Little Ole Lady Car

Discussion in 'Members Rides' started by Rusty Davenport, Jul 5, 2003.

  1. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    Time

    Hi Jarrod,I think finding or taking the time is the biggest drawback.Seems like time is harder to find the older I get.Money is also always a problem but this has been done so far with very little money spent on my part.Hope it will continue to be low budget.
     
  2. GoldBoattail455

    GoldBoattail455 462 -> TH400 -> Posi

    Rusty,

    I thought up a few questions while looking through this inspirational thread. I am planning on doing something of the same caliber/scale, with the main idea being low budget with work being done be myself.

    1. Is the welder expensive? Something an average joe like me can buy, and along with a grinder put in patch panels?

    2. Were all your patch panels old door skins? If so, do you think any body shop would let you go through their "scrap" pile?(or maybe make a trip to a junkyard)

    3. Since you do bodywork, are wheelwells hard to replace without replacing th whole panel, just the lip? Could someone like me, learn to do this on his own with some effort and plenty of time?

    4. Do you need a large air compressor for the paint gun? I know paint guns are lower psi than tools, but what size do you have?

    5. Besides respirators, what kind of air circulation do you have in your shop/garage?

    Thanks Rusty :TU:

    P.S. I got more questions, but they are still stuck on my tongue. :laugh:
     
  3. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    Hi Rob,I will try and answer your questions.1) I recommended to buy the best quality tools you can afford on Major items.My hand tools are Craftsman which work as good as Snapon in my opinion.My Welder plugs in to 110 outlet and can be bought for around $250.00 to $600.00 you will also have to lease or purchase a bottle for the welding gas as well.2) All my patch panels were made from metal from bodyshop scrap piles.you can purchase sheetmetal new from welding supply and bodyshop supply stores but that is a added expense that is unneeded.A scrap doorskin or bedside from a late model vechile has all the modern primers already applied to them front and back of the panels.I simply cut out my patch to size needed,grind off paint along the edge I will weld on and install and then prime were I welded.I like the idea the cost is free as well.I would think that if you tell a shop owner what you need the scrap for they would be glad to give you what you need;I have never had a problem.3) Making the lip on wheelwells is tricky and time consuming for sure.But don't rush things and get everything to trail fit before you start welding!!! 4)My air compressor is a industrial grade 5 h.p. unit that cost about $1650.00 but I do lots of work in my shop not just hobby stuff.Buy the best you can.You can purchase a pretty nice compressor for around $450.00 to $600.00 to do the job.5)Besides wearing a paint respirator I also have a exhaust fan to exhaust overspray while painting.It is mounted in the wall and has a shutter on outside that opens automaticlly when fan is turned on.I found it at a farm supply store it was designed for use in a hog house operation and cost around $150.00 which was much cheaper than units from paint shops.You can use a $15.00 home fan sat in a window opening and do just fine in a smaller home shop to get the job done.Get the paint mask at a body shop supply store and be sure to get one for PAINT a dust mask is not good enough.A quality paint mask runs around $20.00 and will last for a good while(depending on how much you paint) if you keep it in a zip lock bag when not in use.
     
  4. staircasesurfer

    staircasesurfer Alex Prins

    hey rusty, whats going on with the car, do u have another thread? if not lets see some pic's of your car as she is now
     
  5. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    some progress

    Hi Alex,Sorry I didn't respond to your question but I haven't looked at this thread in a long time.Just after you posted this I was in a accident and was unable to work on the car for the summer of 2005 and since I've been back working in the shop I have been mostly working on some side jobs.I did score a decent radiator support in a junkyard and was able to patch it with scrap metal and it came out pretty nice but was very time consuming to do.Also sandblasted and painted it and the bumper brackets as well.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    topside

    Lots of hand sanding here!
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    some paint

    Painting outside in Feb. hard to believe.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. GoldBoattail455

    GoldBoattail455 462 -> TH400 -> Posi

    Wow, looks awesome Rusty! Great work! :TU:
     
  9. paul c

    paul c Well-Known Member

    good job, keep this thread updated with more work in progress pictures.
     
  10. KevinsBuick

    KevinsBuick Well-Known Member

    Progress?

    Hey Rusty, have you done anything on the 72 Skylark or you sons 70 GS lately? Post up some pics I'd like to see your progress. Thanks, Kevin
     
  11. Taylor Davenpor

    Taylor Davenpor New Member

    rusty's son taylor here. I've just signed up on the board a day or 2 ago. stay on him about posting more pics and working on the car more often it could be ready to paint in a couple of weeks if we worked on it a couple hours every day after work. :rant: :grin:
     
  12. BuickGSXJuiced

    BuickGSXJuiced Well-Known Member

    hey taylor i just had an idea for you name, you coulda left the space out

    ex. TaylorDavenport.........just a susjestion :Do No:

    then it would all fit in there
     
  13. chryco63

    chryco63 14's or bust!

    Rusty or Taylor... any updates? :Do No:
     
  14. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    After not getting anything done on my car in forever it is now back in the shop and I've cutout and welded in the LH trunk pan,ground the weld,body filler on the seam,worked out and primered the trunk pan.All welding on the body is finished! Now I'm rebuilding the driver's door hinges with new pins,bushings,and roller pin.Also sandblasted door jamb while door was off.Haven't installed the gas tank back on car so since it doesn't run it will stay in shop and maybe I can get everthing finished up and painted by fall.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jul 20, 2007
  15. killrbuick66455

    killrbuick66455 Well-Known Member

    Great job Rusty and Taylor !! :TU: :TU: :TU:
     
  16. philosphrstone

    philosphrstone Silver Level contributor

    Great thread. Sweet to see all the stages this car is going through!

    Wanna do the body on my 4 door granny car when you are done?!!!!!!

    Good job on scoring the rally wheels... Mine are relatively rusty and yet I get compliments on them all the time. I was lucky and managed to find 15s though, which are a lot easier to find rubber for.

    In case anyone is interested, I have the stock wheels with hubcaps that were on mine when I bought it. One of the hubcaps is dented, but the other three are all pretty nice. I should probably keep them, but honestly, I just love Buick rally wheels... always have, always will.

    No forklift tires for my ride!
     
  17. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    Re: Left side getting there

    what kind of sandblaster do you use?
     
  18. BuickGSXJuiced

    BuickGSXJuiced Well-Known Member

    what happen????
     
  19. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    Well I've not really done anything to the car in a while other than rebuild the door hinges.Car is basiclly ready for paint after one final blocking of the primer.I live out in the country but someone turned me in for having too many cars out back and I've had to have a new storage building built 30x80 this past summer $$$$$ shortage has caused me to have to do alot of side jobs nights and weekends to get $$$$$.On top of that I'm only working 4 days a week at my day job since Nov. as well.My son and I have just started to build a 24x32 building ourselves over the new year 08/09 holiday weekend.Someone I had done alot of bodywork for started building a 24x32 polebarn and got in a property dispute with his nieghbor and lost so He gave me the wood and trusses he had already put up/built and so I'm getting a pretty much free 24x32 building if we do all the labor as I had some left over metal/wood/post from the 30x80 building which was 2 each 30x40 packages that I had built end to end to get the 30x80 building[this was cheaper than having a 30x65 building built?] Seems like I NEVER get to work on MY CARS and when I get all this done I'll have some nice buildings that cost me a bunch of $$ full of project/junk cars; I must be sick in the head.
     
  20. Rusty Davenport

    Rusty Davenport Silver Level contributor

    Well it is back.I finally have pretty much decided to quit doing customer work in the shop so I have gotten my project car back in the shop and begun the work to get it finished this time.Can't belive that this was started on ten years ago!!!!!! Power washed and degreased it today.I need to rebuild front suspension ,convert to disc brakes and she will be ready to paint and start assembly.Hopefully this doesn't take years lol.Taylor's son Johnathon is my helper now!
     

    Attached Files:

Share This Page