63vette427

Wow... Your have really done some nice work..

chrisNY

thank you very much

Scottd

That happened to me my first week owning the car. Lost the bottom 1/5th of the fender.
Then I went away for a few months (military training), came home and took the car out and my FRONT WHEEL came loose (BAD spin off rims) and destroyed my driver front fender.

Now I look at your post and I think 2 things. 1) I feel your pain brother. 2) HFS do I need to get into my rear bearing and service them soon!!

Go Vette Go

Chris - its looking very good buddy! You sure are kicking AZZ. You will be done in no time.

On the paint - a good auto paint store should have a device (don't know what it is called) but it looks like a Polaroid camera. They set this device on the paint you want matched and this device point them to the correct color.

I had this done to match the Red paint on my 76. Perfect match.

Looks like you'll be done before Christmas!!!

John

chrisNY

that's just what my paint shop that I was going to have mix it for me, but they had to switch to water base paints and I cant shoot that at home, he said you needed special dryers and such, so he recommended a place locally that will do just that, its not the old fashioned lacquer paint like the original, but it should match almost seamlessly at least that's my hope, next week I will check them out, one good thing I can take my broke off quarter and say here match this lol. keep your fingers crossed.

I know it felt amazing to get her back on the road for a few minutes today got some strange looks but I get that every time I drive her lo l

chrisNY

I will tell you 1 thing one my next project this will be the first thing I do before I put her on the road, 30+ years of not being serviced these bearings wear no matter how good it looks, if the TA's have not been touched since new, its worth it to pull em and have them rebuilt, at the very least its good peace of mind, than you know the spindles are good, and inner and outer bearings are safe, I just would have thought GM would have made them more serviceable. talk about a dealer only type of thing, but I don't think they expected them to be still on the road in the numbers that they are. the first warning sign I missed was a slight shimmy at highway speeds, than my rear quarter on that side started to separate from the bonding strip at the dogleg, I should have realized it right there but I never thought they were that bad, I just thought the shimmy was my wide cragar's, but now I know what it feels like before it fails and that is a feeling I will not forget soon, nothing like seeing your rear wheel pass you on the highway

chris

chrisNY

started sealing and priming the new patch, and all ready got the new single stage top coat to start finishing it



I think its a pretty seemless blend, I still have some wet sanding before I top coat and see how my PPG paint looks, but I getting very excited to start the top coats

chrisNY

well finished blending the patch and started top coating, picked up a couple of new guns that I hadn't used before, and was dying to try them, so its not quite perfect, but its pretty close I think, I had my air pressure up a little bit higher than I should have, but, I will wet sand tomorrow and than re shoot 2 more times than I think it will be done, at least this part of my winter fun, lol

first few coats:



here's the paint match to my original, the bumper cover is original, a little bit cleaner but I think its a pretty good match, would be hard pressed to get it much closer without reshooting the car, after a little buffing and cutting and waxing I think you would be very hard pressed to find if you didn't know where to look

Cavu2u

Yerssireee. That's how it's done. Great job for sure!


Steve

briankeery

To have all that work done before the holidays is simply outstanding. It's as if it didn't happen. All the best for the holidays my friend, you have truly earned a break by the fire with a nice cigar and a fine single malt.

chrisNY

got her wet sanded and finished the new top coats, now just have to cut and buff it and blend the paint line along the top of the quarter and start the other projects I had originally planned for the winter, I think I am happy enough with the paint match that after this is done I will spin her around and re do the nose

Go Vette Go

All I have to say is WOW Chris!!! You kicked butt and took names on that project. You can't tell there ever was a problem at all!

Great job buddy!!! You have to be very proud of the job you did - and the speed in which you got it done.

CVO2FIXUP

How do you know how to do this? Are you a body man or a mechanic. I always wondered that. These are very complex repairs and I don't think a back yard guy can do them correctly. Or to the quality I see here. I am jealous of the skill.

chrisNY

Thanks its been a long road but it is getting closer

Chris

chrisNY

Thanks, I can see a little hump in the vertical seem I bet it will bug the crap out of me but I will wait until I can get her outside in the sun before I decide if I will sand it back down and re shoot it again. Just think now she's part Vader vette lol. Maybe now I can start Christmas shopping

chrisNY

Neither just a back yard bubba lol, never did a TA before or rebuilt a diff just always been very good at fixing anything, been doing body work since I could pick up sand paper, but never professionally and never a fiberglass car, but I liked doing it more than a metal car. And thank you very much for the compliment

chrisNY

heres the paint blend after cutting, wet sanding, and air brushing the blend because I had a few spots that I didn't like, but after all is said and done, I cant see the seem or the paint difference I am so happy with it, I figured might as well fix a few other spots, lol, in for a penny in for a pound I guess









I don't think I would have got a better job if I would have taken it to a pro body shop

Go Vette Go

Very impressive work Chris!!! You did a fantastic job - even for a "backyard Bubba"!! LOL

Now it is time to take it for a nice ride before the roads get real bad!!!

Merry Christmas buddy!

John

Paul L

That is VERY impressive!

LS4 PILOT

Nice job

Never tell anything went wrong

That's the corvette spirit we like to see .....man wanting his ride back on the road