Chris

I posted this to our local group but thought some of you might find this interesting, so I removed the side mouldings in prep for some Winter projects and have heard all the horror stories about welding on the doors and fenders. Well I found a local guy who was recommended by a couple of hot rod shops, i'd never have gone to his shop without those leads as a shack would be overstating its appearance.

However the guy can weld, he used some special putty/clay to draw the heat from the weld area so as not to warp the panels.



Chris

Greggles

Why welding versus body filler?
Are you planning on replacing the molding after the projects?

Chris

Cos body filler can crack and with no backing will fall out, no the mouldings are off for good, hence the welding.

Chris

Shane

Looks real nice Chris! Are you sticking with the stock color or.....?

hacker-pschorr

So, if you ever sell the car, I can't wait for the new owner to show up here with a post "how hard is it to add side mouldings?"

Chris

Shane: Yep but going for something a little less matt, somone at Octberfest had their Rubinrot redone and it looked really nice but wonder whether it was Granatrod, will do some color sampling for sure.

Hacker: Yeah well you can never tell what a future owner will do, sure would be a lot easier to put back on thats for sure.

Chris

Nicole

Thanks for the info, Chris! Some day....

Just remember: Even if you do a subtle color change, you'll have a lot of disassembly to do. Only you can decide, if it's worth it for you.

NoVector

Chris - Why repaint? Just cover it up with a big white Starsky and Hutch stripe down the side

I'm with you, I plan on ditching the molding when it's repainted. The molding probably saves a lot on door-dings, but it just busts up the look--especially the rear qtr. How many hours labor did he charge? Just trying to gauge a good estimate when I hear one.
Thanks,

Chris

That stripe would look classy for sure, tell you that glue they use for the mouldings is strong, need a sander to get it off.

He charged me $200, no mention of hours but I thought that was OK.

With/without side mouldings is a personal thing, kinda depends on the color also, but with aero mirrors I decided it looked a lot better without.

Chris

Sierra Shark

Chris you're very fortunate to have found this guy. That's an old hot rodders trick. I got turned on to this by some pro hot rodders while restoring vintage trucks. Most modern day sheet metal guys would have opted for the old "putty is my buddy" routine. Jewelers use the same sort of technique to protect precious stones from damage. Be careful when it comes time for paint that those areas receive a little extra light sanding and primer so that weld spots don't mirror through. Post some pics when done.

Off Subject: Hi Nicole! Recognize that car in my avatar? In your honor.

BC

TIG or MIG Chris?

Chris

I am presuming the paint guy will know what to do, ha, famous last words.

TIG

Chris

Nicole

Yes, when I saw it for the first time, I thought it sure is a nice car...

DoubleNutz

Chris you will have to seal the weld in the interior of the wheel well. If there are any porus areas in the weld (there usually are) you will have troble with the paint bubbling on the outside. I tried several different types of products to seal my welds and each failed after a period of rain and driving in the wet. I ultimately ended up using an interior sealant made by MercBnz and it solved my problem there after.




p@

heinrich

Looking good!