1986 Ranger 2.9L 4x4 advice on how to make it look sweet for cheap?

[alwaysFlOoReD]

lol thanks for posting the pic. So i should see if the bondo already on there peels off? Also, wouldnt sanding the stuff thats on there now not work because of the gap? Should i try and bend it back or will it break off? Also, wont the new bondo be noticably different on colour? I really want it to look cool, as if it was never there lol

Time to get dirty. You have to start somewhere, and it might as well be with the rust cover up. Do as The Bandit says and break out as much original bondo as you can, the new bondo color doesn't matter, it'll be covered with new paint. Sand the metal[or use a 4.5" angle grinder with a wire wheel attachment and USE SAFETY GEAR] so there is as little rust as possible then use rust converter before re-bondoing. You'll need sandpaper as well, and primer, and spot putty. Buy a book about your truck[ chilton's or hayne's are ~$20.00], it'll have a short section on rust repair as well as other stuff you'll eventually need to know. From looking at that picture, who ever did the repair had no experience either so yours will look just as good if not way better. I'm no expert on body repair, I'm sure others will help out more along the way.
Just DO IT!
Good luck
Richard
PS. I'm subscribed to your thread here and I will check back every couple of days if you need help. Maybe you could/should start a build thread too?

 

[Daven]

Time to get dirty. You have to start somewhere, and it might as well be with the rust cover up. Do as The Bandit says and break out as much original bondo as you can, the new bondo color doesn't matter, it'll be covered with new paint. Sand the metal[or use a 4.5" angle grinder with a wire wheel attachment and USE SAFETY GEAR] so there is as little rust as possible then use rust converter before re-bondoing. You'll need sandpaper as well, and primer, and spot putty. Buy a book about your truck[ chilton's or hayne's are ~$20.00], it'll have a short section on rust repair as well as other stuff you'll eventually need to know. From looking at that picture, who ever did the repair had no experience either so yours will look just as good if not way better. I'm no expert on body repair, I'm sure others will help out more along the way.
Just DO IT!
Good luck
Richard
PS. I'm subscribed to your thread here and I will check back every couple of days if you need help. Maybe you could/should start a build thread too?

I would do that but i have none of that stuff. I havent done any of that stuff other then some sanding and crappy bodyfilling job in autobody (school class). lol And i wont be getting the truck till about the 20th (i'm gonna put down a double payment to pay it off completely). Then i think i'm going to see about a body shop. That wll probably be too much but they should be able to help me get some ideas and probably some materials.

 

[The Bandit]

Just search around on the internet, you'll find plenty of tech on how to do filler (and how not to do it)

Theres no hope for that big flap of bondo though. The best thing you can do is just peel it off when you get ready to re-do the area. Its no big deal. Like I said, you can get a gallon of real bondo with filler, and paddles to spread it for less than $25 at Advance Auto Parts. You can even get a good rasp to work it down with for about $7 there too. Go to a hardware store or walmart to buy your sand paper though, its cheaper.

 

[Daven]

Just search around on the internet, you'll find plenty of tech on how to do filler (and how not to do it)

Theres no hope for that big flap of bondo though. The best thing you can do is just peel it off when you get ready to re-do the area. Its no big deal. Like I said, you can get a gallon of real bondo with filler, and paddles to spread it for less than $25 at Advance Auto Parts. You can even get a good rasp to work it down with for about $7 there too. Go to a hardware store or walmart to buy your sand paper though, its cheaper.

So i spoke to the mechanic (guy im buying truck from) and he figured i wouldnt need too much to fix it. He said maybe some kind of bracing behind it(i think he said fiberglass or something but i forget). Also, i spoke to my schools auto-body shop teacher and he told me to bring it by when i get it and he'll look at it. Maybe he can get it done for close to free.

But anyways, if i were to pell off the current bondo, wouldnt that make it look different when its done? Different texture, noticable where old stopped and new stuff began, different colour? And what will i do for colour? Am i repainting it all or just where i do it? Will i need to redo all my painted trim and stuff like that too to match? Thanks

 

[The Bandit]

Your new filler would just be overlapping the old, and all sanded smooth. Once its been skim coated and sanded there should be no texture to it. It'll all be different colors, but once your prime it you'll never know the difference.

Its kinda hard to explain, haha. You'll figure it out.

 

[Daven]

Your new filler would just be overlapping the old, and all sanded smooth. Once its been skim coated and sanded there should be no texture to it. It'll all be different colors, but once your prime it you'll never know the difference.

Its kinda hard to explain, haha. You'll figure it out.

i sure hope so lol. thanks for the help

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'd be all over that shop teacher. He'll show you how to do it properly and you'll learn in the process. It's more likely that he expects you to do the work. If you want someone else to do it, save your money:if you want to keep your money, do it yourself [though there is a point when it's more cost effective/safer to pay someone to do it for you, but I don't think that applies here.]
Richard

 

[Daven]

I'd be all over that shop teacher. He'll show you how to do it properly and you'll learn in the process. It's more likely that he expects you to do the work. If you want someone else to do it, save your money:if you want to keep your money, do it yourself [though there is a point when it's more cost effective/safer to pay someone to do it for you, but I don't think that applies here.]
Richard

ya the problem with the shop teacher idea is that theres only like a month kleft of school. The odds that i could get it fixed that way when im not even in the class is slim. Im still going to have him look at it and maybe we can work on it some other time. If not, then he'll tell me what i need to do-my guess it he'll say to cut it out and weld another peice in like we did this year in the shop. And i would definately pay someone to do it if it wasnt so much money to do that. I want it done good, not just a bit better. Or worse, i could mess it uyp completely and need to do more lol

 

[tiresmokindad]

Daven do you have the picture of your blue navy 1986 ford ranger. Can you post it. I think the flares are good to install in it.

 

[Daven]

turns out the owner got ahold of a '89 ranger SLT that has all the same features only in way better condition and a topper, and he offered me it instead of the other one for the same price so i'm going with that one. Sorry for this thread but it makes alot more sense to take the better one for the same price lol

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That's great.
No need to be sorry. Hopefully, you learned a little.
Have a good time in your 'new' truck and try to be safe.
Richard

 

[The Bandit]

And you can still blackout the chassis like mentioned above. I have to admit, that bondo flap looked pretty awful.

 

[Daven]

And you can still blackout the chassis like mentioned above. I have to admit, that bondo flap looked pretty awful.

Ya i most likely will do that. All depends on cost, if i have a time i can do it, and if i feel its really worth it lol. And ya, that bondo crap wasnt real good looking. I mostluy liked how the trim was done a dark blue instead of the crappy origonal. But this truck's is actual factory black so it looks way better.

Not to mention, its overall a way better truck. Waaaay nicer interior too. Now i wont have to do as much to other stuff just to make it look somewhat good lol