My paint thread.

Couldn't figure out which forum category to put this in. This seemed as good as any.

The car is in paint now and I managed to take some pics of the work in progress when I stopped by to check it out last week.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...nt_1week_1.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...nt_1week_2.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...nt_1week_3.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...nt_1week_4.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...nt_1week_5.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...nt_1week_6.jpg

I stopped by this week but it didn't look different enough to take more pics. Since last week they've blended in the rock guard at the bottom sides of the car, welded the spoiler holes in the trunk up, prepped the hood and mostly prepped the front and rear bumper covers. The front cover was pretty eaten up by rock chips, so he wants to take his time getting it perfectly smooth. He's keeping the hard top on during all the prep until the last minute just to keep as much dust out of the car as possible.

I'll post more pics next week. He's going to have it pretty much all the way prepped and he said he'd roll it out of the garage so I can get some good pics of it just before he starts spraying.

Who is doing this for you? I guess a lot of folks around here want to have shop they can trust and not cost an arm or a leg.

I thought it looked good before, but now it's going to be better!

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Originally Posted by blackzx3_13

I thought it looked good before, but now it's going to be better!

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+1 ... I noticed it at the first SCCA AX. Very nice ride!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gabkwong

Who is doing this for you? I guess a lot of folks around here want to have shop they can trust and not cost an arm or a leg.

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A guy out in Wylie who does body work out of his home garage. He's got a pretty sweet setup and is more of a perfectionist than anyone I've met before.

Considering the level of work he does I think his price is very reasonable. If anyone wants his contact info I'll be happy to pass it along. I'll post it up when I post the "done" pics of my car.

Thanks for the props guys. I'm excited to have a finish on the car I can be proud of.

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Originally Posted by mk2tmr2

A guy out in Wylie who does body work out of his home garage. He's got a pretty sweet setup and is more of a perfectionist than anyone I've met before.

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Cool! Finally someone from this side of town! I am in Rowlett. I like to have this contact in my back packet. I actually have a couple of small jobs needed to be done.

Got an email from the paint guy with some pics of the progress. Looks like all the sections of the car that required the most work (trunk lid spoiler removal, front edge of hood rock chips, rocker panel rock guard smoothing) have received their first spray of primer and sanding. They'll be re primed and then the whole car prepped/masked for paint by Saturday - including the hard top and bumper covers.

Should see the first couple base coats of black laid down early next week. Then those will be thoroughly sanded in preparation for clear.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_2weeks_1.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_2weeks_2.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_2weeks_3.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_2weeks_4.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_2weeks_5.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_2weeks_6.jpg

Steve, is this guy located off of Sheppard?

Yes he is.

Looks like it will turn out very nice.

More pics. I stopped by to see the car tonight. He's started the final masking and the car should see some paint laid down in the middle of the week.

All of the prep work is top notch. Most impressive is the refinishing of the front bumper - which was pretty badly chewed up - and the smoothing of the rock guard along the rocker panels. It's going to look really slick when it's done. He's also got a liquid mask that was sprayed on the wheels as well as on the engine. Even though both the engine and wheels will be physically masked off, the clear coat apparently has the ability to creep past traditional paper/plastic mask and the liquid mask is the next level of defense. It's water soluble and will wash off after all is said and done.

I still feel like it's going to be forever until I get the car back. But in reality it's only a couple weeks away so I'm starting to get excited.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_1.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_2.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_3.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_4.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_5.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_6.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_3weeks_7.jpg

Please bring this back to another AX when you're done. I think we all want to see the finished product.

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Originally Posted by jrj512

Please bring this back to another AX when you're done. I think we all want to see the finished product.

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I highly intend to. Only this time I'll be one of those guys with blue painters tape all over the car to protect it from rock chips ;)

Got some more pics from the paint guy today. He's laid down the first base coat. He'll be working on sanding this coat down in preparation for the second base coat - which will go on tonight.

After that is more sanding, clear coat, more sanding, buffing and then reassembly. It's realistic that I may get the car back by next weekend!

Stoked.

Pics follow. You can see the orange peel and minor defects in the first base coat. This will all be gone before he applies coat #2.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_4weeks_1.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_4weeks_2.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_4weeks_3.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_4weeks_4.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_4weeks_5.jpg

That is looking fantastic.... heck it even looked good sanded.

I definitely want the 411 and price! It's looking fantastic!

saffikeagan - I'll post the paint guy's info when all is said and done. As for price - I'll probably just give you guys a rough ballpark of what my job cost. Of course he estimates on a case-by-case basis so price is naturally going to vary.

I got more pics from the paint guy today. The final coat of clear is on the car! Paint is done and now it's down to final sanding and buffing. He's going to have a panel sanded and buffed by tomorrow evening so that when I stop by I can get an idea of what the finished product will look like.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_5weeks_1.jpg

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_5weeks_2.jpg

I actually stopped by the guy's house tonight to check on progress in person. He had just started the final sanding and buffing. The left rear 1/4 panel was mostly done so I took a few pics. You can see the difference between the door (orange peel) and the 1/4 panel (smooth).

Overall, the car looks fantastic. He hasn't sprayed the bumpers, hard top, front lip and mirrors yet. He needs to get the car to a point where he can roll it out of the garage and make room to do those.

The car itself should be buffed by end of week and the other bits sprayed over the weekend. I'll probably take delivery of the completed project about two weeks from now.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_5weeks_3.jpg

You can tell in the shot above that the rough rock-guard texture is gone from the bottom edge of the car.

http://www.steveandlee.com/galleries...t_5weeks_4.jpg

Brilliant!

Now you make me itching for one too! Com'on, tell the $$$ ... so that we can start saving our dimes! Perhaps, the guy can be our designated "paint guy"! If his price is reasonable, I am sure most of us from the side (East) of town will give him our business.