What to ask for when wanting a VERY high quality paint job ??

dave

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Sep 7, 2003, 3:25:11 PM9/7/03

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When time comes for a complete paint job on my 1970, id like to know
what constitutes a very comprehensive paint job ; getting all the way
down to the Gel Coat is important im told...what else is a must
concerning the actual steps ??? Thanks, Dave

___________________________________________
'If it doesnt go , rump-ity, rump-ity, rump....there is something
definetly wrong with your motor'.
___________________________________________

Mike

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Sep 11, 2003, 11:34:30 AM9/11/03

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In <16684-3F5...@storefull-2191.public.lawson.webtv.net>, Fast19...@webtv.net (dave) writes:
>When time comes for a complete paint job on my 1970, id like to know
>what constitutes a very comprehensive paint job; getting all the way
>down to the Gel Coat is important im told...what else is a must
>concerning the actual steps ??? Thanks, Dave
>
>

Hi Dave,

The wide variety of new materials that are available
gives the painter broad latitude and the procedures
are dependent on what materials are used. You need
to decide on how/where you'll drive or show the car
and make choices on color and depth. Once those are
made, find a painter who has delivered durable finishes
that look goot to you. He/she needs to be comfortable
with the materials--don't ask someone to work with
materials they've never used before. (Let some other
guy pay for the learning.) Rely on the painter to advise
you on how a particular color will look over fiberglass--
there are some choices that make the prep just too
challenging. The right color can hide some uglies that
would cost an extra thou (or two) to correct. (You need
to figure out if this is a $ 3K paint job or a $ 8K job.)

I'd not get involved in the technical stuff. While I agree
that a procedural screwup or two can lead to lousy
results or early failure of an otherwise artistic marvel,
this is still an art and craft that goes beyond a recitation
of procedural steps. I think it's more important that
you get the job you want that will meet your driving
needs. There are great show paint jobs that will fail
if you drive the in car in any practical environment, or
expose it to sunlight for more than a few minutes each
day. Remember that even Bowling Green has had its
share of surprises with paint. (White C4s, Yellow C5s).

Start with the local Corvette club, talking to C2 and
C3 owners. If you are in SoCal, drive out to the local
Tuesday or Thursday nite cruise hangouts and see who's
doing the paint jobs--getting info from Honda, Eclipse,
Acura and Mustang owners is OK. But, you'll want to
check out plastic jobs those shops have done. Ask
around at the local NHRA strip.

Visit those shops and ask for a handful of customer
names (Corvettes, Fieros & Plastic Ferrari replicas)
over the past couple of years that drive or show their
cars the way you want. Then go look. Ask particularly
how the car has been driven and sheltered. (Does this
ever see the light of day ? Do you drive on a freeway
above 65 mph ? Do you always fit the bra ?)

There was an excellent book written in the '70s titled
"Refinishing your Porsche," by Walt Kraus. Also, back
issues of 'Excellence' magazine covered finishing the
plastic, polymer & hard rubber surfaces on 911s. Good
info on surface prep, liquid fillers/primers and finishing
between coats. Some of this stuff was written before
today's multi-color pigments, flat finish coats and
tinted clear-coat systems were developed.

If you want more reading take a look at:
Automotive Paint Handbook: Paint Technology for
Auto Enthusiasts and Body Shop Professionals by
John Pfanstiehl

Regards, "Mike"
-- mikeellison3xxxatzzzyahoo.com --

dave

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Sep 11, 2003, 2:50:59 PM9/11/03

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Mike, Thanks. What i want ...essentially, is , my moneys worth on
whatever price im quoted. Im flexible on how much i spend on a paint
job, but, i dont expect to find cracks after a year of only putting 3000
miles on the vette. I think ive settled on urethane paint ; id actually
like to keep it the same color as it is now...which is NOT a factory
color, but very close to LeMans BLue. Ive seen many nice paint jobs at
car shows this summer...but, frankly, i really dont know what to look
for when im looking at the paint ! I shall look around some more, and
find someone fairly local to me in northern Illinois.

Ty, Dave

___________________________________________
'Wrap your be-hind in fiberglass , and drive a piece of Americana'
___________________________________________

Dad

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Sep 11, 2003, 11:22:26 PM9/11/03

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> In <16684-3F5...@storefull-2191.public.lawson.webtv.net>,
Fast19...@webtv.net (dave) writes:
> >When time comes for a complete paint job on my 1970, id like to know
> >what constitutes a very comprehensive paint job; getting all the way
> >down to the Gel Coat is important im told...what else is a must
> >concerning the actual steps ??? Thanks, Dave
> >
> >

Help me out here, when did the C3 Corvette have a "Gel Coat"?
--
Dad
98 C5 Black/Black/Auto
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

dave

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Sep 12, 2003, 7:44:16 AM9/12/03

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I used the term 'gelcoat' because that is what someone else told me that
i needed to get down to. Ive since found out that only 1953 vettes had
gelcoat. (...and who knows if THAT information is even correct....).
There seems to be alot of bogus info when it comes to the subject of
painting.