Finally back on my 86 Project!!! Almost ready to start paint.

Well after a quick start last fall my restoration on my 86 stalled out over the winter with other commitments in my shop, so I finally got her back inside last week to finish up the minor additional repairs I found hidden when I was stripping it down.

I have now completed the repairs up inside the side vent areas and behind the spare, they were minor, but if I am going to go through all the work to repaint you might as well mitigate and repair everything you find the right way. As I explained before since none of the areas I had to repair on this car are structural I went a different route then putting in new metal. These old cars are so thin that welding can actually make the issues worse an warp metal. I acid killed and cut out the rust and worked all the pits down to bear metal. Then I fabricated aluminum repair parts and then bonded them behind all the bad areas with body panel adhesive making sure I got a 100% seal on the back side and worked the adhesive out over the inside. Once dry it can be sanded down and shaped.

I now have the truck, trunk wells frunk and wheel wells fully sealed with two coats of rust bullet and a top coat of Black Shell. I am not going to try and put factory smooth gloss back in these areas since it gets scratched up putting stuff in and out all the time, the Black Shell is very hard and when done will get a light wet sand and top coated with Clear Shot hard clear coat.

Here are some before and after pictures so far:
































Now I just have to prep some of the smaller parts, give the main body one more once over with 500 grit to make sure there is none of the bad paint from the repaint that was done years ago left and it will be ready to high build primer, sand, reprime, tinted primer, sand and off to the paint shop. She is going to get a nice black paint job, red accents in engine louvers, front and rear grills and pinstripe. I am hoping they can get it painted by the end of May and then I can get the new red leather interior install and have here back on the road in June!!

First Coat of high build turned out pretty good.

Had a few hours free on Sunday so I went into the shop, gave the body a final sanding with 500 grit, wiped it down, vac up all the dust, another wipe down, wetted down the floor, fired up the fans (it was light rain outside so that made it great for no dust or bugs) and shot the first three thin coats of high build surfacer and hand sanded and block sanded out the first coats. Looks pretty good, only a couple of visible blemished that will need another coat or two to clean up. Then will do a light coat or tinted primer to make sure I don't have anything that will show under black top coat. Hope to get that finished up mid week, then I need to go all the other parts, i.e. hood, truck lid, engine cover, bumpers, headlights primed and sanded and then off to the painter when he has an opening.

The frunk and trunk are already sealed with black shell so they will just get a final primer coat and light sanding just before heading to finish paint.

Nice.
Can't wait to see it finished.
I'm hoping to get the rust on mine next winter and I'm leaning heavily toward your method. This will hopefully be the last season of the rat rod X, next year may be the first for a pretty one.

I think I'll go look at colors
yellow, lime green, bronze....

First blocking almost done, black glaze worked well!

Worked on blocking the first coats of high build the other night. I used a light mist of black primer as a glazing coat before blocking to show blemishes.





This one shows how the black glaze shows any defects. I am know done with the first blocking on the rear of the car yet, need to take it down a bit further before re priming with build up, these area take alot of time to block since the areas are curved and there are only small flat areas on the rear.



This was the door that had previous body work before I got the car. The door must have been hit at some point. It smoothed out very well.


Only a couple areas the need more build up to get them perfect. The rockers had rock guard texture on them from previous paint job, so I am just sanding them out and then will redo texture before paint.

Nose came out very nice, it had a number of rock chips down to primer that I sanded out and repaired, then built up and blocked. I will just need a light final coat of build and sealer.

Hope to finish the chassis up tonight and then get to the hood and other parts this weekend.

PW

Strange question....

Paul, As far as I know, my 78 X1/9 came from Iowa, sometime in 2009 or 2010, any chance you know about all the Xs in Iowa?? Was last titled in August 2006, but doesn't say what city. Needle in a haystack I know, but thought I would ask. Cheers.

It may have come from Clinton where I am.

There was a dealer here back in the day, they sold a few in eastern Iowa.

My 79 was from that dealer, he sold it and a 78 model to a Doctor and his wife here. The 78 I was told was originally green. Not sure it is the same one, I am sure there were more in Iowa. The one I have was purchased from the Doc by its previous owner in 1980 or so and he had it restored that year. The Doc still had the green 78 at that time.

That's all I know about.

Paul Willging

I remember why I like to hire finish blocking out....

My shoulders are about ready to fall off!!!!

Its been probably 25 years since I redid an entire car myself. Mind remembers how to do it all.......body not so much:hmm2::hmm2:.

I was going to have my paint guy to the final prep for me, but he is stacked up so I am doing the high build and blocking myself. Would not be a big issue is I had more time and could work on it a few hours here and there, but car is taking up one of my service bays and I really need to get it done so I have been working late to get it all blocked out before he comes to inspect my work Sunday.

Guess its time to take a couple more Tylenol and get back at it!!!

PW

Making more progress...

Chassis is done, fully blocked and given the okay by my painter. Said it was excellent blocking work and he could not find any issues, thinks the black will go on well.

Now i am on onto the hood, trunk and other parts. Those are going alot faster as I can sit down and work on them!!!!!

So far no issues, a few burn throughs in the edges I will have to re prime when I am done.






Gotta take a break and go out with Mamma for a bit for Mothers Day.

Back on it later tonight!!!

PW

All my blocking is finally DONE!!!!!!

Just finished up the rest of the major parts to prepare to send to the painter!!! Came out amazing!!!

Used a time tested blocking process and it really pays off. Two coats of high build, guide coat spray, block down with 320, then 400, reprime show areas from guide coat, second light guide coat, reblock with 320, 400 and 500. Work way around hard areas with 320 sponge, light 500 follow. Retouch any burn through and light block. 420 sponge on edges.

She looks pretty flawless outside and pretty damn close inside areas.

All I have left to do is a little touch up on a few scratched in the roof edges, the rear grill and to modify the rear trunk wing. It is just to wide for the car so I am going to shorten it to just the width of the trunk lid, I think it will look best that way.

Plan is to paint car with two coat black base and two coat high build clear. The engine cover will be black with under louver plan red, rear grill red also, double red pinstrip. Debating doing the front lower grill in red also. Not sure on that yet.

Has anyone done this on the front grill??? Would like to see a picture.

Painter can take the car later this week, should have it about 7-10 days as he like to let the clear he uses sit 5-7 days before sand and buff out.

Now I just have to get it there without messing up my primer. Have an enclosed car trailer that should do the trick.

Here are a few pictures, not sure how well you can really see the finished surface but it is pretty close to perfect, glided over it all with alcohol wipe and she looks pretty darn good, was worth the sore back and shoulders and short nights this past week.








Now I gotta get back to using my shop to make some $$$$ to pay for paint!!!!

PW

Loaded up ready to head to Paint!!!

Just loaded her up to head to painter!!!!

Now the waiting begins:cry::huh2::drink::bored:



PW

You can see the hard work and attention to detail that has gone into your project.
I can't wait to see it when it returns from paint :thumbsup:.