front end at this point, but I'd like to keep the problem from getting any worse than it already is.

Is it just the clear or is the color coming up too? Either way to stop it is to remove all the clear, and that will also remove most of the color. What color is your van?

[TDMobile]

Yes sand the aluminum with 1000 grit it will shine like a aluminum mag. Then you can polish it with mag polish.

I prefer to sand with 1000, 1500, then 2000, and 3000 wet. that makes polishing it a whole lot easier and fewer sand scratches.

[kornphlake]

Is it just the clear or is the color coming up too? Either way to stop it is to remove all the clear, and that will also remove most of the color. What color is your van?

so far it's just the clear coat that's peeling off, the color is starting to fade/oxidize where the clear coat isn't protecting it though, sooner or later the color coat will be marginal. I'm not sure what's worse removing all the clear coat or letting it peel off. My van is dark green.