This goes out to all of the Body Shop / Paint guys out there.

I think it's safe to say that the paint on my 04 is a Base Coat / Clear Coat simular to DuPont ChromaColor BC/CC ?



Reason I ask is, I removed the BSM's on my coupe. Passenger side looks perfect, Driver side not so good. Seems that at one time the original owner had some work done to the door and the shop who did it, did not remove the moulding before spraying. I now have a ghost outline/built up ridge of paint & clear where the moulding was. What I had plan on doing was wetsanding ( Oh BTW, I build, repair and restore guitars so I know all about spraying, wetsanding and buffing) starting with a 600 grit paper up to and including 2500 grit to remove the ridge and blend everything together, spray several coats of clear in the center of the door to build up the low spot, let it harden up and dry, wetsand the entire door and buff it out.



IMO this would be the logical approach but I'd like to hear from the Professionals on this !

 

personally, i wouldnt go with anything less than 1000 grit. the clear coat is very thin on these cars.

try to sunburst the clear as much as possible, because the new clear isnt going to match the old. it would be best to re-clear the entire door if you can.

Even if you can sand down the ridge flush, i think you are still going to be left with a line since the door received both base and clear coats with the bsm still on. Applying sandpaper to the base coat may change its appearance. Then the very thin line of base coat that you sanded at the ridge will look different than the rest of the paint.

I would suggest creating the scenario you have on a test piece of metal using the same paint you would use for the car, and see how it turns out after you do your sanding/ buffing. Paint the full piece with primer, base, and clear. buff and polish. lay down a line of masking tape through the middle of the test part. then prep the peice for painting again with ~1500 grit. spray base/clear again. remove the tape before it dries. when dry, try to sand the ridge where the tape was and re clear it.

I'd rather be out a few ounces of paint and reducer and a piece of scrap metal (~$20?) than mess up my door! if the test part doesn't turn out well, repaint the whole door, or put your BSM back on.

 

Corvettes have been using BC/CC since the early 80's. Chromabase/Chromaclear are NICE products, used them on my 69'. No magic, I typically use 2000 grit paper to wetsand then buff with foam pads.

You will NEVER blend the edge in, you'll have to wetsand the entire panel and reclear the entire panel or you'll ALWAYS see a difference in some light. You could try your method with blending solvent but don't expect perfection in every light.

 

Doug,
I have used Chroma Base as well and yes, it is a great product.
Now, I have read and understand what both you and SaberD wrote.
The reasoning behind my logic was this. Right now, even after wetsanding the ridge line, I'll still have a depression or "valley" in the center of the door because the entire door now has who knows how many additional coats and even if I sand and reclear the entire door that depression will still be visible when viewed from different angles.

Yes or no?

My "non-professional" way of thinking was, if I spray 2 or 3 passes of clear along the center of the door after wetsanding and blending depression out, Let it dry, wetsand the area again to remove the overspray above and below the depression,in theory I'll have built up the "depression" hopefully to a point where I can now wetsand the entire door and it should be all even and hopefully no depression would show when viewed from an angle?

And if need be, I can resand and shoot the entire door with a couple coats of clear.

Or as a last resort I can say screw it and let a body shop handle it !

 

Chances are you also have the original BC/CC under where the molding was. The only way it will ever look perfect it to BC/CC the entire panel. I's put the BSM back on and call it a day. You'll always be able to tell where the strip was with your method and will make you crazy in short order.

 

Hmmmm, Thinks to self "I hate the look of the BSM's"

Looks like I'll trash the idea and take it to a body shop.
I have one in my neighborhood and they do fantastic work. I'll let them handle it !
Thanks for the input and setting my *** straight !

 

Why do you "HATE" them, I like them, kept them on my car-breaks up that vast flatness on the sides. Probably would have saved you a lot of grief (and money) to leave well enough alone.

 

I hear ya Doug.......
But I really think the sides look cleaner without them...IMO
To each his own I guess !

 

I had my local Body Shop guy take a look at the door and he told me he'll try to wetsand and polish it out...Free of Charge.
He also metioned that if it dosen't look good, which i think it won't, then we'll have to make an appointment to have the door stripped, resprayed and blended into the fender and 1/4 panel.

What have I got to loose ?

 

If there is a line where it was taped, I'm SURE you will see it in some light. You'll have a slightly different shade of base where the strip was.