Hey guys, body progress pics!

[ddrango]

Sorry guys, something happened.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3360/p002427473546wf1.jpg
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/7893/p002417360118fi4.jpg
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3443/p002407469449lx6.jpg

Teaser shots! This is just the beginning...more pics soon! Started with my 02' CC R/T with 17,136 miles...

The flares are done the right way, plastic ("bondo" at autozone) won't cut it. As mentioned, it will crack and break off. It's not meant to hold together, just fill, hence it's name body filler. The flares are one-piece molded with the fenders, and the roll pan is a lightweight fiberglass one (started out with a Lund one) molded to the bed sides. Everything has been molded together and driven for a while, cold, heat, wet, dry, bumps = zero cracks. Once the truck is complete, I plan to cover it all up, and let it stress through the winter. Once completed and there are no cracks/breaks, I'll paint the truck in the spring once it warms up.

[1999DakotaRT]

Holy $#!@. What a tease indeed! I think that's going to look awesome when all is said & done. Is the flare under there and molded in??

EDIT: Doesn't look like that is as far out as a stock fender flare, so I'm going to guess not?

[ddrango]

delete

[1999DakotaRT]

Yup! thanks man...been a long work in progress going reaaaaaaal slow. The body is almost done itself. The picture of where the roll pan is molded in was just after the first step of permanently bonding it, I put some plastic and sprayed a light coat of gray primer on it to disguise it.

:biggthumpup: I had always wondered what this would look like -- you've definitely got some balls to be the first (?) to try it, especially with how clean your truck is :hail: I can't wait to see the rears

[ddrango]

delete

[GoFastGray]

want this thread deleted?

[NH_TAZ]

Why did you remove the pics?

[GoFastGray]

Why did you remove the pics?

They wern;t up long...i didn't even get a teaser peak at them.

[tcuillier]

delete

Looks good. There's a guy that drives a 2000 Dakota Sport CC who works across the street from my office. He put R/T flares on his and molded them in with Bondo. He painted the truck Emerald Green. It turned out fantastic, but now, less than 4 months later---all 4 flares have cracked & the Bondo is falling out. He's now bonding the flares with glass cloth and resin. Hope it works better.

Tom

[NH_TAZ]

They wern;t up long...i didn't even get a teaser peak at them.

Me neither!

[torquejunky59]

:jester: ... im lost what just happened?

[BluRT00]

:jester: ... im lost what just happened?

I'm as lost as you, I believe we have been punked. :bs:

[ddrango]

Sorry guys, something happened -they're back up! Opinions please

[bad360rt]

ddrango, nice work! It'll make for a very clean look :biggthumpup:


:biggthumpup: I had always wondered what this would look like -- you've definitely got some balls to be the first (?) to try it, especially with how clean your truck is :hail: I can't wait to see the rears

Don McDonald did it with his truck, but he also filled the body crease all the way around and the grille gap, it's an awesome look, but a lot of work to do it right.

http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0405tr_01_z+1999_dodge_dakota_RT+front_view.jpg

[ddrango]

Thanks man, a lot of work.

[moore_716]

ddrango, nice work! It'll make for a very clean look :biggthumpup:




Don McDonald did it with his truck, but he also filled the body crease all the way around and the grille gap, it's an awesome look, but a lot of work to do it right.

http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0405tr_01_z+1999_dodge_dakota_RT+front_view.jpg


OMG that truck is beautiful.:hail:

[bad360rt]

OMG that truck is beautiful.:hail:

It was, it's dead now, sold off in pieces, literally, right down to the frame. :(

[1999DakotaRT]

ddrango, nice work! It'll make for a very clean look :biggthumpup:




Don McDonald did it with his truck, but he also filled the body crease all the way around and the grille gap, it's an awesome look, but a lot of work to do it right.

http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0405tr_01_z+1999_dodge_dakota_RT+front_view.jpg

Whoa!!! Definitely having this done when I get my paint done

[ddrango]

I'm interested in those billet grills, anyone know what kind they are? I want the ones that are outside not behind.

[NH_TAZ]

Looks like you have done some decent work, can't wait to see the finished product.

[Five9Dak]

You'd have to do a decent bit of strengthing on the grille shell so it wouldn't crack away from the hood. Mine will move quite a bit.

[BluRT00]

So did you fab up a set of flares in metal? More info on this would be great, cause I wan't to paint mine next year. Might as well do the flares, and after seeing Don's old truck, might even fill the seam in all the way around. Would look sexy on a IB truck I believe. Dan

[dakotabluert98]

It was, it's dead now, sold off in pieces, literally, right down to the frame. :(

what happened to the truck....accident or just parted out?

[ddrango]

So did you fab up a set of flares in metal? More info on this would be great, cause I wan't to paint mine next year. Might as well do the flares, and after seeing Don's old truck, might even fill the seam in all the way around. Would look sexy on a IB truck I believe. Dan

Molded the OEM flares to the fender panels. No "bondo" here.

[bad360rt]

what happened to the truck....accident or just parted out?

He tore it down to the frame for a new project. Had the entire frame powdercoated, and then I'm not sure what happened, but he sold everything off.

[dakotabluert98]

He tore it down to the frame for a new project. Had the entire frame powdercoated, and then I'm not sure what happened, but he sold everything off.


what a shame,truck looked killer.

[bad360rt]

what a shame,truck looked killer.

It was a sweet truck, with a killer sound system too. He replaced it with a SRT-8 Magnum. Good guy, haven't heard from him in a long time.

[BluRT00]

Molded the OEM flares to the fender panels. No "bondo" here.

More details on how you molded the oem's in. Fiberglass mat? Fiberglass cloth? Fiberglass filler?

[dakotabluert98]

It was a sweet truck, with a killer sound system too. He replaced it with a SRT-8 Magnum. Good guy, haven't heard from him in a long time.


i do recall seeing the truck in a magazine cant remember which one.

[ddrango]

More details on how you molded the oem's in. Fiberglass mat? Fiberglass cloth? Fiberglass filler?

Fiberglass doesn't like metal...always keep that in mind, hence why he got cracks. You have to use something meant for the adhesive process you're going to do. I wish you guys could see it and feel it in person, you'd be surprised how rigid yet flexible the whole thing is.

[bad360rt]

Fiberglass doesn't like metal...always keep that in mind, hence why he got cracks. You have to use something meant for the adhesive process you're going to do. I wish you guys could see it and feel it in person, you'd be surprised how rigid yet flexible the whole thing is.

So what did you use? :D

[ddrango]

So what did you use? :D

Not going to reveal my secrets until it's finished...lol

[BluRT00]

Not going to reveal my secrets until it's finished...lol

Well you just suck LOL. :finger:

[BackRoadsR/T]

Well you just suck LOL. :finger:

x2 id like to attempt this on mine

[b2™]

What did Don use to fill in the body line? I've wanted to do that to mine but have been worried about it crackin' later on. I know his flares kept cracking but did he ever have any problems w/ the body line?

[BluRT00]

What did Don use to fill in the body line? I've wanted to do that to mine but have been worried about it crackin' later on. I know his flares kept cracking but did he ever have any problems w/ the body line?

I am pretty sure the body line when it was done right had no issues at all. Not sure which route they went doing it. They could have cut in the center of the body line, beat it out alittle, welded up. Than skim some filler, or run a big bead or weld in there, but I would be afraid of warping. I doubt he just had filler slapped in the line. Dan

[DrewzR/T]

What would be cool is if we could get a fiberglass mold done like that!:woot:

[USAF R/T]

There's no good way to mold plastic to metal, the expansion rates are so different that it'll just crack. I've never seen any plastic molded to metal that didn't crack in a year or so. Even bondo has a different expansion rate than metal or plastic. I wouldn't suggest molding any plastic to metal on your truck unless you want to redo it ever year or so.


Titus

[Rigeldust]

I think he's using a type of bondo.