the replacement part or panel is good, and can be realigned properly, and the frame is straight. But beware of things such as doors or windows that don’t open and close smoothly.
We look at this one again next chapter, but here’s another perfect example from my neighborhood. The ’57 Nomad is a highly desirable, collectible car, and it looks like all this one needs is a new paint job. We know the paint isn’t original, and there’s been some less-than-perfect bodywork done (the sides are wavy). But the fact that the top is crazed tells us this paint has been on the car a long time, and no rust, filler cracks, or peeling have occurred. If it were for sale, the need for a full paint job should lower the price substantially. And if you painted it yourself… but, of course, it’s not for sale.
Another good example, this little Mustang project is following our Chapter 2 “How to Build a Car” sidebar well. It has a new EFI V-8, 4-speed, and 4-wheel disc brakes already installed, along with new performance wheels and tires. The primer spots tell you some minor bodywork has been done. Now all it needs is a good sanding through the peeling clear coat, and a fresh home paint job.
On the subject of red Mustangs, here’s exactly what you don’t want. This car looks fairly good and straight at first glance. But all it’s had is a quickie “resale” paint job, covering who-knows-what bodywork and prep. In fact, the close-up shows not only a poor fast-mask job, but the recent paint is already starting to peel and flake. Very bad. Worse, close inspection shows much of the car is missing. Bottom line: don’t pay for a paint job you don’t want, especially a recent one. Buy a car that needs a paint job, to save on the price, then paint it yourself—partly to know that it’s done right.
Completeness is another concern, especially on older or rare vehicles. Make sure that all chrome trim, handles, latches, lights, grille pieces, and so on are on the car and are not bent or broken beyond simple repair. Even though we’re talking about painting the outside, this is a good thing to check in the interior, too. For newer cars, such pieces can be ordered from the dealer, but can be expensive (and ask yourself, why are they missing or broken?). For popular older cars (including foreign ones), a surprising number of these parts are available as reproductions. Others aren’t. For one example, as this was written the chrome “eyebrows” over the headlights on ’55 Chevy Nomad station wagons—unique to this year and model—were not available in reproduction. Originals (if you could find any) cost upwards of $2,000. Check these things before buying a new project vehicle.
Here’s our last bad example. Even though I saw this one stored in SoCal, the snow tires and severe rust tell me it came from some snowy clime. Sure, it could be fixed, at great effort. But plenty of similar examples abound, in much better condition. Even at free, this car isn’t worth it. Been there, done that.
Here’s another real-life example close to home. As a magazine project to prove that there’s plenty of good ’50s car material out there, in decent condition, for good prices, I found 30-some cars, and selected this one-owner, never hit, all-original ’52 Chevy 2-door sedan as the one to buy ($1,200) and bring home. I wish I had a picture of it sitting, crusty, on four flat tires in the yard where I found it. But this is after I’d cleaned it up and was rebuilding the brakes. As you can see, the original dark green metallic paint is not only very faded, but also had surface rust all over.
I love to poke fun at ’58 Buicks and similar huge, overchromed ’50s cars. Who knows how much restoration this 2-door hardtop took—but it’s basically a smooth, shiny, bright red paint job, lowering, and new wheels and tires that make it a standout. There’s no customizing or other tricks. This car shows how much impact a good new paint job can have, even on a big, otherwise ugly old car. Well, it’s not ugly anymore.
In proper order, I fixed all the mechanicals first, including brakes, suspension, steering, wiring, and eventually added a V-8, automatic trans, stereo, and even air conditioning. I had the bumpers and grille rechromed and removed and filled emblems on the hood, trunk, and elsewhere. Then my upholsterer talked me into adding white tuck-and-roll inside (out of order). So I had Stan Betz mix a little color-matched green lacquer so I could spot-in the few places I’d primed where chrome was removed and a ding or two were filled. Then I tried a little 3M rubbing compound with a buffer. Wow! It not only took all the surface rust right off, but it polished that old nitrocellulose lacquer to a high sheen, as you can plainly see in this photo. Believe it or not, this is mostly the factory original paint, just power-buffed and waxed. It looked so good; I drove it this way for several years before starting this book. Now it’s finally getting the full-bore bodywork/repaint.
Bad Filler and Dreaded Rust
If a car has one or more new paint jobs over the original, you really have no idea what might be under them. We talk about this more in the next chapter on stripping paint. Fortunately, filler—especially bad filler—is usually pretty easy to see. If it’s not immediately obvious from bulges or waves, sight carefully down the sides of the car, from front to rear and vice-versa. Besides front- and rear-end damage (which is relatively easy to replace), cars most often get hit in the sides (as opposed to the roof or tops of the trunk or hood), and this can be more serious. If you don’t see waves or ripples as you look down the sides of the car, open the doors and check the jambs. Bodymen usually don’t spend a lot of time in these areas, and damage is easier to spot here. If you do see bent or twisted metal, or poorly sanded filler, especially in the middle pillar of a 4-door, I’d probably pass and look for a better car.
Another way to find filler is to look and feel inside body panels that you can access, such as inside the trunk or the wheelwells. If a panel is bumpy on the inside and straight on the outside, you know it has filler in it. If you can feel both sides with two hands at the same time, you can probably tell how thick it is. But, especially on newer cars, many areas are inaccessible. The owner isn’t going to let you pull off the door panels or other parts to see (or feel) inside.
I have seen several types of “filler finders.” Most work magnetically, some with batteries and beepers or lights. Look in auto accessory catalogs to find them. But with a little practice and something like a refrigerator magnet, you can get pretty adept at judging whether—and how much—filler is under the paint. Any type of magnet works; just make sure it has something over the surface (such as masking tape) so it doesn’t scratch the paint on the car.
