Now we're not saying all of this to scare you away from painting your own car-not in the least. No, we're just being upfront and honest about the cost, equipment, time, space, and ability needed to do it right. Many magazines are guilty of cover words like "paint your car for $299 in a weekend," but there's a big difference between a $299 paintjob and a $10,000 paintjob. If you want to tackle the paint and bodywork of your own project, you have our utmost respect, but know going in that you'll easily spend that $299 just in tools and sandpaper if you plan to do your car right. It can take weeks to fully prep a body before one drop of color is mixed to paint it. It's a lot of back-breaking, finger-bleeding work, but the results of your hard work (or that of your paint and body guy) are the first thing people see at a cruise night or show, so don't go cheap with the products. Use name-brand paints, primers, and sealers and you won't regret spending the extra money.
Besides the long board, Danny...
Besides the long board, Danny utilizes these round rubber sanding blocks from Dura-Block. They come in several shapes, sizes, and diameters and are a must-have for the intricate curved/rounded shapes found on classic cars. Here, Danny is using the round block to sand in a vertical motion above the fiberglass wheel flare.
You can also use them in a...
You can also use them in a horizontal sanding motion as well, and they work great for the tops of Mustang fenders (at the outer edge that curves up), the door shell top surface, and many other rounded areas on the Mustang, or other classic Ford.
While our gaps around the...
While our gaps around the hood are looking great, we do have a few issues with our door-to-fender gaps (arrow). The issue stems from a reproduction doorskin from one company (on an original door shell) next to another company's reproduction fender. We've said it before, but it bears mentioning again: Reproduction metal is not perfect, but it's a great starting point and we should be thankful we have so much available. In this case, we'll add a little filler weld to the edge of the fender to even the gap out. We'll tackle that in our next installment.
We've all heard the stories about someone's project being in "paint prison" before. Often, a shop takes restoration-type paintwork in as filler between insurance panel work. While this may sound like a great solution and a way to save money, you'll most often regret it; and whatever you do, don't tell the shop to take its time! Better yet, search out a restoration facility that specializes in classic cars. It will take much less time to complete the work, it will know how to properly mask and paint a classic car, and you'll be happier in the long run. Just know that these shops do charge more than your corner spray-booth-job shop.
In the case of our '68 Mustang fastback project, we ran into some delays getting our paint figured out (choosing a color is one of the hardest decisions you'll make in your project), and when we finally had our ducks in a row and our arms full of PPG materials courtesy of Auto Body Color & Supply (the same shop that provides paint materials to RTM Productions TV shows like Trucks!, Muscle Car, and Horsepower TV), we were deep into the summer months here in Florida. Unfortunately, that meant that Classic Creations of Central Florida, our local shop responsible for all of the body modifications and prep work to date, had a full roster of customer cars being worked on, restored, and painted, and we went to the bottom of the list. While unfortunate, it does happen and no shop wants to hold up other customers for one car. So we waited, patiently, until our time came and now we're back on the project in full force. Check out the beginning of our final body prep this month, and next month we'll tackle a few final modifications we're making, and then it'll be time to spray some color!
If you remember when we added...
If you remember when we added our fiberglass trunk lid and quarter end caps, we bonded the end caps in place and smoothed over the seams for a modern look...
...We decided not to do that...
...We decided not to do that on the front of the car, mainly for servicing and to be able to remove a fender in the future, but we did want a nearly invisible gap. Danny puts a very thin coat of filler on the seam itself and then uses a body file to trim the excess filler away.
Using a combination of long/short...
Using a combination of long/short board sanding and hand sanding, Danny roughs out the seam surface between the front fascia and the fenders...
...This thin layer of filler...
...This thin layer of filler will allow us to have a perfect marriage between the fascia and fenders when we're done.
Danny is now ready to separate...
Danny is now ready to separate the front fascia from the fenders, which will give him access to the parting gap, where he'll finish the seam work. A few carefully placed hits with a hammer and a block of wood crack the filler seam, allowing separation...
...The fascia, which has had...
...The fascia, which has had its fasteners already loosened beforehand, is then pulled forward on its mounting studs far enough to access the edges of the new seam.