[roger1]

I am getting much closer to being ready to start painting. My paint order arrives via UPS today. I'm still waiting on my paint booth filter order though and hopefully that will be next week.
Yesterday I sprayed the door jambs and perimeter of the trunk opening with epoxy primer and sprayed the quarters again as well for a final uniform coat to seal sanding scratches and a couple of small sand-throughs. I reduced the epoxy by 15% so it would lay down a little more slick. I will wet sand it all with 500 grit.
I tried to get the best reflections on the quarters I could for these photos. I am very happy with the way they reflect now.













I had some left over activated red primer from yesterday so I decided to spray the trunk floor with it. It does have some rust pitting. I'm not sure how much the spatter paint hides that. The anal part of me wants to smooth it out real nice with some filler but not sure if it's worth the effort. I will be using a mat.
I did order a quart of spatter paint today from The Parts Place.



Next I am going to move the car into my other stall so I can get the this room prepared for spraying paint. I'll scrub the walls and floor with soap and water hose it all down. I'll wet sand the car outside and will continue working on the trunk floor if I'm still waiting on the paint booth filters.

[OCMDGTO]

Here's mine I just got in the mail from Ames, it's the better of the 2 they sell. Chrome looks great to me. Can't comment on fit since it won't be on the car til Feb. No complaints here

[roger1]

Originally Posted by OCMDGTO

Here's mine I just got in the mail from Ames, it's the better of the 2 they sell. Chrome looks great to me. Can't comment on fit since it won't be on the car til Feb. No complaints here

Looks like we are both in the same boat and hoping that they fit well. I should know soon after I get the main body painted which should be within a month. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

We missed your anniversary. Your first post was 10/12/2020.........I can't believe how little you've accomplished in a year

Yeah, I thought about it before that date came and meant to mention it but forgot. Thanks for the reminder.
When I started I didn't think I'd be this far along in a year. I still don't have a good feeling on when I will consider the car done though. There's still too much to do for me to really estimate that. I haven't taken any vacations up to this point. I had hoped to until the Delta variant came. Other than weather and body soreness, I've pretty much not taken any breaks. However, it does seem I spend about as much time on the computer researching stuff as I do in my shop.

Here's some things I've done since my last post:

I made a decision and ordered an exhaust system.
I went with the Magnaflow Street Series crossmember back kit. It's a stainless 2 1/2" system. This week I saw a '69 GTO on BaT that had that system and it convinced me that was the same route I wanted to go. No supply chain issue on that. It will be delivered next week.

Since I will soon be installing the A/C evaporator box on the body followed by the inner fenders, I ordered a new evaporator. I had read on a Chevelle forum that an '85 Chevy pickup evaporator fits inside the A body case. I liked that idea because it allows the use of an orifice tube and accumulator versus an expansion valve and POA. I think it will look more clean under the hood and I'm using an A/C compressor that can work in a cycling system with no problems. I also ordered a new blower motor and squirrel cage and the application for that is for the rear A/C in a '95 Astro Van. A few others on this forum have done that and say it fits fine and has more blowing power than the stock motor.





I had mentioned before that the front valance for the car must have hit parking stops multiple times. I had done quite a bit of hammer and dolly work on it before the front end mock up but it still needed some more to get ready for primer. I got that done, shot a couple coats of epoxy primer on it and then applied a skim coat of filler to it. Here it is after sanding the filler:



Then sealed again with 2 more coats of epoxy yesterday:



This morning, I applied 3 coats of 2K urethane primer and then moved out into the sun to speed up the cure. Then this afternoon I sprayed 2 coats of epoxy on the inside of it.





I applied epoxy primer to the insides of the fenders using a brush. 2 coats applied with a day in between each coat.



I got the inner fenders done with epoxy over the last few days as well. I started out with 2 coats of epoxy on the undersides followed by 2 coats of 3M undercoating. I then sprayed a single coat of epoxy over the undercoating.



Then yesterday, I flipped them over and sprayed 2 coats of epoxy on the top sides. Today I sanded them some using 320 along with some scuffing with maroon Scotchbrite. I then sprayed them with 2 coats of 25% reduced epoxy primer. They are now ready for installing.

[Andretti]

Nice results with the valance. I really like the idea of the single epoxy coat over the 3M undercoating giving it a durable looking finish.
I'm thinking the top sides of those inner fenders might stand out a bit too much with that high gloss finish. Then again, with the added bling of that awesome motor you've got it could look good.

[roger1]

Originally Posted by Andretti

Nice results with the valance. I really like the idea of the single epoxy coat over the 3M undercoating giving it a durable looking finish.
I'm thinking the top sides of those inner fenders might stand out a bit too much with that high gloss finish. Then again, with the added bling of that awesome motor you've got it could look good.

Thanks!
SPI epoxy will dull up to a nice semi-gloss when it cures.

[north]

The repop rear bumpers have incorrect shaping at the upper outer corners. Looks OK if you don’t compare it to an original.

[gtohurstjudge]

Originally Posted by north

The repop rear bumpers have incorrect shaping at the upper outer corners. Looks OK if you don’t compare it to an original.

I was having my original bumper rechromed and I had a magazine photo shoot scheduled and bought one of these Ames premium bumpers to stick on my car temporarily and it looked so bad I took it back off and borrowed
the rear bumper off a friend's 69 GTO for the shoot. The Ames premium bumper that I bought had way way too much gap between the middle top bar and the deck lid even if you crammed the bumper ends all the way into the quarters with zero clearance
Also the ends of the bumper on the top corners are totally wrong and don't protrude far enough forward to tuck under the ends of the quarters like they are supposed to. I was so upset with the way the bumper looked on my car that I got mad and threw it into a dumpster rather than hassle with trying to return it
so that it could be foisted on someone else. I'm going to assume that the bumpers still look like crap but please install it and post a pic and we'll see if anything has changed. The chrome on the repro bumper was gorgeous, just the shape and fit were like crap.

[gtohurstjudge]

for reference, this how a correct original bumper looks...........

[gtohurstjudge]

note how the top corner tucks way under the quarter panel......

[roger1]

Originally Posted by gtohurstjudge

I was having my original bumper rechromed and I had a magazine photo shoot scheduled and bought one of these Ames premium bumpers to stick on my car temporarily and it looked so bad I took it back off and borrowed
the rear bumper off a friend's 69 GTO for the shoot. The Ames premium bumper that I bought had way way too much gap between the middle top bar and the deck lid even if you crammed the bumper ends all the way into the quarters with zero clearance
Also the ends of the bumper on the top corners are totally wrong and don't protrude far enough forward to tuck under the ends of the quarters like they are supposed to. I was so upset with the way the bumper looked on my car that I got mad and threw it into a dumpster rather than hassle with trying to return it
so that it could be foisted on someone else. I'm going to assume that the bumpers still look like crap but please install it and post a pic and we'll see if anything has changed. The chrome on the repro bumper was gorgeous, just the shape and fit were like crap.

How long ago was this?
What Ames said in their catalog had me feeling good about it when I made the order. I guess we shall see.

"All, Show Quality (RE)
Our supplier of L174S has provided us with an exceptional final product exhibiting excellent copper nickel chrome plating. Quality: Excellent"

I still have my original bumper but I think it has a minor dent in it. Where did you get yours rechromed? Do they straighten them too if necessary?

[MUSLCAH]

Good stuff right here….but you probably already have it.

[roger1]

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

Attachment 576396
Good stuff right here….but you probably already have it.

I don't and haven't heard of that. But thank you, I will do some research on it!
Have you ever used these? They look interesting too.

[dataway]

This may sound strange, I worked for a friend that owned a body shop for a couple of years, out in the country type shop. His paint booth had a deep crushed stone floor, he would wash down the stone and let it dry between paint work ... washed all the dust and overspray down into the gravel where it wouldn't get stirred up.

[MUSLCAH]

I use these alcohol wipes....removes static related dirt from bumpers , plastic parts,and fiberglass. I use it on metal parts too

[north]

The problem you are describing about the center and corners is classic “springing”. When you stamp steel you don’t just hit it hard enough to make it take the shape you want but you hit it with even more force so that you tear the fibers in the steel to “teach” it that this new shape is its natural shape. The way you do this is press size and the number of stamping steps to get the final shape. The classic problem with all repop stamping is those Asian mills are using much lighter presses so even though they can completely press the dies together the pressure is insufficient to prevent the steel from “springing” back a bit to the flat sheet it used to be.

Anyone who’s had experience fixing damaged factory sheet metal knows what I’m talking about that when you “help” a crumpled panel with heat, pulling and pressure it “wants” to find its way back to the way it was stamped.

[Sidponcho]

Originally Posted by north

The problem you are describing about the center and corners is classic “springing”. When you stamp steel you don’t just hit it hard enough to make it take the shape you want but you hit it with even more force so that you tear the fibers in the steel to “teach” it that this new shape is its natural shape. The way you do this is press size and the number of stamping steps to get the final shape. The classic problem with all repop stamping is those Asian mills are using much lighter presses so even though they can completely press the dies together the pressure is insufficient to prevent the steel from “springing” back a bit to the flat sheet it used to be.

Anyone who’s had experience fixing damaged factory sheet metal knows what I’m talking about that when you “help” a crumpled panel with heat, pulling and pressure it “wants” to find its way back to the way it was stamped.

Actually, nitrogen is often used in the lower die to control the form. If the Chinese used QC fixtures and were held to standards you'd have better repops. Often times it's the same amount of work to make it right.

[roger1]

Updates:

I moved the car out of my work stall and removed all the filthy plastic sheeting and stretch wrap.



I'm still liking what I see with how the quarters reflect now that I can see them from different angles.









I applied some Icing filler to some of the deeper pock marks left over from the rust that was on the trunk floor and then sanded the entire floor. I used maroon Scotch Brite on the hard to get to areas. I think it's looking pretty good now and will only need spot spraying primer on the filled areas then sand those and then apply a full final coat that won't need to be sanded. Then spray the black and aqua spatter paint. I checked on my order for the spatter paint from The Parts Place yesterday and they said 2 more weeks. Supply chain issues.



I think what I'll do now since I have to wait on both the spray booth filters and the spatter paint is to spray the final reduced coat of epoxy on all my removed body panels and have them be ready for the final wet sanding. I will apply epoxy primer to the back sides as well. I'll also get epoxy primer applied on the front inner fenders. After thinking about this, I think it makes sense to do all that before washing down my work stall for spraying base and clear.

[roger1]

Thanks James.
I decided to experiment on the bezels. They make reproductions in plastic and plated cast pot metal just like the originals. I did a separate thread asking about them. Some are quick to badmouth the plastic ones but others chimed about the plastic and said once there on the car, you can't tell the difference and that they hold up well. I kind of looked it like this. All cars are plastic today and that hasn't been a problem. Anyway, I went with the plastic but if I don't like them, I'll buy as set of the plated pot metal ones. Ames said they have received good feedback on the plastic ones they sell. We shall see.
The plastic bezels were $209 a pair and the cast ones are $399 a pair. The plastic ones are a little harder to install because studs must be mounted on them and ground wires have to be run to the light sockets.
The seller of the car had purchased a used set in very nice used condition but I opted for new ones anyway since I want everything on this car to appear like brand new. I will sell those along with a lot of other left over stuff I have.

As far as the tail light lenses, the ones that came in the car look nice and I think with a little polish, will look new.

[roger1]

Just looked at the Digi-Tails website for the first time. Looks like they make a cool product but as far as GTOs, they only make them for the '67 model.
I think I will just use LED bulbs. I've used them on other cars and had good luck with them. Brighter and draw less current.

[Sidponcho]

We missed your anniversary. Your first post was 10/12/2020.........I can't believe how little you've accomplished in a year