72 GS Stage1 Numbers Matching Convertible Resto

Body back down onto the chassis, door hinges rebuilt, doors & fenders installed.

 

Started the process of finding the low & high spots before moving into skim coating. One advantage of an epoxy that cures with a high gloss is to aide this process (I use SPI epoxy). I block the whole car with long boards. Low spots stay glossy and high spots quickly reveal bare metal. After this process I go back over the car and circle all of the low spots with pencil (never pen or marker - it will bleed thru and make you sad later). This leaves a tell-tale mark you can sand back to when sanding the skim coat.

Yes, skim coating does take time and its a ton of work. Take a look at the pass door. It looked good beforehand, but after blocking you can now see the 8 low spots. Bear in mind these 'low' spots are probably 1/64 inch deep, maybe less. But if there aren't filled they will show in the final finish as disruption in the glossy surface.

I also pasted a pic of the driver fender. Overall not took bad - just 3 low spots. But again, if not filled it will definitely make a difference in the final paint.

So onward to the skim coating....



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Took a short detour before starting the skim coat. The pass fender is not original, and was replaced at some point. Unfortunately it is one of the GM service fenders that got welded wrong. Drilled out the welds, repositioned the outer skin and welded back together. Now it matches the original driver side.

 

Looking sharp....

 

I am thrilled to see you taking this car back to complete original. When I looked at this car for Mike Sobotka, before Donnie bought it, I was thinking about how nice it would be for the right person to get it and make it whole again. Congratulations!

 

How about a pink GS? Mary Kay maybe? Before you think I've lost my mind, its Evercoat's 4:1 super build primer with Optex. It sprays on pink and then turns gray as you sand, eliminating the need for guide coat. Kinda gimmicky in my opinion. But they are really pushing the Optex now trying to get people to give it a try. It was on sale and cheaper than their standard 4:1 gray that I usually spray. So I decided to give it a try.

 

Looking great Dennis. Did you wind up splicing in the '71-'72 pop-up spring section on the hood?

 

Thanks Donny. Yes I did. I swear I took a pic after welding it together, but I don't seem to have anything on my phone. Will try to remember to snap one this wkend. Will be busy - headed to paint....

 

Honestly I am not impressed. It is true the pink does fade away when sanded, but not to a true gray color. It more like a pinkish gray. Yes you can tell where there are obvious low spots, but outside of those obvious spots the rest of the surface ends up in various shades of pinkish gray. As you know when you black guide coat a gray primer, it comes back to a true solid gray after sanding. There is no doubt the surface is flat with no low spots.

I can say I tried it. I wouldn't use it again, even if it was on sale. Going back to standard gray with black guide coat.

One other perhaps obvious side effect of the Optex. Now I have a nice pink layer of dust everywhere in the shop.

 

Holy smokes this thread started April of this year and you're this far along on the restoration. Color me extremely impressed and jealous.

 

I myself stopped using guide coat on the primer...I grab a dark color of base coat and over reduce it and use it...faster..more even..sands out with any chance of clogging the paper up...I use the spray bomb or charcoal during the bodywork if needed..and the collision spot repairs

 

I use this for my guide coat.

 

Fire red anyone? Starting to look like 1972 around here. First pass through the booth complete. Next round for the fenders, doors, decklid (top) and misc small parts.

 

Quick question. Does anyone reproduce these door stickers with the build date and VIN?

 

Never mind, found it. Now if only I still had an old fashioned typewriter....

https://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/pr...b-vin-decal-with-clear-overlay-new-blue/56407

 

They’re junk contact this companies. They redid the stickers for my 87 GN drivers door.