[ZeGermanHam]

Took today and yesterday off work so I could focus on the GTO. I spent yesterday priming the underside of the body and firewall. It was my first time ever using an HVLP spray gun and 2-part epoxy. I used PPG DP90, and it came out pretty good I think!

Today I will be doing the seam sealing, then spraying the underside with 3M undercoating. Not original, but I want the protection from rock chips and also the acoustic benefit.

If things go well today, I will hopefully be putting the body back on the frame this weekend!

[1_Wild_Cat]

That looks Great. Are you leaving the firewall in primer? Or are you going to top coat?

Thanks for the update on your progress.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by 1_Wild_Cat

That looks Great. Are you leaving the firewall in primer? Or are you going to top coat?

Thanks for the update on your progress.

I thought about leaving it in primer and honestly I don't think there would be anything wrong with that, but I decided that I'm going to top coat it with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator rattle can. I chose that product for the top coat because I've used it in the past and it has the slightly more flat gloss level that is appropriate for the firewall. It also applies really nicely and is super easy to get perfect. And it makes touch-ups down the road much easier if needed.

To my understanding (others will correct me if I'm wrong), the firewall is supposed to be more flat than the fender housings. So when I tackle those, I'll probably leave them with the DP90 primer as the top coat, since it's slightly more glossy than the Rust Encapsulator that will be on the firewall.

I'm must glad I didn't botch laying down the primer. Having never used an HVLP gun before, I was pretty nervous about it beforehand. Now with my positive experience priming the underside, I'll probably tackle the job of priming the inside of the body, too. Definitely going to leave the body exterior to the pros, though. I just wish DP90 wasn't so darn expensive...

[1_Wild_Cat]

As far as I know you are right about the firewall being flatter than the other under hood pieces. I've been planning on flattening a single-stage black myself, but might look at the product you mentioned. I'm going to be shooting red oxide primer so I'll have no choice but to top-coat.

Check out SPI epoxy...great reputation and far less money than DP90.

[ZeGermanHam]

I'll be sure to post some photos once I've top coated the firewall so you can get a sense of what it looks like when done.

[ZeGermanHam]

Here is what the Eastwood rust encapsulator rattle can looks like. It's just a tad less glossy than the DP90 primer. It's also heat resistant up to 400F, so it should be good for under hood use.

[1_Wild_Cat]

That looks pretty good. Thanks for the pictures.

[gtospieg]

Ze..why no seam sealer above and down the sides of the body mount bulkheads? My 67 Tempest had it in that location. Your car is looking great.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by gtospieg

Ze..why no seam sealer above and down the sides of the body mount bulkheads? My 67 Tempest had it in that location. Your car is looking great.

It may be hard to see in the photos, but there is seam sealer on the sides of the body mount bulkheads. As for the top edges, I looked at my photos taken during disassembly and noted that there was zero seam sealer from the factory in that location on my car. I just replicated how it was before. I've heard that there was some variation in how seam sealer was applied at the factory, so maybe that explains why our cars are different. Which plant did you're Tempest come from?

[gtospieg]

Ze... I've owned the car since 1980 and I've never bothered to decode the Vin. I guess I should really do that now, seeing as I'm restoring the car. I'll look into it and let you know..... It seems to make sense that there would be seam sealer above the bulk heads to prevent water from running down into the mount area and getting trapped.

[400 4spd.]

Fantastic work! I haven't followed this thread the past couple of months but I like what I'm seeing. With yours being a Pontiac plant car, you may want to study some firewall pictures and see how the body color extended further downward on the firewall than other plants. And you're on track with the firewall needing to be flatter than underneath the car. DP90 would not give you the shade and gloss you are after. Also, the firewall was shot after the body color if that helps. PM if you like.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by gtospieg

Ze... I've owned the car since 1980 and I've never bothered to decode the Vin. I guess I should really do that now, seeing as I'm restoring the car. I'll look into it and let you know..... It seems to make sense that there would be seam sealer above the bulk heads to prevent water from running down into the mount area and getting trapped.

Yeah, that does make complete sense, and I may decide to add seam sealer there. It could only help matters. But for the sake of discussion, check out this photo of the area taken during disassembly:

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

Fantastic work! I haven't followed this thread the past couple of months but I like what I'm seeing. With yours being a Pontiac plant car, you may want to study some firewall pictures and see how the body color extended further downward on the firewall than other plants. And you're on track with the firewall needing to be flatter than underneath the car. DP90 would not give you the shade and gloss you are after. Also, the firewall was shot after the body color if that helps. PM if you like.

Thanks for the kind words! This is my first time doing a car restoration, so it has been a great learning experience. This is my forever car, so no corners are being cut, and so far, I feel I've been able to achieve a quality outcome. It helps immensely to have the PY forum guide me with info along the way.

Appreciate the info on firewall painting, too.

[gtospieg]

Ze...Very interesting, thanks for sharing. I always find it interesting when the differences between the different assembly plants are pointed out.

[ZeGermanHam]

Sunday update: I'm happy to report that after about ten months of work, the body has once again been "married" to the frame. I suppose it means they have renewed their vows... It's a major mental milestone for me, and it will surely stoke the fire within to continue pushing on the project.

[gtospieg]

Very cool...big step, congrats

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by gtospieg

Very cool...big step, congrats

Thank you! Big step, indeed.

I will say, I'm not terribly impressed by the body mount kit from OPGI. The supplied hardware is very low-grade, and the none of the bushings fit the two holes in the middle of the frame (these holes are smaller than the rest). It was easy enough to trim the bushings down to fit, but still. I'm surprised by this snag, since the body mount kit had been highly reviewed on OGPI's website. Maybe there's some selective "filtering" going on with the reviews they post.

[MUSLCAH]

That ppg DP 40 sure smells awful

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

That ppg DP 40 sure smells awful

Yeah, fortunately I didn't smell much of the DP90 except for when I bumped or adjusted my respirator. Paint is nasty stuff.

[gtospieg]

Ze.. I had the same issue with the same body mount location. My body mount kit came from Ames...I had to modify them too.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by gtospieg

Ze.. I had the same issue with the same body mount location. My body mount kit came from Ames...I had to modify them too.

That's interesting to hear. In that case, I wonder if the body mount kits that are available are just generic A-body kits and perhaps Pontiac frames are different in that location compared to Chevy, Buick, Olds frames.