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thanks for the info on the flex sorry cant spell anything with ible in the name sander
Hope you didn't take that the wrong way, I was just pointing out that the seller couldn't spell flexible which is why my search didn't throw it up straight away.
You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to seeing you cross that finish line.
I really think you are going to have a seriously smart looking car when it is done.
Good luck with the body work prep, Paul.
Thanks for the compliment, Paul. I'm looking forward to finishing it too, but I think I'll miss the challenge of building the thing so much I'll probably take another project on once I've saved up a few pennies. Maybe restoring a worn out GT6 next time so I've got a 'sensible' winter car. I just haven't plucked up the courage to tell my wife yet...
I'm delighted with the way it's starting to look, although I think a lot of that is down to the beauty of Gary's original design rather than anything clever on my part.
If I can acheive a finished standard anywhere near as good as Phil J's cars I'll be very pleased, and, although I'm aiming for the best paint finish I can manage as a newbie sprayer using cheap, diy equipment, quite a lot of the paint is going to be hidden under the racing roundels anyway.
I have a few days of family commitments now, but I'll be attacking the prep and spraying next week hopefully.
You may find you need 60 to 80 hrs on fairing before you hit the trigger on the spray gun. I reckoned my body was getting close, so asked a local car restorer around today for a price to finish mine. He said to take it as it is 4k, and to just top coat it if I sprayed on 6 coats of primer, flatting at coat 3 and six, then took it to him for the final gloss, then 2k !!
At £30 pounds/hr, fair enough. Just shows my standards are way too low, and thats bearing in mind I paint boats for a living!!! He gave me 5 out of ten. Back to the long boards
You may find you need 60 to 80 hrs on fairing before you hit the trigger on the spray gun. I reckoned my body was getting close, so asked a local car restorer around today for a price to finish mine. He said to take it as it is 4k, and to just top coat it if I sprayed on 6 coats of primer, flatting at coat 3 and six, then took it to him for the final gloss, then 2k !!
At £30 pounds/hr, fair enough. Just shows my standards are way too low, and thats bearing in mind I paint boats for a living!!! He gave me 5 out of ten. Back to the long boards
I appreciate it's not going to be a weekend's work preparing the body for paint, but £4k for the whole job or £2k just to do the top coat, that's taking the pi$$ imho.
I'm aware that a pro sprayer took a look at Phil J's car and had a fit of the vapours over the standard of paint prep, making all sorts of groaning noises and saying things like 'Tchoh! I wish you'd got me in to do the prep.' I bet he wished Phil had got him in to do the prep, he could've trousered two grand for a bit of sanding and filling, you know, doing something fun.
Well, Phil's cars looks pretty 'king good to me, even up close -
If I can achieve anywhere near the standard that Phil's managed on the cars he's built I'll be really happy.
And if a professional sprayer starts pointing out defects that only a professional sprayer could possibly notice, or care about, then I'll just knee them in the balls when no-one's looking and rifle through their pockets. After all, they must be absolutely loaded.
In my experience car restorers are a different breed to your usual body shop and tend to work to a standard that although possibly justified with a 50k classic of some description is not relevant to our cars. Try a smaller independent body shop, they tend to be cheaper but will still do a good job and quite often appreciate the opportunity to work on something other than a eurobox. My spraying and prep will be done by a mate who owns a smaller car body shop, I have used him for a while now for all sorts and can highly recommend him, if anyone wants there car spraying near Shrewsbury Shropshire then drop me a line.
Mac
This might sound strange but I don't want a perfect paint job. I want the car to look 50 years old, not like some concours dandy.
A chap I know who restores very expensive bits of kit told me that he recently worked on a Bugatti Type 35 and when it had been painted it looked too new. So, they spent days rubbing it by hand with soft cloths and bicarbonate of soda to take off the shine and to make it look like it had had a good few polishes in its time.
Sprayers are no different from plumbers or electricians. Most will scoff at anything they haven't done themselves.
Sounds like I've struck a chord with a few people here - let's leave the 'perfect' paint jobs to prima donna pro's and do a good enough job on our own cars that looks more in keeping with the 'age' of the cars.
I agree I may have asked the wrong company, although small they work on old Jags etc.
Have had a price now of quarter of what they quoted.
The irony of all this is one of the reasons I took on the MX250 project was so I could do the paintwork. Due to me complicating the build I am now out of workshop space because in the classic boat world we have just hit the spring rush. For me that means 6 day weeks until mid June, so I either 'get it done' or wrap it up on the drive until mid summer. I too dont want it to look new, as I have spent a while sourcing used lights and door handles for the confusing look!
You may find you need 60 to 80 hrs on fairing before you hit the trigger on the spray gun. I reckoned my body was getting close, so asked a local car restorer around today for a price to finish mine. He said to take it as it is 4k, and to just top coat it if I sprayed on 6 coats of primer, flatting at coat 3 and six, then took it to him for the final gloss, then 2k !!
At £30 pounds/hr, fair enough. Just shows my standards are way too low, and thats bearing in mind I paint boats for a living!!! He gave me 5 out of ten. Back to the long boards
He obviously saw what an incredible job you have made in constructing your car and thought it would be worth millions when sprayed. It definitely deserves a good paint job but agree one that suits the age of the car portrayed. A more realistic price should be possible but a 1950s price is too much to ask tho.
I am the first to admit that my Sammio spray job wasn't up to modern car standards, but it did suit the car and really made it look period! In a year of driving and going to shows, not 1 person ever made a negative comment about it and lots of people made nice comments.
Yes its hard work and really irritating at times, but it is SO worth it in the end.
And yes..... I do regret selling mine, but needs must, and all that!
just have a go....if it go's tits up just rub it down and have a go again just keep gun up right and nice long slow strokes build up the coats get plenty of paint on till its got a good shine then when dry go over with g50 compond if it s a bit streakey/peely i found u have not got enoudh paint i am no car painter.. but just keep have in a go if u get a bit of dust and bits on it they will just g50 out ...if u still no happy rub it down and go again thank of it like paint in a gloss door paint then flat it paint flat it till u happy .. hope that helps
It doesn't mention the price, but I'm guessing it'll be at least twice what they're asking for the 1:48 scale model so I might need to do a bit of overtime to pay for it. Or sell my house and move into a tent.