Restoring a Rusted Roof

[gregski]

Check out Kevin Tetz's Paintucation - Paint Your Own Car!

I know education costs but $225 bucks for all the videos, these days, come on - I'm just a search away from seeing how to do it on YouTube! and I rather spend that money on materials

if I can swing it, I may look into volunteering at a local body shop, do some grunt work, mop the floors, see if they eventually allow me to prep my own car there then pay them like $500 to spray it and oven bake it

 

[Platonic Solid]

I wasn't suggesting that you buy the videos (I'm also not suggesting that you don't). Check out the forum on Kevin's site - lots of good free info there. FYI - Kevin is also a member of Stangnet.

 

[mudbilly]

if I can swing it, I may look into volunteering at a local body shop, do some grunt work, mop the floors, see if they eventually allow me to prep my own car there then pay them like $500 to spray it and oven bake it

that is a GREAT idea,,,,,,,,,......

 

[gregski]

Omni Epoxy Primer

So I'm going to use Omni epoxy primer, any objections?

 

[Platonic Solid]

So I'm going to use Omni epoxy primer, any objections?

As long as that's what your chosen paint selection recommends.

 

[gregski]

Another Weekend Update

got the remaining trim off of the quarter panels, that held the bottom of the vinyl roof on, these pieces were held on by 3 bolts on each side, two in the cabin, and the third in the trunk, so I had to use a 3/8 wrench to get the nuts off, it pays to sit inside your project car day dreaming, as it gave me the opportunity to find these bolts, I thought they were just held on with clips

 

[gregski]

more news

got some wire wheels for my 4" angle grinder... FINALLY!!! a regular kind and a cup

and found staples in my rear window sill, I had no idea they used staples to tack the vinyl with, I had no idea staples could go through 19 gauge steel, go figure, wonder if that was a factory install? anybody know?

 

[KStang65B]

I'm pretty sure that's normal. My 65 had several nails holding the original headliner in.

 

[mroed]

I haven't seen any on mine, but I haven't been doing any work around the rear window, maybe they are back there? (at least not on the sides or windshield)

 

[Platonic Solid]

it was pointed out to me that my original thread Restoring a Rusted Roof was getting a bit too long and taking a long time to load for some people so I am starting Part II.

OK, that was weird. Clicking that link is like entering a parallel universe.

 

[gregski]

OK, that was weird. Clicking that link is like entering a parallel universe.

Oops cut and pasted that from another forum, you were not supposed to see that, LOL, it is a great group of people though, someday we all shall meet, hee hee

 

[Max Power]

My fold down back seat carpet had staples through the heavy gauge steel. Either Ford had one mean staple gun, or the holes were pre-drilled or something.

 

[gregski]

Two To Tango

All the rust is gone, I must have spent as much time on the silly concave weld spots in the window sills and the rain gutters as I did on the entire roof, but I tell you you can snort cocaine out of 'em, jk.

Having gone through all this trial and error, I don't think I could have done it with one method or a single medium. In my case it took two to Tango, the Phosphoric acid ($15) from Home Depot and the wire wheels ($10) for the angle grinder/drill. So acid to do the heavy lifting and abrasives to get into those tough to get to spots nooks and cranies. Yes steel wool and paper towels get honorable mention as well!

Wait till you see how I primered it.

 

[dennis112]

Looks great!

This thread should serve as a valuable resource for for those who find themselves in the same situation.

Keep up the good work.

 

[woodsnake]

Looking really good! I will have to "skin" the roof on my 69, and I'm not looking forward to that...

 

[gregski]

This thread should serve as a valuable resource for those who find themselves in the same situation.

Flattered!

 

[gregski]

Usual Suspects

1 Quart - OMNI AU MP170 Gray Epoxy Primer - $23.97

1 Pint - OMNI AU MP175 Hardener / Activator you need this to mix it with the primer to "activate it" (or half a dozen other names) - $8.70

1 Quart - Urethane Reducer for thinning out the concauction if need be - $10.86

1 Quart - PPG Acryli-Clean DX330 Wax and Greese Remover (a buddy of mine gave me this a while ago)

1 Can of Lacquer Thinner from Home Depot - for cleaning the spray gun, etc

The auto paint supply shop gave me the stir sticks and the filters for free, super nice people there at Jerry's, except they are closed for lunch, found that out the hard way, lol.

$30 dollar face mask from Home Depot, works really well

$80 dollar spray kit from Harbor Freight, compressor and spray gun combo, did the job, never sprayed with anything better so I don't know what I'm missing

 

[gregski]

Does Practice Make Perfect?

My high school basketball coach used to ask: "Does practice make perfect?"

"Yes Sir" we would reply.

"No, perfect practice makes perfect!" he would correct us and make us run more lines. (Needless to say the man won the state championship, but we need beer and a camp fire for that story.)

...so I decided to practice on an extra fender I had laying around before shooting the roof. I've never used that type of primer mix nor that type of spray gun (or any for that matter) so if it pooped on anything I rather it wouldn't be my smooth as a baby's butt roof.

At first I could sum up the results in two dreaded words: ORANGE PEEL! So I decided to add 10% of the reducer to the mix, the guy at the paint store said I may need it, and heck I already paid for it so why not have it join the party, right? I also toyed with the gun, increasing and decreasing the amount of paint that comes out of it, I don't know which way I turned the knob, all I know there was no more orange peel.

Here are the pictures of my practice canvas, in it's original, prepped, and primered conditions:

 

[mudbilly]

 

[gregski]

Moment of Truth

Well all that was left to do now was to wipe the roof clean, mask it off with some 3 inch wide blue tape and old newspapers and shoot the primer.

Here are some action shots.