Update on BA 409

wristpin

Well Known Member
Tom you may be finished up with cleaning those rusty parts but you can get a gallon of muriatic acid at Lowes or Home DePot for a few bucks, it works real good on taking the rust off and its super easy. Just make sure you wash them off good with clean water when done. Also be careful where you store that jug of acid as to make sure the cap is on good. I keep mine outside and not in my garage as the fumes will corrode stuff in your garage.
Muriatic acid works very well with an ounce to a quart ratio. Sometimes for very bad rust wet a rag or paper towel and let it soak awhile. Rinse acid off with tap water then mix up TSP (trisodiumphosphate) gotten from hardware stores such as Ace or Home Depot. Acid will cause terruble rusting unless it is neutralized with the TSP. I use muriatic acid and TSP often.
 

63409

Well Known Member
Some more on "the rest of the story" :

So about a month or so ago I noted I was not getting any responses to my phone messages. Called twice a day, leaving messages on his cell each time. Then I noted that his land line was disconnected. Began to have concerns, so I made plans to head that way for a surprise visit. I knew he had horses and outside dogs on his acreage, so if those weren't there I knew there'd be a problem. To my surprise the animals were there, but neither he nor the wife were present. Garage where my car was located was locked, I guess that was a good sign. I left a long note taped to his ront door....

After a few weeks and more unanswered calls I attempted to call some of the other guys who had given me "references" and they were unaware of anything, but hadn't been in touch with him or some time. I continued to have major concerns...

Out of happenstance I decided one day to look him up on Missouri's "CaseNet" and lo and behold, his name popped up with an impending court case scheduled for December 3rd. This was just after Thanksgiving, so I headed over there 90 miles away for another surprise visit. This time the front door was open so I knew he was home. The dogs were inside but barking and growling like mad. But no answer from the guy. Turns out he was in the back 40 hunting (deer season) and after half an hour of me snooping around he appeared in hunter's guise. Asked me what I wanted, as if he didn't even know me. When I reintroduced myself (awkward situation) and asked why he hadn't answered my calls or responded to my note I found out he had been visited by the Highway Patrol, handcuffed and taken to jail where he stayed for a few weeks while raising bond (and getting a lawyer). He had just been released pending a second court date (December 3rd). Federal charges were filed for tampering with a VIN tag and he got locked up until he posted $10K bond and retained a lawyer. I asked to see my car, saying I was coming back to pick it up. He said he couldn't even go near the garage, let alone open the doors, due to the court order. Sounded fishy to me, but I yielded. He said that he was being set up by a judge who was up for re-election, I could have cared less. Said he did not know who might have called him on the VIN tag... Figured they had to have good cause to cuff him up and lock him in jail, so I was more than worried about the status of my car...

I told him the day after his court date I was coming to pick up the vehicle, come hell or high water. He agreed. I noted that he got a continuance on December 3rd until January 2020 but that was enough for me to hire a flat bed and head out there to reclaim my stuff that I had not seen for many months. When I arrived the next day he was nowhere in sight and all my stuff was sitting out leaning against the barn next to my car, which he had wrapped in plastic (as if that mattered at the time...). The new parts were all covered in surface rust as if they were stored on a dirt floor. The doors had been removed and clearly were sitting on dirt. The convertible top was down and covered with leaves and twigs as if it had been sitting outside.

The "work" that he had done (trunk, floor pans, quarters, etc.) was butcher shop quality, he even cut out corners of the floor pans to be able to drop them in place. One side had some tack welds, the other just placed in position after some butchering of the corners :(. The Quarters were set in place over the existing originals as if he was going to fasten them over the old crusty ones :( :( :(.

I'll stop there because by now you get the picture and I'm getting perturbed...

Fast forward and now the corroded parts are in my mancave, the parts improperly installed are being removed, and I will be starting all over again.
Right now I am in "preservation mode" and will need some time to recover before I start back up again. And I'll need to save up some $$$ to have this vehicle returned to the condition it deserves...
OMG that’s a horror story, I real nightmare!!!
All I can say is take care of yourself
 

La Hot Rods

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
Well I have been beating and banging on one of these quarter panels and have some stretched areas that need some shrinking. I have seen shrinking disc and hear that they work good, so thought I would make one and give it a try. Just getting started and can tell this is going to work, but it is a slow process.
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I made this out of a piece of 14 gauge stainless steal. The idea is to run this on the high spots to create some heat and spray it with some soapy water to cool it down. When you see some steam coming from the water spray you know you doing some good. :cigar
 

heddrik

Well Known Member
So you rub the center of the dent , work your way out or vice versa? Thank you for the information and your patience in explaining.
 
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