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Just be prepared for the 'special' moment when you've finally painted it and polished it and it's all shiny... and then you spot one last pin hole.
Once it's painted I'll be so chuffed I won't care if there's a pin hole the size of the grand canyon in the paint. So long as it's shiny and looks ok from ten paces I'll be happy.
Once it's painted I'll be so chuffed I won't care if there's a pin hole the size of the grand canyon in the paint. So long as it's shiny and looks ok from ten paces I'll be happy.
That's the best attitude to have! I was so scared of putting a mark on my nice shiney pro paint job that it took away from the sammio experience. Just enjoy it and don't worry about the imperfections, its supposed to look like a 50s race car after all and I've never seen one of those with perfect paint.
I like the top pic, never mind a Jag, it looks like a Snow Leopard.
This was my inspiration -
Conversation at a Luftwaffe base close to the Russian front, February 1945 - "Herr painter, we are needing the world's first operational jet fighter for the combat today"
"But herr Kapitan, it is still wearing the guide coat and I am now finding the pin holes everywhere..."
Dont forget to go around the car with a heatgun, or heat the workshop, and any bubbles will come to the surface , dig them out and refill with you top stop.
Morning Paul, basically yes the paint strip gun is good. Just about a foot away and concertrate on one area at a time. Move the gun across the surface side to side and if or when you see any bubbles come to surface , use a marker pen to ring them. If you dont they can lay flat once cooled down.
Morning Paul, basically yes the paint strip gun is good. Just about a foot away and concertrate on one area at a time. Move the gun across the surface side to side and if or when you see any bubbles come to surface , use a marker pen to ring them. If you dont they can lay flat once cooled down.
Hmm, I hadn't exactly forgotten this part of the prep, more just decided to leave it out.
Reasoning was that I'd left the shell out in the sunshine every day for two weeks last summer and no bubbles appeared. Coupled with my choice of reflective, silver paint I figured I'd be okay.
Now Mike's posted the bit about the bubbles shrinking back when the heat's off I think I'd better pop out today and buy a heat gun.
The only similar tools I have at my disposal at the moment would be my wife's high-end hair dryer, which is probably man enough for the job (but I'm kind of attached to my testicles), or my wallpaper stripping steamer. I could try using the steamer, but I'd be worried that the body would turn into a big papier mache blob on the garage floor.
Out of interest, has anyone else painted their Sammio without heating and digging out the bubbles? Have any appeared through the paint when the sun shines?
MrTowed - You could 'buy' a heat gun from Argos and take it back on Monday when you realise you don't need it anymore, just be careful with the packaging.
MrTowed - That was after my car had been sat outside for most of the summer. It had then been put into the garage when I snapped my foot off and it was only under the electric lights that I could see a few slight dents and dimples in the surface. The last picture shows what happened after I ran the heat gun closely over it.
I see. I won't be doing the Argos thing, not really worth my while blowing my pension over a moment's dishonesty just to save a few quid.
Out of interest, how do people who spec a car with a gel coat finish in preference to paint get on? Do their cars come out in a plague of boils when the sun shines?
Mr T - Sorry mate, I didn't mean to kick a hornets nest with my heat gun question.
If it helps, here are a few of my thoughts...
AndyP57 did not use a heat gun on the original Cordite/Navigator demonstrator that was at Stoneleigh as that was one of my questions. That car was give a "pro" paint job in the silver that looked great in real life and as far as I know there has been no issues with the finish since.
You know my blue gel coat body shell has lived outside out in all weathers for almost a year and has not always been under a cover. It certainly hasn't broken out in boils during that time.
However, what I have noticed is that the gel coat has simply broken off in places when the body has taken a "slight", as opposed to being hit hard with a hammer, knock.
Deep down I believe this is more to do with quality control issues in the last days of the old Sammio company. You have seen the state my doors were in & some parts of the body are similar (I'll try to take some photos later).
So I would hope that your shell, being must earlier and having a "standard" gel coat is not going to be as big a risk as some of the "newer" kits.
Hopefully someone who knows what they are talking about will be along to tell you to "Keep calm & carry on painting".
And I can only apologise again for putting any doubt in your mind when you were so close to spraying a final coat and after all the hours you have put in to the prep work.
I really hope there is nothing to worry about, good luck, Paul.
hi towed i did not use a h/gun on my car or barrys and we have had no probs ... as yet .. but if you need a heat gun i have one you can use cheers phil.
hi towed i did not use a h/gun on my car or barrys and we have had no probs ... as yet .. but if you need a heat gun i have one you can use cheers phil.
Thanks for the input Phil, I didn't think you'd said anything about using the heat gun technique.
As both yours and Barry's cars are dark colours and mine's going to be a bright colour (soooon) I should be fine.
The plan all along has been to spray it myself (primarily because it's something I've never done before) and if it turns out to be a crap finish I'll pay a pro to do it properly in a couple of years time.
And don't worry about hijacking my build thread or stirring up a hornet's nest with questions like that. First off I'm really not that precious about it being my thread, and secondly, without people asking questions/pointing out potential problems/etc, there'd be a few glaring errors on my build - the dynamo mount being attached to the chassis rather than the engine block, for example
Anyway, just got back from the gym and I'll be off to work in an hour so no time to work on the car today I'm afraid. But the sun is shining and I'm aiming to be roadworthy within two weeks now. Deadlines, deadlines...
At the end of the day pro paint job or not, If you have the use to a sprayshop oven , or just an heat gun , if your going to spend all that time preparing and the cost of paint, why take a chance and leave . Its up to you , its the gamble you take . I worked for sunseekers , from mould work to finishing , and the best laminators get voids and break outs at the best of the time.
