1972 Duster Build with my Daughter
Good days work today. We started on the trunk and finished removing the undercoating. Here is the left side that has not been sand blasted. The auto supply store recommend coal slag for something that just rips everything off fast, they were right. Rust has no chance....
Here is the right side and the spare well after blasting! This took me no more than 15 minute with a small cheap HF blaster and my 80 gallon compressor. After I blasted we thought about cutting out the trunk of the Dart and decided it was not worth it. All the Duster needs is a couple of patches where the cardboard was and it is almost good as new..
We cut out the spots that were thin and it is really not that much work. There are a few pinholes here and there but the metal is solid so all we are going to do is kill the rust with the blaster and epoxy prime it. It will last another 50 years as long as we ensure the trunk does not leak.
We left the hole so the new patch panel can be marked where the hole is and cut out. When done that tab will be cut flush and new metal will be in its place. We will weld a few strips along the bottom where the strengthening ribs use to be to give it some strength.
The upper patch was cut from a template I made by covering the hole with blue tape then cutting out the shape with a razor then sticking the template to a piece of replacement steel bought at Ace back when I was restoring the Coronet and cut out to almost the perfect shape the first time.
Well as it always goes when you live 50 miles from the nearest store I ran out of gas for the welder as I finished welding in the first patch. My daughter did the grinding to get it fairly flat, this is under the floor mat so it is not critical.
Good days work today. We started on the trunk and finished removing the undercoating. Here is the left side that has not been sand blasted. The auto supply store recommend coal slag for something that just rips everything off fast, they were right. Rust has no chance....
Here is the right side and the spare well after blasting! This took me no more than 15 minute with a small cheap HF blaster and my 80 gallon compressor. After I blasted we thought about cutting out the trunk of the Dart and decided it was not worth it. All the Duster needs is a couple of patches where the cardboard was and it is almost good as new..
We cut out the spots that were thin and it is really not that much work. There are a few pinholes here and there but the metal is solid so all we are going to do is kill the rust with the blaster and epoxy prime it. It will last another 50 years as long as we ensure the trunk does not leak.
We left the hole so the new patch panel can be marked where the hole is and cut out. When done that tab will be cut flush and new metal will be in its place. We will weld a few strips along the bottom where the strengthening ribs use to be to give it some strength.
The upper patch was cut from a template I made by covering the hole with blue tape then cutting out the shape with a razor then sticking the template to a piece of replacement steel bought at Ace back when I was restoring the Coronet and cut out to almost the perfect shape the first time.
Well as it always goes when you live 50 miles from the nearest store I ran out of gas for the welder as I finished welding in the first patch. My daughter did the grinding to get it fairly flat, this is under the floor mat so it is not critical.
