Time to Start the Sanding
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,339
Likes: 546
From: Central Texas
Time to Start the Sanding
Well the time has come I guess. Everyone seems to go through it. I'm talking about prepping the body for paint.
The issues are the finish looks great from a distance and I want to continue to drive it. I have a hard time taking it off the street for a long period of time.
The car has cracking and chipping on it. So I realize it has to be done.
Anybody work on the paint and body while continuing to drive your car?
Opinions?
Craig
The issues are the finish looks great from a distance and I want to continue to drive it. I have a hard time taking it off the street for a long period of time.
The car has cracking and chipping on it. So I realize it has to be done.
Anybody work on the paint and body while continuing to drive your car?
Opinions?
Craig
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 361
From: Monson MA
I feeling is to drive as long as the season allows. Put away on the off season and do the work at that time. I am doing my own complete strip and paint at home and can tell you want ever time you estimate double it and you may be close. The paint process alone is quite time consuming. There are many steps between stripping the body, making any repairs to defects, priming, sealing and painting than cut and buff. Did I mention the multiple time you will sand everything. Great satisfaction. Go for it.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
If you want to drive your car, plan ahead as sixpack described. Go thru all the details while you are driving it during good weather: the materials needed, select the paint (just don't buy it yet!), primer, best method of stripping old paint off, masking materials, etc. etc. Dig it down to the "nth" degree and keep detailed lists of what you need and when you will need it. Buy everything but the perishables (paints, fluid products) ahead of time so that you don't have to stop your process, once you start painting.
When driving season is over, you can start right in and do it pretty quickly.
It's all in the planning!!!
When driving season is over, you can start right in and do it pretty quickly.
It's all in the planning!!!
Last edited by 7T1vette; Jun 30, 2019 at 12:22 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,339
Likes: 546
From: Central Texas
I actually found an old post in the archives. Lars had written a great article about paint and body basics on the Corvette. He details the tools and supplies that are needed as well as techniques.
I'll start collecting the tools and supplies now. I won't take her down until September probably.
Plenty of planning time.
Craig
I'll start collecting the tools and supplies now. I won't take her down until September probably.
Plenty of planning time.
Craig
Last edited by Street Rat; Jun 30, 2019 at 02:10 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
scraping does not work well. stripping does not work well. but scraping with razor when softened with stripper works pretty good. you can do a panel then hit it with light coat of primer.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,096
Likes: 213
From: The Buckle of the Bible Belt. Joplin Mo
Craig,
Glad you asked.. I thought I was the only one. Started stripping the paint immediately after I finished the body off. As Derek suggested, I used the razor blade method. It works very well. You will still need to strip where you cant reach with a blade. This is where the chemical strippers will help. Lots of good info in the paint and body section. Your question, if I understood correctly was who is doing the work while still driving.
When I began scraping the paint off, the car looked rough. I took it out a couple of times and heard some rude comments from some bozo's who wouldn't know what end of the gun the paint comes out of. Still, they had a point. Decided I need the car to look sane until its done. Fender gaps, headlight gaps, hood surround and cracks will all take time to repair, and I cant bear to be without the car. I chose to douse it with satin black sealer so the car would have a good appearance while I get it ready. Now when I make repairs to the body, I touch it up with a rattle can of satin black. If you are interested I have pictures of the progress on my profile page. Best of luck with your endeavor.
Ray
Glad you asked.. I thought I was the only one. Started stripping the paint immediately after I finished the body off. As Derek suggested, I used the razor blade method. It works very well. You will still need to strip where you cant reach with a blade. This is where the chemical strippers will help. Lots of good info in the paint and body section. Your question, if I understood correctly was who is doing the work while still driving.
When I began scraping the paint off, the car looked rough. I took it out a couple of times and heard some rude comments from some bozo's who wouldn't know what end of the gun the paint comes out of. Still, they had a point. Decided I need the car to look sane until its done. Fender gaps, headlight gaps, hood surround and cracks will all take time to repair, and I cant bear to be without the car. I chose to douse it with satin black sealer so the car would have a good appearance while I get it ready. Now when I make repairs to the body, I touch it up with a rattle can of satin black. If you are interested I have pictures of the progress on my profile page. Best of luck with your endeavor.
Ray
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
can of grey primer will make a couple panels look decent. shoulda mentioned it. don't strip the seams at the bonding strips. glass is way harder than softened paint and blade rides between body and paint pretty good. the filler at the bonding seam the blade loves to gouge. sanding them may be best bet. now i got some filling to do.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 5,339
Likes: 546
From: Central Texas
Craig,
Glad you asked.. I thought I was the only one. Started stripping the paint immediately after I finished the body off. As Derek suggested, I used the razor blade method. It works very well. You will still need to strip where you cant reach with a blade. This is where the chemical strippers will help. Lots of good info in the paint and body section. Your question, if I understood correctly was who is doing the work while still driving.
When I began scraping the paint off, the car looked rough. I took it out a couple of times and heard some rude comments from some bozo's who wouldn't know what end of the gun the paint comes out of. Still, they had a point. Decided I need the car to look sane until its done. Fender gaps, headlight gaps, hood surround and cracks will all take time to repair, and I cant bear to be without the car. I chose to douse it with satin black sealer so the car would have a good appearance while I get it ready. Now when I make repairs to the body, I touch it up with a rattle can of satin black. If you are interested I have pictures of the progress on my profile page. Best of luck with your endeavor.
Ray
Glad you asked.. I thought I was the only one. Started stripping the paint immediately after I finished the body off. As Derek suggested, I used the razor blade method. It works very well. You will still need to strip where you cant reach with a blade. This is where the chemical strippers will help. Lots of good info in the paint and body section. Your question, if I understood correctly was who is doing the work while still driving.
When I began scraping the paint off, the car looked rough. I took it out a couple of times and heard some rude comments from some bozo's who wouldn't know what end of the gun the paint comes out of. Still, they had a point. Decided I need the car to look sane until its done. Fender gaps, headlight gaps, hood surround and cracks will all take time to repair, and I cant bear to be without the car. I chose to douse it with satin black sealer so the car would have a good appearance while I get it ready. Now when I make repairs to the body, I touch it up with a rattle can of satin black. If you are interested I have pictures of the progress on my profile page. Best of luck with your endeavor.
Ray
I've decided to simply take her off of the streets for a period of time to do the prepping correctly and hopefully in a timely manner.
I thought of the idea of driving the vehicle while the work was in progress.
I don't think a Corvette looks good in that condition driving down the road or at a show.
I would definitely feel self conscious about it.
I don't have to drive this car daily.
So I'm off to do more planning!
Craig
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