My C4 Corvette Restoration Project

Show off your work! Anything from final results to full start-to-finish project journals.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:43 pm
Well, got stalled on taking apart these doors. :(
You need arms like Gumby to reach up inside them through a few very small openings. :shock:

Got the rearview mirrors off and repaired some damage from stone chips and removed some aftermarket wind deflectors that had been glued on with some nasty adhesive.
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I'm discovering that everything plastic or rubber you touch, in an old car like this, winds up breaking or tearing.
And it's all seams to be big $$$$, with the Corvette tax. :roll:
I managed to bend up the door body moldings removing them, but I lucked out and found a whole set of nos body moldings for just about what the door pieces would cost.
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Really wanted to remove the door handles, but after an hour of trying to stuff my arm in places it didn't want to fit, I gave up.
I'll just have to mask them off I guess.
Anyway, the doors are all sanded and ready for some primer.
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I really tried hard to squeeze in and reach those darn door locks. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:39 pm
Restoring cars is a long tedious process (and sometimes painful). Every little thing you do leads to another little thing that needs to be done. If you are like me you can spend hours working on a spot that no one will ever see. :knockout:

If you take the extra time, spend the extra money and do a top notch job the satisfaction you experience when finished makes it all worthwhile.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:48 pm
'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Restoring cars is a long tedious process (and sometimes painful). Every little thing you do leads to another little thing that needs to be done. If you are like me you can spend hours working on a spot that no one will ever see. :knockout:

If you take the extra time, spend the extra money and do a top notch job the satisfaction you experience when finished makes it all worthwhile.

Ditto
:goodpost:
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

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PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2012 4:26 pm
Been slowly making progress.
It's hard to find a string of days to do bodywork.
When you are doing mechanical work (engines, suspensions) you can do an hour here and there and stop.
This darn bodywork, with all the mess, preparing, masking and cleaning, you have to find a few days in a row to commit to it. :(

Anyway managed to do all the bodywork and spray two coats of primer on the rear of the car.
Took a whole day just to pull all the weather stripping and clean off the nasty sealer GM uses.
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The entire car (and parts) have two coats of epoxy on them now so the next step is to start sanding everything, and if it looks good on to the color.

You guy's that do this for a living must laugh when us new-bee's get all exited about priming a few panels. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I managed to tip over a quart of mixed (Black) primer all over my pants, shoes, and the garage floor.
Had to put everything on hold to try and soak it out of the concrete with Lacquer thinner.
Does that make me a new-bee or a Veteran? :roll: :roll:

Going to take the car off the lift and back it out in the sun tomorrow to get a look.
Haven't fired it up for a long time. :mrgreen:

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PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2012 11:16 am
Finally all one color. :happy:
Kind of liking black.

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Back in the 80's a Paxton SN supercharger was considered high tech.
Now young guys just stand there and scratch their heads when I open the hood.
What's that??? :shocked:
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:11 am
Someone new to painting (like me) considering taking something like this on might find this interesting.
I've been keeping careful track on every cent I've spent to get this far.

The Grand Total right now is $5035.86

This includes
New front and rear bumpers (even though I didn't use the front)
Used hood and shipping
New Belt Line Molding
All paint materials related to the epoxy primer
Sandpaper, sanding blocks & masking materials
Body fillers & adhesives
Two spray guns (Summit and Iwata LPH400)
Painting supplies (Filters, mixing cups, etc)
Breather mask
Couple of cheap box fans for the garage
Airline Desiccant Water Filter and copper pipe setup
Also what I first paid to have the rear bumper primed (even though I sanded it all off)
And what it cost to have the holes filled in the front bumper (should have done that myself also) :oops:
And a bunch of small stuff

Only "Body Work" type equipment I already had where the Compressor, some Electric Palm Sanders, and I do have buffing equipment.

So the only expenses left should be the Color Base Paint, Clearcoat, and Buffing Supplies.

All the little stuff, that people don't consider, sandpaper, mixing cups, filler, really add up fast.

Not to bad, maybe get out of this for $6000 8)

Wonder what this work (up to now) would of cost if I had paid someone to do it? :?:

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:21 pm
Sanded the whole car 340 wet while I had it outside.
The epoxy is pretty tough, and that knocked down the orange peel quick.
Forgive the swirl pattern, I know better and sanded straight with the finer grits.
It was getting pretty hot out under the sun. :cry:

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Learned to tape up the edges while sanding the big areas, after burning through the primer on the edges of the hood.
I go back and concentrate on the edges afterwards.

Next I sanded 400 dry, to get out the last of the orange peel, then 600 dry paper and a last go over with a 3M extra fine gray pad.

This is the final finish on the hood before the color.
Hoping that it's good enough for the Dark Red Metallic color.

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Also uncovering a few pinholes that needed filling, and I'll have to re-prime those and a few burn through spots.

Next car I do I'll just seal it with the epoxy and spray a filler primer that's easier to sand over that, like most of you guy's do.
Being new at this, Just wanted to limit the materials I had to deal with the first time. :whoops:

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:00 am
SuperL98 wrote:Someone new to painting (like me) considering taking something like this on might find this interesting.
I've been keeping careful track on every cent I've spent to get this far.

The Grand Total right now is $5035.86

This includes
New front and rear bumpers (even though I didn't use the front)
Used hood and shipping
New Belt Line Molding
All paint materials related to the epoxy primer
Sandpaper, sanding blocks & masking materials
Body fillers & adhesives
Two spray guns (Summit and Iwata LPH400)
Painting supplies (Filters, mixing cups, etc)
Breather mask
Couple of cheap box fans for the garage
Airline Desiccant Water Filter and copper pipe setup
Also what I first paid to have the rear bumper primed (even though I sanded it all off)
And what it cost to have the holes filled in the front bumper (should have done that myself also) :oops:
And a bunch of small stuff

Only "Body Work" type equipment I already had where the Compressor, some Electric Palm Sanders, and I do have buffing equipment.

So the only expenses left should be the Color Base Paint, Clearcoat, and Buffing Supplies.

All the little stuff, that people don't consider, sandpaper, mixing cups, filler, really add up fast.

Not to bad, maybe get out of this for $6000 8)

Wonder what this work (up to now) would of cost if I had paid someone to do it? :?:


I try to keep track of my time as well just to help with bidding new work. Take your labor hours and multiply by the shop rate in your area since they vary considerably. One thing to consider is an good shop will get the job done faster than a first time body man/painter will.

This is a good post for those trying to decide if they want to paint their own car because it lays out realistic costs just for materials.
Be sure to list your base, clear and buffing expenses when done to help give a total perspective.
The car is looking real nice by the way and I am sure you will be proud to tell folks you did it all yourself.
1968 Coronet R/T


ACTS 16:31

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:40 pm
'68 Coronet R/T wrote:
Be sure to list your base, clear and buffing expenses when done to help give a total perspective.
The car is looking real nice by the way and I am sure you will be proud to tell folks you did it all yourself.


Thanks,
I found out that mistakes, false starts and bad parts cost $$$$ that you don't get back. :cry:

I am intentionally not buying the color and clear until after I'm all done with the final sanding and prep work.
If the paint is sitting around here tempting me, I'm afraid I'll start rushing things and I don't want to mess up the last few steps.


I hope this thread isn't getting too long, or I'm posting too much.
Sometimes I think I might be. :whoops:

I really like the Project Section, because you get to see how people really do the work on their cars, the good and the bad.
You can learn just as much from reading about what happens when things don't go so well, watch how it gets fixed or how to avoid the same problem on your own project.
:goodjob:



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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:39 am
SuperL98 wrote:Back in the 80's a Paxton SN supercharger was considered high tech.
Now young guys just stand there and scratch their heads when I open the hood.
What's that??? :shocked:
Image



Is that a water injection system installed on the super charger?

I always wanted to play with one of those super charger's systems
What kind of boost is that one capable of? I have heard they are capable of some big numbers?

I think the main reason you don't see more of them is because of their price tag, Those things are ungodly expensive when compared to a roots type super charger and not as easy as Nitrous.
That's what kids like quick and easy never mind reliability or the ability to drive just as well out in hot city traffic as well as it does at the Track.

I recently saw a twin fuel injection system on a supercharged Vett very interesting engine was building a lot of power 4 digits +
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.
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