Paint matching hood to car?
 

Got a '67 LeMans that's painted red. I think it's Montero red single stage, car was repainted in the mid 1990s. Looks like a decent hobby quality job, I can't tell if it was lacquer or enamel. It was a color change, original color peeking out under hood is mariner turquoise.

It's got the Lemans flat hood that's sun faded, and a header panel that's got the PONTIAC logo that's falling off. I've got a '67 GTO hood and header panel I stripped and prepped that could be repainted and swapped on. I've got a good compressor, filter system, paint guns, etc and enough experience to be dangerous.

How do I go about finding a single stage paint that's within half a shade to whatever is on this car?

Check your local auto paint stores to find one that has a Colorimeter. The store can use that meter on a good piece of your car and mix super close to your red color. Being a non-metallic makes it easier. Polish an area of good paint where they'll scan it. I would just blend the into the tops of the fenders, then you don't need to worry if it's a little off. Paint the cowl panel and blend up the windshield posts. But to blend, you should use base/clear. I've perfectly bended modern base/clear into '70s lacquer with no color holdout or durability problems.

Back at this and ran into some unexpected issues. There was a little blister on the GTO hood, so I hit it with a DA. I found a round spot of rust-out, where the adhesive between the hood and inner structure held moisture. I've got the rust drilled out to a round 5/8 hole and a round patch made. I cut a section of the inner structure so I could get to the repair better. Would the final repair look better if I butt weld it from underneath or on top?

I would do it from the top, much easier to see and grind flat.

The metal is going to shrink in that area and get lower (flatter). Unless you plan to hammer on dolly a bit to bring it up, you will need some filler and blocking to get it straight. If you stretch it too much it will oil can (ask me how I know!!) and everything goes downhill from there.

In my experience trunk lids and hoods absolutely suck to do bodywork on and show imperfections soooo easy due to how flat they are.

It looks like too small of an opening to grind and hide your work from the underside. I also vote to work from top side.

Next question: What tricks do you guys have for grinding the welds flat?

I usually stretch with hammer and dolly, then grind most of it out with the edge of a dremel cut off wheel. Then I take it flat with a 60 grit roloc disc. The roloc wants to leave a ghost of the weld bead, so what else do you guys use?

I use a 2" 36 grit roloc on right angle die grinder to until bead is almost gone, then finish with 3" 80 grit roloc.

Attachment 618724

I use this weapon to grind every single mig weld ..period.

Fast...= less heat= less warping

What grit are you starting with MUSLCAH?

36 grit

I grind out spot welds with that 36 grit belt

I use it to grind mig welds

And a 100 other applications

3M Cubitron

Thanks

chiphead, I used PPG Shopline single stage metallic to paint a hood tach for my car and it's a very good match.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f2a2d70f0a.jpg

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Belt sander is the franks redhot sauce of my tool box... I use that $#!& on everything!!! And I agree, if you're using a PPG product, as far as color goes, shopline/Omni are the best way to go. They're way less expensive than their "more premium" lines, and are always a much closer match to the older colors. That being said, Reds can be a pita to match, especially if it's an older sun faded finish. It seems the UV pulls the yellow out of Red, leaving them on the bluer side, looking more purple than orange. Any good painter should be able to tint it around and get it where it needs to be. Good luck, and keep us posted on the progress.👍