Body Work Prep: Yesterday I worked for 3-1/2 hours (for the most part enjoyable "in the zone" type of work-the time went very quickly) applying the skim coat of primer which resulted in getting the front fenders and cowl to the next level of body work "completeness" by spending about an hour on each of the panels. The cowl and right front fender required minimal application of filler but the left hand fender had more ripples etc that needed to be addressed. Today I plan to finish up the final finishing and reapply primer over the work areas. As I worked on the panels the question of how far do I take the body prep before I consider applying the finish coat occupied my think time... The issue of "fit for purpose" crops up in all my projects (automotive and otherwise) and I think it is a good question to ask oneself to keep things in perspective-especially when on a limited budget like I am. Short cuts in this area of body prep could be obvious when the car is reassembled but at the same time I am not sure I want to put in the extra hours that would be required to bring the panels to the next level of "perfection" when there is so much other work to do. My goal is to get the car on the road in May in the most time efficient manner with a minimal output of cash...It is a fine line to walk. I can easily see how the big bucks are spent on this area of car restoration and there is no denying that the body work is what people will notice. Fortunately the car is going to be painted white which covers up minor imperfections so I should end up with what I consider a "fit for purpose finish" for a minimal amount of cash outlay..
Project Planning update: I really want to get the car back on the road by the end of May 2011. In order to meet this deadline I determined last week that I will remove the body from the chassis to complete the rear body work (around the spare time cover) and also to allow me access to painting the underside of the floor boards verses having to lie under the car.. I will then roll the chassis outside the garage and finish the body work then move the body outside and start on the powder coated chassis reconstruction inside the garage (this will be my winter project)..It will be easier and more time efficient in the longer run to go this route although I am feel somewhat reluctant to take the '59 to another level of disassembly but after careful consideration I think it is the way things need to go. Also having the bare chassis will allow me better access to the components.
I also decided that next week I am going to start posting pictures of my progress...
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