Florida "Key Lime" 76 Duster Build

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Gettin' started on the hood now......Some dings and small dents to be smoothed out, then some 2K primer......after that, we sand the rest of the area that will receive the black eggshell, including the scoop.....I'll cut the holes for the fresh air before the final paint.
 

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Some guys insist on stripping everything down to bare metal before they start any body work.....problem is that most enthusiasts that want to do it themselves have no viable way to strip without getting into an expensive, time consuming or incredibly messy job. (and that's what this thread is about....doing it yourself, correctly, without breaking the bank).

Most small dings and dents can be repaired without stripping, and as I'm doing here on this section of the hood, can be done by just about any auto enthusiast, and done so it will last the lifetime of the car. Small dents can be ground down with a power grinder to give some metal to work on (then roughed with 60 grit paper), OR taken down with 40 grit paper.....a good wipe with prep solvent (or lacquer thinner), and your body filler will stick like glue. (I realize that this is a matter of contention with some....but I've been restoring cars for over 40 years now and have never had an adhesion failure on small areas like this....ever).

A thin coat of filler over the 40 grit area, enough to fill the ding.....when dry (and I stress "dry"), I'll block sand it with 60 grit until it's flat.....a very thin "kiss coat" of filler goes over that, and I finish with a block and some 80 grit....then comes the 2K primer and I'm ready for finish sanding and painting.
 

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The magnums sold a while ago, and they were 14's....Had they been 15's, I would have shelved them for restoration.

My son-in-law, who wants this Duster when it's done, asked if I would color key the Keystones with the lime green instead of the gold insets that they have now........At some point, I think I'll do one and set it side by side with the stock rim...........Sounds interesting, but I'm not sure what it would look like.......although, I love Olds Rally rims when they're the same color as the car.....not sure about the Keystones. :coffee2:
 
Back to the hood dings and dents.......Hoods can be miserable to work on, especially on the top portions where there's little support from framing. For these areas, I use a 3M hand block with 60 grit, and NO hand pressure.

(remember I told you to let that filler get HARD?......I let hood areas cure for 2 days before sanding because it cuts smoother and easier, and I can get away with ONE piece of paper versus 10 if I sanded too soon....you do it your way if you want, but this is mine....and it works).

I lay the block over the cured filler, hold the block by my finger tips, then let my wrist twist back and forth quickly over the area until I reach what I call a "ghost layer"......this is when I can SEE the outlines of the ding/dent THROUGH a very thin layer of filler.....a quick swish and a swipe more, and I STOP. It's now ready for a "kiss coat" of filler, and we'll sand it down after it's cured with some 80 grit before priming.....when it's done, you'll never see a thing. Remember....if you cut down to the edges of your dent, you've GONE TOO FAR. Leave a "ghost". ..........and KEEP THAT BLOCK FLAT.
 

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While I'm smoothing the hood out with 80 grit getting it ready for the 2K primer, I laid out my handy dandy template for the 4" "Ram air" cut-outs......I designed the template back in 2005 for future reference.....Just lay it on the hood rear center, check your width on each side, and voila'........ Easy job. Some guys don't use the holes with these scoops......I say baloney......the engine bay temperature is drastically reduced with the downforced air, keeping your passenger compartment cooler and exiting the hot air under the car.....PLUS, you feed the bay cooler air for the carb. Just makes sense I think.
 

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Next, I laid out my handy dandy dual-snorkle stud hole template (which I designed long ago for just such momentous hysterical occasions as this.......).......lay it against the back of the hood, center marked, then check the sides for equi-distance........Voila'.........stud holes marked with silver marker......BUT, I lay the scoop upside down and double check the distances between the holes....they MUST match up with the hood marks......micro adjustments NOW will mean a smoooooooth installation at the end.
 

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In keeping with the purpose of the thread (which is doin' it yer'self, and savin' some cash), I moved ahead with the hood today......

After blocking the filler to a nice feather with 80 grit, I chose to hit the sanded areas with some 2K epoxy primer.....again opting for a spray bomb....quick, easy, low overhead and plenty effective on small areas..... Only the sanded areas got the 2K.....after final blocking, the whole hood will get a high solids primer before wet sanding and basecoat.
 

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Plastic parts are a nightmare for the average enthusiast. Searching for and trying to purchase the correct color parts for an interior rebuild is sometimes next to impossible, if not merely for the financial considerations. On this car with the fold down seat option, I had to deal with the elusive "inner fender well covers".....many of these have dried out and begun to chalk and crumble.....BUT, you can turn that trash to treasure if you're patient. I'll explain in the next frame.

Plastic parts I gathered for this build included some black ones.....ALL the plastic has to be cleaned with a good degreasing detergent (I use simple green and a brush), rinsed well, then dried in the sun (at least that's what I do here in sunny Florida). After this, a rubbing with 0000 steel wool.....then a good air blow, and a wipe with a good prep solvent. You can then use standard enamels with spray adhesion promoter FIRST, or Krylon Fusion...... Many guys swear by SEM products, BUT after years and years of testing and spending, I've found the new Fusions to be excellent and cost effective, IF sprayed properly (after cleaning, a "dust coat" is applied and dried.....then "medium coats" until color is achieved...NOT wet coats).....and they WON'T BREAK THE BANK, again, what this thread is about.
 

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The inner fender well covers on this car were trash. Period. Holes worn through, and chalking 1/8" thick......the plastic surface just crumbled off. I had to sand the bad surfaces with 60 grit paper (lightly) until the chalking was carefully taken care of. A good cleaning, and then I applied a coating of what's called "Stone Texture" paint, I believe by Rustoleum. It has an aggressive texture, and can rebuild the surface of the destroyed plastic. Patience is needed, since you need to coat it one day, and recoat it the next, and so on. I used the lightest color available, then a bit of my color over top (a dusting)......NOW, after this picture was taken, I need another texture coat anda a full days cure.....then another dusting of a bit of color.....and I STRESS a dusting, because if you apply color too soon or too heavily, the texture will be RUINED.....the enamel will soften the texture if not allowed to cure. TAKE YOUR TIME. Actual holes worn through the plastic can be filled from the BACK with small strand fiberglass filler before texturing and painting.
 

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Not sure yet but I think I'm learning something here. Keep up the good work.:coffee2:
 
I have a 17 month old son, who has a granpa that is awesome. He is doing all this work to this duster and shipping it to new york so that me, being his son in law, and my family can enjoy going to the shows in upstate ny. the car is going great, and me and my family are so happy. Thanks again, i only wish i had the talent that doc has. Conner says keep up the good work and he cant waite to go cruisin..he says "vroom vroom vroom " every time he sees the pictures. when the car is here I will post pics of the car in sonme of the awesome shows here in N.Y...thanks again !!!
 
Well "Little C", all those nice new lookin' white plastic parts are gonna be goin' in the car this week, about the same time as the new carpeting......I'll post some pics.........By the way, you need a good "avatar" (photo for your identification).......I could think of a few good ones, BUT we'll leave that up to your Daddy.........:burnout:
 
Well, after a long break (for an illness and another back injury....Joy Rapture.....), I've been concentrating on the Duster again.

When I bought the car, it was a mess....the paint was fairly fresh, but miserable....orange peel, terrible blocking, etc....... I've been busy correcting what I could on the outside shell, getting ready for striping and accent painting.''Challenger Gary" did the side stripes for me about a year ago or more, and now they're ready to hang..... The sides of the car have been wet sanded with 400 grit, then followed up with 600, then buffed and polished with 2 varying grades of liquid compound. After a good cleaning with prep solvent, Windex and a damp cloth, it's ready now for the stripes to be applied. I'll be floating them into place using "Rapid Tac" liquid (a little alcohol, water and a tiny bit of soap....you can make your own).
 

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The Z-Hill's car show is the 2nd week of Nov at the Fairgrounds... I always find some part for a Mopar ...The Feb show is much larger but, you may find some thing for your Mopar right in your own back yard ...Rick
 
FIRST things first........I'm installing a Mopar stripe, but NOT a factory Duster style....reason is 2-fold.....I happen to LIKE the Demon style, and DIS-like the Dusters......Secondly, and important is the fact that the body man, whomever he was, did NOT block in a true and straight center body line....BUMMER. SO, I could redo the entire body (and spend WAY too much cash that I'd never recover in my wildest dreams), or artistically compensate by applying proper striping. Purists and guys who are loaded with cash need not read further. AGAIN.......THIS THREAD is for the enthusiast who wants to do a decent job on what he can AFFORD, and come out with a great looking car to cruise.

SO, with that stated (again), I've started by stretching a black vinyl pinstripe down the side of the car exactly where I want the center of my new side stripes.....VERY important step.
 

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