Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

[A5literMan]

Little late but paint it!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Hello Dave, just checking in. I'm too lazy to read all these pages, is there an actual car in this thread yet? I've stayed away from your thread because your thread is like the hot "second base" only girl. Just a tease with all these individual parts getting a beautiful paint job here and there and some awesome interior work. I need more bro! I need to see the promise land! How long do I need to date this thread before I get what I really want!

We are going to have to change your name, davedapartspainter, lol

I'm kidding and just giving you a hard time. Seriously though, I'm excited to see the car get painted and assembled. It's going to be beautiful when it's all done.

Jeez do I know about wanting it to be together, I try not to think too much about that stage yet. It's a long process. The car may look small, but there are a lot of pieces.

I'm really enjoying it and I find it I focus just on the next piece, I keep enjoying it. When I consider the whole picture I get butterflies in my stomach. So better to focus on the next thing.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Speaking of the next thing. I decided to do something a little different with the door panels. I got them painted black and cleared with the half an eggshell clearcoat.

Here's what's different. I'll paint the mouldings the trim grey in the morning and clear them with a glossy clearcoat.

Picture as of now.

 

[a91what]

Sorry Dave could you explain again how you're keeping the paint that you're spraying on all these panels from chipping or peeling

 

[General karthief]

Painters magic, like painters tape but you can't see it.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Sorry Dave could you explain again how you're keeping the paint that you're spraying on all these panels from chipping or peeling

Sure Steve.

Here's the basis of the interior pieces. They are plastic. Even the cloth is plastic thread woven into a fabric sheet.

So, like any plastic i might deal with at work normally (primarily plastic bumper covers, mirrors, door handles, etc...), I score the plastics via sandpaper, scotchbrite, or gritted foam pads. This allows for the mechanical adhesion of the products we use at work. Plus it opens more surface for the following.

In addition to the mechanical adhesion provided by the above mentioned scoring, plastics require an adhesion promoter to cause a chemical adhesion as well (the adhesion promoter kind of "melts" the plastic surface for a short period of time allowing the top coatings to bond to it (mixing with its upper layers, if you will). A somewhat "permanent" bond, assuming application is done properly.

So, i have paint bonded to a plastic substrate, right? Paint hardens and can be brittle because automotive paint hardens very solid to keep out the elements. What about this problem? Enter the wonderful world of flex additives.

Flex additives give the "brittle" paint the ability to be flexed, or reshaped beyond the original shape of it's catalization. Essentially making the plastic flexible beyond it's normal limits on it's own chemical base. This allows the paint a bonded material (the flex additive) that will stretch without fracturing.

The sealer coat and the clearcoats that i'm using are "flexed", meaning they have the flex additives in them prior to mixing for application.

All that said, i hope the sht sticks!

 

[a91what]

thanks Dave! now I have so many more things to repaint... lol

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Getting started.

 

[stanglx2002]

Cant wait to see the end product of the door panels. I am planning on painting the remaining parts of my interior to black. I used an adhesion promoter from the auto parts store about 5+ years ago on my center console, kick panels, and instrument cluster bezel, and its been holding up great. I only have a couple areas to repaint due to scratching them from disassembly and reassembly multiple times over the years. I bet with all you have put into it that it will last probably FOREVER.

Great Job as always.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Ok, the mouldings are shot. I two toned the upper one with kona blue. The mouldings are glossy. I'll get a picture use in the sun in just a little bit when it's done baking. This picture is with me shining my "sun" light on it so you can see the blue.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

It doesn't really bling in the sun like the fenders or the other panels, which is ok. I wanted subtle. I'll get the dew wipe on today and the carpet whenever it shows up. I can finally go onto the next thing, mirrors and glass trim.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Jeez Dave, I am thoroughly impressed with the outcomes on your interior. I love the look of the door panels!

 

[Mustang5L5]

And here I was ready to throw that panel out and just buy new repops.

I'll be damned

 

[A5literMan]

Very cool. Looks great!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Ah Jeez.....I got the new dew wipes on the door panels, plus the little ring for the lock rod. They both have chrome on them. The chrome looks sooooo good against the black. I'm thinking i'm going to look into that chrome transfer tape i mentioned a while back. That kona blue may just be a good base for chrome. I think i'll keep the grey in the upper moulding middle though. To top it off, i didn't get a picture of the new dew wipes on the panels. Boy they're nice though. The old ones literally fell apart in my hands as i was taking them off. I did mention i went ahead and ordered the new carpet from LMR right? I'll just get a new picture posted when they're complete.

The door panels really screwed with my completion fixation, so i had to do something else too.

I wanted to go to the mirrors and window trim, but the trim is chromed. For you that know the fun of sanding chrome, i decided to delay those parts till next week. So, what did i do? Taillights!

So, I started with the left taillight that i already had disassembled earlier. If you remember, it had a small 2" crack in it. I used super glue to repair the crack.

I blocked out the excess super glue and sanded the lense down with 400 grit sandpaper.

Then i clearcoated it.

Here it is with the right side. I also sanded and cleaned the housing and painted the black on it. I will spray that "chrome in a can" stuff in the silver reflective area on monday (thanks @Mustang5L5 ). I will also mask off the lense and respray the black, it was chipped and gouged. Plus the black needs to be more of an eggshell finish. Doesn't that look awesome?!

This got me cocky with the time i had left in the day and i tore down the right side. It was in great condition compared to the left except the butyl tape sealing that lense was dried out. While this may sound bad, and sure made for a dirtier interior, it was a breeze to clean up! Butyl is a wonderfully sticky mess when it's still pliable. BTW, notice the red plastic stick to the left of the lense? That's what i used to separate the lense from the housing.

I sanded, cleaned and cleared it.

I also cleaned and prepped the housing (no picture, second verse, same as the first).
Here is the right lense with the left. These easier things can be so satisfying.

As I said, I'll get the silver on monday. Then I'll put new butyl tape in there (the clips are in great condition, btw). As I mentioned in an earlier post, I can get all I want for free.

The lenses look beautiful! I needed this victory. I thought that whole Kona blue thing would turn out better on the door vinyl than it did. Oh well. I'll have btchin taillights!

 

[95BlueStallion]

I liked the Kona blue, but get what you are saying about the chrome. Nice job on those tails,they look better than new.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Damn. I need to go redo my lights now

 

[stanglx2002]

Those taillights look awesome. I never thought and knew you could clear the lenses to look like that. WOW!!!!!

I always thought you had to wet sand and polish the lenses. Another new thing we have all learned from the Master Painter Dave.

When I can finally get to the painting stage of mine this is definitely on the list of to dos

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Those taillights look awesome. I never thought and knew you could clear the lenses to look like that. WOW!!!!!

I always thought you had to wet sand and polish the lenses. Another new thing we have all learned from the Master Painter Dave.

When I can finally get to the painting stage of mine this is definitely on the list of to dos

Thanks man. Of course i used an adhesion promoter prior to clearing them, just as a side note.

I'm really amazed they turned out so nice though. I've clear coated headlights, taillights and the sort for other people and have seen a milky film on many of them because of the plastic breaking down deeper inside the lense. That didn't happen at all with these. They really look brand new.

 

[stangboy]

Thanks man. Of course i used an adhesion promoter prior to clearing them, just as a side note.

I'm really amazed they turned out so nice though. I've clear coated headlights, taillights and the sort for other people and have seen a milky film on many of them because of the plastic breaking down deeper inside the lense. That didn't happen at all with these. They really look brand new.

Does that adhesion promoter come in rattle can? I don't have access to a paint gun nor do I have the experience to use one. But I really wanna revive my taillights like you did. So if everything needed comes in rattle can I'll do it. I have buddies that paint but trying to get them to do ANYTHING in a timely manner is practically impossible.