Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

[Davedacarpainter]

This weekend is killing me, I've spent almost $1k this weekend on buying new parts for Robby.

I've had a sudden "Perfect Storm" of money windfalls this month. The timing is perfect. Next paycheck I'll have another $1k I can spend, and then my new employer pays vacation pay in one sum on the first paycheck of the month after your anniversary hire date. August 17th made it one year at my new job!

Thinking about it, the almost $5k I'll be spending on Robby would have got me pretty close to having Doby done.

Oh well, spilled milk! I have an '83 T-top notch!

The new carpet and dash pad and other stuff is being shipped right now to me, next week I'll have all of the brake stuff and the new headliner along with the gas tank and connections. This is so fun and exciting!

I'll finally be able to go the the local mustang meets. Robby won't be a totally bitchin' car, but he won't be a POS either. Three weeks, maybe a month and I'll be cruising with the t-tops off! Woohoo!

 

[RaggedGT]

What kind of space did you find to keep roby, storage building or a rental garage?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

What kind of space did you find to keep roby, storage building or a rental garage?

Nothing yet, won't be a huge problem though.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

What's new in Dave's world? I took out the little dings all over the new door. What I'm doing is trying to make it so all I have to do to the door is to primer it and seam seal it before I block it out to paint it.

Except for the lower portion of the door. Ford did this to all fox bodies to pis s me off! I will put a glaze coat of bondo there to smooth it out. Using the tools I did to take out the door dings, I could totally smooth the door without bondo. Yet I would have to come up with enough sht to give to do this. It takes a LOT of time on every panel to come up with a total finish without bondo, huh @TOOLOW91 ?

Your buddies car is amazing to me, I would have to lose the wife, children and grandchildren to duplicate that feat!

Anywho.... Here's some pictures of the equipment I used to take out the dents. This little machine is wonderful, it's anode tack welds to the bare metal of the dent and has a small slide hammer weight to pop out the dent. There is also the lever that you can use to be more gentle pulling out dents. I didn't use it too much, I just want them out enough to primer over and block them out. It has a magnetic ground, btw. You just need bare metal to have it stick to.

So, pictures: I circled all the dents with a marker

started to sand the dents to the metal so the electrode would attach

You can see I didn't try to pull every dent. Several of them are small enough that primer will cover them up.

then I sprayed the areas with rattle can etch so I could see if the dents pulled out properly while the primer was still wet and shiny, I got a few more after this photo. Tomorrow, at lunch, I'll drop the door off to be media blasted.

I'll be getting the hood and deck lid off of Robby this week so I can do the same thing to them, and then drop them off to be media blasted too. I'll pluck the carburetor off of him too and tear it down and let it soak for a couple days.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Got a box today! First of many to come. My new mass back carpet.

So Robby's got a rug now.

I got the passenger door to the media blasters today, I'll pick it up in a couple days and get it in etch primer at least. Then I'll smooth out the bottom of the door and primer the whole thing. I'll probably let it sit over the weekend, then seam seal it and hopefully have it painted by mid week next week. We have another new clear at work that is absolutely stunning. I can't wait to try it out on the door.

Friday I'll be able to get back into the yard and I'll try to get as many panels as I can. Hood, fenders, deck lid, bumpers. BTW! The media blasters say they can clean up the bumpers! Yay! I didn't want to have to strip the paint off by sanding it. Wheh! Oh yeah, I'll be taking the carburetor with me as well. I'm thinking it may need to soak for a little bit of time before I clean it and rebuild it.

That's today's happenings, nothing more for a couple days, unless I get more boxes tomorrow (which I should).

 

[90sickfox]

Christmas in August !!!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Christmas in August !!!

All month long now buddy!

September 14th is the tentative pick up date for Robby. Though, really, it'll probably be the 15th. 14th I get a check, 15th I spend it like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

 

[95BlueStallion]

I love your excitement for this car! Poor ol' Doby is probably feeling like the high school girlfriend when you went off to college a year ahead of her...

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I love your excitement for this car! Poor ol' Doby is probably feeling like the high school girlfriend when you went off to college a year ahead of her...

Yeah, she's taking the back seat for just a little bit.

Her time will come though, but, until then.......Yay for Robby!

 

[skyline247]

Nice! I was waiting for this thread to show up. In classic @Davedacarpainter fashion, the page count is rapidly increasing.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[stangboy]

That's the color of @Boosted92LX 's son's car. I was toying with the idea of Deep Impact Blue like on allen's new mustang.

I really like both of those colors a lot. I kind of want to stick to Kona blue though. I'm on a mission from God.

I'm on that same Kona Blue mission from God too. Looks like you are another person beating me to it.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

So I opened the box from yesterday and got a new one today. In with the carpet is the right t-top to body seal. The new itty bitty box has my new hinge pin kits and a new ignition switch.

BTW, the yard owner is going to give me a tilt steering colum from another 4i he has in the yard!

Here's a picture

 

[89oem]

Allot of cool stuff

Tilt column FTW

 

[RaggedGT]

Do 83's have the horn on the turn signal lever?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Do 83's have the horn on the turn signal lever?

Ok Chris, I'll bite. what's this question about?

 

[RaggedGT]

Ok Chris, I'll bite. what's this question about?

No secret meaning or set up behind the question-my 80' had the horn on the turn signal,just curious how many years that set up was used...
Sometimes a question is just a question Dave- even when it's from me lol

 

[Davedacarpainter]

No secret meaning or set up behind the question-my 80' had the horn on the turn signal,just curious how many years that set up was used...
Sometimes a question is just a question Dave- even when it's from me lol

I was going off the assumption that it was in the normal location. Robby hasn't had a battery hooked up in quite some time though, so I'm not positive.

My '72 mustang had it on the steering wheel though.

 

[RaggedGT]

I had a couple that you pushed the ts lever in to blow the horn lol. When I first got the Capri I found by accident with my knee

 

[02 281 GT]

I was going off the assumption that it was in the normal location. Robby hasn't had a battery hooked up in quite some time though, so I'm not positive.

My '72 mustang had it on the steering wheel though.

A lot of Fords had the horn button on the turn signal stalk. Not sure for Mustangs, but I know that the horn button on all panther platform cars (Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, Town Car) from 1979-1985 was mounted on the multi-function switch.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

The monster has his horn on the TS lever,...I like it that way,...lets you put whatever wheel you want on the car w/o having to get that stupid horn kit as well.