Hey Luke... Just so you know, I HATE YER GUTS LOL... I keep seeing that dang green muskrat paint job! I really hope this turns out with that much depth! So far, the hood, one fender and one door is 12 hours. YIKES! Started out with 600 to squeeze the oranges (!) then 1000 for blending orange juice, then 1200 to strain the pulp, and finally, 1500 for an orange margarita! Sugar on the rim please! Yeah the 1500 job is as far as I can go. Followed yer advice and kept 1/4" from any edges, then finished them up with wet 1500 by finger. The first pic is the 1500 circles. Im seeing this stuff in my sleep! Last week when clearing this thing, I ran out of clear from the gallon on the end of doing the roof. The next morning I gave it a full coat from a spare quart and left a cover for a soft edge at the top of the sail panel. A few swipes with 1500 put that pony to rest. The dimple pic was just where I left off. Itll make it easy for a start tomorrow! Cant wait to buff down by the rocker panels haha... ws
Looking good, buddy! If you use a sanding board and go in long strokes, it'll speed up the process tremendously.... The Mach 1 paint job was an over 2 year ordeal. Used no filler, only lead.
Yeah, when I did all the work on the back end it was with steel and maybe a kitchen spoons' worth of fiberglass. NO BONDO here! Did you do the lead work? Thats lots of special wood spoons and flux etc etc.. I do have the lead files tho! ws
I did quite a bit of it myself, I was 19-20 at the time and fresh out of auto body/metal fab school (they taught us lead-ing, chopping tops, chassis fab, etc.). The majority of the major work was done by a guy named Matt Whitmeyer back home in Conrad with help from me. I learned more working on my car with him then I did in school that whole year......Just to screw with ya, pal......................... Oh, and I guy never forgets the smell of burning sheep tallow
Hahahahaha! I did some pretty wild airbrushing, too. But that is merely a reflection of the Montana "Big Sky".
Years ago I when I did one of several black GTOs for a customer, I just had to mess with him a little. I wrote Merry Christmas backwards on a lined sheet of paper and took a picture of it in the reflection of the paint. Not only could you read what I wrote but you could also see the lines on the paper, and read the time on the wall clock behind me. I wish I had that picture on my computer. I took it and emailed it to him and he printed it and still has it.
I can't say it looks good Bill. Personally, I'd be really twitchy about sanding through the clear. I'm sure it's going to turn out well, though.
Was a little short on time last nite... Walking Dead was on the boob tube. Its our "date night" thing LOL... Theres so much clear on there that she can afford to lose some, thats for sure! That damn paint looked so dramatic until you see the dust nibs etc. At that point theres only one solution; BLAST. I can do mechanical stuff while BS'ing on the phone, but I aint no painter. Understand the concept really well too, just lack the ol' 'hand-eye' coordination thing. Kinda like welding. Make a bad start or stop? get the grinder out! ws
I've done that in small areas, and on some parts. It's a ton of work on a whole car multiple times. I guess that's why you get the big bucks, huh Bill?
See post #731 (!!) I had the local barbarian (he calls himself a painter) come over and look at the job last week and all he could do was pick out the bad stuff... DUHH!! Yer talking to the HANGING judge here pal. We walked into the locked shop, and I purposely left my keys in the door so I didnt get locked out. He asked me twice if I wanted them. I said to leave them there so I can find them. The A$$hat pulls them out of the door and tosses them 5 feet onto the fresh hood. If that were Chicago, that wouldve cost him the clear coat job that he was looking at. The guy quoted me 400.00 to just shoot the clear; NOTHING ELSE. This guy has the reputation of getting overspray on interior trim parts etc. What a moron. So far with the trunk floor, rear window and frame work, body work, primer, paint, clear and now the sanding (I'm at 1500 and will do 2000 tomorrow) I have about 800 (November 1st through today at 6-7 days a week) hours into this thing. At 50.00 an hour (plus materials!) which youd never see and I know whats what, its a whopper without cheese. Wait, lets cut that in half, 400 hours LOL. Im glad it wasnt a frame off. An estimate for a customer wouldve busted me! Theres still the rugs and trim to do, bumpers and tail lights etc. OOPS. I forgot the headliner job too haha. I'm glad I can smoke out here! Last year was the motor, trans and brakes, and fuel tank etc etc... Nothing like 80K into a 15K car, right?? BTW... I got a 395.00 tax refund this year. With the lock down now, I don't even have to feel guilty OR bored! Back to sanding the roof! ws
You've never struck me as a "good enough" guy. You know you want it perfect. Dang German Virgo's. Yeah, we're down to 1500 and will do the whole job tomorrow with 2000. THEN I'M DONE. FWIW, I started the roof with 220, then on to 320, 600, 800, 1200 and finally the 1500. Not a single sand through either. These pics were taken after a wipe with dewaxer on a paper towel. I am ASSuming that after a pass with 2000, its going to improve even more so, then theres the cut and polish. Another "bell curve" I'm sure. Anyways, enjoy this while yer stuck in yer boxes; this Johnson is gonna get a nap in today! ws
Thanks! Yer stupid muskrat (!) is the impetus for this one pal. Looking at my bleeding fingernails, all I see is that metallic green. Thanks for walking me through this. I owe ya a Coke! ws
When it's all said and done, Bill, remember to only wash the car in straight lines, none of that scrubbing in circular patterns. Where do guys think their swirl marks come from? If you never wipe the car in a circular fashion, guess what? No swirls. That's one of the main reasons the Mach 1 looks so good 20 years on.
