mspry

OK guys I am in. Stripped the car down and the biggest PIA was the headlight buckets and the rear attena. My cost for materials including paint is 1450.00. The biggest monster was taking out the headlight buckets. Will have to spend some money on painters tape and be very careful putting them back in. Plan on sanding the car down with 220 and then 320 tomorrow. Should be a different looking car at the end of the night. Found a few bubba fixes but nothing major. Oh, by the way the windshield was out in 20 minutes so don't let others scare you from doing it. Sent out bumpers to Virginia Vettes last week and Dick who owns the place is a pleasure to talk to. I really am getting a thrill doing it by myself!
wish me luck

mspry

http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/...s11cd0674.jpeg

mspry

http://s1260.photobucket.com/user/64...ffff.jpeg.htmlLeo the cat helped with the removal of the windshield. Now he has new sleeping quarters.

Sibes67

Looks like you're really into it now; Good Luck & keep the pics coming !

z06scentair

Making progress

As stated above keep the pics coming!

mspry

http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/...s3ed089fe.jpeg

Seems to me this area is a place bodymen connect a new fender. The hole is a good size one.

mspry

I want to thank a fellow car guy who gave me the confidence to begin my journey - Thank you RUSS! MRPBODY on this site.

ChattanoogaJSB

You cannot possibly paint a car for less than $15,000.00...please see the thread running now and PUT DOWN THE TOOLS! Corvettes are very, VERY special and almost impossible to paint.

(I'm kidding, I applaud you and I hope to see the progress. I always appreciate sharing in peoples exploits improving their own car. It's half the fun!)

mspry

Funny I have been following it with great amusment

JMG2

If I did it myself, it would cost $40k... $5k in parts, $35k to have someone fix what I screwed up....

Want to do mine next? I'll give you $10k!!!

Good luck!!

ChattanoogaJSB

That's funny right there! But I bet you'd be good at it.

project63

I painted my car this summer, and it really is a joy to say "I did it myself" What do you plan to shoot on the body as a foundation for the paint and what paint will you use?

Here is a tip...install and adjust the headlight buckets before you paint the car. If you want the ends of the buckets nice and pretty, paint them before installation and just tape them over. The factory just shot the ends as installed. Marginal coverage, but that is a factory look.

tc

ChattanoogaJSB

I never knew that about the ends!

ChattanoogaJSB

Are you going back with Silver Blue or changing?

mspry

Now comes the scope creep. Ripped out the interior so padding and carpet will to be replaced and I looked under the dash and really thinking while everything is out to do the wiring. I was never good at it but I heard the harness is not that bad. So the total mounts. Carpet 300, wiring 500. everything accumulate by 1000.00... Had a broken bolt for the passenger seat and had to drill it out.

http://s1260.photobucket.com/user/64...3fb0.jpeg.html

DUB

Depending on the level of paint your are looking for when completed. Such as keeping it like GM painted it or doing your our paint job.

I do the paint jobs in most cases NOT like GM did them.

I paint the headlight buckets out of the car and them install them after they have been sanded and buffed. Doors the same way. The convertible hatch lid will be painted on the underside and cleared...and then very carefully masked off not to leave a line where the tape was applied...then the topside when the car is being painted..

When I paint a mid-year...the amount of time just getting the car set-up in the booth and masked off so NO tape lines are in a any area where they can bee seen or felt is a logistical nightmare....and not having any dry overspray.

Hopefully you are going to wait to do any interior wiring or work until you are done doing the paint job....or at least in the primer stage.

DUB

Zoomin

What brand of paint did you get?

gschlarman

I think doing the dash harness, etc is harder than you might think, but it is several orders of magnitude easier than what you're already doing.

63redvette

Thought you were refurbing with a fur lined dash pad Gonna follow your repaint and live vicariously through you until I can get to repaint mine. Great post!

mspry

I am still debating about what color to paint her. It was originally Satin Silver but the silver/blue looks really good on it now. Always thinking of resale red. Will be using PPG or Dupont. A painter friend prefers Dupont and will be teaching me so whatever he wants he gets. Tomorrow will be my sanding day.

DUB - thanks for the tip. I will be using your suggestion!

Project63 - I will also be using your bucket technique.