Bodywork details are part of what really makes your vehicle stand out in a crowd. Don’t be tempted to find an easy way to accomplish it or take shortcuts, because it’s worth taking the time to get everything perfect, right down to the smallest detail. If you don’t, it will cause headaches down the line and you may never feel totally satisfied with the result. For instance, you can watch the Project C10 truck restoration crew tackle some of the interior and exterior bodywork details to make huge progress in Episode 12.
Project C10 Tech Tip – Bodywork Details
Project C10’s Rick Drewry shares a tip that will help your bodywork process go much more smoothly: finish the bodywork only to about 90%, then assemble everything and make sure it’s all fitting together properly. Although this seems like a time-intensive approach, it will actually save you time because you won’t have to fix all the small dings and rubs that happen during assembly. Rick recommends taking the bodywork to about three-fourths to 90% done, then assemble, check everything, and disassemble to continue the finesse work. “One of the mistakes people make is trying to get the bodywork to 100%, then during assembly you have to adjust things, redo a lot of things,” he says. “So, you get it to 90% – do all the fab, mock everything up, that way you can scratch it, dent it, whatever, and you didn’t screw up perfectly good body work.”
Tackling Interior Bodywork Details and Upholstery
In terms of bodywork on the vehicle interior, it’s all about painting inside the doors and cab panels, finishing off the paint work on other interior details and making sure everything will come out with a smooth, even shine. In terms of the upholstery, Rick strongly recommends holding off on it until you get brand new springs for the seats. It puffs them up for a very comfortable ride and prevents the kind of partial collapsing that often happens with old bench seats. After the springs and other interior seat padding are in place, move on to installing brand new upholstery for the interior and finish out any small interior paint jobs that still remain. At this point in your restoration, you’ll really start to feel it’s in the home stretch.
Ask a Classic Truck Restoration Mentor
The experts at Project C10 welcome questions about restoration. Restoring a classic car or truck can be extremely tricky, and it’s helpful to hear tips from people who have done it all before. We welcome you to become part of the Project C10 community and seek advice from our experts. From bodywork to engine work, from bumper to bumper, we’re here for your toughest restoration questions.
Join the Project C10 Truck Community
Project C10, powered by American Modern, an original video series from Classic Auto Insurance that chronicles the restoration of a 1965 Chevy C10 truck to a beautiful restomod worthy of car show display. Stay up-to-date with Project C10 by subscribing to Classic Auto’s YouTube Channel, following us on Instagram and visiting our C10 Restoration page on ClassicIns.com, where you’ll enjoy step-by-step episodes, project-specific Tech Tips and behind-the-scenes articles that give you an inside look into what it takes to restore a classic collectible like a Chevy C10 truck.
