62 Corvette rebuild

[drivesitfar]

DON: looks good so far. WELL DONE!!

also thank you for all the pictures and methods you used to do this cause I bet a good reason why your paint job will be AWESOME is because of all the prep work you are doing.

GOOD LUCK with the rest of the sanding and painting!!

 

[Copymutt]

This is first thread I've stumbled on in Garage forum on vehicle restoration/mod.
Very impressed, especially as others have kudod the lift in the paint booth.
Almost time to go get a bunch of thumbs up on the road.
Jim

 

[don long]

Thank you guys for the many positive comments and encouragement on my vette project. They are very motivating.

I can see the light at the end of this tunnel and I'm really excited to get to the finish line.

The car comes out of the booth and back into the shop tomorrow for the final sanding. We will be using spray bottles with water and 400 grit sand paper wrapped around a rubber pad. we will guide coat the entire car with black powder so we will be able to see any imperfections as we sand the primer and also to be sure we don't have any deep sand scratches left in the primer

IMG_2724 by don long, on Flickr

IMG_2726 by don long, on Flickr

IMG_2728 by don long, on Flickr

IMG_2730 by don long, on Flickr

 

[MP&C]

Lookin good Don, she's going to be slick!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Don, what an awesome outcome..

 

[drivesitfar]

DON: while i'm not certain what guide coat the entire car with black powder means, but i love the detail you are doing with your descriptions to help those that know what that means.

I think you've mentioned 1500-2000 grit sandpaper on some of your paint finishes and i'm guessing you save that stuff for the final paint.

pace yourself so your arm doesn't fall off and of course I (we) all wish you the best of luck getting it ready for final paint.

cheers

 

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

WOW, very nice work and a great project!

 

[Duke55]

If it looks that good in primer it’s going to look great in paint. Can wait to see it. Great work as usual Don.


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[don long]

Lookin good Don, she's going to be slick!

Thanks Robert
I'm a little nervous about painting it but I'm gonna give it a shot today

Don, what an awesome outcome..

1/2 Cup

Thanks. It's been a long time coming

DON: while i'm not certain what guide coat the entire car with black powder means, but i love the detail you are doing with your descriptions to help those that know what that means.

I think you've mentioned 1500-2000 grit sandpaper on some of your paint finishes and i'm guessing you save that stuff for the final paint.

pace yourself so your arm doesn't fall off and of course I (we) all wish you the best of luck getting it ready for final paint.

cheers

Thanks for the good wishes Drives

I need it. The guide coat is charcoal powder that you rub on the car so when you sand the powder stays in the sand scratches until you sand past them.

The 1500 grit is saved for the polishing steps after paint

WOW, very nice work and a great project!

Thanks DirtyWhiteBoy

It has been a fun project ,but it's time to be done with it

If it looks that good in primer it’s going to look great in paint. Can wait to see it. Great work as usual Don.


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Thanks Duke

 

[mv213]

Can’t wait to see that beauty in paint!

 

[Robert Haas]

My compliments sir. I have enjoyed this build from afar for years.

Many of the things you have done have motivated me to simulate on my truck build.

Thank you for the motivation.

 

[don long]

Can’t wait to see that beauty in paint!

MV.

I hope we don't have to wait much longer. I'm praying that my back holds up just a little longer

My compliments sir. I have enjoyed this build from afar for years.

Many of the things you have done have motivated me to simulate on my truck build.

Thank you for the motivation.

Robert

I'm more than happy to help. I'm happy to hear that you have been along for this long journey.

Tomorrow will be a very big busy day in my garage.

 

[don long]

Today was a great day. I was worried that rain would ruin my day but to my surprise it rained for 10 minutes this morning and then cleared up.

Yesterday I block sanded the Vette with 400 grit dry sandpaper using my vac tools to keep the dust down away from the car then today I wet sanded the car with 500 grit paper using a spray bottle a rubber block and some towels to keep the car clean and not have a watery mess in the garage.

Next with Paul's help we pulled the doors and decklid off the car and put them into the booth for painting.
After a lot of masking I sprayed a white sealer on the parts

IMG_2734 by don long, on Flickr

Letting the sealer cure for 30 minutes I went back into the booth and applied the base coat to the parts

IMG_2737 by don long, on Flickr

It is a water based product from P.P.G. the paint co.

After a 2 hour wait because of no heat in my booth and a cold day (55*)
I went back in and layed down a coat of pearl metalic paint.
With the lights in the booth off and using a special light you can see the pearl and gold metallic flakes in the paint

IMG_2747 by don long, on Flickr

And finally after just a few minutes for flash time the clear was applied and the parts will sit in the booth over night to cure

IMG_2749 by don long, on Flickr

IMG_2752 by don long, on Flickr

Tomorrow the body will get color YEA

 

[drivesitfar]

Don: WOW!!

still crossing fingers and toes and wishing you lots of good luck!!!

 

[iajonesy]

That is just fantastic, Don. Keep those pictures coming.

Mike

 

[Bob Heine]

Thank you Don! I was enjoying the pictures and thought I saw a nib in the paint. I really have to wipe the drool off my monitor more often.

 

[Toolfool]

Great color for a vette !

 

[rmalkow2]

Don, Love the color and the pearl/flake is gonna make that pop big time when out in the sun someday. Good luck on the balance of painting.

 

[don long]

Don: WOW!!

still crossing fingers and toes and wishing you lots of good luck!!!

Thanks Drives.

It's working so far

That is just fantastic, Don. Keep those pictures coming.

Mike

Thanks Mike

Will do

Thank you Don! I was enjoying the pictures and thought I saw a nib in the paint. I really have to wipe the drool off my monitor more often.

Bob

Drool? Are you sure you didn't choke when you first saw those pictures?
It's pretty bright!!

Thanks Buddy

Great color for a vette !

Thanks Toolfool

I think all Vettes are RED

Don, Love the color and the pearl/flake is gonna make that pop big time when out in the sun someday. Good luck on the balance of painting.

Bob

I worked with a good friend that works for PPG as a color matcher and we built that color from scratch. We needed to match the Viper red that I had already sprayed on the car. I wanted something that would pop in the sun and we got it.

Here is what the car looks like this morning

IMG_2755 by don long, on Flickr

 

[dchance]

Doors and deck look great. Really like the color.

Looking forward to seeing the car in paint.

Dwight

 

[jbmatth]

Great to see color going down on your car Don, congrats.
JB

 

[don long]

Doors and deck look great. Really like the color.

Looking forward to seeing the car in paint.

Dwight

Great to see color going down on your car Don, congrats.
JB

Thanks guys.
I'm as anxious to see the car painted as you are i'm sure.
Today we worked all day trying to get the car ready to except the color.
We sprayed the first coat of sealer and found a few imperfections that needed attention. The first coat of color didn't hit the car til around 2 P.M.
A few more small issues showed up so we stopped and fixed them. 2 more coats of color (water base paint) went on and it took too long to flash off because it got too cold for the water to evaporate, so we pulled the doors down and called it a day. We will apply the pearl coats and the clear on monday

Here is the car with the red base coat trying to flash off (go dull)


2018-02-23 17.06.50 by don long, on Flickr

I love having a lift in the paint booth

2018-02-23 17.10.10 by don long, on Flickr

2018-02-23 17.09.00 HDR by don long, on Flickr

 

[HOTFR8]

First look I said flat red! Now that would be interesting. Great progress on the project.

 

[71goldss]

I’m far from an expert on the subject, but it’s my understanding that the PPG basecoat recoat window is a maximum of 24 hours. If not cleared within the 24 hr recoat window, then the basecoat would need to be scuffed and recoated with base, then cleared. I’m basing this on solvent based BC/CC, so maybe it’s different with waterborne? Anyone, please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[56vette461]

Congratrs Don,

It's been a while coming to this point but the car is looking great. I kept telling Ruth that when I finished following all the work on your vette I would have a good punch list of how to finish ours. So, as I've been reading your post tonight I saw her looking at the screen (never should have put these chairs side by side). The first thing she says, "well, have you got the details, because it is time to start" .

The paint is looking great. I'll be excited for a road trip down your way to see it in person. Please tell Ann hi for us.

AJ

 

[don long]

First look I said flat red! Now that would be interesting. Great progress on the project.

Thanks Simon

I had that thought run through my mind as well

I’m far from an expert on the subject, but it’s my understanding that the PPG basecoat recoat window is a maximum of 24 hours. If not cleared within the 24 hr recoat window, then the basecoat would need to be scuffed and recoated with base, then cleared. I’m basing this on solvent based BC/CC, so maybe it’s different with waterborne? Anyone, please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

71goldss

You are correct. and yes I know that by stopping early I created a bit more work for myself However, I was too tired to continue and it got cold fast and I have no heat in my booth. My Saturday is booked with other commitments so I'll have to start over on monday. There is one other step in my process and that is the pearl coat that is water base that goes on before the clear and it wouldn't dry up today because of the cold weather.

Congratrs Don,

It's been a while coming to this point but the car is looking great. I kept telling Ruth that when I finished following all the work on your vette I would have a good punch list of how to finish ours. So, as I've been reading your post tonight I saw her looking at the screen (never should have put these chairs side by side). The first thing she says, "well, have you got the details, because it is time to start" .

The paint is looking great. I'll be excited for a road trip down your way to see it in person. Please tell Ann hi for us.

AJ

Al
If you make a punch list off my build reorganize it so you don't repeat yourself as i did lol

I'll be looking for your visit.

 

[drivesitfar]

Don: sorry to ask so many DUMB QUESTIONS, but are you saying you need to remove the red paint you just painted or resand it cause you stopped before finishing the pearl and clear coat?

it looks AMAZING and i know it will look even more AMAZING when you are done so while you are doing your duties today with your family or friends I hope your VETTE is ready for you to finish when you have time.

GOOD LUCK and more prayers sent cause i know even though you are a pro it's good to have a little help from the big guy.

cheers

 

[don long]

Drives
I just came in from the shop. It was too late to start painting again but i did get the 4 parts that did get painted color sanded with 1500 grit wet paper and a rubber block.
To answer your question

"are you saying you need to remove the red paint you just painted or resand it cause you stopped before finishing the pearl and clear coat?"

The red base coat will only bind to the next coat for 12 hours. After that time frame you must open the paint by sanding into the base coat so that the next coat of paint will grab. However I will be spraying another coat of the red base so the next coat will be the pearl coat (3) then the clear goes on.
Because we stopped early yesterday we created a little more work for ourselves however there is a little bit of good that comes with it.

While sanding the base coat it give me a chance to find any blemishes in the paint this far and I can correct them.

No dumb questions except the ones that don't get asked.

3 out of 4 are colorsanded

IMG_2768 by don long, on Flickr

 

[pamike]

Can you explain how this water based paint works compared to typical solvent based? It comes ready to spray? No thinning? No catalyst?

 

[don long]

Mike
Water base paint is thinned with distilled water and there is an activator available and we used it to help cure the paint but it just got too cold to be wise to continue yesterday

 

[don long]

We are rounding corner 4 of the race track and the finish line is in sight.

I'm as excited as one old man can get.
Those of you that said you wanted to see color on the car. Tonight is the night.
Spent the day working on the car and tonight we have FULL COLOR

Here is the car wrapped up tight to prevent overspray from going under the car and creating problems on the painted frame or bottom of the car

IMG_2789 by don long, on Flickr

IMG_2795 by don long, on Flickr

Here is the car sitting back in my body shop waiting to be color sanded and buffed (on Wednesday)

IMG_2796 by don long, on Flickr

IMG_2799 by don long, on Flickr

The paint on the car layed out very nice because it was much warmer today (good decision to stop on friday)

IMG_2801 by don long, on Flickr

 

[rmalkow2]

Wow, that red looks so good just in pictures I can only imagine how bright it looks in real life. A paint job well done.

 

[drivesitfar]

Don: again just WOW!!

loving all the pictures. the picture in your Party Garage thread with you sanding the door is PRICELESS. i can feel the smile on your face 1500 miles away.

keep up the good work and i'm still crossing my fingers and toes that it all turns out as you are hoping it will.

good luck!!

 

[jhn9840]

Don, your Vette is just smoking hot. Can't wait to see her all trimmed out and ready for the first road trip.

jhn9840
John

 

[Toolfool]

Beautiful color. How excited can one old man get ?

 

[iajonesy]

Great looking paint job, Don. Won't be long before it's roaring down the highway.

Mike

 

[ambenz]

Love the color, really pops the swoopy lines of the cars stylish body.
It is one "BIG TRIP" down memory lane!!!
I hear you are going to be the new, Tod Stiles, in a new show called Route 66.

I suppose you'll hit the trans-America highway in your Corvette in search of adventure with friend Buz Murdock, a survivor of LA's mean streets. You'll probably work odd jobs as you both meet and interact with colorful characters and find yourselves plunged into one situation after another, some of them romantic, some of them very dangerous.
Should be a big hit with that sweet ride in the stable.
You'll have to give away the rest of your rides to me as you will never find time to drive them! ...LOL!
Thanks for sharing the build, looking real sweet....

 

[HOTFR8]

So what lipstick did you borrow from the wife to get the color ?

 

[shelteredV]

"because all Corvettes are red"

great job!

 

[larry4406]

Certainly "arrest me red"! Impressive!