"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
06/17/2020 at 16:21 • Filed to: trans am, trans amess
4
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"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
06/17/2020 at 16:21 • Filed to: trans am, trans amess | 4
| 30 |
Cut more metal off the Trans Am. From what I THOUGHT was the ‘better’ side, as far as the dogleg in front of the rear tire goes.
As you can see, it looks FINE, all primer’d up with just a HINT of Bondo peeking out at the bottom.
Yeah well let’s just sand that back and....
FACK.
Well, good thing the patch panel covers the whole area. Might as well cut it ALL out (I was going to stop above the top side spoiler hole)
I’ll save you from the horrors that was the rear quarter full of Bondo and mesh and crap, but I cut that all out.
And I want to strangle whoever spot welded that quarter on at the factory... there was literally 10 welds within a 12 inch section. My poor drill.
So that’s all the bad EXTERIOR metal cut out... now onto the holes in the trunk floor, and the... *gulp* frame rail.
Looks like fun, don’t it?
Future next gen S2000 owner
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 16:27 |
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Maybe just start with a new car?
Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 16:29 |
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You are a brave, or foolish person. Or maybe both.
I’m also shuddering at the thought of what I’m going to uncover when I tear into my 240 later this summer.
Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 16:34 |
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You have to have a certain combination of bravery and stupidity to rapidly shave away at your car until you have significantly less car than when you started. Don’t give up now; the time to turn back was long ago.
shop-teacher
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 16:49 |
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Ooofff!!!
sony1492
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 16:50 |
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That frame rail looks like nothing a slab of 12ga sheet metal can't fix
Sovande
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
06/17/2020 at 16:53 |
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Where do those typically rust? Rear floors? Rear quarters? I don’t think any of the three 240's I owned had any rust.
Nothing
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 17:11 |
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I will continue to be willfully ignorant of the rust that is most certainly lurking beneath the surface of the Mustang. It passes a magnet test in several key areas, so at least I don’t have 1/2 thick bondo hanging out in large quantities....hopefully.
MoCamino
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 17:33 |
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I know it’s a ton of work, and frustrating to sand things back and realize there is more to be done than you thought, but you’re doing it right. Some rust converter / POR15 / insert your favorite rust treatment here liberally applied in those spots before you weld the panels back in will make you sleep a lot better later.
I’ve seen your engine stand rotisserie setup in previous posts - a re you still happy with it? Eventually I will need to do something like that on my El Camino.
Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 17:51 |
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Mopar to Pontiac: “hold my beer....”
facw
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 18:02 |
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I’m torn between saying maybe we shouldn’t be making cars out of such rust prone materials, and thinking that really not that bad for a car that’s around 4 decades old. Hate to see cars rust out after half a decade, but probably we don’t need to build cars that will last 40 years either .
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Sovande
06/17/2020 at 18:10 |
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They typically don’t, but when they do its the rockers, under the rear floor, and the rear wheel tubs. I know mine has a hole in one of the tubs, about 2" in diameter, and some rust in the back of the floor, in the storage area below the false floor.
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Sovande
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
06/17/2020 at 18:18 |
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I have a welder!
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Sovande
06/17/2020 at 18:35 |
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If you were referring to a 240Z it would be “everywhere”.
Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 18:38 |
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I will take on almost any DIY car project, but major rust repair is a big fat no-no. Body work is an art and I would need years of practice to be good enough at it that I’ d be satisfied with my own work. Good luck, it'll be worth it in the end Im sure!
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 19:19 |
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When you are done just coat anywhere that isn’t painted with this, it is amazing stuff, don’t get it on your skin!
jeepoftheseus
> Takuro Spirit
06/17/2020 at 19:31 |
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Fighting the good fight! My dad had a ‘73 Formula 400 that he let go of long before my time. Same color as yours was originally though, or at least close to it. If only my mom had learned how to drive stick it may have stuck around. S econd gen firebirds always have a soft spot in my heart and I’m stoked at how you’ve documented your progress here. Thanks for sharing!
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Sovande
06/17/2020 at 19:57 |
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As I told Stef in another post:
“I’ve got a welder and an angle grinder, and I’m too stupid to let my lack of skill or experience stop me!”
But seriously, do you actually know how to do body work? I'm planning to learn one way or another, but it would probably go better with help.
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Sovande
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
06/17/2020 at 20:01 |
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I have replaced floor boards and a couple patch panels on my old pickup. I have a mig welder and a real nice collection of flap disks. Grind it till its good. I think 90% of it is fitment. The other 20% cussing and guesswork.
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Sovande
06/17/2020 at 20:07 |
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And beer drinking is the other 40%, right?
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Sovande
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
06/17/2020 at 20:14 |
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Oh. So you already know the formula.
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Sovande
06/17/2020 at 20:22 |
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Well I've done similar things, glad the formula is useful here as well.
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Takuro Spirit
> Future next gen S2000 owner
06/18/2020 at 13:59 |
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If I had a time machine, or a lot more money....
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Takuro Spirit
> 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
06/18/2020 at 14:01 |
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I have something similar.
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Takuro Spirit
> MoCamino
06/18/2020 at 14:03 |
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It works to get to
the angle its at. Should be good enough for what I need to get at. makes it a pain to move around the garage, but it doesn’t get used for anything else anyways.
Just got to watch that the heads don’t work themselves out of the stands when rotating, since there is SOME movement because I didn’t get it 100% level. But it works. No problems as far as stability or anything. My shitty welds are holding up.
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Takuro Spirit
> jeepoftheseus
06/18/2020 at 14:04 |
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Silver? Or the ruby red that was sprayed over it?
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Takuro Spirit
> facw
06/18/2020 at 14:05 |
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40 years old, but it was a ‘Southern’ car that’s been off the road since the late 90's.
Even so it rusted sometime years ago and was fixed poorly, leading to more rust.
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Takuro Spirit
> Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
06/18/2020 at 14:13 |
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Pontiac to Mopar: But if you leave me in a field for 20 years....
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Takuro Spirit
> sony1492
06/18/2020 at 14:16 |
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It was easier to find a complete rail that wasn’t rotted to patch in, than cut all the shapes and sizes needed for the bottom and side of the rail, plus the back where it connects to the tail panel, plus there’s that whole round channel for the spring hanger bushing to go through....
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Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
> Takuro Spirit
06/18/2020 at 14:19 |
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Pontiac for the win! T-tops were the best bad idea of the 70s. They’d still be with us if they weren’t guaranteed to leak.
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jeepoftheseus
> Takuro Spirit
06/19/2020 at 13:43 |
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My reply got kinja’d but I think his was called Florentine red like this:
Either way I asked him about it the other night and that led to him and my mom digging out old pictures (he hasn’t found a Firebird one yet) from back in the day and the family group text has been hilarious. I always forget that my mother was a Ford Maverick owner at one point. I’ll update if he ever finds them. His was like the one above but with a black vinyl roof and a very ‘70s stripe down the side