Disassembly
The first step is to disassemble the vehicle. Along the way you'll run into many seized screws and broken-off or rounded bolt heads, which can be taken care of with an Easy-Out set from Craftsman and a couple cans of Royal Purple Maxfilm penetrating lubricant. Though it's fun to fulfill your destructive side and yank out every part in sight with the speed and vigor of a mad man, there are a couple things you should slow down for to make reassembling easier. First off, take a lot of photos of the car while it's still together. Things like the interior door assembly are pretty complicated, and can be difficult to put back together without references. The second thing that will save you much time and frustration is putting all of the hardware in plastic bags and labeling them. There are hundreds of bolts that look very similar, but will fight you going back on if they aren't exactly right.
Getting everything out of...
Getting everything out of the car is the fun part! Because bodywork is such a messy job, take everything out of the car you don't want to get covered with paint overspray and filler dust.
We removed the entire interior...
We removed the entire interior and all of the glass to make the job easier.
Panel Prep
Anyone with experience will tell you good paint preparation is the key. The actual painting part of the process is a very small percent of the work. If the bodywork under the paint isn't right, the paint won't look good, and it won't last. This phase simply can't be rushed, because in the long run, doing it over again will take much longer than taking your time to begin with. While it's not always necessary to get the panels down to the metal, it's often a good idea. Years of age and bad bodywork can become a problem in the future if it's not dealt with at this stage. We found extensive damage to panels that appeared to be fine because of the amount of filler that they had been plastered with. We wanted a fresh start, and opted to have the panels media blasted. Someone looking to save a little bit of time would work with the filler that's already on the panels and go from there.
After media blasting, I took...
After media blasting, I took a dual action (DA) sander with 180-grit paper to the panels inside and out. The media blasting, though harsh to the paint, doesn't give the metal the bite it needs to accept the primer's coat, and surface rust can appear in just hours.
Every surface needs to be...
Every surface needs to be scuffed if you want the paint to stick, but sometimes sandpaper isn't flexible enough to get into the cracks and crevices. Scotch-Brite pads from 3M are abrasive sponges that knock down the shine of paint and other surfaces. They work great for getting into tight spots like between the grates on the cowl panel.
One of paint's enemies is...
One of paint's enemies is surface contamination. If there is debris or grease on the surface before filler, primer, or paint is applied, the paint's finish will be compromised. We used Summit's Surface Wash, and their Wax and Grease Remover products to clean the surface before every primer or paint application.
Mustangs, like most frame-less...
Mustangs, like most frame-less cars, have a problem with body flex. Flex is often manifested at the C-pillar, where twisting stress is transmitted. This makes it a common area on the Mustang for cracks. To fix the damage, I MIG-welded the crack to keep it from showing up in the paint later. The real solution to the problem is to weld in a rollcage, add subframe connectors, or some sort of undercarriage bracing. That will come down the line.
Once the car is stripped, it's time to get it smooth. The broad, flat panels on Mustangs are easily turned wavy from years of door dings, accidents, and age in general. Without replacing everything, we can bring the highs and lows to a middle ground and restore the factory flatness. There are more specialized tools that are used to shape the metal than we can list, but we'll go over a couple of the major ones we used on this project. The idea behind repair instead of replacing is to try and keep the car as original as possible. There is a point where the cost of repair exceeds that of replacing the panel. If you're lucky, you can get hold of NOS (new old stock) panels that fits like the originals, because they are. Shopping at swap meets for original panels in good (or at least better) condition is a great option too. In our case, the panels we had were all salvageable and just took some working.
Mustang doors are constructed...
Mustang doors are constructed with far-too-thin sheetmetal, and without a central body line, they aren't very resistant to damage. An enthusiastic door slam, or more often leaning on the handle hard after half-latching, can send the door handle and the door skin beyond its original shape. The way we fixed this was to do the opposite. With the door latched and locked, we yanked on the handle until the metal flexed back into its original location, a lucky fix.
First, we get the damaged metal as close to where we want it using tools like hammers, dollies, slide hammers, and sometimes welders. Once it's close, the finish work is done using plastic body filler, commonly (and usually incorrectly) referred to by the trade name of Bondo. We used Evercoat's Rage plastic filler for the work on this car. The more time you have available, the closer you can get the surface how you like using the metalworking tools, then the less filler you need. JCG Restoration's regular customers usually allow them more time, but because we had a deadline and a budget, we limited the amount of time we spent metalworking.
Plastic body filler is a staple...
Plastic body filler is a staple in the body shop, just like milk and bread in the kitchen. It's a great tool that is used in every high-end body shop. It's gotten a bad reputation because it can be used for evil-it's often easier to cake it on, instead of working out the metal damage first. There are cases where filler can be inches thick, though the panel looks totally undamaged. You shouldn't be afraid of the stuff though, it's normal to coat the entire car, called a skim coat, and block sand it down to create a perfectly flat surface for the primer coat.
Plastic filler is a two-part...
Plastic filler is a two-part epoxy that uses a hardener to activate. The filler comes in a metal tin-like paint, and the hardener comes in a tube like toothpaste. The ratio of filler to hardener isn't an exact measurement, but we squeeze a bead of hardener halfway across a glob of filler. A piece of metal or plastic is a good palate for mixing because it doesn't have loose particles like cardboard or wood. It's important to try and eliminate air bubbles so they don't show up in the work. We do this by folding the filler over itself to mix. The filler will harden in a couple of minutes, so only make enough to do the immediate job, and work fast!
The original flat hood was...
The original flat hood was in great shape, but with the big bad Windsor and taller-than-stock intake setup, there was no chance of air cleaner clearance without the help of a scoop. We went down to NPD, whose West Coast warehouse was just down the street, and tried on a couple different hoods. This Shelby-style fiberglass hood gave us just enough clearance for a small, oval-shaped air cleaner. With the Trans-Am theme, we were hoping to use a flat hood, but this is the next best thing. The hood fit really well, considering it's not an original piece and just needed block sanding.