Paint Basics What: At one time everyone has painted something. Around the home it usually is done with a brush or roller. Some larger jobs are done with a spray gun. Small jobs can be done with spray cans. None of these experiences prepare us for the complex job of painting a car. This task is… Continue reading Paint Products Overview by Jim Clark, The Hot Rod M.D.

Earlier model cars and pickup trucks were boxier shaped than the ones produced in the ‘50s and ‘60s and not very aerodynamic. To lower that profile dry lakes racers, and hot rod builders mimicking the look of racecars, cut the roof off of the vehicle and reattached it after removing part of the sheet metal… Continue reading Chopping A Top

Repairing rusted panel damage or installing panels like gas filler doors can create a lot of panel distortion and necessitate a lot of additional finish body work when the seams between the panels are butt-welded together. A flanged panel that overlaps where it is welded creates a double-thickness of material and a seam with little… Continue reading Patch Panels by Jim Clark, The Hot Rod M.D.

This is an article produced in the 60’s using a Top Insert Kit from Julianos in a 32 Vicky.  A Kit for the Home Builder. The pictures are old … but the advice and instruction is timeless !   The first step in installing a new top insert is to remove all the old material… Continue reading Installing a Top-Insert Kit from Bob Juliano

When I started painting cars there were only two types of paint in general use. Acrylic lacquer and enamel. Not acrylic enamel … synthetic enamel with names like Dulux and Super Max. All Acrylic lacquer was buffed out so a few chunks of dirt wasn’t much of a problem … but enamel stayed too soft… Continue reading Cleaning with a Tack Rag by Carl Brunson

The finished paint job is only as good as the surface that it is applied to. Much of the time a professional painter spends on a project is on preparation and that is the biggest part of the bill. To hold down these costs the average rod builder can do much of this basic bodywork… Continue reading Preparing a Surface for Paint by Carl Brunson

“Hand Color Sanding & Buffing” By Carl Brunson       Have you ever told someone you would do something and regretted it later?Well, I stepped in a mess when I told someone I would color sand and polish the paint on the hood of his ‘32 coupe, without seeing it. I should have known… Continue reading Color Sanding and Buffing by Carl Brunson

What Kind of Welder Should I use?Article by:  Welder Series   Either stick, MIG or TIG can be used to assemble and install Welder Series parts. The machine has to have the capacity to weld the material thickness (most Welder Series brackets are 3/16” mild steel).Stick welders don’t need a tank of shielding gas because… Continue reading What kind of welder should I use?: Article by Welder Series

BOXING A FRAMEStory & Photos By Jim Clark (The Hot Rod MD)Most new cars are of unitized construction; they basically have no frame.  However, old style hot rods have either U-channel or hat-section shaped frame rails.  The U-channel (sometimes called C-channel) side rails are found on Ford and Mopar models from their very first model… Continue reading Boxing a Frame: Article by Jim Clark

Dennis Heapy's New Ultra Custom Dream Rod (Segment 5) Dennis Heapy's New Ultra Custom Dream Rod (Segment 1) Dennis Heapy's New Ultra Custom Dream Rod (Segment 2) Dennis Heapy's New Ultra Custom Dream Rod (Segment 3) Dennis Heapy's New Ultra Custom Dream Rod (Segment 4)   Dennis Heapy’s New Ultra  Custom Dream Rod   Jan. 2011 Update Update… Continue reading Dennis Heapy's New Ultra Custom Dream Rod (Segment 4)