DIY Bodywork: 85 S15 Strip & Paint
 

I'm posting this here cause it's not really a project or build, just a quick job to further my knowledge and skills.

Background: Got the truck in a trade, the truck is currently painted with (grey?) tremclad paint painted with a roller (and paintbrush maybe). Either way it looks like ****, has some random rust spots. Only one place that is rusted right through.

Some of the prices might be a little off cause I have already bought the crap and started the build I just loafted on the thread and I still need to take pics

Materials/Tools and prices for items bought:
Princess auto orbital 6" air sander - $40
Princess auto die grinder - $40
40 grit sanding discs from ctire - $5
60 grit sanding discs from ctire - $5
Piece of bodywork metal from ctire - $12
Wire wheel for a drill from ctire - $6
Duplicolour primer from ctire - $10/can bought 2 cans for when I hit metal sanding
Short strand fibreglass from ctire -$20 (I forgot)

Total: $138

Items already had
Grinder/discs
Welder
Spot Putty

Items still needed
Die grinder adapter and cookies
Spray gun
PAINT and unknown stuff (you never know till you need it)


Ok so I started the project on sunday and spent a good 6hours sanding down one side of the bed. holy **** that paint is hard as **** to get off never EVER paint your car with household paint and a roller. I'd say I finished about 90% of the sanding for the driver side of the bed. Finished off by primering it so it doesn't rust then I took a nice long break before deciding I would go out and cut and weld a piece of metal into where it was rusted the piece I ended up welding in was about 7" by 3"

The plans are to finish sanding down the bed first, fix all the rust, fiberglass where I cut/welded the rest of the rust it is getting grinded down and wire wheeled then filled with spot putty to fill the pock marks from the rust once that is completed the bed is getting sprayed with filler primer, then paint, then clear.

I will be working on it again tuesday night and wednesday. I should be able to snap some pics then.

Tips and advice appreciated.

Have fun doing it, i do body work at my shop some times, and i hate doing it, cut out old metal and welding in new metal, then you have the fun job of making sure it's straight with the rest of it. My advice its take your time at it if you want a good job, because it takes alot of practice to get good and fast at it.

No updates yet, I've been very busy and just bought a trailer. But updates will come!

hey bud, when i came to pick up that downpipe i saw a pick up truck. if its same one, it needs a lot of body work lol. GL

lol yeah man that's it, just bought a 60gal compressor to assist in this task, unfortunately the motor on it is fried and needs to be returned, yet another delay and I'm also doing the brakes on my new trailer first.

i can get you a motor for it to be replaced with, msg me

Theirs a few more things you should look into. One thing for certain is a block, it is the only way you'll get your bodywork straight. You should have one smaller one and one board file, the sanders will not cut your bodyfiller straight at all.

Other things to consider, make sure your using 2k products (have a hardener). Consider applying an epoxy primer to the metal before applying your body filler, on a rust repair job it's usually a good idea and will provide better holdout.

I would consider returning the primers to canadian tire and buying some proper 2K primer from a paint distributor (carquest is good, and they can make 2k aerosol cans). 2k products have a limited pot life but if you want to achieve good results you should seriously look into it. The Canadian Tire primer won't provide very good protection, and will shrink big time and you will see a lot of visible sand-scratches, same goes for spot putty (if your using 1k stuff).

You will also need much finer sandpaper, your bodywork should be finished in 180 and your primer will need blocked with 320 & to be sanded in 400-500 before paint.

If you want anymore input just ask, I also have a pile of youtube video's out if you wanted to see some repairs. Nothing with rust but one minor dent repair you might have some use for, here: Part 1 , Part 2

ok so I loafted large so here some updates (I got more then this done but I forgot to take more pics)

Attachment 35727
Attachment 35728
Attachment 35729

pics are **** cause the cam screen is broken so I couldnt aim the cam