Fasterpatricks Custom Cobra

[Chris5.7ltr]

Just joined and this is the first thread I have read, what a great build up mate you have done well!!


Nice work indeed!

[fasterpatrick]

Hey, Just a quick update. Now that the outside of the cheapo body is where I feel happy I progressed to the jams. Now I had done a lot of modifying of the body around the doors early on in the build and knew they would need work when this time came but, wow spend two weeks sanding small channels with paper wrapped around a chunk of paint stick. I'll just keep chipping away at this I may be ready to shoot surfacer in a couple a more weeks, still have the insides of the doors, trunk, and the hood including scoop to deal with.




Until Later
Patrick

[fastraxsg]

Kinda looks like you should hve invested in a body filler company and another one that makes sandpaper....seriously though, your dedication to this is amazing, the vast majority of us would have called in the body men and let them do it a long time ago...I haven't started any body work but I'll keep refering to your thread if i get discouraged. You are an inspiration to all.
ken

[fasterpatrick]

Well, got a little more accomplished this weekend finished up the inside of the trunk. there has to be an end to this some time. Now you guys will never have to do this much work to get your cars to look good but mine is taking all of this just to look okay. Not looking for sympathy just reminding you of what you could be looking at.
BEFORE

AFTER

Now I have moved on to the inside of the doors.
Patrick

[fasterpatrick]

Well here is my latest installment of sanding for the insane. The Doors are done well sort of I still need to fit them back on the car and clean up the gaps. but I decided to give everyone a history lesson of how these doors came to be.



And now to what they have become....

Now that has been said, How come I have no friends? nobody wants to come over and play "let's sand body filler" I think it's fun don't you? (somebody needs to lock me up soon)

Here are a few more of the done door pics enjoy.



There you go, Now to deal with that hood. I have the scoop and inside to clean up just like the trunk but on a larger scale. Oh by the way I just picked up my 6th can of filler. I'm just glad I'm not using the spendy stuff I would be broke.
Patrick

[Skuzzy]

Incredible, simply incredible.

[fasterpatrick]

I'm going to leave it because the fix just ain't worth it. Now like I've said before the molds that my car came from were questionable to say the least. The guy who made them was not thinking about making nice cars with them. So I start to make the scoop nicey-nice, and BAM check this out not only did he not take the rivets out of the hood-scoop for the mold but it wasn't even put on right to start with. I made it look the best it could, and said %$#@-it. Does this make me a bad builder, if anyone notices I'll call it a character flaw.


Patrick

[Skuzzy]

Every car I have ever painted has had something about it I would do over again. No one would ever notice what I will notice, but I know it is there.

The problem is, there is a point in time when you have to stop and move along or you end up getting caught in an ugly intanglement betwixt your idea of perfection and concerns over everyone else's idea of perfection.

Striving for perfection is when we do our best. Demanding perfection is like beating your head with a hammer. No matter how many times you do it, it hurts like hell.

[fastraxsg]

I hope someone unlocked the garage and let you out for the fourth and some fireworks, ya need some fresh air once in a while there Patrick to keep the body fresh and the brain cells functioning. Your build is still incredible.
ken

[CoolCarl]

I've read this thread all the way through a few times now. Once a few months ago then again tonight. Gotta give you props, your build is very impressive.

[fasterpatrick]

Da hood is done,
I guess it is time to start looking for some Featherfill, get the shop cleaned up, upgrade the air compressor (something I need to do anyway, about two years ago anyway), start working on my booth set up(over the top as always), and start thinking about paint. Now I have to admit that I will be doing a classic white with a midnight blue stripe paint. That is only because the accountant would not let me do the BRG with white stripe, hey she hasn't said no to anything else so I can't complain. Looking for a paint consultant, I have lots more questions about how to go about doing this (Yes there are things that I have trouble just jumping in and doing myself). Enough rambling here is the pics,
Before (two years ago Wholy Cow)

Now (finaly)

Now, before I start cleaning up the shop for spraying I thought I would knock something else off the messy job list, can you guess what I needed to do some major rework on(hint when I made this it put me in the hospital)
Later,
Patrick

[fasterpatrick]

Well hey it couldn't get me twice and now it won't be able to. The last of the messy mess has been completed, just regular mess left. The dash when I first made it A. put me in the hospital and B.after I got all the gauges in it, well didn't perform as expected. So while I was still in major mess mode, I took the time to do a little reconstruction of the part, cutting, grinding, glassing, more grinding, and finally a lot of filler work. But Hey no return trip to the surgeon and I think it will allow me to actually see the gauges. Enough already here are the pics,




Now I have to think about how I will finish the piece????
Time to clean: This place is covered in nasty dust.
Patrick

[FUNFER2]

I think PINK fur on the dash and on the seat belts, fuzzy dice and either Berber or multi-colored shag carpeting from the 70's.

Make sure to get the carpet rake.

[jayguy]

FP,

Just wanted to add my appreciation of your skill, dedication, and hard work. You've done something truly amazing here, and I can't wait to see the finished masterpiece.

As for how to finish the dash, I don't think you can go wrong with painting it body color, however white might be a bit bright on a sunny day. I think you had mentioned calfskin previously, how about Alcantara or suede? Maybe a combination? It would be a challenge (we all know you don't mind a challenge ) but perhaps suede around the gauges and leather on the tranny tunnel, with a nice double stitch between the panels? Just a thought, I have no doubt whatever you come up with will be amazing.

I've read this thread a couple times now, and the thread on ffcars also, and am now subscribed to it. Not sure why I hadn't done that before. Keep posting updates many of us are living vicariously through your work.

Jay

[fasterpatrick]

Well guy's it's back to one color but it is only due to the polyester surfacer that I sprayed this weekend. Okay, I now that we all have to do this and it has been done every which way, but man that stuff is not paint, I get it. I think the best way to spray that stuff would be a latex paint sprayer preferably a disposable one. Kind of reminded me of spraying ceiling texture dropped about 1.75 gallons over the car and all the parts, gave it a good three heavy coats. How is everyone blocking are you using a guide coat or just blocking till it's is smooth. I still plan to seal with a epoxy primer what grit would it be necessary to go to for this.




Oh, and wow does this stuff make all the pin holes appear I think I will go around every thing with the glaze and fill as many as I can before I start sanding, any one want to help?
Patrick

[*13*]

You are a long way away from me, thank god! I admire you for taking on the bodywork, & to the extent you had to go!!!! My bodywork days are over!!! I hope... The car is looking good though! Keep it up, you'll be done soon!

[fastraxsg]

I'd be glad to help, I need the practice before I get to mine, but you're even further from me...
Ken

[fasterpatrick]

Sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand. Sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand.
Patrick

[fasterpatrick]

Well, we crossed another line in the quest to get this car painted, sprayed a bunch of epoxy primer on the car this weekend. Let's just say I'm not the best at this, but either I just can't get this paint thing down, or the stuff I'm spraying just does not lay down well, ever. But at least now I can sand this layer smooth and think about putting down some base coat, stripes, and clear. the booth will stay up till the end now, but the main door has been opened up for use as a garage while I sand.
Here are the pics.




Booth is cool but has it's bugs,
The tinker toy construction has it's limits, but when I'm done with it will break down and store it the attic minus the plastic(trash).
Patrick

[FUNFER2]

With the epoxy primer, be sure to keep the humidity down, as it can trap moisture. And, be sure to block the car with the doors, hood and deck lid on the car.

It's looking great !