[Second Series]

Before I started paint I set up a utility shelf. I have been using the back of the panel truck for supplies. Now it’s masked off for paint and I needed everything in one place. I had purchased a good respirator, and then picked up the cartridges and filters as I found them available. The time came to replace the filters, and I found that the cartridges wouldn’t come off the respirator. I had to get a new respirator that works with the replaceable cartridges.
The primer really brings out all the blemishes. This area on the rear door looked fine with the patina, well that is until I welded some fractures and the paint bubbled. After primer I sanded down the transition between paint and no-paint. Primed again and it looks a little better, but the pock marks are still visible. I proceeded with paint and it doesn’t look great. I had selected Cream medium and had a half pint for a test spray. It looks very yellow. The pock marks are still visible under the paint. I had the paint shop modify the formula a little to try to be less yellow. After I applied more paint to the dried paint, the pock marks were less noticeable.
In the end this will not be a pristine paint job. I’m really happy with the big flat areas of the roof and sides. The rough spots are on the doors and fenders. I’m not going to obsess over the fine details, I could work on perfecting the body for the next year of two. Instead I’ll be driving every day soon. I was showing my 9 y.o. son the primed truck and he asked me “What are you? Are you a Farmer? Are you an Engineer?” I replied “I’m an Artist.” I would have preferred to leave the old patina paint, but there were places that were rusty, places that were shiny steel where the paint flaked off, places with body filler. I’m o.k. with some imperfections showing through the new paint. Classical oil paintings look good, but when you look close you can see the chunky gobs. These classic trucks have their chunky gobs too, particularly the welds in the door jambs for example.
I sprayed the Cream Medium on the top half and fenders. The Cream Medium looks more like buttermilk, but I’m going for the period correct colors. Although two-tone wasn’t available in 1947 a custom order could have been an option. I had originally wanted a very dark purple that looks black, but decided to go with a more family friendly color scheme. Top half is done and masked for the bottom Windsor Blue.
The test Truck is very yellow in the sunlight, but subdued in inside lighting.