48 Build Pictures

[c10addict]

Subscribed... Lookin good!!

[steve53]

Originally Posted by buildinga55

From a distance last night I could not decide if the yard looked like a cemetary with tombstones or a flower garden with truck part growing out of the ground. I like the modern art idea!

haha i wish primed truck parts grew out of my yard, it would save me some serious time! i would be out there watering them every day.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by buildinga55

I use Spies Hecker products and normally I would strip parts to the bare metal with a DA or chemical or blasting. But in this case the blue paint was fairly new by the previous owner. The parts had been stripped to the bare metal prior to his painter painting the truck blue. Therefore, I block sanded the blue paint and used it somewhat as a primer to fill the low spots. Then I used the Spies sealer directly over the old paint and a few bare metal spots. The Spies 8590 is a excellent sealer and is designed to seal over old paint, bodywork and some bare metal and keeps anything under it from bleeding through. The sealer also gives you a good base to do any filler work that you might need to do. Any parts I have that I needed to strip to the bare metal will be shot with etch and then sealer. Then I applied a couple coats of Spies 5310 high build primer. That was the final coats last night. Next I will fog the panels as a guide coat and start block sanding looking for any low or high spots that might need filler or attention. Then block sand and block sand some more. That part seems like never ends. The more time you put in on the body prep the better your results will be.

Thanks for the detail. I've got plenty of dumb questions. What pops out to me from your explanation is how do you "block sand" things like those curvy fenders? I'd love to see pictures of your fog coating and how you go about sanding/knowing when to lay on more high build primer and when its "good enough" to move on to paint.

Do you agree to the general rule of thumb to stay with one manufacturer's line of products or will you change for your final paint?

[buildinga55]

I use Durablocks, you can get them at your auto paint stores. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Buy a nice kit for $60-80 and you will probably be set. Some are bendable which is what I use on curved areas sanding from various directions. After I fog the panel I block sand to see if there are any low spots. The low spots will be obvious as the fog will still be in the low spot just as if you sand through to the sealer or to metal you will know that spot is high. I will post some pictures once I fog the parts. I just get some cheap Wallyworld spray paint, usually gloss black. Something that will contrast with your primer color. I have been told to use gloss so your eye will pick it up better than flat. I am not really an expert at painting. A good friend of mine is however and he taught me what I know. I have always had real good results. I will try to post a couple of my past cars sometime.

[buildinga55]

I do agree with staying with one manufacture product. This stuff costs too much to take a chance on it not laying down and staying down. There are some chemical reactions built into this paint that makes it happy when another familiy member product is used. You don't want unhappy sealer, primer, color or clear.

[50adrod]

did you use epoxy primer? looks like maybe you did because of the gloss. I learned the hard way about leaving some of the original paint on my corvette and not sealing it with epoxy. after a few months small bubbles started to show. the urethane in the new paint activated the solvents in the original lacquer on the car. now I have to strip it all back down from finished paint back to bare glass, epoxy would have sealed it.

[buildinga55]

No the sealer is not expoxy that I use. The sealer does have a little satin gloss to it, once you put the high build primer over the sealer it is very dull. Personally, I would never try to even seal over laquer. I would strip laquer. This particular truck was base coat clear coat so it should not be an issue.

[buildinga55]

Got most of the rest of the parts sealed and primed tonight. It is not looking like I will get any color on the truck until next spring. I will block and work on the body this winter and shoot it in the spring. It gets too cold here in MO and the heat in my shop will not keep up with the ventilation to pull out the fumes in the winter. I could still paint probably through about mid November, but I doubt I am ready for color by then. I have also about decided to try to find an original seat instead of using buckets. I have seen several of the truck with the original seats upholstered nicely and I like that look. Here are the latest shots:

[50adrod]

looking good, looks like it was a perfect day to spray also.

[buildinga55]

It was a good day, about 75 and low humidity and very little wind. I had everything layed out the day before and decided it was a little too windy and put it all back. I bought some new stock painted steel valve covers at a local swap meet and sand blasted them today. I am thinking I may go with a silver for the truck, but want to find some neat modifications. So after I blasted the valve covers, I hit them with an aggressive scotchbrite pad, then put 3 coats of clear on the bare metal. They really look nice. The clear made them a couple shades darker than the original bare steel, that looks pretty good. I will get some pictures posted. Don't know what will happen over time, but I think I will use them on the engine.

[buildinga55]

I got in an air cleaner I ordered that I thought went with the stock valve covers nicely. I sandblasted the stock valve covers then hit them with a scotchbright pad and clear coated them on the raw metal. I was amazed how dark they turned, but they look pretty cool in person. I would like to blast the chrome off the air cleaner and do the same thing, but not sure it would work. You can see the scotchbright scuff under the clear. Not sure how well the chrome cleaner goes with the valve cover color. Whacha Thank?

[IL boy]

idk about removing chrome, but they would look better together if the air cleaner wasn't so shiney, but the lines do match up nicely

[nuke1]

Been a while since i checked in, truck is looking great, love the primer booth.lol, any bugs in that finish?

[buildinga55]

This is a scientifically engineered booth, bugs, not allowed. Well maybe a couple small ones, they sand out pretty easy.

[buildinga55]

Still working on the truck. Have it pretty well sanded and ready for paint once it warms up in the spring. I did do a little work to the running boards by shooting some rocker spray on them today. I think I will like this look once they are painted. Thought I would share some pictures.

[britnjc]

looks great. like the idea with running boards. Do you have pic of what seat you will be using in your truck?

[buildinga55]

I was told this seat was from a 95 Chevy Pickup. The back tilts. I am going to have is shaved just a bit on each side when I have it upholstered. And I won't be using the headrests.

[53GMC]

That is some nice top notch work you are doing! Subscribed!! I wish mine looked that nice!! but the seat was from a 95?

[buildinga55]

Thanks for the compliments. The guy I got the seat from told me it was from a 94 or 95, I don't really know for sure. It does fit really well. It needs an inch or so of foam removed to fit perfect. I worked today on mounting the AC components. Got the condenser mounted, plan to work under the dash tomorrow.

[53GMC]

Oh ok...Thank you.....cant wait to see more progress on this bad boy!

[eventytoo]

Yes the seat is from an 95 chevy wt. I had one mounted in my 54. The bench bucket design pushes you out twords the door. You may want to mount your door and steering column and sit in it for a while and play driver so to speek. One thing I noticed the column is to the right of you and your arm sholder is out the side window. I dont know. You dicide. They fit nice and mabe that wont bother you.

Nice truck project! I assume thats 3m rocker pannel spray you used on the running boards?

[buildinga55]

Yes 3M rocker spray. I plan to modify the seat slightly. It seems to sit pretty well. I think I moved my column over slightly as well to center in the gauges so that helps with lining it up with the seat.

[eventytoo]

ok on the seat. Iv been bit in the arse on the 3m rocker spray I put my base coat directly over the top of the 3m product and when I went to up my clear on a bunch of pinholes pulled threw I had to put a lot of clear to fill them. You may want to seal over the top of the 3m. Its a nice product iv got it on my tailgate iv walked over it and could not tell leaves no traces of scratching in the paint.

[buildinga55]

Yes, you would definitely want to seal it. I seal anykind of body work before I shoot base coat. I have not used this particular product before but have seen some that turned out pretty good.

[buildinga55]

Working on the AC mock up this weekend. Here are a few pictures.