Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Right Rear Quarter Panel Repair - Part 3a

This is just a short addition to my last post.  I got the idea to try the slapping spoon with the air hammer from this Youtube video.  I was trying to replicate the portable planishing hammer.  I  think it worked out well, tho' my method is a little more time consuming.   Enjoy.


Monday, March 18, 2013

Right Rear Quarter Panel Repair - Part 3

It's bee awhile since I've been able to get back on the fastback.  I do have to be honest that I have used my very limited spare time to get some flying done, particularly my Instrument Proficiency Check before the end of the month when the club 10% winter discount goes away.   But I also had some other obligations such as conducting a close family friend's funeral in Battle Creek, Michigan and an all-day seminar this past Saturday.   Another infraction on my time was my daily driver was down for repair.  The crankshaft pulley bolt decided to back out and trashed the pulley that is also the harmonic balancer.   Thankfully, the crank nose wasn't damaged from the key shearing and the pulley wobbling on the crank.  It did break a small 1/8" chunk on the end of the keyway, but it all went back together OK.  I bough a used pulley, a new bolt and key, along with the specific tool to allow me to torque it back to 120 FT-Lbs. with a smear of blue Loctite for extra measure.   So there have been a number of diversions.   In general, this is just a real busy time of the year for me and will not relent until after Easter.   So I have to grab time as I see fit.

At the last exciting episode, I was making slow but steady progress on getting the dents and dimples out of the quarter panel.   I ordered one tool to help with the process after doing a little web browsing.   The first tool was a "slapping spoon".  This is used in place of a body hammer.  It spreads the force of the blows across a wider area to help smooth out the panel....



Then after seeing a youtube video of bodywork on an original 50's T-Bird front fender, I ordered a second tool.  This is a pneumatic body hammer.  It goes in the air chisel and works sort of like half of an English wheel/hammer....


So with both of these in hand, I fired up the 'ol torpedo heater and shampooed the living room carpet while the garage came up to temperature.  

If you recall, this is where I left off....


There are still quite a few of those little dents and dimples and creases and....well, it's just a lot of imperfections.   So it was time to try the great experiment.   But for this blog, I decided it would be better to show and explain it in video than to try and put it into words.   So below are two Youtube videos for your to watch.   The first is using the pneumatic hammer with the slapping spoon.   The second is using the spoon alone with a dolly.




You may notice that the color of the low spots has changed as I used a high-build primer to spray the rear quarter.  Then I sanded it and used the new paint areas to identify the spots still needed some work.  After an hour of work, this is the result, a noticeable improvement from the picture above.



The dark spots were made by the shrinking disc.  It's the heat affected zone and also where the metal got polished by the disc.  I then put another couple of coats of high-build primer on the quarter to see how it looks and to be ready when I get back on it the next session.  I'll do another sanding job and then continue the process working my way down on the quarter panel.   There are still a couple of areas needing attention, but there is progress, especially when I started with this...


...and now it looks like this.....




I do have my doubts that I'll get the bottom  section of the quarter panel reworked to my satisfaction, especially since there is a mild body reveal line and the metal at that point is very lumpy, not to mention my access with the air hammer will be limited.   As in all things, time will tell.





Monday, March 4, 2013

Defying Gravity - Part 2

The decision making process each of us goes through is usually weighted to our individual expectations, needs and desires.  That went into the search and eventual purchase of my "other woman," the fastback.   Then we spend countless hours in the planning and direction each of us want our beloved Mustangs to go.  

Originally, I didn't know this was a 1-of-1 Mustang.  "The Plan" was first to do an "Eleanor" tribute car.  But that was a 1967.   Then the direction was to do a "Bullitt" tribute since our 1929 Ford hot rod was green...1990 Silver anniversary Mustang green.  I bought a black console for a manual transmission car and started in that direction, minus the S code 390.   Then I ordered the Marti Report that was new at the time and did the option breakdown.  Figuring the car was somewhat rare because of the color, I never expected it to be a 1-of-1 car.  Bugger.  And I wasn't a fan of the "Tahoe Turquoise".  It was a girly color and explained in my mind why it sat on a dealers lot for 10 months, not to mention Ford introduced this new for 1969 Mustang called the "Mach 1".   But after having this baby for closing on 7 years, the color has grown on me.  It won't be bone-stock when I'm done, but it could be put back without too much work.   Of course, that direction could still change.  (I still like that Emerald pearl 1990 Mustang color).

So where am I going with this?   I previously posted that I now have my wings back.  It's been fun...sort of.   2 of the airports I would have access to a rental plane are both 45 minutes one-way from my house.   They have a 3 hour minimum if you take the plane for a day.  So that eliminates long cross country trips.   So after much deliberation, coupled with some frustration on the part of one of the airplane operations,  I have joined a flying club.   Yup.  I now own a piece of 4 different aircraft.   And the minimum is 1 hour per day.  So now those trips to Omaha and Lexington are within reach.  

My application (and check for the share) were vetted and I got keys this past Saturday.  Today, I met with the club safety officer who is also a flight instructor and works maintenance at FedEx on the aircraft at Indianapolis  International Airport where their hub is located.  

I've flown a lot of airplanes in my day, but this one is sweet!   It's a Cessna 172 S model that has been upgraded to include such nicities as a full color moving-map GPS that is also coupled to a new multi-axis computer controlled autopilot.   I still have to get used to how all the tech gadgets work, but I should be up to speed in a couple of more hours.  This is one of the airplanes at the airport 15 minutes from my house....


And this is the cockpit with all the toys...


But it gets better.   The other airplane they keep there is a new model Cessna 182T.  This has ALL the stuff including a full "glass cockpit".  The advantage is the GPS in the other airplanes, including the 172 are all the same, and the 'guts' of the glass cockpit GPS is the same.  So the transition between aircraft is easy.  So here's the 182....


...And here's a look at the glass cockpit...


I'm looking forward to my first cross-country trip with my wife and taking my kids and grandkids for a ride.  That will be fun.  But do not fret.  The Mustang is still in the picture and the next post will hopefully demonstrate 2 new body tools I've picked up to make quicker and better work on that knarled up rear quarter panel.

Until the next time.....