///////// > Getting the Lark ready for paint and still installing new seatcovers > too.This car has not an ounce of bodyfill.No dents,the original paint was > only chipped in places.With a body this good hand sanding with 400 grit down > to good bonded paint should make this cars new black look OK?Or should I do > something else? ////////////// Scuff the entire car with 240-320 grit sandpaper (dry). Any areas that you break through the paint to the original primer or bare metal- will ABSOLUTELY need to be coated with epoxy primer, then 2-3 coats of a high-build (2-component) primer. If you do not do this, small circles and rings from where you feather-edged- will surely show up within a year- due to paint shrinkage. Resand (block) these areas with 320 (dry).. and then shoot 2- wet coats of High-Build primer on the entire car. Dry-block rather quickly with 320 (faster to cut surface) , then watersand with 400. Then, It's ready to paint. Ray --------------------- I was taught by a showcar painter to use ordinary old paint sticks with paper wrapped around it-- and to sand- either diagonally- both directions - or in circles For small areas he used those black glaze coat applicators ( which have dozens of interesting uses when cuy in pieces) Guide coat - and sand til the guide coat dont show And ribless radiator hose works well on concave places It's stiff enuff to cut the high spots- but not so hard it gouges anywhere The ends of those pipes may gouge --------------------------------- 16 Nov 03 If anyone near your shop uses the following: 1) spray lubricants: regardless of type (WD-40, CRC, PB-Blaster) 2) oil-fired, kerosene, or wood heaters 3) wiping cloths that are not "lint-free" or colorfast 4) drying towels that have been contaminated before- and simply washed (do not use dryer sheets). Often, the cleaning solvent will pull contaminants from the cloth and leave them on the surface- instead of removing them. 5) Wax, Armor-All, Tire Shine, and other car prep chemicals 6) Hose contaminants (oil, water). It's best to have a "dedicated" spraying airline. 7) NEVER wipe a finish with Laquer Thinner! (For base/clear urethanes, enamel, and urethane catylized enamels) ** this does not include vinyl dyes, or some epoxy primers 8) Use VINYL gloves- not LATEX. These are available easily, and hold up much better to the solvents 9) Watch your compressor's air intake. Be sure it is FILTERED, and the filter is changed often. Generally, water in the lines does not promote "fisheyes", like oil does. Where the colorcoats actually will not adhere to the substrate. But water will create bubbles and rings. ALWAYS run the appropriate reducer through the gun- that matches the next component to be sprayed. IE: Flush the gun with basecoat reducer before spraying base, Urethane reducer before spraying clear... etc. NEVER use laquer thinner as the final flush for cleaning a gun- it will DEFINATELY leave fisheyes when (most) basecoat is sprayed after it. Basecoat does not do well being repaired before the 1st batch of base/clear is THOROUGHLY cured. This may take several days- not just 1. It will curdle the finish just like you describe- like stripper does to enamel. Ray Ficthorn --- 16 Nov 03 formula 409 diluted a little bit, best wax and grease remover around! We use it all the time at the shop Jim Turner ----------- Nov 2004 ///////////// 1-I intend to strip the bright work off and reinstall it myself. I'm not taking the stainless off the rain gutter- it will get masked. Are there tricks to removing the GT fender trim? How about the grill surround? I don't want to screw this stuff up.///// Grill surround just unbolts, just don't over tighten on reinstall. The rear trim can be slipped off the clips after pulling the tail lights or carefully popped off. The front clips can be push out from inside the fenders or slid off too. keep track of left and right, that are different as are the clips on the part under the rear quarter window. As I recall, there may be a screw on the front end of the door trim. Someone (Ray F?) instructed me that after the nut contacts the hood, tighten only 1/4 turn more to prevent dimples form forming in the grille shell. ////2- The rear deck has a few little rust/pucker bubbles along the lower edge. They will repair this area with body filler. Would it be wise for me to try to "back fill" the cavity behind this area with POR 15 before taking the car to them? Would re coating the inside exposed area of the lid skin with something like undercoating help prevent condensation? I do not intend to remove the front fenders. Should I try to do an "in place" job of sealing the infamous rear seams, and if so what is suggested? Fenders are rust free in appearance now.///// I would seal and undercoat everything. If you go this route, be sure the thoroughly clean the seam first, using an old hack saw blade as a scraper, then flush the seam out. Let it dry thoroughly, use POR 15 or Rust Encapsulator, then caulk with butyl gutter caulk, and then undercoat. You don't want to trap dirt behind the caulk or undercoating. ////////3- The rear deck is just slightly off center, and the lower right hand corner of it sometimes strikes the edge of the fender adjacent to it- it has chipped the old paint here. Can the hinges be tweaked a bit to realign the lid?///// They can be adjusted and shimmed. (see the shop manual) ///////4- I need a new windshield. Phillips quoted me $350 plus $125 shipping to the west coast. Studebaker west quoted me $495 plus shipping- yikes! My 2004 catalog from Studebaker International lists this windshield at $295. What's a mother to do?///////// I buy from SI and have it delivered to York or Reedsville. ////5- I'll be replacing much of the rubber. Any tricks to be learned about this? The wing vent rubber looks like a bear- Does the vent window need to be out to do this?//// Clean the new WS with paint thinner or the glue won't stick. The door weather strip is hard to do with the doors mounted. Yes, you need to pull the vent window, might as well do the fuzzies and track at the same time. ----- apr 2005 Etching primer will last about 6 mo outside exposed to the elements.(I know this to be a FACT ).. It will last ALOT longer if the (urethane) high-build is put on over it. If you plan on using laquer-primer-surfacer, it won't help the longevity. But you'll have a few weeks anyway... For stripping a car manually- nothing works better than an 8" DA "Mud Hog" with 40 grit sandpaper. I usually use a double-layer of duct-tape over all the door/fender and hood gaps (and trim holes)- then use aircraft stripper. UNLESS- the car has been painted with Laquer at any time... The laquer just liquifies and makes an awful mess. The wide panels of the roof, decklid, and hood can be scraped very easily with a razor-blade. Remove the tape, follow up with a vinegar bath, and then sand up to the gaps with 80 grit- and you're done. Ray ---- ///////I intend to cover the self etching stuff with the 3 part urethane //sandable primer. I 'might' top that with lacquer primer if I need more fill. //(unless you advise otherwise) //////// Don't use lacquer primer! If you want an inexpensive high build Euro type primer, try the Marhyde brand. It builds like crazy and sands easy. You can go down to final sand with it. Shrinkage is minimal. We've been using it for about years. Use to use PPG's 2K. BTW, if you use Studmans mud hog method, go back over the metal with 100 grit to remove the heavy scratches. I'm paranoid about corrosion even though we use an acid activated wash prime. Urethane ONLY.. It fills better and sands easier, and really isn't that much more $$$$ I forgot to add the part about sanding with 80 Grit next.... thanx... I always prime immediately with epoxy.. I pour straight vinegar on the car, and wash it around with a red scotchbrite pad. Then I rinse the whole car off with water. Remove the tape, and re-sand with 80 grit, Blow/wipe off the excess dust, and epoxy prime immediately. The vinegar helps nuetralize and remove the stripper. Ray Ray, Yep, been there, done that! I am about ready to prime my 62 ragtop to do the final block. I have it blocked with 150, need to do the 2 part seam sealer on the 1/4's and seams. This is the one I bought off eBay last year, that the PO, had "just finished all the body work and had fresh paint on it" doesn't have any paint anymore! and 3/4 of the "bondo" is now gone too, I also cut off his "new" rockers, recut the "new floor" pulled the body back so the doors had real metal gaps, (not 1 inch of bondo to make a gap) Now she's about ready for some color, which the paint store I deal with is donating, (helps to buy 15-16K in materials a month too) It will be DuPont BC/CC Still debating if I'm going to make it a "pace car" clone, if I do, the lettering will be painted on, and clear coated over, color sanded and buffed so no edge will be felt, but, since I plan on selling the car, I may not do that. Jim Turner -------------------------------- I've been using 3M's "Power guide coat" on the wrapper. It's a fine powder, kinda like chimney soot that comes with a powder puff dispenser. You turn the dispenser over to powder the pad, than spread it around on the primer. It sticks in all the low spots, does not blow off when cleaning the sanding dust off and you just sand until it goes away. Looks like enough to do a few cars. ----------------------`