Car in primer-paint on calendar......

[69MyWay]

I am taking all of next week off work in hopes of busting through the paint on the car. STILL waiting on the left side header to be modified for test fit, then we can go full tilt from there.

I first fitted the fenders and doors. I also applied a skim coat of ultra light filler between the door and fenders then took a 17" board and hand sanded across the two to make the door and fenders appear to have been laser cut from one piece of steel. I don't know how common it is to do this, or in my case HAVE to do this since my doors and fenders fit terrible.

I then went around and knocked out the known, or OBVIOUS dings and imperfections in the body. I took a combo of 220 and 400 wet and blocked the car down at that point slicking out some areas and more or less stripping some of the old garbage primer that had been on the car.

I spent hours taping the car off yesterday with skirts to the floor and cardboard in the grill around the weeks, under the hood, etc. to prevent over spray. I loaded the car with two good coats of primer, then three and four in the areas that had been worked. This should give me ample base to block and build from.

The next phase is to spray a guide coat on and start the perfection sanding and looking for high/low spots.

It is really starting to wear on me already but I am keeping the prize in sight.

I arranged to haul the car to a buddies paint shop next weekend for a state of the art booth and for assistance in the wet stuff from a pro. After spending $1,200 on paint materials alone I don't want to risk that with a non-heated/climate controlled booth and no professional guidance.

I would post pics, but a primer car is a primer car. Just all grey!

[jonny51]

Chris,we love pictures even if there in primer.

Post em up!!

[907rs]

Chris, it sounds like your car's going to super straight. I can't wait to see it finished!

[69MyWay]

I just snapped a few inbetween some Easter things today.

[awr68]

Chis looks great!! Ah to be that far along...someday I suppose!!

So I got a question for ya guys...when shooting primer in your garage does it ruin the (stick to) floor or by the time it hits the floor is it already dry and sweeps up fune? I planned on doing the primer and possibly painting the interior and underside in my garage, then taking it to a booth for final paint. I will hang plastic walls to make a booth if you will, but didn't know if covering the floor was needed or even recommended...thanks!!

[radrambler]

hey chris :hail:

looks like its coming along..youll hammer it out this week.SINCE YOUR OFF
supposed to be great weather.
didnt make as much progress as i intended...jimmy reworked the drivers qtr panel...with wood and a hammer,WOW HES BRAVE also...he figured he save me 3 days of working out the qtr with filler... well we will see ..after work tommorrow i plan to do some fill and blocking on the qtr..get the big stuff done then on to prime and block .rest of the week ..man i gotta get this thing ready & paint.im running outa time ... :eek:

later
radrambler

[BC69]

Looks good...bet you cannot wait to get some color on that!!

Thanks for the pics
Tim

[Ummgawa]

Keep rubbin till its hard Rad. Great Job!!

[69MyWay]

Chis looks great!! Ah to be that far along...someday I suppose!!

So I got a question for ya guys...when shooting primer in your garage does it ruin the (stick to) floor or by the time it hits the floor is it already dry and sweeps up fune? I planned on doing the primer and possibly painting the interior and underside in my garage, then taking it to a booth for final paint. I will hang plastic walls to make a booth if you will, but didn't know if covering the floor was needed or even recommended...thanks!!

The primer dries pretty fast and leaves a sort of dust residue on the floor. My garage floor is a wreck anyway, almost like battle wounds that I reflect on to remember what project they came from. :D

You can do exactly as you plan. I see no problem with that. You can always repaint the floor when the project is done.

Rad....I know you will get that licked. Once that quarter is straight the rest is down hill.

I will put some updated pics on my site once the blocking process starts rolling.

[awr68]

Thanks Chris for the reply!!

My next project is clearancing the frame for the A/C compressor, I'm using the LT1 camaro bracket...I know you know all about that one!!!

[radrambler]

:D Keep rubbin till its hard Rad. Great Job!!

body work sucks ......its all hard labor... :willy:

[69MyWay]

Day one on the books. Spent all day Monday guide coating and blocking. Came up with a couple dozen low spots. Washed the car down and slid it back in the garage and started the two part putty coating and 17" board with 180 dry on those spots. The rest of the car is a combo of 220 wet and 400 wet depending on the surface.

Guide coating will really help bring things to the surface that you would not otherwise catch until it had the clear coat on. By then it is too late. Today is going to be CRAZY as we have to run all over town as well. It is 5:30 a.m., heading out there now. Going to wrap up the putty coat, tape and paper it all back up and put two more wet slick coats of primer on. Will let that set out in the sun today and will shoot a guide coat on tonight.

Wed will be a repeat of today but it will take longer to go around as I will be cutting it with 500 per the PPG material data procedure.

I am debating if I will wait to put the sealer on just before the top coat, or do it now and block it down. I want to make sure none of the old material that had been used by the lousy body shop that had installed the quarters bleeds through. I suspect some laquer products were used between layers of filler on the sail panel bonding surface.


My arms already feel like they are going to fall off!

[69MyWay]

It is a little more than 12 hours later since I last checked in.

Re-primed the car and re guide coated.

Hitting it with the 500 wet in the morning and hoping this is the last go around.

Here is what it looked like on Monday.

[jonny51]

Do you or rad sleep? :D

[radrambler]

Do you or rad sleep? :D

whats that jonny? lol sleep????....

chris and i are on a mission...hes shooting for goodguys columbus..and myself the power tour..hes in the lead on progress...
GO CHRIS

radrambler

[jonny51]

You guys are both kicking ass on your projects :thumbsup:

[awr68]

Chris since you're on a roll, why don't I bring mine over!!

Looks great can't wait to see the next pics!!! :thumbsup:

From what I understand, you want to put the sealer on right before you start with the color...ya know the same day.....but I'm sure every manufacturer has a different window?

[69MyWay]

Chris since you're on a roll, why don't I bring mine over!!

Looks great can't wait to see the next pics!!! :thumbsup:

From what I understand, you want to put the sealer on right before you start with the color...ya know the same day.....but I'm sure every manufacturer has a different window?


You are correct. This is the method when it is not sanded, or otherwise called wet on wet. I am debating still. It will have much to do with what it looks like after I finish the 500 wet sand on it today as to whether or not the sealer will go on now.

One plus about doing it now is I can then feather edge that paint line at the jam edges before the color shot. Therefore the color tape edge will be minimal. When you do sealer and color the jam paint edge has a larger ridge and sometimes you can see the faint grey sliver on the tape line.

[radrambler]

hey bud

got to shop and worked another hour TONIGHT blocking down left qtr....then swipped it again..guess... ill block that off tommorrow......I HATE BODY WORK!!!!!!! :willy:
CAINT WAIT TO GET PAST THIS STAGE.......
.WHEELS ON SCHEDULE FOR TOMMORROW FROM UPS!!!! :dance:
YOUR KICKING BUTT ON THE PAINT.....
.CALL ME TOMMORROW let me know how your doing with it.....

later
radrambler

[Ummgawa]

Rad

What are the wheels you are going with?

[radrambler]

Rad

What are the wheels you are going with?

this is what wheels i bought ..
18x8.5 and 18x9.5 sport max silver center wheels ..kinda like fiskes that are on the "mule" only fraction of cost......

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7958801738&ssPageName=MERC_VI_RSCC_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores
radrambler

[69MyWay]

I ache from head to toe. I 500 grit wet sanded yesterday from 7:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. I still didn't finish! The 500 sanding goes much slower as I am trying to simply slick and finess the body lines. The guide coat at this time is not for looking for dents/dings, rather to help me make sure I cover every square inch. I am able to see sanding scratches through the guide coat and can slick it down until it is all primer grey.

Today I have to wrap up the wetsanding, get all the door/jam edges feathered smooth (from the primer/tape edge), prep the grill, buy more base (the paint shop told me PPG does not cover well), and get a winch for my car hauling trailer so I can load/unload by myself. Friday I slap it on the trailer and head north about 45 miles or so to the paint shop. I will spend the lot of the day standing around waiting for space to roll it in and start taping it off. That takes me about 2 hours to do, then the booth. I hope to have paint on it by noon on Saturday, but that of course is always subject to change.

I am starting to get frustrated that there has been NO progress on my header mod by the welding shop. There are a couple of tuner shops here that do turbo hondas, etc. I may need to take the header to them. I need to hear this monster LS1 roar soon to make sure it is all good in there.

[radrambler]

hey chris

ccoooooolll... i cant wait to see it in person, done. good luck tommorrow and saturday with the paint job......i know its gonna look awesome :thumbsup:
ill come over an shoot pics of the finished paint job to post on here when it comes home sat.... :cheering:
im all jacked up to get mine in some primer this weekend.........
talk at ya tommorrow


radrambler