Paint Tech, Guide - Chevy Chevelle - Bodywork

Chevrolet Chevelle Front Driver Side View

Nobody likes to drive a beater. But, although it's true that a show-winning paint job is out of the price range for most of us, it doesn't mean that you can't have a nice-looking street machine when you're working within a tight budget.

How can this be? Well, it involves you doing the manual labor rather than farming out the work (and writing a big check) to "Picasso Pete," the local concours d'elegance paint maestro in your hometown. With little or no paint and body experience, you can be a lean, mean restoration machine in no time at all--if you pay attention to the advice given here (and the accompanying "Body Blunders" story).

Doing the body and paint work yourself, you'll discover a few key items such as: Redoing a car's finish usually involves a lot more effort than you originally expected; you'll make a lot of mistakes and have to redo many aspects, and your arms and fingers are going to be extremely sore. However, what you will get out of the deal is a good-looking paint job for minimal cash outlay, along with pride in knowing that you did it yourself.

Chevrolet Chevelle Rear Passenger Side View

We use our illustrious Cheap Street Chevelle to show you how to paint a beater without going broke. Over three past issues of Car Craft, we transformed a non-running, smashed, bashed and rusted-out basket-case '70 Chevelle into a 13-second street machine. At the end of the last installment, we asked you what we should do with Cheap Street. One of the most popular responses we got was to paint it so it looked better. Andy Bean of Chalfont, Pennsylvania, wrote, "Do a paint and body special on it. For paint color, I think that orange or yellow would be great. Keep the theme of the car as a restification. Make it kind of a street sleeper. A clean-looking car that kicks butt on the street is what it's all about." Well Andy, ask and you shall receive.

This Paint and Body Special contains loads of tech tidbits that we're using to transform our beater Cheap Street Chevelle into a glistening chariot. Because our Chevelle originally had a vinyl top that trapped water underneath, there was loads of rust on the roof and in the rear window area. In this story we show you how to repair a rust spot. Since we are on a tight budget, we're opting to install a new vinyl top over the crusty-rusty roof rather than replacing and painting the entire roof. Plus, we tell you how to neutralize a rusty roof before putting on the new vinyl top.

Cheap Street's doors were heavily dented and full of body filler, so we show you how to replace a doorskin with new O.E.M. doorskins available from D&R Classic Automotive. Our front fenders were garbage, so we are installing a new set, but we had a heck of a time trying to bolt them to the original plastic inner fenders that were cracked, warped and complete junk. We scouted around and found that Original Parts Group is now making reproduction inner fenders--and we show you how to install them.

Other parts that were needed--but not available in reproduction (such as the front fender/headlight extension and vinyl top chrome trim)--we got from the auto recyclers at Hughey Auto Ranch. Many of your letters asked us to lighten the Chevelle using fiberglass body parts. So, we demonstrate how to install a lightweight cowl-induction-style fiberglass hood from Original Parts Group, and we even show how to prep fiberglass parts for paint. Heck, we're even showing you the basics of a hood pin kit to ensure that the hood stays closed on those hard quarter-mile charges.

In this story we don't chronicle a step-by-step paint job on our Chevelle, but we do show you how to conquer specific challenges you'll encounter when restoring your street machine. If you put in the work required and have plenty of patience, you can expect great results such as we got with our Cheap Street Chevelle.

1. Our Cheap Street Chevelle originally had a vinyl top. Over the years weather took its toll and water was trapped underneath, causing a rotted-out, rusty mess. Common on older cars with vinyl tops, heavy rust occurs around the rear window area. This car was no exception.
1. Our Cheap Street Chevelle originally had a vinyl top. Over the years weather took its t
2. Start your rust-repair project by removing the rear window glass. Removing it gains proper access to the area of repair.
2. Start your rust-repair project by removing the rear window glass. Removing it gains pro
3. Proper repair of the rusted area requires installing new metal. Start by making a rough template for the area that needs to be cloned.
3. Proper repair of the rusted area requires installing new metal. Start by making a rough

4. Using tin snips, carefully cut out the required patch panel. Don't cut off too much metal too quickly--make your cuts conservatively. In the quest for the perfect fit, it's much easier to trim off additional material than it is to add it back on after it's been cut.
4. Using tin snips, carefully cut out the required patch panel. Don't cut off too much met
5. Place the patch panel in place for a trial fit. Bend and trim the panel as needed to get the proper look. On our patch panel, we bent a lip downward to add extra rigidity as well as to conform to the nearby body panel sheetmetal.
5. Place the patch panel in place for a trial fit. Bend and trim the panel as needed to ge
6. Once the patch panel has been made, cut out the old rusty section of sheetmetal. Using an air-driven die grinder with a rotary cutoff wheel makes for an easy removal process. These types of cutoff and grinding tools (along with accessories) are commonly available from outfits such as Sears.
6. Once the patch panel has been made, cut out the old rusty section of sheetmetal. Using

7. Once the rusty panel has been removed, weld the new custom-made panel into place. We recommend tack-welding the panel into place in numerous spots rather than performing a continuous weld around the patch panel. The "continuous weld" method generates intense heat that usually will warp the panel and surrounding sheetmetal. By doing dozens of quick spot welds, the metal will not heat up and warp.
7. Once the rusty panel has been removed, weld the new custom-made panel into place. We re
8. After the panel has been securely welded into place, use a high-speed grinder with a 24-grit disc to smooth out the weld marks and panel area.
8. After the panel has been securely welded into place, use a high-speed grinder with a 24
9. Finally, apply body filler and sand to get the area smooth. If the patch panel is correct and the welding is done with care, not much body filler should be needed. If the area requires a lot of filler to make it smooth, you may want to improve your panel-building skills.
9. Finally, apply body filler and sand to get the area smooth. If the patch panel is corre

Safety First
As with any project where cutting, grinding or welding is required, safety equipment like goggles, glasses, a face shield, gloves and particle masks are mandatory to protect against flying hot metal chips and other debris. It's no fun visiting a hospital emergency room because of the "it'll never happen to me" attitude. Safety--learn it, live it and love it. Good safety equipment is as close as your nearest Sears store's Craftsman Tool department.

How To Install A Fiberglass Hood

1. We decided to install an aftermarket fiberglass hood on Cheap Street Chevelle for three reasons. One, our O.E.M. steel hood was severely bent and cracked around the hood hinges--a common problem on this year car. Two, we wanted to lighten our Chevelle since it was such an overweight pig. Three, readers sent in loads of letters saying, "Show us how to install lightweight fiberglass parts." Installing the Unlimited Products hood (available from Original Parts Group) is similar to installing an O.E.M. steel hood, but because the fiberglass hood is more delicate, tighten the hood hinges carefully (don't use too much force) and use a pair of low-tension hood springs.
1. We decided to install an aftermarket fiberglass hood on Cheap Street Chevelle for three
2. Once the fiberglass hood is bolted to the hinges, lower the hood and adjust for proper alignment. Then, check all nearby clearances around the hood to make sure binding and/or rubbing will not occur. If it does occur, chances are the fiberglass will crack or break, whereas the original steel hood wouldn't.
2. Once the fiberglass hood is bolted to the hinges, lower the hood and adjust for proper
3. Once the hood is in its proper bolted-in location, begin the prep work for the paint. Check the fiberglass hood closely for imperfections, chips, gouges or high/low spots that will need to be fixed. Our hood's surface was in fairly good condition, but it had a few chips from shipping. Many people opt to paint only the top side of the hood to cut costs, but we wanted our entire hood to have body color. So, the underside of our fiberglass hood needed to be smoothed so that the final product would look nice. Here (photo), the extra fiberglass gunk from manufacturing needs to be sanded and smoothed during the "prep work" stage.
3. Once the hood is in its proper bolted-in location, begin the prep work for the paint. C

4. Although the out-of-the-box condition of aftermarket fiberglass body parts is decent, you should sand the surface to ensure that it is straight and smooth. We recommend using a "long board" with 180-grit paper to get professional results. Using a small sanding block or handsanding is usually too inconsistent and will leave (or generate in some occurrences) high and low spots that lead to a wavy paint job.
4. Although the out-of-the-box condition of aftermarket fiberglass body parts is decent, y
5. When sanding fiberglass parts, work slowly and carefully to guard against sanding through the "gel-coat." If you sand through the gel-coat, you've gotten into the actual fiberglass material used to construct the hood. If you do go through the gel-coat, you will need to fix the mistake spot with fiberglass resin and/or primers. The photo shows what it looks like when you've sanded through the gel-coat (notice hood edge).
5. When sanding fiberglass parts, work slowly and carefully to guard against sanding throu
6. Once the fiberglass hood has been thoroughly sanded for straightness with a long board, apply a generous amount of primer. A good layer of primer (Deltron Uro Prime, in our case) usually fills in minor imperfections and/or sanding scratches. Plus, the primer provides good "grip" for the paint to adhere to. Never sand the fiberglass hood and then apply paint without using primer. After applying primer to the fiberglass hood, carefully wet-sand the surface with 400-grit paper. Using plenty of water, wet-sand using the flat of your hand rather than your fingertips. After sanding, dry and clean the surface using a cleaner such as Du Pont Final Klean.
6. Once the fiberglass hood has been thoroughly sanded for straightness with a long board,

Hood Pins

1. It's a good idea to install a set of hood pins when retrofitting a fiberglass hood. The pins prevent any "flying up" mishaps that could occur while driving. Our hood pin kit (PN HPK100) from Original Parts Group is a snap to install. Locate a sturdy area of the radiator core support and drill a 1/2-inch hole (one hole on the driver side and one hole on the passenger side). Then install and tighten the hood pins in the core support.
1. It's a good idea to install a set of hood pins when retrofitting a fiberglass hood. The
2. With the pins installed in the core support, carefully lower the hood down onto the pins and mark/scribe a circle where the pins need to go through the fiberglass hood.
2. With the pins installed in the core support, carefully lower the hood down onto the pin
3. Close the hood so that the pins go through the new holes. Add the circular gaskets and top mounting plates. Then, mark and drill the four holes needed to affix the mounting plates. Tighten the four (supplied) screws into the fiberglass hood.
3. Close the hood so that the pins go through the new holes. Add the circular gaskets and

4. After marking where the hood pins need to go through the hood, carefully drill a 3/16-inch pilot hole. Then, with a larger drill bit, open up the hole to 1/2 inch. Drill carefully to prevent the fiberglass from chipping.
4. After marking where the hood pins need to go through the hood, carefully drill a 3/16-i
5. Add the retaining pin and you're done. As a test, lift up on the front lip of the hood. If the hood lifts up slightly then you may need to re-adjust the hood pins in the core support by threading up or down. Note the thin (white) plastic covering on the circular mounting plate. After the hood pin kit is properly mounted and adjusted, peel off the protective covering to reveal the chrome-plated surface underneath. Remove the cover last so you don't scratch the chrome-plate during installation.
5. Add the retaining pin and you're done. As a test, lift up on the front lip of the hood.

How To Replace A Doorskin

1. Two of the worst body sections of Cheap Street Chevelle were the doorskins. The original units had been smashed and were loaded with body filler. Rather than hammer out the door and re-apply body filler, we are installing a new set of doorskins from D&R Classic Automotive. Although the task looks difficult, the job is incredibly simple. Plus, with new skins in place, little or no bodywork is needed and the paint job will be much nicer. In the photo we begin the doorskin swap by removing the O.E.M. inner door panel. Then, we disconnected/removed the outside door handle.
1. Two of the worst body sections of Cheap Street Chevelle were the doorskins. The origina
2. Using a high-speed, air-driven angle die grinder, grind through the outside edges of the doorskin that bend around the main frame of the door.
2. Using a high-speed, air-driven angle die grinder, grind through the outside edges of th

3. Once you've ground through the doorskin lip, grab the inside remnant of door skin with a pair of pliers. Then, twist/roll the metal remnant--breaking it free from the door.
3. Once you've ground through the doorskin lip, grab the inside remnant of door skin with
4. If you've completely ground off the doorskin lip and removed the "remnant," you should be able to pull the doorskin right off. If the skin doesn't come off easily, try lightly tapping the doorskin to dislodge it from the main door structure.
4. If you've completely ground off the doorskin lip and removed the "remnant," you should
5. After inspecting (and straightening if needed) the main door frame edges, use an air hose to blow out any dust, dirt or leaves that may have accumulated inside the door. Then slip the new doorskin on the door frame. Make sure the doorskin clears all edges and sits flush on the door frame.
5. After inspecting (and straightening if needed) the main door frame edges, use an air ho

6. Using a hammer and dolly, bend the edges of the new doorskin over the door frame. Don't just whack one area in a frenzied haste; rather, bend the edges over slowly and evenly to get the best hold and professional look.
6. Using a hammer and dolly, bend the edges of the new doorskin over the door frame. Don't
7. With the doorskin edge properly hammered into place, begin tack-welding the doorskin to the door frame. After welding, use a high-speed grinder to smooth out the welds and panel area.
7. With the doorskin edge properly hammered into place, begin tack-welding the doorskin to
8. Once the doorskin has been hung and properly welded, check to make sure the door-to-body alignment is correct. Often the rear of the door will sag slightly, indicating worn-out door hinge pins. Replacing these pins is inexpensive and easy, especially with the front fender(s) off, such as in our case.
8. Once the doorskin has been hung and properly welded, check to make sure the door-to-bod

Fender And Inner Fender Swap

1. In the November '94 issue of Car Craft ("Fine Lines," p. 28), we gave you the info on how to install a new fender. But, in doing the fender swap we discovered that our plastic inner fenders were complete junk. At the time we didn't know of anyone who was reproducing these items--but we've since learned that Original Parts Group is now making them for our Chevelle. GM discontinued production of O.E.M. Chevelle fenders, so we had to scout around to find a set squirreled away in somebody's warehouse. We snagged one of the last sets of '70 Chevelle fenders from D&R Classic Automotive, but it still has many other year/make/model fenders available. To start the inner fender swap, remove the fender after loosening/removing the fender bolts. Before actually removing the fender, take note of the number and placement of fender shims.
1. In the November '94 issue of Car Craft ("Fine Lines," p. 28), we gave you the info on h
2. The O.E.M. plastic inner fender is held on by various small bolts. Most of the bolts must be threaded out from below, such as these tucked away under the front bumper/radiator core support area. In addition, two bolts that reside directly rearward of the front tire must be removed. Many of the inner fender bolts will be rusty and hard to remove after having the tires sling mud and water on them for the past 20-something years. We recommend purchasing a new front end fastener kit (PN FE21800) from Original Parts Group. Trust us, it saves frustration in the long run.
2. The O.E.M. plastic inner fender is held on by various small bolts. Most of the bolts mu
3. Once the bolts are removed, the inner fender should come off easily. After trying to remove the inner fender, we found that other non-related items (such as wiper and smog canister hoses) were still attached to the inner fender. The hoses were easily removed after disconnecting a few plastic holding straps.
3. Once the bolts are removed, the inner fender should come off easily. After trying to re

4. Before installing the new inner fender liner on the car, we installed new inner fender clips that were part of our front end fastener kit. Using new fasteners and clips makes for a super-easy install; plus it gives our rig a clean, professional look.
4. Before installing the new inner fender liner on the car, we installed new inner fender
5. Set the new inner fender in place while taking particular care not to pinch/cut any hoses and/or wires. Then, begin threading in the various mounting bolts. In our case, the reproduction inner fenders fit perfectly, and all of the bolt holes were spot-on. It's almost a shame the new inner fenders look so nice, because it makes our gunk-covered engine bay look that much worse! We'll clean and paint our engine bay when our low-buck rebuilt engine gets dropped in next month. Stay tuned.
5. Set the new inner fender in place while taking particular care not to pinch/cut any hos
6. We installed the new D&R fender just as the old unit came off. Remember that the new inner fender has to slip inside of the fender's wheel opening lip, so you may wish to have a buddy help get everything fitted correctly. When bolting on the new fender, we used the new bolts from our front end fastener kit rather than the crusty old ones.
6. We installed the new D&R fender just as the old unit came off. Remember that the new in

7 A&B. The inner fender is secured using various locations on the body. Photo A shows us inserting two bolts through the inner fender into the firewall. Photo B demonstrates how the inner fender to the fender itself. Threading in and tightening all of the inner fender bolts is super-easy and straightforward. No degree in rocket science is needed.
7 A&B. The inner fender is secured using various locations on the body. Photo A shows us i

SOURCES
Original Parts Group (800) 243-	Hughey Auto Ranch Dept. CC 517 Willingham Rd. Williamston SC 29697
M&J Auto Body 142 N. 11th St. Santa Paula CA 93060	Sears/Craftsman
POR 15 Dept. CC 64 S. Jefferson Rd. Whippany NJ 07981	D&R Classic Automotive Dept. CC 31 W. 280 Diehl Rd., Ste. 107 Naperville IL 60563