72 T-Bird, The Ugly Duckling

Hey, that'll get it done! Good idea and way to use your noggin'!

Later,

Lee

The car is cool,I like it!I love to see "different" kinds and unusual cars on the road.

It could be yours!

Yea I like that Pontiac you have.

I hate to weld around glass. Time to fix the top!

Reb Stew wrote:This is crude caveman workmanship but it works. A port a power would have been nice but I work with what I have on hand.




Much better.

I'll trade you my portapower for your Bobcat......

   

I'd be lost without the 'Cat Bill. It's old though. I work on it as much as I use it.

You use what works- you can't argue with results, whether hi tech fancy tools, or lo tech effective methods. And a lot of experience....

And you know your nephew is a bodyman i could have brought mine from work.

dieseldr wrote:You use what works-  you can't argue with results, whether hi tech fancy tools, or lo tech effective methods.  And a lot of experience....

I have done a ton of work on these old cars. I have English Wheels and other metal tools but it not uncommon for someone to see me bending metal over my legs or having someone help while I'm pushing tin around a telephone pole to get the shape I want. I know most of my methods are not correct but it was the way I learned to do it. I wish I would have been more open to metal working schools when I was younger. If nothing else just to see others do what I like to do.

hotrodaaron77 wrote:And you know your nephew is a bodyman i could have brought mine from work.

I know. This was easier. 

Just hope that chain stays hooked!

This old T-Bird was on it's way to the junkyard minus it's engine & trans. I hate to sound shallow but I was too embarrassed to drive it. While the pics may not look too bad the car is rough!

I thought I'd to at least give it a second chance at life even if for a short time. Just a super fast Bondo job and some cheap flat black to get it all one color. While I was at it I wanted to hide some of the over the top chrome it had. I like the looks of the car in the back but man the front is down right ugly. To much junk on it.

I started by taking off the bumper guads. The bumpers are rusty so I'm not going to try to save the chrome.




Next I ground all the chrome off the bumper and shave the chrome from around the tail lights and trunk. Off came all the Thunderbird name tags too.

Lots of sanding. I ditched the front and back T-Bird emblems, the square side view mirror, the big death bar next to the 1/4 window and yanked all the wheel well and side molding chrome off the car.






Sami and Aryan busted their butts helping out. I also ditched the front plate and bracket for a cleaner look.

Tailights back in minus the emblem.




This Bondo Buggy thing is not something I do nor is this paint. I wanted it to go fast and cheap. I didn't do all the bodywork and some of the mud I didn't even finish sanding it. You can see the Bondo in the car but I don't care. It's NOT perfect and it wasn't meant to be. It's a beater.



The car never had a right mirror. I had these two funny looking sports mirrors off a rice rocket. Why not use them. At least I'll have two mirrors.

I would never use this paint on a car that will have a nice life. I have heard many times of people doing this and always cringed. It's an oil based paint, satin black. Don't be fooled by the gloss, it's just wet in those pics. As I said this is a fast and cheap job. NO PRIMER! That cost money dude! I tried to paint it like a regular car paint but that didn't work. You could not spray a light coat on it. It would spit all over. The paint is thick and 15% is the thin so that is what I did. It still wasn't enough to push it through the gun. Best way for it to lay down was to crank the gun up to 90 PSI and open the gun all the way open and shoot it in full color on one pass. Kind of crazy but it worked. I pitch the gun after this job by the way.


Aryan & Sami took a turn.

So here is the run down. A little time and a little money to have a monochromatic blacked out 72 T Bird. It took 3/4 gal of Bondo to patch it up and 2 1/2 quarts of paint. Total cost for this job is under $50.00. That's for everything, tape, sand paper, mud, paint and Dr Pepper!

While it's not perfect by any means at least I'll drive it now.

Just got back from the car club's cruise. It was raining with the paint still a little wet. We rolled on through!





Jeff Gemmer stopped by and gave me this 72 tag. thanks again Jeff!


I need to get the front mag wheels on now!

Before.


After.

Before.


After.

Not bad looking for a cheap paint job tint the windows and put the wheels on the front might as well you got them still don't you .

It's a shame Ford didn't offer those in a "a la rebstew" package!

Looks a 100% better.

big dogs 42 wrote:Not bad looking for  a cheap paint job  tint the windows and put the wheels on the front  might as well you got them still don't you .

Yea, still got 'em. Just have to get some tires put on them.

dieseldr wrote:It's a shame Ford didn't offer those  in a "a la rebstew" package!