Need some advice on what tools to use for body work

[85begalttype]

im doing a frame off on my 86 cutlass and gonna put my hotair motor in it. The car was blasted with "gem blasting" really fine media that doesnt harm the metal. Where the roof meets the pillars, the factory body work looks really bad and it was a landau top car so it looks like they didnt put too much effort into it compared to my regal hard top. I havent really done any body work before, but learn really quick and im good at mechanics. i guess the best thing to do is buy a DA sander and sand out all the factory filler and then redo it. Or do you think a sander attachment for my power drill be good enough to remove the factory filler? with some 80 grit?

 

[charlief1]

The body putty comes out really easy with just a wire wheel or if you're careful you can use a propane torch on it. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation if you use a torch and a face mask if you grind or wheel it out. Then you need to learn how to do the putty back in it. There's a couple of body guys on the forum so I'm sure one of them will chime in.

 

[mearly65]

You'll want to use Mar-Glass or something equivalent. It's body filler reinforced with strands of fiberglass. Those pillar seams can undergo a lot of flexing during normal everyday driving let alone racing. if you just use regular filler putty odds are you will be redoing it due to cracking. The best advice I can give you as far as learning how to do bodywork is just go to some of your local bodyshops and ask if you can stand around and watch. They might look at you strangely at first but just explain to them what you're trying to accomplish. At least one should say OK. You can read books and watch videos all day long on how to do bodywork but until you watch someone who knows what they're doing and get your hands on a car and "feel" what's being done you'll never get it. Good luck.