SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
my goodness - it's so amazing to look at where you're at and how far you've come. It looks amazing.:thumbs:
1958 MGA Coupe
- Thread starter bobs77vet
- Start date
bobs77vet
Well-known member
thanks. that big ass elephant isn't so big any more....
I am not a perfectionist about body work. my guide is pretty simple if you can see it in the color coat you fix it....after that if it shows up in the clear coat you live with it unless its horrid.
there was a feather edge you could see here and 600 sanding took care of it
just to the right of my finger
more 600 sanding
the end of the paint stick is the same spot
feather edge in between blue tape
feather edge straight down from blue tape
600 fixed it but not to my satisfaction
so hit it with 150 grit and use a two stage glazing puddy
some how I missed a big feather edge and some pit marks
remember there is about $12 worth of color coat paint on the entire top end of the car, so its no big deal at this stage to fix areas and respray the areas.
I will color sand the entire top before the clear coat.
I am not a perfectionist about body work. my guide is pretty simple if you can see it in the color coat you fix it....after that if it shows up in the clear coat you live with it unless its horrid.
there was a feather edge you could see here and 600 sanding took care of it
just to the right of my finger
more 600 sanding
the end of the paint stick is the same spot
feather edge in between blue tape
feather edge straight down from blue tape
600 fixed it but not to my satisfaction
so hit it with 150 grit and use a two stage glazing puddy
some how I missed a big feather edge and some pit marks
remember there is about $12 worth of color coat paint on the entire top end of the car, so its no big deal at this stage to fix areas and respray the areas.
I will color sand the entire top before the clear coat.
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My hat is off to you. I look forward to the updates and make mental notes of all the work required to either help me on a future project or help me decide to not to do one. I admire your patience and especially your attention to detail. Keep up the great work. 
MYBAD79
Moderator
Excellent ?
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
It's good that you gave yourself a completely unreasonable deadline to help you avoid perfection
bobs77vet
Well-known member
thanks,
I wont admit to most but I set a deadline on body work and after that its just done!!! or else it could go on forever.
wet/dry sand paper loves to be wet so I just leave it in the bucket
first hit 220 then 400 600 1000
and my cars first rain...well parts of my cars first rain, I needed the space in side to walk around the car.
I wont admit to most but I set a deadline on body work and after that its just done!!! or else it could go on forever.
wet/dry sand paper loves to be wet so I just leave it in the bucket
first hit 220 then 400 600 1000
and my cars first rain...well parts of my cars first rain, I needed the space in side to walk around the car.
bobs77vet
Well-known member
I guess we will have rain for the next week so my fenders can get their " first wets" in true fashion. so I played around with the grille tonight, if there ever was a use for cap screws this is it and I am going to the hard ware store first thing tomorrow to get them....
looks like I have an older poor fitting grill and after some massaging of the grill tabs I can get it to sit inside the preformed area. I will need to do some clean up around the grill area but not too much. but the poor fitting grill leaves some exposed areas of the preformed grill. I think I am going to leave what is original just as it is and if you can see the preformed area then so be it. I don't want to fix it to fit the grille and then find an original grille and go to put it in and have to redo body work. so I will fix/clean up the body work just up to the original pre formed area, there really not much to do
funny the MG logo looks off center, maybe I bumped accidentally in my man handling
looks like I have an older poor fitting grill and after some massaging of the grill tabs I can get it to sit inside the preformed area. I will need to do some clean up around the grill area but not too much. but the poor fitting grill leaves some exposed areas of the preformed grill. I think I am going to leave what is original just as it is and if you can see the preformed area then so be it. I don't want to fix it to fit the grille and then find an original grille and go to put it in and have to redo body work. so I will fix/clean up the body work just up to the original pre formed area, there really not much to do
funny the MG logo looks off center, maybe I bumped accidentally in my man handling
bobs77vet
Well-known member
rains, wind, fenders under a canopy tent what could possibly go wrong????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
a quick look makes think I lucked out
I cant see any big scratches, not sure about dings though although those fenders are pretty beefy
new resting spot
lets put to bed the grille area issue once and for all
didn't take much there was only small slight sanding required cleaning up edges
its so small of an area I just sprayed primer on a chip brush, and brushed it on. after all its going to get sanded with 400 one more time before it gets another couple of color coats
a quick look makes think I lucked out
I cant see any big scratches, not sure about dings though although those fenders are pretty beefy
new resting spot
lets put to bed the grille area issue once and for all
didn't take much there was only small slight sanding required cleaning up edges
its so small of an area I just sprayed primer on a chip brush, and brushed it on. after all its going to get sanded with 400 one more time before it gets another couple of color coats
bobs77vet
Well-known member
more rain which is letting me be actively looking for things to fix before I can finish the painting....and I found one that I had never seen before. I am pretty sure its not from me
stick something up under the frame support to act as a dolly
and hammer and dolly away...got called into the house will finish later
I got the area really flat using a hammer and dolly, I am using a two part body glaze and spot puddy to make it smooth. I also spent some time pondering my engine shelf area and I really like the way flat shiny engine shelf areas look.....its pretty flat just pitted.....not enough pitting for body filler and too much for high build sandable primer.... ..........but just right for this body glazing and spot puddy, what the hell its just more work and more sanding....did I ever mention I hate sanding?
stick something up under the frame support to act as a dolly
and hammer and dolly away...got called into the house will finish later
I got the area really flat using a hammer and dolly, I am using a two part body glaze and spot puddy to make it smooth. I also spent some time pondering my engine shelf area and I really like the way flat shiny engine shelf areas look.....its pretty flat just pitted.....not enough pitting for body filler and too much for high build sandable primer.... ..........but just right for this body glazing and spot puddy, what the hell its just more work and more sanding....did I ever mention I hate sanding?
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bobs77vet
Well-known member
cross one more thing off the list.......all sanded with 400
bobs77vet
Well-known member
I am so close to being done I am getting excited....taking care of the weld seam
found my two low spots on the coupe top, had to work on a ladder which didn't thrill me too much
sanded and then finished off with two part body puddy and glazing,
found my two low spots on the coupe top, had to work on a ladder which didn't thrill me too much
sanded and then finished off with two part body puddy and glazing,
MYBAD79
Moderator
Just looked at the first page to see when you started, May 2012.... Time is flying ... Awesome progress !!!
bobs77vet
Well-known member
yes it will be driving on streets before Christmas
everything is color sanded with 400 and getting three coats of color on the repaired areas
going after the big pits ignoring the smallest ones
use the body sanding block as a squeegee
so I turned the heat on in the garage and I moved the car in and out of the garage in between coats
everything is color sanded with 400 and getting three coats of color on the repaired areas
going after the big pits ignoring the smallest ones
use the body sanding block as a squeegee
so I turned the heat on in the garage and I moved the car in and out of the garage in between coats
JPhil
Huh?
So what color is it going to be, Bob? 
bobs77vet
Well-known member
That thing is a paint hog.....with 2-3 coats on every surface I am at about 3 gallons of paint so far.
bobs77vet
Well-known member
when I got home it was sunny and not too cold so I wet color sanded the entire car with 600, then washed it off with soapy water, hit it with the yard blower then a complete wipe down. its now in the garage with the heat on and ceiling fan. now for the stars to align for the final 1-2 color coats and the 3 clear coats
bobs77vet
Well-known member
passed another hurtle today....came home for lunch 68* and rising and 67% humidity.....that means paint time......so I wipe down the car with a tack rag, then prepaint prep
then 2 more color coats on all the exterior and interior surfaces.....then 3 coats of clear. so that makes 5 color coats and they were wet sanded in between coats 3 and 4. and three clear coats. took about 2.5 hours from start to finish...... those clear coats will get wet sanded once they are good and dry and then we will do another 1-2 coats
I did the extra two color coats just to make sure I didnt have any over spray anywhere from my piece meal style of body work. my do a little bit at a time style has inefficiencies built in to it. so you have to throw some extra work at it. if I had a larger garage I would build a spray booth and then do the work like a production shop does it. but that's for the next garage if I ever get out of the highest density county in Virginia.
so heres we left off..
and then done...
once the paint dries some more I will push it back outside and take some better pictures, I just done want a bird landing on it while the paint is still soft....
then 2 more color coats on all the exterior and interior surfaces.....then 3 coats of clear. so that makes 5 color coats and they were wet sanded in between coats 3 and 4. and three clear coats. took about 2.5 hours from start to finish...... those clear coats will get wet sanded once they are good and dry and then we will do another 1-2 coats
I did the extra two color coats just to make sure I didnt have any over spray anywhere from my piece meal style of body work. my do a little bit at a time style has inefficiencies built in to it. so you have to throw some extra work at it. if I had a larger garage I would build a spray booth and then do the work like a production shop does it. but that's for the next garage if I ever get out of the highest density county in Virginia.
so heres we left off..
and then done...
once the paint dries some more I will push it back outside and take some better pictures, I just done want a bird landing on it while the paint is still soft....
bobs77vet
Well-known member
70* and 60% humidity time to wrap up some loose ends after dinner
remember the doors clear coat got goofy because the spray gun setting changed and I didn't notice in time
wet sand quickly with 400 and then 600. and the 4th and 5th coats of clear, last one nice and wet
remember the doors clear coat got goofy because the spray gun setting changed and I didn't notice in time
wet sand quickly with 400 and then 600. and the 4th and 5th coats of clear, last one nice and wet
bobs77vet
Well-known member
time to clear coat the inner boot and bonnet
I think after looking in the sun at how nice the doors came out, all visible clear coated surfaces will get wet sanded one last time with a really high grade of paper and then a final coat of clear.
I think after looking in the sun at how nice the doors came out, all visible clear coated surfaces will get wet sanded one last time with a really high grade of paper and then a final coat of clear.
denpo
Carburated Nihilist
"final"
I love that word.
I love that word.
