Hey all,
so i finally got myself an elky. Now the fun begins, the car has no paint on it as of yet, it needs to be sanded and primed. of course myself i have never done this before but figure that with the help of you guys and a few beers it can;t be that dificult. So, what is the best way to go about sanding it down? just grab myself a power sander and go nuts? what is the best grit to use? below is a link to a bunch of picks of my elky. and as you can see it needs alot of work so there will be alot more questions coming from me :) any tips would be awsome thanks guys

Richards car (http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeINmzFk4atWHX&x=1&sm=0&sl=0&open=1)

Thanks
RH

Heres one of the best body /paint /welding sites that I've found on the net. Good luck :)

http://autobody101.com/forums/

Your going to need a good DA sander and I generally use 80 to 120 for removing the finish and some smoothing sanding of the primer and body repairs. It is difficult to see the dents, especially the small ones, with all the paint off a body. I really don't suggest that you remove all the old finish. Its a good base to start off with. If the paint is peeling or flaking off then I'd go that route.

You should also get a good pneumatic body file. This is essential for getting that Good as new straight metal look. You will work way harder trying to get the door dings out and level / flat with just a DA. I never could get it exactly right without the body file. You'll use that at a 30 degree angle when sanding with it. It also helps to smooth out Bondo bumps. I'd go all the way to about 40 grit for removing the rough jagged buildup of the bondo and it takes it down very fast so watch out. Don't get the 40 next to the metal if you can avoid it it will score up the metal really bad with 40.

When I was removing the Undercoating off my 80 SS I used some Aircraft Paint remover to get it loose and take as much of the top of it if as I could with a scraper. I used a DeWalt 4" hand Grinder with a Wire Wheel on it to get the stuff in the cracks and around all the contours where a sander can't get. It will not damage the metal. Wear face protection if you use the wire wheel. Mine eventually starts letting go of the wire and your face is a good landing spot.

Use a good Primer, sandable, until you get all the dings worked out. I also don't suggest that you put Bondo directly onto the metal and neither does Dupont or others. Its a porous Body filler and can trap moisture in it which later will cause it to crack and probably rust under the finish. I also don't suggest that you drill any holes and if you do fill them back with a welder before you use Bondo. Once again don't use Bondo where it can be able to absorb moisture. It will crack and come off and will rust the metal under it.


Take your time your in for a great deal of work. It is a learned skill and it is actually a skill that not everyone can do. Bodywork that is.

Good luck.