I need to be honest here; I wouldn’t make a very good journalist. Considering how long it has been to update this saga, I’d be fired for missing deadline after deadline. I could offer an endless supply of pathetic excuses; I’m a one man band, I also have a regular job that takes up a huge amount of time, etc, etc. But the fact is this type of thing does take time, and probably more as I’m figuring this out as I go along. Ultimately, I became so driven over this project, that all I wanted to do is get the first body done and get the car running. In so doing, I sorta lost track with the updates. Now that I’ve got that off of my chest, let’s pick up where we have left off.

As you may remember, we left off where the original body was turned into a plug. Lots of shaping, sanding, and sweat. We got as far as getting the plug into the first coats of high build primer, a polyester primer to be exact. This stuff is like spraying a mixture of resin and body filler. After letting it set up/cure for a couple of days, the initial round of block sanding began. I started off with 80 grit on a long board and sanded it dry. Let me tell ya, this is some nasty stuff. So bad that the disposable particle mask wasn't cutting it, so I used my painting respirator to keep the junk out of my nose, mouth, and lungs.

You will see that this process takes off a considerable amount of material, revealing low spots, high spots and any other imperfections in the coats of Bondo that has been applied. Along the way while I block out the plug, I had to apply pieces of tape to mark areas that will need additional body filler; fiberglass is tough to get smooth unlike a steel body. These things are so far from perfect in the original form, I wanted to do all I could to improve on the shape. To do this I had to be patient and do a ton of block sanding. Even still, these bodies are not exact when measured left to right and front to back. I've spent a fair amount of time just trying to get it close, but don't kid yourself, up until the last several years, many funny car bodies have such issues.

Something I didn't do before the first coat of prime was filling in the windshield area. This will make the mold more structurally stable, and in turn will do the same for the new body when removing from the mold. Doing this wasn't too difficult. All I did was take use a thin piece of plastic, about 1/8th inch thick, and cut it out in the shape of the windshield. I just screwed it on like the original windshield and proceeded to apply about 3 layers of 1.5 oz mat material from the underside. Once it was cured, I just removed the screws and peeled off the plastic revealing the filled in area. A little light sanding, along with filling and smoothing the edge left by the cutout, and we are good to go. This didn't require perfection since this area gets cut out of the body when it is mounted.

After the whole body has been blocked out, I went around and applied additional body filler where ever it was needed. Looking at it will give you the feeling of 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I've done enough bodywork to become desensitized to this element of such a job.

Of course I had to go back to blocking out all of the areas where the filler was added, and in some cases I would spray on a guide coat to help. After this step was completed, it was time for some more primer. The second coat really showed the detail of the effort and work from all the sanding. By this time I'm feeling pretty good about the results. This also followed some time to cure, but the days of dry sanding are over, and the days of wet sanding are upon us.

The wet sanding process isn't much different than the first round of block sanding; except I didn't have to deal with the dust. I started with 220 grit and just worked my way around the whole body. Again, there are some spots that I find with some imperfections, and go back with a spot putty to clean up. Those areas also receive some 220 action too. After the initial wet sanding I applied a few more light coats of prime and knocked it down with 400 grit.

By now the primer was built up enough and I didn't find any more obvious blems and flaws, so I continued wet sanding, but now I'm using a 1200 grit paper.

Let me point out something I've mentioned to those who are restoring an old body to mount on a chassis. As you can see, you will go through much of the same process to get the body painted. I've asked that you consider letting a mold be pulled from it before you paint it. You never know what will happen, but sometimes these cars hunt for the wall. Having a mold available will make the recovery a bit less painful.

Once the wet sanding is completed I began polishing the whole body to further smooth out the surface. The primer will develop a light shine, but nothing like regular paint/clear. Nonetheless, smooth is what we want.

After the body has been polished up, it was time to apply one of many coats of wax. You don't use just any kind of wax either, as the surface must be able to withstand the caustic environment provided by a thick layer of resin and glass. The wax I use is a high temp, mold release wax. The recommended application calls for 10 coats, and the reason being is you will miss small spots here and there, and with the multiple coats, you should obtain complete coverage. I'll tell you what, this wax isn't like you typical automotive wax. This stuff is tough and will turn your arms into jello by the time you are done.

Now we are ready to begin the mold making process. This is an area that exceeds any skill sets I possess, and will be filled with anxious moments and plenty of second guessing. Since I'm doing this by myself, and have very little to fall back on as far as the best approach, I really took my time thinking this over to minimize any problems. There is just too much work involved to have to go back and do all over. I wanted to make sure that the procedures I'm going to follow will have the desired results.

Negative draft is a term I did learn, and it is good to know in making a mold. Basically it means you make the mold sections part at the widest point. Imagine making a mold of a sphere, you would have to do it in two sections, and split it right down the middle, or you couldn't remove the object out of the mold. The same holds true with the body, but you have various contours to consider too.

I figured that I'd make the mold in 5 sections; grill area, tail area, drivers side, passengers side, and the top. I decided to begin with the grill and tail areas first. Considering my lack of experience at this juncture, if I make a mistake, having to do over wouldn't be as bad as if I started on the top of the plug. Besides, with the nickname I have, and the image of the one who is always chasing the roadrunner, odds are that I'm going to screw something up.

The first step is using clay to establish a flange area. Once again, lack of experience shows in the beginning, but as I continued on, I found a better way of doing this. The front flange looked kinda crappy, but you will see the rear flange is nicer. Once I have established the flange areas I covered the rest of the body with plastic to protect from over spray.

First thing to do is apply a release agent, or PVA to be exact. This is a very thin liquid with a green tint, and when sprayed on the surface it will dry and form a film that is like very fine food wrap. To apply all I did was use my trusty JGA-502 primer gun; just pour it in and start spraying. Remember when I said I'd screw something up? Well it didn't take long. I said this stuff is kinda thin; check that, it’s really thin. The first few coats were laid down a bit heavy and started to run. So I just waited about 15 min and peeled it off the surface.

Ok, let's try this again; apply in very fine mist like coats. Let it set up a little and cover again. Eventually the surface will have a light, green tint, enough to let you know you have good coverage. Once it sets up (depending on ambient temp) it's time to fill the cup for the gel coat gun. I am using an orange/red tooling gel that is intended for the surface of a mold. Now I've never used this gun, let alone spray gel before. Talk about messy! After spraying the section with enough coats, you let it set up where it is firm. You don't want to let it get absolutely rock hard cured, but you don't want to lay glass if it still has a rubber like consistency.

Once it is set up properly, I started taking pre-torn sections of 1.5 oz mat material and laid onto the surface wetting it out with a stippling brush. Did I tell you how messy this job can be? Well, it's not getting any better. After applying one layer I let it cure up before applying the next layer. Since it was kinda warm while I was doing this (you know, Florida is kinda warm year round), I didn't have to wait very long. The ideal time to apply the next layer is when the previous layer isn't warm to the touch from the chemical reaction within the resin. You have to do it in this way for the first 2-3 layers, otherwise if you laid multiple layers at one time, the thickness of the material would get so warm from curing, it would mess up the tooling surface of the mold. After about 3 layers, you can go back and lay down multiple layers at one time.

Once I finished laying up the front and rear sections of and allowed to cure, I removed the clay to expose the flanged edge and proceeded to clay up the flange for the top section. By now I'm feeling more comfortable with the equipment and materials in this project. Using the same steps as I described before, I began molding the top section.

Since the top is a much larger area, using a 4 inch brush would take forever. So I got to thinking, there's has to be a better way to do this”, and with that I noticed my wife’s paint rollers that she wasn't using (at least as far as I could tell, she wasn't using them). Figuring a roller would work as well as a brush, and cover a larger area in less time, I poured some resin in a paint tray, loaded up the roller and went to town. Boy, what a discovery this was. I was able to make the top section in less time than the grill area alone. I also found that the roller helped to minimize any air bubbles.

Now you can probably see how this is all coming together. After the top was cured, I removed the clay to expose the flanged edge, and was ready to make the sides. With some thin sheet aluminum I made an inside flange for the wheel wells, and down the edge of the rocker panel. I also cleaned up the flanges from the other sections, applied some wax, but this time I left the wax on. Since the flanges are not a tooled surface, any blemishes are not an issue. The only thing that matters is getting the sections to separate when the mold is complete.

Much like before, I completed both side sections, working them together. I've become so used to working the material, the process is going much smoother, and with more ease. I can't say that it is any less messy, as you can see in the photos what would be on the floor if I didn't lay down cardboard to catch the resin that drips off. Even still, my garage floor is trashed by now, but that is ok, I have bigger plans for this place after my new shop is built. The same can also be said for any clothing I was wearing. I found the best thing to do is wear cheap shirts and pants, don't bother washing them either. Just wear them till they get so nasty you just toss them in the garbage. Trust me, you will get some resin on them, and glass fibers will get worked into the fabric; you do not want to put these in your washing machine.

After the last sections are cured, I cut off any excess material that wasn't needed on the flanges, ground the edges smooth, and drilled ¼ holes so I could bolt the mold together after it is removed.

Anxiety is now building as we are ready to pull the mold from the plug and see if my efforts are successful, or if it will lead to emotional breakdown. Taking a plastic dead blow hammer, I would tap the flanges to help them separate. You could actually hear the sections release (thank God) while doing this. Starting with the grill area, I took a thin screwdriver and wedged it between the flanges, twisting gently. I could hear the section as it was releasing from the plug, and with little effort the section popped right off. The finish is more than what I was hoping for.

Using the same technique, I began removing the rest of the sections, and found that I seemed to be successful thus far in making a mold. Granted, there are some things I would have done differently, but it is all part of the process. The next mold I make I'll do some things differently in the way I reinforce it with wood and conduit ribbing. But for now, I am thrilled with the outcome and I probably appeared as Dr. Frankenstein did when he saw his creation was alive.

I wasn't done yet with this, as I figured that I needed to “glass in” some kind of reinforcement for the top section. When I removed it, the piece seemed a little too flimsy for my liking. Grabbing some 1X4 wood, and made a rib that went down the center, and that kind of added some stiffness. Again, doing it over, I would have done a few things differently. However, I really don’t see making more than a handful of bodies from this mold, and wouldn't need to worry too much about how well it will hold up over time.

The next step is to clean the mold surface as the PVA has transferred over from the plug. This stuff is water soluble, so with a hose, sponge, and a bucket, the stuff washes right off. After that I had to make a cradle/stand for the mold, polish the mold surface, and apply several coats of wax, and then we'd be ready to lay up the first body.