Painter question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 471
Likes: 1
From: Hometown The best
Painter question
I just started sanding my 79 for a complete paint job. Once I sand through the single original layer of paint and primer there is a black finish that I thought was the gel coat but as I hit high spots the DA goes through the black and the finish is gray under that. I don't want to go to far so my question is, which layer is the gel coat, black or gray. Both are smooth with no fiberglass strands showing. Either way when I block sand to remove the high spots I will be into the gray in these areas. Is this acceptable?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,709
Likes: 3
From: Savannah GA
The gray is bare fiberglass. The black is factory primer. There is no gel coat on SMC bodies. Once you can see gray, put the DA away and hand block until the black is gone, then prime and block using either cheater coats or alternating light/dark pigmented primer until you can block a single coat flat with no cut through. Then you're ready for a seal coat and topcoats.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
I agree with Markids77: go slowly with the sander. The gray may be original factory primer or could be bare fiberglass. I've never known a black primer being used at St. Louis on body panels (gray and red were used). Not sure what was used at Bowling Green.
Any evidence your car has been repainted?
Any evidence your car has been repainted?
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 385
Likes: 3
From: RTP NC
I agree with Markids77: go slowly with the sander. The gray may be original factory primer or could be bare fiberglass. I've never known a black primer being used at St. Louis on body panels (gray and red were used). Not sure what was used at Bowling Green.
Any evidence your car has been repainted?
Any evidence your car has been repainted?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 471
Likes: 1
From: Hometown The best
Markids77 post makes sense to me. I did hear that 79's were smc and not hand laid fiberglass so I guess there should be no gelcoat. However the black is awfully soft, unlike the hard paint before it. Does any one else have first hand experince with 79's?
Racer
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 302
Likes: 2
From: Milton Delaware
Painting
You all use the SMC and I do not know what that means? Can you help?
I have a '73 and this spring it will be prepped, at least by me and then painted. Maybe by me too. What about chemical stripping instead of all of that unneccary sanding. I do know that you still have to do some sanding.
I have a '73 and this spring it will be prepped, at least by me and then painted. Maybe by me too. What about chemical stripping instead of all of that unneccary sanding. I do know that you still have to do some sanding.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,328
Likes: 1,589
From: Western NY
You all use the SMC and I do not know what that means? Can you help?
I have a '73 and this spring it will be prepped, at least by me and then painted. Maybe by me too. What about chemical stripping instead of all of that unneccary sanding. I do know that you still have to do some sanding.
I have a '73 and this spring it will be prepped, at least by me and then painted. Maybe by me too. What about chemical stripping instead of all of that unneccary sanding. I do know that you still have to do some sanding.
SMC...."Sheet Molded Composite"
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 471
Likes: 1
From: Hometown The best
The car has the original paint, never been repainted. I block sanded an area today and all of the black came off leaving a smooth gray surface which I guess is the smc that was described above. I can tell this is going to be an awfully good surface to paint over. If the paint turns out to be as smooth as this I will be more than pleased. 
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