Wed Sep  3 21:51:47 2003
From: Terry Halmshaw 

Preparation is the most vital point in any repair job.
All repairs must be assessed on their own merits.

As in this case,the vehicle was assessed and it was determined that the 
whole car should be
re-sprayed,as the paint as a whole was in very poor condition,and making a 
color match was impossible.
Also the car had a lot of rust,as well as the usual dents associated with 
a vehicle of 25 years.

Always expect rust to be worse then it first appears,so if you are 
quoting,or doing the job for yourself you can expect to double the time 
you think it would take just to repair the rust.

As shown in the illustration all paint has been removed,and the windshield 
also removed.
As well as all chrome,including door handles.
This is done for many reasons.
1. It shows the full extent of earlier body damage
2. It removes all old paint (never paint over old paint)
3.The job is made quicker and easier if all foreign objects are removed 
(such as old filler.silicone ect.)

It is always best to start on a fresh canvas,most old paint is either 
cracked,faded (pigment loss) or in some cases actually peeling off (this 
is usually because the paint was not applied correctly/painted over old 
paint/body not prepared correctly).

In any event what you want to achieve is already in your minds eye,to 
fulfill what grandiose plans you have there are certain things you must 
always keep in mind.
1.Expect the unexpected.
2.Whatever price you come up with,practically double it.
3.It will take twice as long then you expect.

But don't be put off,what you want to achieve is often very nearly there 
when you are about to give in.
Remember this important fact,a car looks it's worst just before it's 
looking it's best.

In this case the customer was not a rich man,and as such some items were 
overlooked.
He wanted a color change as Kermit green was not appealing.
I selected another green (GMH Hothouse green) this was selected due to the 
fact that the car was not to be painted inside the doors or under the hood.
This saves time/materials and therefore money.
The color is a Mica pearl and is similar to the old color,just new and 
much more appealing.
So when the door is open there is no clash from outside to in.

In removing the paint I used 36#  stickit disc's on a large sander.
Always be careful not to linger in one spot while using this method of 
paint removal,as the heat from the friction will distort the panel,also 
watch out for the edges,as this method can damage the edge of the steel.
After all paint was removed I used an orbital feather edger with 180# 
paper to remove the deeper scratches left by the larger sander. (Doing 
this also helps reduce shrink back after paint is applied).
After this task is finished re-inspect the body for further dents,mark 
with a pencil,then prepare the sections to be repaired.
For deeper dents I recommend drilling small holes in the dented area to 
help the filler to adhere.
This will make the filler last twice as long,because as the filler shrinks 
during cooling what has seeped through the hole's will pull the filler 
tighter to the body,and therefore hold it in place longer.

When doing any type of rust repair always cut out a larger area of steel 
around the rust.
As with any type of corrosion the rust will almost certainly be worse then 
expected.
Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.
In the cowl section's you can see that on one I removed the whole section 
in one piece.
This was done because this make of vehicle (1978 HZ Holden 1 Tonner) is 
renowned for rust in the inside corner of the wiper cowl.






The one that is sectioned was done that way to establish the extent of the 
rust,as with this type of car if one section is bad then the other will be 
also.

You might think why not just cut the whole section out anyway,well the 
reason I didn't is because they are braced from underneath and it is quite 
difficult to re-weld these areas.
So I established the extent on one side before moving to the other.

In rust repair by far the best method of removal is to cut out sections and 
weld in new ones by means of a Mig welder.
Mig's do not require the same amount of heat exchange as say Oxy or stick 
welders,therefore not distorting the panel (to any great extreme).





Always try and make sure you have all the rust,but no fear if you have not 
the Mig will soon find any remaining rust.
But it causes the job to be harder in the extent that you end up with messy 
looking welds that are harder to grind out.

After all the rust repairs have been done finish the job by grinding flat 
the sections you have replaced.

Also when welding in new sections do not over lap the steel,always try and 
maintain a butted weld.
Seam welds are very easy to grind when compared to overlapped steel patches.

After grinding is complete check for any holes and re-weld.
If all is well endeavor to seal your work from behind or from the inside of 
the vehicle.
In any event,if you can,seal your work or it will rust from the inside out.



After all repairs are done,and you are satisfied that the job is complete, 
prime the vehicle in a 3d grey primer.
This will show up imperfections.
You can also do what is called a (guide coat) this depends mainly on your 
own experience and your vision.
If your vision is not perfect then neither will the body work be.
A guide coat is a black paint lightly painted over the grey (do not cover 
completely) just graffiti it so to speak.
Then rub the primer/guide coat out using a cork block,any remaining black 
indicates low area's in the body work.
Any part that goes straight back to metal indicates a high in the body work.
Rectify these area's and move to the next stage.

After all the final body repairs are carried out re-prime the vehicle (two 
heavy coats) after this is done and the primer has dried apply a coat of 
spray putty to all highlighted areas (all areas that protrude)
Eg, where the fenders roll over the top,edges of the hood ect. See 
illustration marked 1st putty.


The reason this is done is because the whole car needs to be rubbed out,and 
these ares (being raised) will be the first to go through,back to either 
the primer or back to the metal.
So take a bit of care in these areas and don't rub quite so hard here.
Be sure though to us a block on all flat surfaces.

Rub the whole car out with 320# then re-prime.
As before putty the highlighted areas allow some time for putty to go off 
then putty whole vehicle.


Apply three coats of putty allow 2 to 3 hrs for the putty to go off (this 
depends on temperature) if hot allow 2hrs if cold allow up to 5 hrs drying 
time.

After putty has dried rub out with 320# (using a block) then re-prime.
Rub primer by hand using 600 # being carful to avoid heavy contact with 
highlighted areas.


Vehicle is now ready for paint.  


Before painting make sure that the whole car is blown over with high 
pressure air.
After you have done this do it again with a soft cloth lightly coated with 
thinners.
When doing this final part move quickly so as not to damage the primer.
Doing this will eliminate any remaining dust and any possible deposits of 
oil/silicone,and whatever else will contaminate your work.

Painting is not as easy as people will lead you to believe.
The most important part of painting (no matter what the color) is 
consistency, all paints require different levels of paint/thinner ratio.

On the first coat try a 50/50 ratio,if the paint apply's in a mottled 
fashion more thinners is required.

At this stage please bare in mind that I am referring to a acrylic based paint.

What you want to achieve here is a consistency that is not to heavy (thick) 
and one that is not to light (thin). You want to be able to apply the paint 
so as it goes on as flat as possible.(without running sagging or orange peel)

Always paint in the same direction (DO NOT CRISSCROSS) apply the paint 
along the length of the car (not the width).
Try and maintain a pattern that only just overlaps the last amount of over 
spray from the previous coat.
This is very important mainly in metallic based paints,and very important 
with mica and or pearl paints.
Temperature is also important,the hotter it is the faster the paint will 
dry,and this can cause the metallic to dry to fast causing lines in the paint.
To cold and you will get what is called (blooming) annoying white patches 
that will not dry out.
The best temperature to paint in is around 20 to 30 degree's Celsius, or 68 
to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Apply the paint in a smooth uninterrupted motion at a distance no more then 
20 cm from the body.






When painting is complete apply clear coat I recommend at least 6 coats of 
clear,do not rub out the paint prior to the clear being applied.
Allow as long as possible for the clear to dry,I recommend 1 to 2 months.

See part 5 for details.
  





Color sanding.
As I mentioned in section 4 I like to leave the clear to dry for up to 2 
months.
The reason for this is quite simple.
Any paint that is applied to your car will (shrink back) when this occurs 
it will highlight any imperfections in the bodywork (and there usually is 
some) even if you can't see them at first.
What happens is,as the paint cures it shrinks,aided by the amount of 
thinners applied to the repaired areas,when this happens the repairs will 
become visible,and you will have to cut them out (re-color sand) all over 
again.
Although not to the same extent but none the less a pain in the behind.

After the clear has dried the most tedious (in my opinion) job is now 
required (color sanding).
This consists of rubbing out the clear coat with a fine (wet or dry type) 
paper I use either 1200 # or ultra fine 1500 # paper this is a long and 
drawn out task that can take up to 4hrs depending on vehicle size.
The idea is to remove all orange peel (the fine lumps in the paint) from 
the work,as before be careful of the highlighted area's,because at this 
stage the last thing you want to do is cut through the clear coat.
Rub by hand using a bucket of water with a small amount of dish washing 
liquid mixed in.
This makes the job a little easier by helping the paper not stick to the paint.

Even if the paint went on dead flat,you still need to go through this 
tedious task.

The reason is that the fine scratches you have put in the paint with the 
1200 # /1500 # is what gives the paint it's shine.

These scratches cause what is called light refraction,this helps with the 
shine,but is not the sole reason for the shine.
The shine is achieved after the car is cut (buffed).







So after the color sanding is completed,you must then use a buff.
This is a very important step in the process of achieving the ultimate shine.
The buff is a woolen pad on a dual speed sander.
The sander must be set on low speed. High speed will burn the paint and 
render it useless.

Also make sure the buff pad is clean.

Use a fine cutting compound of good quality.
Take your time here,because you are nearing the final stages of completion.
Take extra care of corners/edges and the highlighted areas as these will 
burn or cut through the clear.

DO NOT LET ANXIETY RUIN THE JOB,BE PATIENT.

If you have taken care in the process of buffing your car will be shiny and 
burn free.

Now we move on to the removal of (swirl marks) and the final polishing stage.
see section 6    

Swirl marks
After buffing you will notice that the paint is affected by (swirl marks) 
you need to remove these before polishing.

There are product's on the market for this specific reason,just ask for an 
anti swirl compound.
Do not use an all in one swirl remover/polisher.

You apply the swirl remover in a similar method to polish,follow the 
instructions on the bottle to the letter,and the swirl marks should 
vanish,if not apply a second coat and do again.

Some swirl removers recommend the use of a buff to remove the swirls (I do 
not) but that is just me,people tend to find their own way of doing things.
I have found that in using a buff to remove the swirls you can actually 
re-apply more swirls by the very method of removal IE: The buff.
Therefore I recommend doing the job by hand.

Once all the swirl marks are gone it is time to apply your pin striping 
and/or bumper strips.
Anything that is to be applied to the car by means of adhesive tape,should 
be applied before the use of a polish,otherwise they will not stick.

Once this is done apply the polish.
Again follow the instructions on the bottle,(I also recommend doing this by 
hand).

Use only a silicone free based product.
We have a product here called Eagle 1 which I believe is American and I 
recommend this highly.



Sun Sep  7 20:33:34 2003

Now this is the final stage,and a lot of care must be taken here.
Putting back the chrome is the pinnacle of your work,(the cherry on top).
But be careful not to damage what you have striven for.
Steal and soft paint don't make good bed fellows.
So where possible use soft cloths to help eradicate any scratches that may 
occur.
Such as at the bumper ends and so forth.

Always clean the accessories before putting back on the vehicle,this makes 
the final cleaning stage much easier.

After you have replaced all items,and re-washed the car,sit back open a 
beer and admire your work.

Now you can drive you car with pride and the knowledge that you have done 
it yourself.