The Green Machine Diaries: Barn Doors!
/September 2-4, 2022
“As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a sluggard on his bed.”
“As a door turns on its hinges!” Was Solomon describing the barn doors on the Green Machine? These doors have been turning on their hinges for more than fifty years, but water, dirt, and rust have taken their toll. If these old doors were going to be the gates to good times, it was time to get after it!
Last time on the Green Machine Diaries
It’s been awhile. Last time on the Green Machine Diaries (“Almost Ready For “Primer” Time,”) I pulled, plugged, patched, and primed that beat up front end. That was September 2022. Yep, I’m a little behind updating the work on the 1966 Ford Econoline we affectionally call, “The Green Machine.” Here’s a quick look back.
This time . . . about those barn doors!
It was time to take this . . .
And do some of this . . .
To get to this . . .
The Process
As you can see below, when it came to the doors, some were good (little to no rust after 55 years) and some were suffering from rust, or what the automotive world calls, “cancer.”
What to do!
When it came to the rusty doors, it was time to cut out the rot, weld in the patch, strip the paint, treat the doors with a little POR (rust blocker/inhibitor) and get them ready for epoxy prime and final body work.
Oh what a difference a media blaster makes!
Next up: Clean, Tape, Clean, Clean, Clean . . . and Prime
Finished (for now)
Look closely and you’ll still see some dings and body work to be done. That’s okay. With the rust cut out, new metal in, the doors taken to bear metal and sprayed with epoxy primer, they will sit in patient bliss awaiting the refined body work to come.
Lessons Learned or Re-Learned
Finish it! - Shannan and I made a blitz trip to Arkansas and I knocked this out in the better part of 2 1/2 days. As Proverbs 24:16 makes clear, it is easy to “turn over” in the proverbial bed and put off the project for another day. Sleep like a sluggard or work like an ant. I didn’t get too much done, but it’s done!
Tools. Tools. Tools. - My little media blaster from Harbor Freight is not going to clean the entire vehicle, but WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE it made in both time savings and quality. Invest in tools!
Protect Thy Lungs! The epoxy primer, like the paint, is caustic and toxic. Quality respirator means more days to enjoy God’s good gifts.
WARNING: Image below may cause bad dreams.
So what’s next?
The Mrs and I dashed back to PA, where I was in search of a donor vehicle. More on the Donor (a 1963 Ford Econoline Travelwagon) next time on The Green Machine Diaries.
