Finally finishing up this 69 conv. job.

It's been a struggle on many levels, I was talking with the other painter at work and realized I had painted a 5 color 45' Vanhool entertainer bus in less time than this vette.
It started like this:

Cracks, contamination, poor bodywork, poor collision work (rearend) after struggling to make front end parts fit I discovered the left side was an inch and a half shorter than the right..
Clean, strip, fill, grind, fit then Polyester.

Block, prime, block, prime.

sealed in black:

Sprayed Blue/Black, HS clear

All that blocking pays off.

This afternoon I sanded entire car with 800 and will apply 2-3 more coats of HS clear.
I'll post some pics tomorrow
Then I can move on

Spraygun

 

Lookin good. It will be sweet when complete.

 

Love black on those old Vettes! Your gettin' there and good for you!

 

How many coats of clear did you apply the first time? Do you always sand and reapply more clear? I have never done that, but I may consider doing that when I paint my 68 in a few months.

Craig

 

Cf, On high$$$ overalls I either use single stage for color, sand, then clear or as I did here, base, clear, sand, reclear. The end resuts are stunning!!

So... affter sanding body with 800, degrease, tack, pray, I spray first coat of 8035 thinned 5%, med hardner (Sata 3000 HVLP 1.3 28lbs.) flows out great! Have been hit by fisheyes on tops surfaces bought a hundred or so, haven't had any in a longgggg time. 15 mins at 75 deg. Second coat, pretty much the same as 1st. Fewer fisheyes, grainy finish, 20 mins flash. Third coat thinned 15% (slow reducer) cranked pressure to 34 backed away from panel ( blow more solvent off before hitting car ) Now I have better flow, still have some fisheyes and "mottled"? areas where clear is trying to flow fisheyed areas out.

Crank temp back to 68 and let flash for 30 mins. My theory is fisheyes are due to booth burner too rich. So, I've still got some eyes, crappy, peely clear and only one more coat left to do.
After running through my options I decide to go big or stay home. I take a SATA 3000 RP, cut fan back to 60% width, over reduce and open fluid nozzle wide open. I spray at 38lbs really fast, go around car hosing it on. Take a look and it looks much better, not good enough though. I have maybe enough in gun to go around again so...Why not. I hose it again hard till gun runs dry and let is sit for a minute and I'm happy! If it doesn't end up on the floor it'll be geat. I fight to urge to crank temp up and leave it in the 60's. I leave booth and sit down, take smoke, relax. 20 minutes go by and Boss ( who hasn't had a kind word to say in months walks over and complaments me. With a puzzled look I nod and walk over to booth. It's as close to perfect as I could ever hope over a crappy 3rd coat. One huge whale eye but it's on a headlight door. I check dryness and it's not handslick yet after 20 mins. After 45 mins ( the other painter is about to explode cuz I've had the booth for 4 hours ) it looks better, one tiny drip on left quarter, paper below rear panel had runs all over it. Car looks great, boss says " put it outside in the sun" NO I will not, that'll make it grainy. I leave it in the shop and watch it for a while, it's still flowing a bit. An hour later I leave after taking some crappy pics and pray it still looks that good the next morning.



It really looks better than the pics.