You're all a bad influence ...

[L88racer]

Good work Russ, it must be frustrating working with limited space and tools. Stick at it!

[Pro68]

hi Russ looking good but just a little tip when you use the paint stripper!!
Once you have coated the part you want to remove the paint, cover the part with cling/glad wrap, then just leave it for short time and it will penatrate all the layers.
then you can scrape or what i have done previously is power wash it off.
works well!!! good luck

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Pro68

hi Russ looking good but just a little tip when you use the paint stripper!!
Once you have coated the part you want to remove the paint, cover the part with cling/glad wrap, then just leave it for short time and it will penatrate all the layers.
then you can scrape or what i have done previously is power wash it off.
works well!!! good luck

Giving the Glad Wrap technique a workout on the front fenders as I type. Will see how it goes. Got a pressure cleaner here, so I might give that a whirl instead of scraping.

[Russ]

OK .. finished my part of the front guards. Did the Glad Wrap thing, and truth be told - didn't make a lick of difference. If there was a difference, it was nominal, and not anything that would make Glad Wrap a "must have" item for any future paint-stripping activities.




Wasn't able to use the pressure cleaner as both hoses are on the bosses work ute, so I just used the scraper. Even with a little more elbow grease, what came off now compared to what has come off other parts that I didn't usew Glad Wrap on was 2/3's of sweet FA.




Time to get the grinder out ... oh what's that you say? Beer Time!!!




... and the finished product.




Both guards are in reasonably good nick, save for the rear corner of each of them. Left side had a previous repair, whilst the right was only given the bog treatment. The left had a good chunk of filler well over 1/2" thick used solely for shaping. Could actually see the multiple contours of each layer as I was grinding down.





Tomorrow I'll go back and fit them back on, with the front doors, and get some shots - see how it's progressing.

[Russ]

Doors and guards back on. Not properly gapped or anything. Just on well enough to get them off the ground out of the way, and able to be driven to the body shop.

[Tim 454]

nice work Russ and i'm loving the bare metal look..

[RAW454]

Originally Posted by Tim 454

nice work Russ and i'm loving the bare metal look..

x2 How do you go getting it in/out of that storage complex? Looks like would need a 12-point turn for the big girl... Keep up the good work Russ .

[Russ]

The Bare Metal looks awesome. Would have loved to have the entire car in it for some shots. Would look great!

Best I have managed is a 6 pointer to get in. Did it once. With a perfectly placed 1st point, it could possibly be done in 4 - but that would take some practice. Usually average an 8 - first try, if I kept score, was probably a 23 pointer + 1 wall hit!

[ari666]

sorry it has taken me so long, i couldnt find them

[ari666]

forgot about height. if your wondering why the measuring tape, its so you can get the pics to scale on your PC, print out the shapes (to scale) then cut out the shapes and use them as a stencil to create your very own steel, pillar-post-stop-thingies...

[Russ]

Awesome, thanks mate!

I was actually talking to the guy I bought the car off last week - he still has another 67 Pillarless he's going to do - and there's a chance he might get a bunch of them made.

Nobody reproduces them, so it's the only way.

[ari666]

well ill be up for a pair if he does. pls keep me posted

[Russ]

Will do.

Are yours made out of plastic or metal?

[ari666]

plastic. and a bit of bog now. and fibreglass. and they are ready to explode on the first decent door slamming.

[Russ]

Been a while since I've dropped an update.

After I stripped the doors & guards, I got the news the Chally was on its way so I had to put the Impala away so as to ensure I had enough money. Now the Chally's all sorted it's time to get the Impala back on track.

Dropped it off last Monday and they got stuck into it straight away. Doors & guards taken back, cut-out and replaced the metal in the corners that needed it, and they're now in primer. Next week they'll start on the roof, quarters & inside boot. Shouldn't be long and I can start putting everything back together to get it registered.

It will be left in primer for a while whilst I save some cash for the paint job. Still undecided which way I'll go in that regards. I want to repaint it white, but unsure if I want to go Gloss of Matte, or maybe even some kind of Satin finish - then there's the part of me that wants it black - then there's the part that wants it in left in primer, forever, so I can drive the crap out of it with zero care! hahaha

Who bloody knows ...














... and you know I had to sneak the Chally in here somewhere!