Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

They look good!

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Nice progress!

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Started out early this morning. It was cold and foggy, but that didn't stop me from getting to work on my inner fender. I have one passenger inner fender that is NOS, and this one that I found at Pick-N-Pull for $35. It is rust free with only a couple of small dings and it had 5 small holes that the PO drilled for some reason. Overall, a super nice piece to work with. It was very greasy in the areas that normall collect dirt/rust, which is why I think it is so nice: the grease helped to preserve the metal.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Using hot water and degreaser, I gave this baby a good bath.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

After a nice cup of hot coffee, and giving the fender time to dry off, I worked out any dings, and filled the 5 holes. It is amazing much thinner the inner fenders are than the rear wheel tubs. I had to lower the speed of the wire on the welder...it would have blown holes though this sheetmetal without any effort.

Next, I removed all of the paint/primer so I could remove any surface rust hiding below. After it was nice, clean, and shiny, I shot it with metal etching primer and skimmed any slight imperfections with a thin layer of filler. I will sand most of it off tomorrow after it is cured completely.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Before I called it a day, I shot the wheel tubs from yesterday's labor with metal etching primer, too. I then skimmed them with filler and will sand them down tomorrow.

Next is the hood. However, I am thinking that I will find someone close by who does media blasting. I certainly don't want to do a whole hood by hand. I think I will fine tune the body and prep my license plate bracket, tailgate trunions, and any other thing I can get done tomorrow. Boy, it's been too long since I got to work on my truck. It's good to be back at it :)

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Richard,
Nice work ! Nothing like a little fog to start the day ! Those wheel tubs look nice, and good score on the inner fender, it cleaned up nice !

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Very nice work! Keep it up!

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

A little more progress today...not as much as I wanted, though.

I sanded down the filler on the inner fender. I got it smooth and re-shot it with metal etch.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Began smoothing the rear tubs. Got to make them perfect. This is where I got frusterated. I'd add some filler, wait for it to dry, sand it off, only to find other little imperfections. This became too tedious to bear for me, so I will finish this up tomorrow. The're getting close :)

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

looks great

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Very nice! Would you like some rusty ones to do next? :lol:

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

I only had about an hour of free time to work yesterday. I sanded the wheel tubs smooth and shot them with primer again. I need to get on to the hood next. Don't know if I'll get to anything this weekend. :(

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Looks like you are doing a real nice job at everything on the truck. What did you put on your grinder to get the wheel tubs that clean?

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Thanks! I think the blue pads are called "Rapid Strippers." I got them at Orchard Supply Hardware.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

I got some more progress done. I was going to try to get my hood blasted, as I did not want to clean it by hand. However, I knew that would only delay my chance for progress, and I am working with limited free time (good weather).

Again, I wanted to take this hood down to the metal to expose any possible previous body work/rust and make sure and to address it correctly. It took quite some time, even with a 'Rapid Strip' pad and angle gringer to remove all of the paint on both sides. I got the top half of this hood about finished. Let me tell you, this hood was nearly perfect. No rust to speak of and only two of the slightest imperfections that I could basically run it as is and one would never see them unless searching in the correct light and and the proper angle. But me being as picky as I am, I will address those when I get back to work on this. Here are some pics of my progress:

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Here are some pictures of the hood with metal etching primer. The wheel tubs still need some work to be perfect. It's amazing how much the natural sunlight shows any imperfections. Even though most of the bed will have a spray in bedliner (all but the stainless metal strips and of course the oak bed), I do not want any regrets because I did not take my time on anything.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Very nice!

The sanding does get old, but (at least to me) seeing it all nice and smooth in that first coat of primer sure does make the pain of sanding seem OK.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Nice work!

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

The weather hasn't been cooperating, but I did manage to get a little bit of work done. I don't have a sand blaster, but I'm considering getting a small setup for my compressor. Anyway, I (by hand) stripped the paint and rust off of my license bracket and air cleaner...talk about tedious! Afterwards, I treated them for any tiny specks of rust that may have been hidden in a tiny pit, then primed them. I ran out of etching primer so I haven't sprayed the lower portion of the air cleaner. I also hung the NOS fenders. A little closer, yet so far.

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Lower Portion of the air cleaner:

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

License Bracket:

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

progress is progress!!! Keep at it ;)

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

Man... those parts are beautiful!

Re: 1970 Chevy Longhorn Restoration progress
 

looks great