Oh, and by the way, maybe reconsider the white with pink pearl color? If you painted it that color you truly would have the MOTHER of all SLEEPERS!

 

As for the Vette, you sound fine.


Now about all those trucks ...

 

OK, trade that camp trailer for a 30 x 30 garage and you're good to go!

Twice the fun. Enjoy!

 

I'm in the process of clearing out the garage...which has held the unused pool table...so that I can pull the car in and start working on the bodywork. I WISH I had a nice warm heated shop to work in....but no such luck. I'll have to make due with the garage for the time being. And WHY is it that pool tables are cool...for like 4 months, and then they accumulate dust, spiderwebs and become makeshift tables??

 

Gotcha beat. I am an addict, a Corvette, vintage car, muscle car addict..... No known cure for my disease......

 

Ok...started to work on the new project. I figured the exterior is as good as place as any to start until I get the car pulled into the garage this weekend. I've started off by stripping the old paint and primer off...at least down to the middle layer of paint. I'm guessing that there is still the original lacquer paint under the remnants of the second paint job, and I will be using that as a guide-coat, so to speak, for the fiberglass. I have some areas with lacquer-cracking, so she's going down to bare glass. I've started with the razor blades, carefully stripping sheets and sheets of paint/primer off. There's a huge pile of shavings all around the car, and I'm almost 1/2 way there. The razor trick actuallyworks well, and if you are careful, it will not gouge the glass. I will be using a high build filler/primer...most likely Featherfill G2. This will help with any minor imperfections in the fiberglass. I'm hoping to get it entirely stripped by this weekend, and then pull it in to the garage and start on it with the DA. Lord only knows how much primer dust would be all over my garage had I NOT stripped off the top layers!! I'm doing the work myself, and I'm sure it will be slow going here for a bit, but I am taking pics and will post them as I proceed! Wish me luck!!

Trevor

 

I'm doing the work myself, and I'm sure it will be slow going here for a bit, but I am taking pics and will post them as I proceed! Wish me luck!!

Trevor[/QUOTE]

Good Luck Trevor! And remember .. we all have the same addiction (some to more degrees than others) but we have the forum as our support group.

 

Razor blades do work quite well, I stripped 90% of my 78 that way and only gouged one spot. I used cap'n lees as well on the tops and hood where the PO painted it with a spray can.

I would strip all the original laquer and block sand the primer off to the bare glass. You may do more damage than good with the DA and you get a feel for blocking. Good luck.

 

careful with that sander, you could end up with a really wavey Corvette. I stripped all the excess paint off mine with a heat gun and razor blade scrapers and it worked a treat. I didn't have to use the heat gun for long, certainly not long enough to damage the panels and the paint came away in sheets...

 

[QUOTE=saudivette;1572296855]careful with that sander, you could end up with a really wavey Corvette. I stripped all the excess paint off mine with a heat gun and razor blade scrapers and it worked a treat. I didn't have to use the heat gun for long, certainly not long enough to damage the panels and the paint came away in sheets...[QUOTE]

Dang! If only I were so lucky to have the paint peel off in sheets like that! Unfortunately, the paint that's on mine is not as cooperative. What I've been able to strip off has been the upper layer of high-build primer, and the top layer of the repaint. That still leaves a small amount of the repaint, plus the primer below that, and the original lacquer paint and primer under that. Uggh!! If the pant underneath were half-way decent, I would just build on top of that, but where I have some areas with lacquer cracking (not too drastic, but present nonetheless) I have made the decision to go down to bare 'glass. It will ensure that there are no future problems with paint adhesion. I should have the upper "crust" stripped off within the next day, and then I can begin the additional sanding process from there. I figure I will block it down with 80 grit, which should do a fair job of eating through the remaining layers. I'll use the red lacquer as a guidecoat.

I've done bodywork before, but this is a first "complete" for me. 10 years ago, I would have been scared to death to do this, but now it's almost therapeutic!! Thankfully 'glass is fairly forgiving. Make a boo-boo...just fill it and sand it! Can't be any worse than what was on there to begin with!!

Has anyone ever hand sanded a Vette without the use of ANY airtools? Seems like sort of a lost art, but the end result could be far better than relying on air tools to make the panels all wavy.

 

[QUOTE=mydejavooo;1572301612][QUOTE=saudivette;1572296855]careful with that sander, you could end up with a really wavey Corvette. I stripped all the excess paint off mine with a heat gun and razor blade scrapers and it worked a treat. I didn't have to use the heat gun for long, certainly not long enough to damage the panels and the paint came away in sheets...Cool, go for it. Post some pics as you go

 

My wife say she wants one thing pink on the car....I say one roller rocker then....

 

[QUOTE=mydejavooo;1572301612][COLOR="Blue
Has anyone ever hand sanded a Vette without the use of ANY airtools? Seems like sort of a lost art, but the end result could be far better than relying on air tools to make the panels all wavy.

[/QUOTE]

Mine is sanded all by hand.

 

I've sanded all mine by hand. Those Dura-Blocks are the business...

 

Well, I'm well underway on Project V2. I've got all of the paint and primer stripped off, with the exception of the original paint...which looks to be a good base for the new paint. Stripping the paint off has revealed some areas of prior damage, and given that they used regular Bondo on it and it has some cracking, I'm planning on grinding it out and replacing it with a fiberglass body filler.

The interior is in pretty descent shape for the most part, missing only a few trim pieces here and there. I've fought off the temptation to start ripping it all out, as I want to get the body in order and then we'll move on to the inside stuff.

Since I have not yet started this beast, I set out today in an effort to get it running before I pull the motor and trans. I need to see if the motor should be gone through, or if it's in descent enough shape to use "as is", with a cosmetic and gasket restoration. I've come to find out a little more about the engine itself too. The block is 3970010 block, which apparently has come out of a different vehicle. I say this only because the exhaust manifolds are from a car or truck, and alternator is mounted on the opposite side. I have not been able to read the block numbers on the passenger side, so that has been a little frustrating. I pulled the valve covers off to see the head numbers, and I've learned that they are 882 heads..and from what I've read, they are crap heads, prone to cracks on the exhaust valve seats. Good times. I'm contemplating a set of Vortec heads, as they are relatively inexpensive. We'll see, I guess.

A new starter was in order...DANG those are heavy...especially when lifting it over your head...arms outreached...squeezed under the side of the car! Whew!!!

I changed the ignition lock tumbler, which was relatively easy to do...even though this was the first time I had ever done that. The key was not turning and starting the car, so the former owners bypassed the starter switch with a push-button starter. Uggh. So I pulled this all out...and of course......nothing. Nada. Zilch. The lights come one....but there is no sound like it's even trying to start. I paid attention to how the wires came off of the solenoid, but I can't figure out why I get nothing. The only thing that I haven't checked yet, is the ignition switch that's on the column. Will that cause this issue? That's really the only thing that would cause this, right?? I just got disgusted after fiddling around with it for what seemed like EVER, and called it a day. If anyone has some ideas here, I'm open to suggestion. The car WOULD crank with the 2 wires coming off of the bypass switch. I just need some moral support or guidance here. Please.

 

The ignition switch and the fusible link will cause the problem you are describing...

Just because you put it back the way it was doesn't mean it is correct, check the wiring with a manual. Also make sure you have power to the solenoid.

 

I know the fusible links are good, and by power to the solenoid I'm guessing that you are referring to the actual power from the battery? I know there is, because the starter would turn over with the "hotwire" bypass that the former owner put on it. The push button starter had 2 wires...one going to one stud (inboard) on the solenoid, and the other was connected to the large center lug. My gut is telling me that the ignition switch went bad, and that was the cheapest and easiest way to fix it...but using a little Bubba-ingenuity!! I can't imagine that an ignition switch is that hard to replace...aside from dropping the column down to get at it. And I can't really think of any other culprits for the no-start situation. It's a pretty simple design overall.