Rich H.
Well-Known Member
He was having a great time until I came along with a pair of tweezers. Funeral portrait of this bad boy.
The GTX (1969 Plymouth GTX)
- Thread starter Rich H.
- Start date
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Correction is going pretty well.
Most of the dirt is on the tops of fenders and tops of doors, because that's the side facing the outside air intake.
Pretty substantial dirt on the fenders especially. You can fly swat every insect you can find, there can be not a single one in sight, and the minute you start painting.......Here they come! They love it, I think it's an intoxicant for them and like party time.
Process is hand blocking 1500-2000-2500 with Durablock and Mirka powdered guide coat as a visual aid (messy but it works very well), Meguairs M110 on a wool pad at low speed very quicky gets this.
I'm OK with it having a little bit of texture, it does not really show very much on this color and keeps as much material on the car
as possible which is a good goal for a long haul vehicle. It's well past driver quality already and after I get the whole car
pretty close to this, I'm going to stop.
I'll give that a chance to age, and then if/when I (sorry) "take it to the next level" (so cliche) later on, I'll use a rigid block
and get it flatter.
I'm a little bit stunned I was able to achieve this.
Super Short Video
Most of the dirt is on the tops of fenders and tops of doors, because that's the side facing the outside air intake.
Pretty substantial dirt on the fenders especially. You can fly swat every insect you can find, there can be not a single one in sight, and the minute you start painting.......Here they come! They love it, I think it's an intoxicant for them and like party time.
Process is hand blocking 1500-2000-2500 with Durablock and Mirka powdered guide coat as a visual aid (messy but it works very well), Meguairs M110 on a wool pad at low speed very quicky gets this.
I'm OK with it having a little bit of texture, it does not really show very much on this color and keeps as much material on the car
as possible which is a good goal for a long haul vehicle. It's well past driver quality already and after I get the whole car
pretty close to this, I'm going to stop.
I'll give that a chance to age, and then if/when I (sorry) "take it to the next level" (so cliche) later on, I'll use a rigid block
and get it flatter.
I'm a little bit stunned I was able to achieve this.
Super Short Video
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
When you get that thing out in the sun it’s going to be spectacular…
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Man, I hope it's as stunning as I think it is!
It is the highest quality work I am capable of doing with current tools and skills, and
I have ever personally done anything better.
Of course, it's fair to say tools and skills are constantly upgrading, so we only hope to improve in the future, inch by inch.
Tonight I will be experimenting with a homemade Oak sanding block tonight to see if I can find an improvement.
I believe the current durablock to have just a little too much "give" to knock down certain defects and am looking for
a potential improvement from a more rigid block material. Then after the defect is knocked down, the "give" in the durablock
would be a desirable thing to refine the scratch to the point it can be buffed out.
Of course, it's always better to spray without defects and I did my best! The majority of the problems were self inflicted and expected....In most places, an insect would land and get stuck, I'd pick the insect out with tweezers, then spray some more clear on that area to give material to work with, and then the additional clear would sag after that. I always like having extra material
to work with rather than running short.
It is the highest quality work I am capable of doing with current tools and skills, and
I have ever personally done anything better.
Of course, it's fair to say tools and skills are constantly upgrading, so we only hope to improve in the future, inch by inch.
Tonight I will be experimenting with a homemade Oak sanding block tonight to see if I can find an improvement.
I believe the current durablock to have just a little too much "give" to knock down certain defects and am looking for
a potential improvement from a more rigid block material. Then after the defect is knocked down, the "give" in the durablock
would be a desirable thing to refine the scratch to the point it can be buffed out.
Of course, it's always better to spray without defects and I did my best! The majority of the problems were self inflicted and expected....In most places, an insect would land and get stuck, I'd pick the insect out with tweezers, then spray some more clear on that area to give material to work with, and then the additional clear would sag after that. I always like having extra material
to work with rather than running short.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
This correction stuff takes forever. It'd go much faster if I had a little more experience but there is only one way to get that! I have to say it's nice to just go work on it for an hour or two at a time again and not feel like it needs entire days dedicated to it, to make any progress. Still around, still plugging away, but that's about all I have to report.
Take it slow so you don’t make a mistake and create more work for yourself. I’m sure it will turn out just fine…
ckessel
Well-Known Member
Isn't it nice not having to watch the clock or being under the gun to chop chop? Go out to the garage, put some tunes on, do some correction while having a brew.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Just picking away at it when I can. The mess is maybe .001% cleaned up but that's just the way it goes when you're me, and want to work much more than you want to clean LOL. Someday entire days will be spent on cleaning.....but not today....
I attempted a modern DA approach for a minute but it didn't work for me at all. I feel a Novice like myself needs time to see what the heck is going on, and it all happens too quick with a DA. The upside of that is, the green film 1500 DA sheets are much nicer for hand sanding than the regular paper I was using, so that helped.
I find I need the powdered guide coat less and less now that I have a somewhat better feel for it.
Have also switched to hard blocks (Oak, and a deep well socket) for the first passes over areas with known dirt/insect issues,
then flexible blocks after.
I'm thinking I might try to leave a little bit of texture in it, it almost has a stockish look in some of the places where I had no choice but to make it flat because of insects and dirt.
I totally love the color but now I understand why painters complain about silver metallic so much.It was really pretty darn painful to shoot and make the color/metallics look right. Horizontal surfaces were easier than vertical.
With the temporary Menards booth LED lighting pulled down, the general shop lighting different K factor shows a good flop to green.
I attempted a modern DA approach for a minute but it didn't work for me at all. I feel a Novice like myself needs time to see what the heck is going on, and it all happens too quick with a DA. The upside of that is, the green film 1500 DA sheets are much nicer for hand sanding than the regular paper I was using, so that helped.
I find I need the powdered guide coat less and less now that I have a somewhat better feel for it.
Have also switched to hard blocks (Oak, and a deep well socket) for the first passes over areas with known dirt/insect issues,
then flexible blocks after.
I'm thinking I might try to leave a little bit of texture in it, it almost has a stockish look in some of the places where I had no choice but to make it flat because of insects and dirt.
I totally love the color but now I understand why painters complain about silver metallic so much.It was really pretty darn painful to shoot and make the color/metallics look right. Horizontal surfaces were easier than vertical.
With the temporary Menards booth LED lighting pulled down, the general shop lighting different K factor shows a good flop to green.
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Any updates Rich?
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the hiatus, for the three people paying attention LOL.
I suffered the loss of a close relative and had to regroup.
So, I got to the point above and was super unhappy with a couple things, and decided to go back and fix them.
What happened was, I'd made the grave error of seam sealing the quarter extensions, I hated the way it looked, came out sloppy as hell, so decided I had to fix it. This was My first time blending silver metallic....that alone was definitely enough to cause great concern! Although no fun to repair a fresh job, the repair came out excellent and I'm glad I did it.
A little cheapie/starter kit 1.0 tip Devilbiss touch up gun saved the day and got me the exact look to the basecoat that I needed, and I laid the universal clear with the same LPH400 as before, same air pressure and all as before......ended up with about the same dust, but noticeably fewer insects because I shot in the heat of mid-day.
The tiny little 1.0mm touch up gun has since become a valued tool that I never want to be without.
It can almost do what an airbrush does, or can give a big enough fan to easily paint stuff like an engine block or an axle.
After this The quarters, roof, and rockers had PLENTY of clear on them for future cut and buff, and I have to admit it was nice to not be shy about knocking it down flat. I believe 5 or 6 coats, all told.
This was just one of many lessons learned this time, to apply to the next job, which I'm really really looking forward to. Eventually!
I suffered the loss of a close relative and had to regroup.
So, I got to the point above and was super unhappy with a couple things, and decided to go back and fix them.
What happened was, I'd made the grave error of seam sealing the quarter extensions, I hated the way it looked, came out sloppy as hell, so decided I had to fix it. This was My first time blending silver metallic....that alone was definitely enough to cause great concern! Although no fun to repair a fresh job, the repair came out excellent and I'm glad I did it.
A little cheapie/starter kit 1.0 tip Devilbiss touch up gun saved the day and got me the exact look to the basecoat that I needed, and I laid the universal clear with the same LPH400 as before, same air pressure and all as before......ended up with about the same dust, but noticeably fewer insects because I shot in the heat of mid-day.
The tiny little 1.0mm touch up gun has since become a valued tool that I never want to be without.
It can almost do what an airbrush does, or can give a big enough fan to easily paint stuff like an engine block or an axle.
After this The quarters, roof, and rockers had PLENTY of clear on them for future cut and buff, and I have to admit it was nice to not be shy about knocking it down flat. I believe 5 or 6 coats, all told.
This was just one of many lessons learned this time, to apply to the next job, which I'm really really looking forward to. Eventually!
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Back to cut and buff.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
I got tired of missing things during cut and buff, so I decided to start circling every little thing that I didn't like.
That took care of that issue. What is hard to explain is, the clear surrounding a dust nib or piece of an insect sands differently than the bad spot itself. The bad spots are physically harder to sand. Because of this It can seem like everything is sanded dead flat, and on closer inspection, it really isn't. This is the only way I knew to never be fooled by feel.
Weeks later, the repair done and the larger part of correction on the repair wrapped up, I could finally rotate the GTX back into a straight ahead position instead of diagonal in the shop, and it could then reclaim it's Hoist Potato status on the old-azz *Bend Pak.
(*Featuring the super exciting, leaking hydraulic cylinder, making one hell of a mess whenever it's used! First thing I want to fix after the car is drivable again. Or maybe I should sell the hoist off, lay down the big money and get a Mohawk or Rotary instead).
I'd pulled the gas tank back down from the loft and decided to start getting it ready to re-install. Notice the well-preserved, factory original asbestos pad on top. I don't have any reason to believe this isn't the original gas tank to the car. I've had it out before, one other time in the '90s and was careful not to damage the mat...it's been intact this whole time.
That took care of that issue. What is hard to explain is, the clear surrounding a dust nib or piece of an insect sands differently than the bad spot itself. The bad spots are physically harder to sand. Because of this It can seem like everything is sanded dead flat, and on closer inspection, it really isn't. This is the only way I knew to never be fooled by feel.
Weeks later, the repair done and the larger part of correction on the repair wrapped up, I could finally rotate the GTX back into a straight ahead position instead of diagonal in the shop, and it could then reclaim it's Hoist Potato status on the old-azz *Bend Pak.
(*Featuring the super exciting, leaking hydraulic cylinder, making one hell of a mess whenever it's used! First thing I want to fix after the car is drivable again. Or maybe I should sell the hoist off, lay down the big money and get a Mohawk or Rotary instead).
I'd pulled the gas tank back down from the loft and decided to start getting it ready to re-install. Notice the well-preserved, factory original asbestos pad on top. I don't have any reason to believe this isn't the original gas tank to the car. I've had it out before, one other time in the '90s and was careful not to damage the mat...it's been intact this whole time.
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ckessel
Well-Known Member
Looking nice. Sorry about your relative.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Thank
Appreciate that. It's going to turn some of life upside down for the foreseeable future.
Prepped out the underbody in the new metal areas. Some of the ecoat was left intact.
Sprayed epoxy, seam sealed, sprayed summit single stage black/my go-to underbody paint, and undercoated it with a little less material than it had originally.
I don't have the desire or discipline to maintain a show car painted underbody, and it's going to be driven on all kinds of roads, so this was really the best solution. I think after it ages a little bit it will look a little closer to original.
Appreciate that. It's going to turn some of life upside down for the foreseeable future.
Prepped out the underbody in the new metal areas. Some of the ecoat was left intact.
Sprayed epoxy, seam sealed, sprayed summit single stage black/my go-to underbody paint, and undercoated it with a little less material than it had originally.
I don't have the desire or discipline to maintain a show car painted underbody, and it's going to be driven on all kinds of roads, so this was really the best solution. I think after it ages a little bit it will look a little closer to original.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
I'd spray can painted the tank decades ago with rustoleum professional. It wasn't in perfect shape anymore but it held up well enough to try it again. I stripped it, and this time used the rustoleum as a basecoat, and covered it with a budget clearcoat (acme fc720, the same stuff that is on the interior floor pans and such). We will wait and see how that works out over time. The tank does have a decent dent but is nice and clean inside, and nothing really wrong with it. New DMT upgraded pad and grommet.
The sender is a modified oe piece that might be the orignal part from the car, and has provisions for 1/2" send and return.
A friend from another board did the fabrication work for me decades ago, before I even knew how to weld.
The bigger diameter and return line is not a necessity, but it's a setup I really like as it allows the pump
to run wide open, never be loaded down against a head, and keeps both the fuel itself and the pump cool.
Many would consider my fuel system overkill for street/strip and they would be right....but there's a method to the madness
and it's kind of a luxury item that I just really like to have.
These were both in the car when I bought it, the sender originally had the 440 1/4" return and 3/8 send.
I could never find a reason to think they weren't the original ones to the car.
The sender is a modified oe piece that might be the orignal part from the car, and has provisions for 1/2" send and return.
A friend from another board did the fabrication work for me decades ago, before I even knew how to weld.
The bigger diameter and return line is not a necessity, but it's a setup I really like as it allows the pump
to run wide open, never be loaded down against a head, and keeps both the fuel itself and the pump cool.
Many would consider my fuel system overkill for street/strip and they would be right....but there's a method to the madness
and it's kind of a luxury item that I just really like to have.
These were both in the car when I bought it, the sender originally had the 440 1/4" return and 3/8 send.
I could never find a reason to think they weren't the original ones to the car.
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Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Before anyone thinks "here he is gloating about his stupid hoist", remember one ram leaks like a sieve. Need to fix that asap.
It may look like a glamour shot, but there's nothing glamorous going on. Just alot of hard but enjoyable work + a bunch of learning.
It may look like a glamour shot, but there's nothing glamorous going on. Just alot of hard but enjoyable work + a bunch of learning.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Not having the budget or the desire for national show winner quality trim, I find I'm pretty content with polishing the trim as I go with the old air die grinder with a large felt cone, using jeweler's rouge and finishing with mother's mag wheel polish. In the first pic I'm holding the piece from the opposite side that hadn't been polished yet, to show the difference.
Was super fortunate to score a MUCH better trunk finish panel from a sport satellite at a very reasonable price, to replace the two roached ones I had on hand.
The door handles are NOS Mopar Dodge truck pieces with the original mechanisms swapped on.
After these were bolted on I went and ordered some more for a future project, now they are available as a pretty nice quality 30 dollar reproduction. Don't ever throw away old A or B body door handles for being ugly and having pitted bad chrome.
As long as their mechanisms are good, take the mechanism off and swap it on a shiny new Dodge Truck door handle at half the price of a repro assembly. Purists might be able to see the original handles had plastic buttons....the car had a Sept 7th '68 build date per a trustworthy expert and shows alot the early '69 MY details like that. The new chrome ones look so good, and the car is so not-stock, but a mixture of stock features of the general era it doesn't bother me to change them, but they will end up being saved/you never know.
Was super fortunate to score a MUCH better trunk finish panel from a sport satellite at a very reasonable price, to replace the two roached ones I had on hand.
The door handles are NOS Mopar Dodge truck pieces with the original mechanisms swapped on.
After these were bolted on I went and ordered some more for a future project, now they are available as a pretty nice quality 30 dollar reproduction. Don't ever throw away old A or B body door handles for being ugly and having pitted bad chrome.
As long as their mechanisms are good, take the mechanism off and swap it on a shiny new Dodge Truck door handle at half the price of a repro assembly. Purists might be able to see the original handles had plastic buttons....the car had a Sept 7th '68 build date per a trustworthy expert and shows alot the early '69 MY details like that. The new chrome ones look so good, and the car is so not-stock, but a mixture of stock features of the general era it doesn't bother me to change them, but they will end up being saved/you never know.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Painted the side marker housings, interior upper quarter panels, and upper grille support.
First time I have had a trunk seal on this car since the late 90s.
I know it's not necessary to have a million clothespins on the trunk seal if you follow the directions,
but I didn't want to follow the directions! I wanted a second and third chance to position it instead of only one chance.
They aren't used as clamps, they hold it in position and allow you to cut it to length and apply the adhesive a little at a time
instead of all at once.
The belt molding ("arm burner" trim at the top of the door) clips aren't really fun to work with, stuff doesn't line up perfectly and has to be forced into place but not so much that anything is damaged.
There's this fear you're gonna drop one inside the quarter panel, and there it will forever live until the next poor sap cuts the quarter off
to restore the car for the third time 50 years from now. Luckily that didn't happen.
First time I have had a trunk seal on this car since the late 90s.
I know it's not necessary to have a million clothespins on the trunk seal if you follow the directions,
but I didn't want to follow the directions! I wanted a second and third chance to position it instead of only one chance.
They aren't used as clamps, they hold it in position and allow you to cut it to length and apply the adhesive a little at a time
instead of all at once.
The belt molding ("arm burner" trim at the top of the door) clips aren't really fun to work with, stuff doesn't line up perfectly and has to be forced into place but not so much that anything is damaged.
There's this fear you're gonna drop one inside the quarter panel, and there it will forever live until the next poor sap cuts the quarter off
to restore the car for the third time 50 years from now. Luckily that didn't happen.
Rich H.
Well-Known Member
Detail on the trunk finish panel refinish.
started off with a "new" (much less pitted than what I had) replacement from a sport satellite, stripped it, "*liquid masked" the shiny areas and applied epoxy,
then the black which was Summit Hot Rod black/catalyzed urethane, then masked the black off with 2" tape, applied the textured silver, pulled the tape, solvent wiped the shiny areas, then applied the
red with a brush.
This is probably the third or fourth time I've refinished these things in decades of ownership so I had a process and plan together, but the first time starting with a pretty nice part/the other two I've had were both pretty rough,
first time using epoxy to start with (I feel it was a very good idea) and lucking into a very close to correct textured silver. Also probably the best overall outcome.
I tried to buy more of the textured silver, it really had the "close to original" look I wanted, but it had been obsoleted.
That's when I mail ordered a spare can and paid a little extra to just have it. I might try to dig up some more of it.
I'm most likely going to do the grille in the same textured silver. It really looks the part but I'm pretty sure it is a slightly lighter shade than stock which is fine with me.
*judicious, careful application of plain old chassis grease suffices as liquid mask for a small part.
started off with a "new" (much less pitted than what I had) replacement from a sport satellite, stripped it, "*liquid masked" the shiny areas and applied epoxy,
then the black which was Summit Hot Rod black/catalyzed urethane, then masked the black off with 2" tape, applied the textured silver, pulled the tape, solvent wiped the shiny areas, then applied the
red with a brush.
This is probably the third or fourth time I've refinished these things in decades of ownership so I had a process and plan together, but the first time starting with a pretty nice part/the other two I've had were both pretty rough,
first time using epoxy to start with (I feel it was a very good idea) and lucking into a very close to correct textured silver. Also probably the best overall outcome.
I tried to buy more of the textured silver, it really had the "close to original" look I wanted, but it had been obsoleted.
That's when I mail ordered a spare can and paid a little extra to just have it. I might try to dig up some more of it.
I'm most likely going to do the grille in the same textured silver. It really looks the part but I'm pretty sure it is a slightly lighter shade than stock which is fine with me.
*judicious, careful application of plain old chassis grease suffices as liquid mask for a small part.
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