DansYellow66

Well, I somewhat successfully have paint on all parts of my Cobra replica. I had problems with the PPG 2K sealer wanting to run and that caused me to be a little over-cautious in laying on the black paint and resulted in some minor to a few small areas of moderate orange peel. No runs, sags, or fisheyes in the black however.

My biggest problem was trash in the paint. I thought I was doing everything to keep a sanitary booth - all visqueen enclosure taped up, row of double air filters up high on one end, belt driven blower unit exhausting, painter suit, constant cleaning of booth, blowing down the body, tacking everything down carefully, etc. However, I taped down heavy construction paper on the floor and despite vacuuming it a couple times, I think that may have been the problem from dragging two air hoses around behind me. I suspect wetting the bare concrete floor would have worked better. Most of it is fairly minor but I have several good size boogers in it on top side surfaces.

I'm fighting the urge to sand it all down and put another coat on it but I have already applied 4 full coats and I'm afraid I will have the same results again and just be wasting my time. In single stage can I sand out the worst of the boogers and then spot in over it with a couple light coat before color sanding and buffing? Or will that just show up as a ring or some sort of defect when buffed out? I have plenty of paint on so color sanding should not be an issue for the orange peel but the trash bugs me.

thanks

ragtopman

If you have plenty of film build on it, just sand and buff all your problems away. No difference between that and clear, just do it before it gets rock hard.

........and no finger sanding.

Keith Carlson

You have a dark color which is a big advantage in getting rid of dirt in a freshly applied surface. Most of the time, dirt will show as "dark" spots over lighter solids or metallics, with or without clear. You could try color sanding (and with a small block) an area that will be highly visible (hood, deck lid) and hand polishing to see what the results will be prior to application of any more material.

Can't really tell from the pictures, but I have always preferred painting pieces of a body separately in lieu of everything all at once, especially when you do not have a controlled environment although your setup looks pretty good. Minimizes overspray and picking up dirt by dragging the hose around and keeping as much of the overspray off masked areas with multiple layers of material (i.e sealer, color, clear). With vehicles with sealer, base/clear or those with pearl and candy overlays, I always taped and papered (2nd time) right over the top of those previously masked areas before applying clear to keep dried material from blowing into the clear.

Cool car and looks great! Good luck!

Keith

DansYellow66

That's encouraging about the spots typically being dark. I should have mentioned that I do have a fine and course dust nib files but I haven't tried them out yet. It's probably about 4 or 5 larger ones clumps that have worried me as I can't imagine what is under there. I didn't see anything specific fall into the paint at the time that I could pick out and I wasn't brave enough to go digging in them between coats. No insects made their way in that I can tell.

I did paint everything in separate pieces. I had to paint the top and underside of the hood and trunk separately and with the 65 deg temps retarding curing it took several days to do everything.

Thanks

Keith Carlson

Great project and make sure you post a few photos when you get the car done.

In the late 70's (as prices began to escalate) there was a dealer (Glass Car Co.) in NJ that specialized in the orginal Shelby Cobra's and the valuable 63-67's. He had some great examples of both for sale most of the time. Both great cars of the 60's!

DansYellow66

I broke out the dust nib files today and tried them and they do a real good job. The 3 or 4 bigger nibs I had shaved down easily. One had some yellow-ish something or other in it but by the time it was shaved down fairly flush it was gone. Don't know what that was - maybe a small bug or tiny piece of gas line teflon tape I used on my air fittings. The nib files definately work easier on paint that has cured a few days rather than day-old paint. I'm a little relieved over how well that works so now I just need to get to sanding and buffing.

Thanks

Keith Carlson

Spraygun

Looks cool!!! what engine?
If you use DCX61 buff soon.... If you used DXC9or8 it's already too late.
I shoot DDC black for 2 coats, then intermix 2021 rts 50% on last coat.
I hate buffing anything let alone a whole job. Fix your dirt problem, sand with 800 dry (da) and put one more coat on. It'll turn out better than if you didn't have dirt, one more coat over a topcoat in 800 is a cinch to lay out.

G

DansYellow66

I used DCX61. Unfortunately with work and Thanksgiving it's going to be a week before I can start sanding. I think I'll work with what I have on it since I already have 4 coats applied. Working in ths make-shift spray enclosure I don't have a high confidence I can "fix the dirt problem" to a significant degree. I'm also afraid I'm running out of weather too since I was painting in an unheated warehouse and already had to be selective on what days to paint to stay in the 65 deg range. To put more paint on I would probably have to wait until Spring.

Most of it is very minor and small lint that will go away with the first pass of 1500 sandpaper. I don't mind doing some sanding and buffing. I spent 15 months blocking filler and Slick Sand out on this thing on weekends. I don't know what to do without spending quality time with sandpaper on my weekends.

The motor is a stroked 428 (459 cu in) with 427 low riser heads, dual quad intake, and dual point distributor. It's dressed out with accessories and paint to look pretty much dead on for a 63/64 low riser 427 which is basically what they installed in a lot of the Cobra Street Roadsters.

Thanks

Dan

Spraygun

Ok, I remember correctly DCC with DCX61 gets harder for about 30 to 45 days then softens up a bit. You might want ask a rep since you can't buff it for a while if it will be easier after a month.
Nothing like HI horsepower in a light car... should be alot of fun!

SG

Keith Carlson

In my opinion, proper color sanding and polishing makes or breaks a paint job. It is a time consuming, meticulous job that requires care but there is nothing like a flat, smooth, glossy finish from the lower portions of the vehicle to the roof. I've done it on hundreds of cars for many years with all types of finishes and never would I use a DA. Too many things can go wrong and I absolutely hate to do things twice!

SG, I guess I am just too "old fashioned" in many ways.

DansYellow66

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I'm a weekend car hobbyist so I just can't drop everything and jump on color sanding and buffing work immediately. I had to take a whole week off work to paint the car. It took me 5 days of painting since I had it in individual pieces and had to wait a couple days in the cool temperatures before I could mask the painted side of the hood and trunk and flip them over. I will just have to work a little longer and put more effort into it before I get it all buffed out. But, I have staying power.

Keith - I'm with you on power tools. Except for an electric drill with some sanding drums to take off fiberglass mold lines and to bring fiberglass lips and edges into a finished state, a power tool never touched this car. A professional who works with them all the time is no doubt a lot more comfortable using them, but I'll stick with the safe and slow way.

I appreciate everyone's comments and advise.

Spraygun

Keith, I agree that flat, shiny color is the way to go. I too for many years, cut-n-buff god knows how many jobs. What I've found is that when my substrate is flat I can apply base/clear and either bake or let sit. Then I go over whole car with 800 DA paper ( not too often with the DA mostly by hand, although the newer fine cut models should work well) on a dark car you can block to ensure flatness. Then I wipe it down and closely examine everything, if satisfied I spray 1-3 coats of clear, 2-3 can be slightly over reduced. The finished product is stunning when all goes well, I have used this technique to produce black cars that do not need to be cut-n-buffed. You need a good clean booth with alot of air movement (80+ cfm) and a high quality HS clear. How many times have you seen a dead flat, shiny black car that hasn't been buffed?
It's time consuming, expensive and there is a risk of runs during second clear but once you get a feel for it, the finished prouct is SWEET. I'll knock down clear with 800DA paper if there is junk in it and reclear rather than buff. Cleaner and quicker.

SG

Keith Carlson

SG, Good for you, if you can produce this product! BUT, I would have to "see it, to believe it", especially on the sides of the vehicle. So, maybe some day, I will get to MD to hunt a few ducks again down on the Eastern Shore, eat some fresh oysters and clams, and you can show me in person how it is done

Spraygun

I don't blame you, I wouldn't believe it either.

redvtt

It's the visquene (plastic) you're using for your booth walls - it's not used for automotive painting. The overspray dries out on it, then gets blown on your finished product.
You should use a roll of 3M visquine ($35.00) from the auto paint store - it's used to "bag" cars in the booth. You can tape off just the area you want to spray, like a fender, and (in a shop) save some time taping off the rest of the car. We have used it for walls in our garage, to reduce drafts, wind, etc.

You'll see one side is dull on the visquine, the other (bottom) is shiny. The dull side (says: "this side up") and "catches" overspray - makes it stick to the visquine (while you're spraying, the old overspray and paint sticks to the plastic and stays there).

Also, a wet cement floor is best.

BTW, looks

DansYellow66

Actually the trash/dust nibs turned out to be far less an issue than I thought after I got into the color sandeing and buffing. But the info on the 3M visqueen is good to know for the next time. I agree with the wet concrete floor - wish I had done that instead.

Dave Tracy

I looked on several 3M sites and couldn't find the product. I there a specific name for the sheeting?

DansYellow66

Finally able to get a couple decent pictures in daylight

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/P1010012.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/P1010011.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/P1010010.jpg

markids77

Sweet.