DeTomaso Mailing List: April 2001, Message #17

Fellow Ford powered feline owners:

While working on the car today, I found some more rust :^(. Apparently,
the lower port side rocker panel (near the gas tank) still had some
rust. I was blocking that area when I noticed "hey, what's this small
hole?" and dirt started to come out. Five minutes later, I found myself
flaying open that area with my metal cutting blade and tons of rust
dirt, crap, what have you came out (jpeg images now available. Anyone
wanna see?). Somehow, I missed this one. Luckily, I assessed it as no
big deal. Like the previous rust issues, it's a matter of cutting open
the affected area, removing all of the offending material, rinsing it
out with water, applying Metal Etch, letting it dry, neutralize that
substance,  putting on the POR-15, welding in metal tabs, sealing,
putting on some Metal-to-Metal, and blocking it down to pretend nothing
has happened.

Other than that, it was a slooooooow process to get the roof blocked
down. I did my final pass of high build primer and guide coat. I didn't
see any high or low spots to fill so the roof is pretty much done. I
also did the two formerly rusted rocker panels (near the door openings)
and looking in the past what had happened vice their conditions now and
I'm proud to say those areas are just about ready for a coat of paint. I
used Metal-to-Metal to fill in some areas and "iced" the small spots and
blocked that area. So far, they both look some. Just some more final
sanding. Both front right and left fenders are also coming to
completion. Those areas have been guide coated and blocked. The rear
areas have had been spot puttied and sanded. It's just a matter of
getting all areas sanded down, guide coated and blocked so that no high
or low spots are found. The port side door is being blocked off of the
car and I expect to mount that back on the car this coming weekend.

Still waiting on the dash to get done and some ATO fuse holders to come
in from Marcel Bros. That's about all.

Cal , #2428r