In September of 2002 the restoration of my 86 Grand National was begun. The car was running great, the tranny had just been rebuilt but the body was showing its age. Rust under the rear seat at the body seams near the rockers had taken hold. More rust had really done a number to the trunk floor where it meets the wheel wells, as well as the lower rear quarter panels and the wheel wells themselves. The passenger side rear of the trunk lid near the bottom edge had rusted so badly that the trunk lid had a hole in it. The passenger side front fender also rusted above the wheel opening. The car had a few minor dents and dings and the door bottoms were junk.
A fellow NEBRA member, Chris Pacheco had already given me a good GN trunk lid. It already had the holes in it for the rear spoiler. I stripped the doors, fenders, and trunk lid and sprayed them with self etching primer. The overhanging edge of the trunk was treated with acid on the inside where they often rust. The areas were then later coated with POR 15, and then primed again. The insides of the doors were given the same treatments but after the areas were painted with POR 15 they were sprayed with paintable undercoating. The lower edges of the doors were stripped and wire brushed and new seam sealer, POR 15, primer, and then Eastwood's epoxy Chassis Black paint finished off the door edges.
