SC Coupe Restoration

[bbspdstr]

"Wait three full weeks before the wet sanding. The PPG paint took forever to finish out gassing."

Herr Brooks is correct and it applies to all "plastic" paints (acrylic or poly urethanes, epoxies)... from any manufacturer. The only way around a wait is if that natural heater gets involved (dare I say "the sun"....which has not appeared in PA for more than a day at a time once in a while for many months) and that shortens the cure time.

On the flip side, waiting too long for a "cut and buff" can make the "paint" be like a concrete floor to get shiny again. One method is to wait three days and wet sand with ultra fine paper to open the pores and let that layer "gas out" and then a day or so later, compound and polish.

Lessons learnt by yer's truly: Production paint shops don't wait weeks or even days, they have heating booths or other force-cure methods...and often don't sand and polish due to really clean environments and hardly any dust to contaminate the job. Git 'em in, git 'em out.

Second lesson is that I miss lacquer....except on humid days (causing blushing) or really dry days (static drawing dirt and fuzz into the surface)

Bruce

[Jbrooks]

Tom

Undercoat is good, truck bed liner is better unless you are worried about the authenticity police. As clean as the bottom is, professional bed liner over the primer will hold up better. You can always spray some wet tar over it, for the black finger judge look.

[tperazzo]

Any day now it will all be green!

Jbrooks, I saw that car in your thread and it looks great. We have planned dry time already. It will be another few months before I get the car back. He's going to undercoat after paint but before color sanding.

[Jbrooks]

Tom

I just finished a C coupe in this color. Glad to see yours done. Wait three full weeks before the wet sanding. The PPG paint took forever to finish out gassing.

[John Pierce]

Tom,

Is it ready for paint?!!!! If so.....CONGRATULATIONS

JP

[tperazzo]

Here's the color match to the original glove box door.

[roy mawbey]

I agree with Don, those are great gaps! Its the first thing people look at. They look closer than factory to me.

Well done

Roy

[Don C]

Great gaps!
You'll be happy you spent the time on them!

[JTR70]

Looking good Tom, your guy is leveling that out nicely! Those shots are bringing back alot of frustating memories for me. You were very wise to farm this very messy and labor intensive phase out. Looking forward to your next update.
Justin

[tperazzo]

Here are some more body work shots.












Happy with the progress so far in no particular order.
Thanks,
Tom

[tperazzo]

Thank you Justin and Bruce,
Here's the build primer to be used on my car.



Just passing info along as I didn't specify this primer, but the body guy really likes it. Seems like a good product although expensive.

I don't have any experience with it, but that's why I'm leaving it to the pros, ha ha.

Thanks again for the comments,
Tom

[bbspdstr]

Tom, coming along nicely!

FWIW, the best polyester fill primer I have used, and I've tried most of what's been out there, is Spies-Hecker 3508, a catalyzed product that fills well and sands very easily.

It is like a sprayed finishing putty, just smooth and easier to sand with 180. It is usually over metal that's been finished with a thin coating of filler as shown on your shell... as it's basically more.....well, filler. It's what we use to fill sanding cuts and scratches, file marks that were exposed with the spread-on filler, pin-holes, etc. A 'final filler' that is, did I mention?... very easy to sand.

We often use multiple coats with sanding each time with a powder guide-coat. Often, one coat is enough, but if there is a break-through while sanding, we seal those edges with a bit more 3508.

When sanded dry with 180, coats of wet-sandable (and tintable) urethane primer is it's next coating, then the top-coat of color. Funny, all of these products are not "paints".... they are technically "plastic coatings." Gone are the "good old days" of lacquer primer, lacquer putty, lacquer paints, the good buzz from the fumes, then the headaches, then the sand and polish. And beer. Simple chemistry, simpler times.

Continued good luck,
Bruce

[JTR70]

Looks like she's smoothing out really nice Tom! I know what you mean, it was so nice to let someone else take the wheel when it came down to getting my car in paint. Enjoy the ride.
Justin

[tperazzo]

Here's a few more shots showing body work. What looks like primer is not.... It's the skim coat of filler. Whether the car needs it or not the entire car gets block sanded with the filler. Most of it comes off, however my car most likely needs the filler despite all my straightening efforts, ha ha. The alternative is to use lots of high build primer I suppose, but my body guy prefers filler because it is much more stable and tough.



Here's a before shot showing the body file work to check straightness and perform any last chance dolly work.





Thanks for watching! I'm watching too now as it's out my hands! Tough to hand over, but a relief at the same time.
Tom

[roy mawbey]

Bruce,, thanks a lot for that tip on boiling off those possible additives in the lead, you see never knew that. If someone had said to me me in 1976 if you are not sure what you are doing, in 40 years time you will be able to ask a question on your computer and get an answer from a guy in America straight to your screen with even a photograph if you need it inside a few minutes I would have given him a strange look for sure.
Tell me when you sit in that Chevy I think all those memories will come flooding back!!

Roy

Roy