How do you do it, restore yourself or send to a well known shop?

[2112]

I for one, am looking forward to seeing your lead filled, lacquer painted Shelby. 

Wasn't/isn't lead used to fill the joint between the roof and quarter panel?

I guess it you wanted to be 100% authentic, you could paint your fiberglass with poorly matched lacquer.  🤓

[J_Speegle]

I for one, am looking forward to seeing your lead filled, lacquer painted Shelby. 

Lacquer??? Like Chevies?

[cjmustangman]

I do pretty much everything on my own cars now.  I used to send out some of my parts for restoration, but because of high costs for shipping and hassle at border to bring back into Canada, and some good fortune ( bought a big tumbler to do suspension and other parts for $150  ).   I have an upholsterer that comes to my shop and does headliners and convertible tops, and he takes seats to his shop. It wasn't that long ago  I painted a couple of cars in my garage in a make shift paint booth and they turned out great. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it...I got tired of shops wanting to charge according to the value of the car rather than what it actually costs...
Arild

[JD]

Wasn't/isn't lead used to fill the joint between the roof and quarter panel?

I guess it you wanted to be 100% authentic, you could paint your fiberglass with poorly matched lacquer.  🤓

Yes and there were a couple cars restored that did use lacquer on the Shelby parts and it was a slightly different color and were not penalized for it

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

Took 3 years of Body and fender in High School. Worked with lead. It's not that difficult to work with if and its a big IF, the surface is prepared right, you use the right lead ( not old wheel weights melted down), the right torch and temperature (too hot and concentrated it runs off and the metal warps, too cold it doesn't adhere and doesn't fill correctly) Its a deft touch with the heat, the lead and the paddle (made of oak and dipped in bee's wax to help smooth it out)
If you know what your doing it's usually a thin coat, if you don't its a molten lump you have to grind off.
when you see it done right its like magic when you see it done wrong its a nightmare
The fumes and the environmental impact make it tough to get done now a days.
its like watching somebody with a torch, a shrinking and stretching hammer work out a big dent or crease without replacing the fender, door or even quarter panel, almost all are lost arts
try it on an old fender or door (use something from the 60's today's steels don't work like they did)

[TOBKOB]

Wasn't/isn't lead used to fill the joint between the roof and quarter panel?

I guess it you wanted to be 100% authentic, you could paint your fiberglass with poorly matched lacquer.  🤓

I have seen a video of worker leading this at the factory (May have been on this site before the crash???).
My '69 fiberglass was a shade off from the rest of the car when I bought it in 1970.

TOB