September 2000- Sandblasting

Above left & right: I figured it's best to do everything once and do it right. That meant starting from the essentials. I decided to remove the body from the frame, and have both sandblasted. I was pleased with how the guys at THO Group did the job. Right after blasting, they applied multiple coats of industrial grade epoxy on the metal. The roof and rear quarter outer skins were not blasted, but just got some overspray.	I told them they wouln't have to be careful with steering or drivetrain components when blasting, since I would have to take them apart anyway.
	Left: I tipped the body over (it rests on thick sheets of foam rubber) to get access to underbody for rust repairs. Most of the body-to-frame attaching bolts broke when unbolting, so I had to replace some of the "body nuts" hidden in the "pockets". The sills and trunk floor were already basically repaired by previous owners, however sandblasting revealed the need for 7 additional patch panels. Here the underbody is now completed and painted black with PPG Delfleet. The large opening in the floor is for the underseat heater (a Buick option). Although it is not visible here, this was also a perfect opportunity to replace the rotten windshield center post and some of the inner windshield frame (leaking antenna base)

What's next?
Now it's mid-September and winter is coming, so I'm planning on doing as much as I can with the body laying on the yard, before I am forced to move inside. It's still warmer outside at noon than in my cellar, and lighting is perfect. It's also more comfortable to perform grinding, sanding and welding outside. When it's time to move inside, I'll concentrate on something else for a while (according to my wife, there's a lot of things overdue with our house and family). I'll get back once there's something more to tell or show.