The driver side rear quarter has a little bit of pitting so I headed over early and laid down a layer of bondo. I always try to lay it thinn but every time it turns out thicker than I intend. I think I have a fear of putting too little then having to come back again.
After I laid some bondo I used the dry time to go get some supplies. I'd like to point out again that sand paper has become ridiculously expensive. I also took the time, though I was eager to make progress on The Clam, to wash The '57 so I could cover and tarp it for the winter.
Then I moved on to the tailgate storage compartment. I wanted to go ahead and get some primer on the tracks that the tailgate rides on. These were bare metal after I blasted them and I'm afraid the primer the bodyshop will apply would be too thick and possibly cause binding. Also, I since I can't get inside the area to sand them again I wanted them protected as soon as possible so they didn't rust. Before that, I had to wipe down the entire area, including inside the tracks, with grease and wax remover to prep it for paint, but before I could do that I had to get all the sand out of there. This picture shows just a small fraction of how much sand was trapped in this compartment.
After scooping out as much as possible I used the vacuum to get the rest. This vacuum cleaner is ancient but as with most things that were made long ago it still works great and has lasted forever.
I started with the tailgate support arm up so I could get behind the track and the mounting plates that attach to the tailgate. I also sprayed the surrounding areas just in case there were some areas of bare metal that may have blended in and I missed. This pan is actually unlevel which allows the water to run to the passenger side and drain out through the holes you can barely see under the track in the first picture. If you recall, this entire area was clogged with compacted dirt, rocks... and a shotgun shell. After the car is painted I will apply a liberal coat of grease to the inside of these tracks.
I didn't get completely finished today. Here is where I stopped. There was a large dent with no creases in the rear quarter when I got the car. I was glad when I first took the taillight out that I was able to run my hand inside and most of the dent simply pushed back out. There was, however, a smaller area in the rear that remained. It could probably be straightened back out with the right tools through the taillight housing, but I don't have any of those tools.
Tomorrow I'll finish the bodywork on the driver side, then start to finish the final prep on the roof. If I can finish that I'll move on to the remainder of the rear quarters. Here is the passenger side. This side had some pretty intense glue on the rear quarter so I had to sandblast it all off. Any attempts to sand it with paper simply clogged the paper almost immediately.
By this time I had to get going. April was leaving her doctor's appointment where we found out definitely that she is pregnant, so we went out to eat with my mother and father to tell them.
Got one in the oven
