Why build a car with a rusty body?...

Seriously...seems like alot of the builds here, the car stays in rust during the build, and then the rust is dealt with later.

Seems to me you'd strip all the rust and bondo off to see what lies beneath, and make it easier to weld and fab on. Then put it in wash primer to keep any new rust away during the build....

 

That's why I had to get some paint on my Coupe ASAP!!!! I hate that look. Bare metal is a different story. Rusty body,red wheels,WWW's...screams RATROD!!! It had to go!

BEFORE...


AFTER...you decide!

 

My way of thinking too.

 

Larry, some people just aren't that smart.

 

who cares ?? ride your ride

 

Sorry Bad Bob , I dig the rust better . But I dig rust .

 

There are all sorts of answers here. I've put cars together to have something to drive. I'm ***uming 3W is talking about ground up builds.

IMO there is a distinction to make between only original once and too far gone to put back as-is.

Bad Bobs car would certainly be borderline. To me though there is something appealing with having 85% original paint and a bit of rust over a 98 point car.

No, I don't understand putting a body back that has 3 inches missing from the doors.

 

I personally hate the engine/drivetrain work so I like to get that out of the way before anything, that way I know its done. Then move onto fun stuff like fixing the rust...Just one other way to look at it.

 

i love the bare metal, rust, untouched look only before i buy it and give it the paint job it deserves. really that look makes the body repair needs alot easier to spot. and if these guys are in transition to paint i don't mind seeing one in "shake down" mode, but really, shake down shouldn't take years. just my .04 cents (inflation).

 

Why do it that way,,I don't know,,

I sandblast before I ever start cutting out rusty metal the clean metal is much easier to work with,,HRP

 

So the old farts don't ***** about you ruining a good car.

 

That is how I'm doing my Roadster, blast, weld, straighten, REblast if needed, prime, paint. I'm lucky the best profesional blaster is an hour drive, American Dry Strippers ( plug from happy customer) in ****ord, Ct. I think a lot of guys do the fix with rust because they are new to the hobby or don't have a blaster close by. Working with clean metal is the way to go IMO.

 

Id rather get it on the road.... body work is never ending and never finished.

 

You should be able to build your car in whatever sequence you want, but I agree the rust look was never cool.

 

My Dart race car has spent its whole life in the elements ,so why change it now ? I could store it inside easily nuff ,but wont.I am in to the factory patina look myself and i actually wish it looked a little ruffer than it does.Nothing better than smoking someones pretty car and knowing that this is the view the got of my car the whole way...

 

my problem is time and money. i bought this merc cuz i knew excatley how the metal was under the patina. i like the look of it being untouched but it will eventually be pretty but other things first...

 

In a lot of cases, sandblasting before some of the critical patches are welded in will result in bad warpage or distortion. Sometimes it's necessary to weld in floor braces, floors, and rockers before a body can get blasted or stripped.

What works in Nevada will not always work in Wisconsin. Plus, a lot of people like to get a car driveable and use it as they are doing bodywork, keeps the motivation alive.

I honestly don't see what the problem is.

 

Bob, the updates on the Coupe look great. How rusty was the body by California standards? We never see stuff that nice on the East Coast.

 

How about because while I work on the frame and drive train there is always the possibility I'll come across a better body?

On my current project I've upgraded the body once already and since its not yet installed I could do so again before I start any needed body work.

 

California cars usually have great patina. Surface rust...not body rot. I love the look of a patina car,about 50% original paint or better is great. I don't understand why,if you are building a car,and you have the body off...why not just fix the body then?

 

who cares, maybe we should all just drive white 1994 saturns. then we all could be the same...

 

Yep that's the way my 32 ford pickup is ,Everything is rusty ,Some guys just build them that way ,They mock them up and prep later ,The Model A im building is my first scratch car ,It s gl*** ,But even if it wasn't Im building it in primer .It will save me time in the long run .

 

Seeing your in Tulsa whats your idea of rust? Around here it goes way beyond the surface and therefore must be dealt with before hand. I know where your coming from and it confuses me too. I cringe when i see someone welding a patch in on a none prepped metal surface. You would think if you read enough on here and pay attention that the answer would come quite easily. Maybe it's just more fun doing things the hard way.

 

I was actually surprised how good it was after sanding and painting it. If I do keep it i'll fix all the issues it has.

 

Couldn't agree more. Dent free panels and plastic...

 

What happened to the frame horns ?

 

When you work the body in a rust state, you will have to clean it for welding patch panels, and such. But after grinding the welds smooth. The blasting then tends to smooth the grinds, and the patch areas even further. I suppose you could blast it twice to get the same results. But the cost would go up. I filled a bunch of holes in this dash. Then ground the welds, then had it blasted. Each stage made the welds less noticable. This is why I build them in the rust state, but I won't drive them in that condition. This works for me.

 

I cut them off because I didn't like the look and they were bent.

 

Completely missed the point!

 

I am afraid if I get rid of the rust first, there won't be anything left. Better to enjoy the fantasy of having at least some decent metal as long as possible?