Florida "Key Lime" 76 Duster Build

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.