Nath

Starting to sound like a plan, if I can get assistance from someone who knows spray painting, which I should be able to. Trying to do it myself for the first time is just bad juju.

That was the pitting in one of the worse areas I had to sort for blue slip. Photo was taken in the process of treating it. Maybe high fill primer would be the go... I'm heading down to the place this afternoon to get a quote.

I'd at least want a hand from someone who's better than I am... Will make a few calls if it comes to that. I am seriously shit at painting. Booths are like 150-200 for a full day as well... The compressor is like fresh out of 1939 but should do the job. What's the process fixing pitting though, since I know for sure there will be some under the paint (already found some)? Of course I may get lucky and not have it cost an arm and a leg. We'll see tomorrow.

I'm sure with enough rape tape, luck will be irrelevant... ... Right? I will probably dodgy it up. It's not worth welding when it won't be on there for that long.

Hey guys, Just bought an AFR gauge for the XD and the oxygen sensor needs to be put into the exhaust. Currently running the stock exhaust with plans to upgrade to a 2.5" when I find a suitable one, so hopefully shouldn't be more than a month or two. The 02 sensor comes with a bung as well, and you just drill a hole and weld it... Problem is I can't weld, and don't really want to waste a bung and pay someone else to do it when its only gonna be on there for another month or two tops. I have some exhaust cement and was wondering if that'd do the trick to hold the bung in place - at least for a month or two until I get the new exhaust (in which case I'll have the shop properly weld it in before installing the exhaust). Doesn't have to hold forever, just for a month or two max. Will it do that or will it fall out in half an hour?

Question - What do they do about pitting? I know it has a fair bit. Will they just sandblast it or what? Also... I just googled it. Apparently renting a spray booth out is actually a thing. Hmm.

At the moment I'm limited to knowing a guy who knows a couple of guys who can do it in their garages. May be the go - get it soda blasted and treated for rust then straight to them. Not gonna do it myself.... Already got a huge old school compressor though... But my yard would be a terrible place to do it. If I'm only paying the body shop for the prep and paint then they shouldn't be able to screw me too much right? Seeing as they won't have Mr Apprentice sanding back all the panels and stuff by hand and taking forever to do it. Probably will though. Guess I'll find out tomorrow.

Had a word to old mate across the road. He recommended a place near me, but also to shop around a bit for others around here. He also suggested I could probably set a day where I have it soda blasted at a separate place (takes like an hour and a half or something), sand blast all the rust off, have it treated, then trailer the bare shell over to the body shop so all they need to do is prep and paint. Said I should pay no more than 1/3 of the cost up front and the rest when the job's done. I figure if I have the entire thing stripped back to bare metal ready to go it may take a lot of the sting off. So tomorrow I'm going to a couple of different places to run that idea by them. Pretty sure the only way I'd pay 15k for a paint job would be if they picked it up from my house, stripped it themselves, put it back together and had it back in my driveway with a full tank of fuel when done... Other than that, I can get garage jobs arranged. I know that's not gonna be that great, but hey, I might learn something and it won't cost 15k either. Don't really want to go that route, but something needs to be done to the body before I do work on the motor.

Good advice. That's why I was wanting recommendations if anyone knows people who do good work. That payment plan is definitely something to consider. Don't want it sitting there for 6 months. Especially if I'm doing half of the hard work for them (stripping it to a shell and dropping it in their garage), I'd expect it to be done in a reasonable amount of time. As long as there's no hidden welding, which I doubt there is, it's a pretty simple job. I'm definitely going to talk to the guy across from me about it. He and my uncle used to sandblast cars and re-paint them next door, plus I'm pretty sure as an old speedway guy he'd know a few good shops to go to. Need to have a word to him about the engine build as well. It's just a damn shame that I can't do it myself... I don't really want to be going north of 5k. I understand that 5k will get me a 5k paint job, but at the end of the day it's a daily, not a show car. Could pick up a freshly painted XD with an engine rebuild on gumtree for 10k (like the one I posted). As much as I like this one, it makes zero economical sense to put a 10k paint job on it...

So there's a place down the road from me... Bayside Smash Repairs. Looked like a normal panel beater shop till I drove past and saw that it was full of classic cars... Not sure they'll do it but it might be worth dropping in and asking. Gonna head down later today or tomorrow. Can't find any reviews or much about them on google though. Don't even have their own website. Also gonna have a chat to old mate across the road and see if he can recommend anyone...

Yeah I know but it just looks damn untidy. At the moment it looks like no-one gives a shit about it. Hate looking at it. To be honest, I don't mind doing it so much now that I've seen what good condition XDs (regardless of motor) actually go for... Prices are going up, and while I'd never make my money back on it, I don't feel as guilty if I'm not putting a 5k paint job on what's always gonna remain a 2k car. Regardless of that Ive grown kinda attached to it now and intend to keep it until I wrap it around a tree or end up under semi. I think if I'm going to go the whole hog and do the driveline, the bodywork has to be done first...

Hmm... That's an idea... If I screwed the sensor directly in then threw some sealant on it would that help (heat resistant)? Don't really want to wait as I kind of need it to get a proper tune (bit of a jube with carbies).

I vaguely remember seeing a post on here (I think) saying that someone got their car soda blasted and it didn't remove all the rust... Not sure how true that is. I definitely can strip it to a rolling shell no worries. Definitely would do the heater core and stuff too. Also would want new underlay for the carpet. If nothing else a lot of the trim needs a clean too but I can do that concurrently. I'm 95% sure there's no rust anywhere that requires welding. The car had been someone's pride and joy, then after he died it sat in a garage undercover since 2006. It's got some surface rust but nothing more. Touch wood. Good work doesn't happen in a day, I get that. Don't want it to be off the road for 6 months though. I do have a garage (competing with 3 other people for said coveted car spot though). Most likely it will be sitting under the car port in the backyard with a heavy car cover on it like it is now, and has been for the last year. I'd bust my arse to get it back together (why pay for rego and insurance I'm not using hah) just like I did when getting it rego'd. This time I actually know what I'm doing though, so it shouldn't take forever. Decided though, if it's happening, it should happen now, and not in a couple of years when that surface rust turns into rust holes.

Hey here's what Polaris Blue in 2Pak looks like.... http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/gatton/cars-vans-utes/1981-ford-falcon/1063012864 Not a huge fan of it without the moulds and other bits to break it up though...

Also I'd probably go the same colour just in 2k paint.

Not even gonna think about doing it myself. I can't paint for shit (but know people who can...) But at the end of the day, even if I got the labour for free I still don't have any of the gear or a good place to do it... Gonna be a soup sandwich if I try it myself. Anything north of 5k and it's really looking like a much better idea to just buy a new shell though.

Good post! That was my next plan - rocking up and asking. Just didn't know any good places. Well, the thing is it has to be done. It's got light rust everywhere, no welding required. A good sand blast (or alternative) will do it, but it has to be everywhere - interior, engine bay etc. As far as I'm concerned I can trailer the stripped down shell right into the shop. Got my own engine crane and stand so I can pull the motor myself and strip the interior and panels and stuff myself. I'm kind of counting on the fact that if I strip it myself, and if it requires no major rust repair, it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg as they should only have to sandblast it and do the prep/paint. I'm also aware that this means I'm gonna need a lot of random bits and pieces (weather seals etc) that will probably add up. At the end of the day as much as I hate to admit it, the old man is right. There's no point having a shit hot driveline in a half rusted out body.

Let us know how it goes - I may need to do mine at some point... Dreading it. Wanna know how many beers the task will require.

Bet it caused an oil crisis last time you drove it.

Anyone know a good way to clean up/restore all the random plastic-ey bits on an X series? I'm talking like, windscreen wiper grille, front grille, bumpers etc. At the moment all mine look quite faded and in need of some love. Was debating about whether just to simply spray paint the grilles but if there's a better way I'd love to know. Cheers, Nath

Sweet jesus. Do want!

Sweet, cheers guys. I'll get onto that sometime in the next couple of weeks then. It's not massively high on the priority list but it needs to be done.

Sweet. Use any clearcoat?

Did you sand it back or anything before you painted it? Or was it just a wax and grease remover job?

Do it! Then sell me the 6-3-1 set - the rustier the better.