Project- Bills Buggy

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ef8340 said:
dang Bill saw your post earlier about color sanding then just clicked on it now and started strolling down to the bottom to read or look at pics flew by the red one and was thinking you got that glowing cherry red need to slow down or your arms gonna fall off. then i scrolled back up and seen it was another dart,... darn this cymbalta they warned me about the side effects too
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LMAO.. well that would explain why my arms feel like they weigh 300 pounds a piece now lol...

VictorX said:
WOW, awesome.
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Thank you much!
 
Bill the car is looking killer. I am glad to know that I had a hand (or part) in it. Hope the clip works out for ya.
When I cut my car took me like 5 days of sanding. The clear was so bad I added another coat before I started sanding. Good luck getting it back together for the drive of a life time.
 
HemiPar said:
Bill the car is looking killer. I am glad to know that I had a hand (or part) in it. Hope the clip works out for ya.
When I cut my car took me like 5 days of sanding. The clear was so bad I added another coat before I started sanding. Good luck getting it back together for the drive of a life time.
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Thanks Jeff... and yes you are now on the list of people that had a hand in this project lol, and I thank you! ... That clip means I wont have to look at that remote mirror control hanging off the inside of the door now LOL .. and that is a very good thing.. Yeah sanding the clear was a giant pain in the butt.. wouldnt have been so bad if the passenger side hadnt orange peeled as bad as it did.. it was awful .. But I think we got it pretty good. I am hoping the buff happens tonight.. we shall see... lol
 
So... progress report... Have you ever reached the point where you thought you were simply just going to lose your mind with your project? I have had that kind of night.. I have been at this nearly 2 years now.. worked hard.. learned things I never thought I would.. Attempted stuff, I wouldve never dreamed of.. If you had told me 8 years ago I wouldve done half of what I did, I would've told you that you were insane... fill, pound, hammer, sand, prime, scuff, sand, fill, on and on and on.. All in the pursuit of simply building a cool ride for my wife and I.. so...

We start the buff tonight.. as the buff takes place I become increasingly agitated.. It would appear that we didnt scuff enough.. for as the shine comes back, so does the orange peel.. not as bad, but its still there... in some spots (like the trunk lid) it just jumps out at me... I mean, damn... I worked so hard.. we all did.. but there it is... and I have said it before, but its funny as to how you get closer to the end is the more stuff you find that you missed, or didnt fix good enough, or didnt finish just right.. It irratates me and takes me further and further away from my original mission.. just simply enjoying what I have done.. when my car was 3 colors, oversprayed, black front end, just a complete work in progress, I didnt care what people thought of it.. I had an absolute blast with the buggy at all times.. now that its blue and closer to being back on the road, every little thing bugs me.. somehow this doesnt seem right... lol

We have come to the conclusion that not only did the cold screw us when it came time for clear, but we had mixed the clear, and then got delayed... probably 20 minutes to a half hour.. We are beginning to believe that the clear had started to set up.. which explains the issues with the gun.. at any rate, options were to keep buffing and live with it, or sand the car down, and re-clear it.. or maybe even sand it down and start over... I dont want to do that.. I called my wife and talked to her while this was going on, and she rather sternly reminded me what project Bills buggy was supposed to be about in the first place.. we werent building a show car.. we wanted a driver,,.. a cruiser.. something cool to drive around, go to shows and hang out with our friends ... period... She talked to me for a while and reminded me of a few things...

1.. I am not building the buggy for anyone else.. just us... 2... nobody has to be happy with it or even like it.. but us.. 3.. I know I did the best I could, with the finances we have, and the skill set that I have (or have developed.. ) and as long as I know I worked and tried my best, I have nothing to be disappointed about.. Its time to put the buggy back together again, and enjoy her... drive her... and quit worrying about her.. Im not Chip Foose, and I never intended to try to be that...

I decided while my buddy Davie was buffing the front, to start putting pieces back on .. we got the tail lights in, some emblems, the trunk lock, and the drivers side door handle.. Seeing parts go back on brought my mood back up.. started getting me excited at the prospect of driving the buggy soon...

Sorry for the rant, (vent or whatever you want to call it) .. but you all are my Mopar family, and Im sure Im not the only one that has ever reached a point like this.. I just needed to get all that out... I did take one pic tonight.. just with the tail lights that I picked up at the Mopar Nats this past summer... enjoy.. and thanks for listening...
 

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Bill,

I know what you mean.....I have been sanding,tapping,filling,sanding,filling,sanding,sanding ...ect...ect... and it feels like im barely making a dent in the project. I just want to get it in primer and get it ready for paint ....each day I say "maybe ill get in in primer in a day or two", then those days pass because I keep finding more stuff i don't like and the labor is not exactly a walk in the park...its pretty demanding.

That being said....think of where the car was and where it is now after what you have done to it!. If your happy with it.....to h%ll what anyone else thinks. from the pictures it doesnt look that bad either. be proud of your work and drive the wheels off the thing. and hey.....if after a summers worth of driving you decide the clear finish just bugs ya to much.....next winter scuff it down and re clear it!

be proud of what you have and stick with it. great job!
 
first is thanks for sharing your mopar family

1.. I am not building the buggy for anyone else.. just us... 2... nobody has to be happy with it or even like it.. but us.. 3.. I know I did the best I could, with the finances we have, and the skill set that I have (or have developed.. ) and as long as I know I worked and tried my best, I have nothing to be disappointed about.. Its time to put the buggy back together again, and enjoy her... drive her... and quit worrying about her.. Im not Chip Foose, and I never intended to try to be that...
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He brother you have a good wife ,and i think that's the right way .
you build the car for and your wife

awesome work brother


-:coffee2:-
 
DusterDude72 said:
Bill,

I know what you mean.....I have been sanding,tapping,filling,sanding,filling,sanding,sanding ...ect...ect... and it feels like im barely making a dent in the project. I just want to get it in primer and get it ready for paint ....each day I say "maybe ill get in in primer in a day or two", then those days pass because I keep finding more stuff i don't like and the labor is not exactly a walk in the park...its pretty demanding.

That being said....think of where the car was and where it is now after what you have done to it!. If your happy with it.....to h%ll what anyone else thinks. from the pictures it doesnt look that bad either. be proud of your work and drive the wheels off the thing. and hey.....if after a summers worth of driving you decide the clear finish just bugs ya to much.....next winter scuff it down and re clear it!

be proud of what you have and stick with it. great job!
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Thanks Jerrod... I appreciate the kind words.. To be honest just like the first set of pics once the car was in color, the pic doesnt really show how bad the orange peel still is.. Especially on the trunk lid.. But as I say, it is what it is. lol.. I am still proud of what I have learned, the things I have done.. The fact that I rescued the buggy from a yard, where it had been sitting under a pine tree for a few years, and turned it from what it looked like on page one of this thread, to what I have today... I am grateful to my friends for all their help, advice, and fun filled times over the past 8 years, getting to this point... Are there things I would do differantly if I were to do it again? yes... lol... but hey, thats how life works... All I know is I intend to drive the wheels off of the buggy once shes back on the road.. stay tuned for more pics...


PapstXX said:
first is thanks for sharing your mopar family

He brother you have a good wife ,and i think that's the right way .
you build the car for and your wife

awesome work brother


-:coffee2:-
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Thanks! Yeah, my wife is the greatest.. She keeps me grounded and really helps me with trying not to let things get crazy in my head LOL ... Shes right though.. The buggy is for us... That was the idea..
 
Bill
i think you have done a great job with this car and your wife could'nt of said it any better. as for me im still pluggin away at mine and hopefully that day will come when mine will be just as pretty as yours so me and my wife can go cruzin. we still do just not in paint yet
cheers to you bud for doing it the best that you can and a wife that keeps you on track!
 
Hey at least you have a Dart to drive, right? Most people out there can't say that. It looks way better than what you started with & you are probably more critical of it than most people would be because it's your work. Give yourself a break here. Enjoy it. Even a Dart with orange peel is still better than no Dart. If it still bugs you after you have driven it a while, like someone else said, then you can refinish it again & this time you will have that much more knowledge & experience. Don't loose respect for all the hard work you put into it. None of which is easy! Enjoy your ride with your wife brother!:cheers:
 
ef8340 said:
Bill
i think you have done a great job with this car and your wife could'nt of said it any better. as for me im still pluggin away at mine and hopefully that day will come when mine will be just as pretty as yours so me and my wife can go cruzin. we still do just not in paint yet
cheers to you bud for doing it the best that you can and a wife that keeps you on track!
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Lonewolf3165 said:
Hey at least you have a Dart to drive, right? Most people out there can't say that. It looks way better than what you started with & you are probably more critical of it than most people would be because it's your work. Give yourself a break here. Enjoy it. Even a Dart with orange peel is still better than no Dart. If it still bugs you after you have driven it a while, like someone else said, then you can refinish it again & this time you will have that much more knowledge & experience. Don't loose respect for all the hard work you put into it. None of which is easy! Enjoy your ride with your wife brother!:cheers:
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Thanks guys! I really appreciate the pep talk.. Makes me feel good. Im pretty lucky to have this extended Mopar family. I am proud of how far the buggy has come, and your right lonewolf... a Dart with orange peel is better than no Dart at all, cause I do love that car. Stay tuned for further progress reports lol...
 
Haven't kept up with this build in a while, but I got to say I am impressed with how it is turning out! I agree with your wife on reviewing your priorities on what your expectations are. You probably would have spent upwards of $15,000 for all of the work that you and your buds did on her, and that speaks volumes for its quality. It's no different then other parts of your build, where your expectations changed, and all of a sudden something you were more than happy with in the past becomes unacceptable today. You are simply resetting your standards higher as your abilities to do things gets better. More likely, as perfectionists go, you are not wanting people to notice flaws in work you have done. All thoughts of these "imperfections" will vanish the second time you take the car to a show :), and many, like myself are more impressed with someone who has done all the work themselves.

So finish her up and get out and put some miles under that rubber!

Grant
 
OneOfMany said:
Haven't kept up with this build in a while, but I got to say I am impressed with how it is turning out! I agree with your wife on reviewing your priorities on what your expectations are. You probably would have spent upwards of $15,000 for all of the work that you and your buds did on her, and that speaks volumes for its quality. It's no different then other parts of your build, where your expectations changed, and all of a sudden something you were more than happy with in the past becomes unacceptable today. You are simply resetting your standards higher as your abilities to do things gets better. More likely, as perfectionists go, you are not wanting people to notice flaws in work you have done. All thoughts of these "imperfections" will vanish the second time you take the car to a show :), and many, like myself are more impressed with someone who has done all the work themselves.

So finish her up and get out and put some miles under that rubber!

Grant
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Thanks Grant.. and thanks for stopping back in to check on my progress.. And it is funny how expectations change as the project progresses.. but like I said, sometimes thats the part I dont like.. LOL .. Orange peeled or not, and all the other little imperfections aside, the buggy is still falling into the original plan (as pointed out by my wife) which was to be cool looking (which it is) to sound good (which it does have a nice rumble) and to be able to haze the tires if I so desire (which my avatar clearly shows it has no issues with that LOL) .. after that it was just supposed to be the cruiser for my wife and I... I guess because we're human we all want people to like the work we do, no matter how much we preach that it doesnt matter what people think.. but that reality is we have to please no one but ourselves in the end.. There were people that snickered at the buggy and had dumb *** coments to make about her before, and I am sure there will still be the same kinds of things happen again... Oh well.. lol... I'll be cruising around, having fun, and the wife will be happy... Mission accomplished..
 
So hopefully in the next week or so I will be getting around to putting the tail stripe on the buggy.. I got my stripe from ChallengerGary, and I already messeged him about how exactly to apply the stripe.. I have recieved some other pieces of advice as well.. Has anyone else installed these stripes? anyone have any suggestions or things they have done that have worked for them? Or better yet, anyone local thats done one that can come and supervise? LOL ... Thanks gang...
 
SpeedracerX said:
So hopefully in the next week or so I will be getting around to putting the tail stripe on the buggy.. I got my stripe from ChallengerGary, and I already messeged him about how exactly to apply the stripe.. I have recieved some other pieces of advice as well.. Has anyone else installed these stripes? anyone have any suggestions or things they have done that have worked for them? Or better yet, anyone local thats done one that can come and supervise? LOL ... Thanks gang...
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I would love to know also, so if you get some good info please share:yawinkle:
 
megajoltman said:
I would love to know also, so if you get some good info please share:yawinkle:
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I shall do.. Im more nervous about applying a vinyl stripe than I was when we masked the buggy off and painted the custom stripe it had on it.. I was going to just paint the stripe on again, but I really wanted that classic 'swinger' in the classic font on my Dart... Maybe I should've had a stencil made LMAO ..
 
Make sure you give plenty of time for the paint to offgas before putting the vinyl on.
 
Progress on getting the buggy back together is continuing at a fairly steady rate.. We got alot of the outer body stuff done.. door handles, chrome, rear bumber, the flip top gas cap, got the wheel wells and suspension parts detailed and re-blacked out (just another of the 1000 things I will know to do differant if I ever do another car... mask EVERYTHING! lol) .. loosened up the torsion bars some, since she was looking like a gasser in the front..got her back on wheels and tires.. Got all of my V8 and Dodge emblems back on, and got the front markers in.. The first time since I have owned the buggy she has had the correct fenders and markers on her.. and as you can see from the first pic, the final product that is that passenger side fender turned out killer!.. exciting stuff.. she is starting to look like a car again. And let me tell you, getting that vinyl top chrome back on sucks! LOL .. my neck and back are killing me today, the positions I had to get into in the trunk to tighten down the clips, was no fun whatsoever... but it looks nice! As always, heres some pics of the current progress... enjoy all..

This week we will be getting the hood back on long enough to get the fenders lined up and bolted down for good, then the hood comes back off, so we can get it ready for its scoop and get a good coat of satin hot rod black on the hood... in the meantime we will mount the grille, headlight bezels and front bumper... stay tuned...
 

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I have another question.. anyone out there have any extra sail panel emblems laying around (ones with both posts still intact) and can anyone tell me how these were held on from the factory? I know they didnt use speed nuts or anything like that on the sail panel, cause while my headliner was out I reached in there only to find structure in the way of the the holes.. no way to tighten anything up... I am guessing there was some kind of clip used, which would explain why all the sail panel emblems I find have broken posts LOL... I have one with both posts (the one in the picture.. which is just pushed into place for the picture) ... anyhoo.. anyone with info let me know.. thanks
 
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