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Topic: Prep and Paint

in Forum: C3 Body


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Re: Prep and Paint (13/23)
 12/27/14 10:32pm
73shark
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Overland Park, KS - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.


Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 864

Sage advice, wished I had followed it when I painted mine.  Used a sealer and primer over the factory paint and in about ten years, the spider webbing started to appear on the top surfaces but not on the sides.  Assume caused somewhat by the sun since it was a daily driver.  Will strip to factory primer this time.  Learned my lesson.  Beer

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1973 L-82 4 spd

Re: Prep and Paint (14/23)
 12/27/14 11:10pm
greybull
Former Member

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Twin Bridges, MT - USA

Vette(s):
1972 Base Coupe


Joined: 2/16/2014
Posts: 9

73shark, I'm not sure the factory paint underneath is the cause there because of the fact you say it is only on the top surfaces and not the sides. Depending on the type of paint used and the direct sunlight exposure 10 years may have been the life of that particular paint. What colr and type of paint was used? Question, when you say spiderwebbing, can you describe a little more? For instance on the cracks are the edges of the cracks lifted up or recessed? Is the pattern check-like, or fractured like glass or just random wandering lines?

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Re: Prep and Paint (15/23)
 12/28/14 12:47am
73shark
Limited Member
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Overland Park, KS - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.


Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 864

We repainted it with the stock color which was orange metallic lacquer and put a clear coat of  lacquer on top of the color coat. What I called spider webbing looks more like crazing defect. Someone who was a painter told me that was caused by the factory paint being underneath.

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1973 L-82 4 spd

Re: Prep and Paint (16/23)
 12/28/14 12:52am
rod7515Lifetime Member
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Red Lion, PA - USA

Vette(s):
1974 White 350 Corvette, TH400 Automatic 1972 Tangerine /Go Mango Convertible 383 Stroker, 2004r Automatic


Joined: 10/27/2006
Posts: 1182

Gilbert, Greybull has given some very accurate and detailed information. When I employed someone to do my 72 I found out a lot of good information about working with fiberglass versus metal body. Two totally different surfaces! The very first thing I learned was hiring someone to do the job was my best option. He stripped mine with the DA, then would fill and prime then block sand and prime and block sand and prime. Seemed like a never ending process! But as I learned its the only way to get a flat smooth finished product. My first thought when we started was to use a paint stripper. He strongly advised me not to do this because of the same reasons that greybull mentioned. I bought a soda blaster (same time Ebo did and Im not sure either of us used them! Did you Ebo?) and I was going to blast it but he told me the same as greybull said about the film it would leave. His only acceptable method was to sand, prime and sand and prime and sand! I found out I hated sanding so I left him do it all. The amount of time/hours it took was beyond my wildest dreams. I know others have done it using the methods I was recommended not to and had success. I guess this is why the cost of refinsihing our fiberglass cars is so costly. I wish you the best with your undertaking. Looking forward to following your progress so post as you go!
Best of Luck
Rodney


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Re: Prep and Paint (17/23)
 12/28/14 1:05pm
greybull
Former Member

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Twin Bridges, MT - USA

Vette(s):
1972 Base Coupe


Joined: 2/16/2014
Posts: 9

Lacquer is a paint that is not going to last real long especially in direct sun.  10 years is a very good lifetime for that kind of paint.  And crazing is what it does over time.  The factory paint underneath will have shortened the life a little due to the fact lacquer is the hottest pain you can use, meaning it penetrates the deepest, so you would have lost some of the solvents from your paint back into the old factory paint, which then doesn't let your paint cure out as it should.  But still 10 years is a good life for lacquer.  You maybe could have prolonged it a little longer by copious amounts of waxing to protect it.

At this point yes, you will have to strip all the way down to factory primer or gel coat to remove the crazing as it will penetrate all the way through and in fact you may have to remove most of the factory primer also.  As you sand you will see the crazing stay there as you sand down through the layers, blow off with an air hose often and you'll still see those lines.

Going forward, after re-prepping for paint, you'll want to at least use a good acrylic enamel, preferably a urethane paint. These may be harder to get your color in, that looks like Ontario Orange you have, which is a color I really liked on these Vette's, in fact is the original color of the one I am restoring myself right now. I have not yet decided on the manufacturer of the paint I'll use yet as I've not seen the color mixes to decide which is truest to the original color. 


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Re: Prep and Paint (18/23)
 12/28/14 1:22pm
greybull
Former Member

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Twin Bridges, MT - USA

Vette(s):
1972 Base Coupe


Joined: 2/16/2014
Posts: 9

Grin, yes, blocking out a car will give you shoulders and arms to match an NFL linebacker.  Patience is the key, when you get tired stop, and wait until you are rested to continue.  If you rush things it just means do-over time.

If you all would like, I can try and make some videos of how t do some of this process, (and maybe YouTube them if I can figure that out), or some other way to show how to strip carefully and how to prime and block sand.  I am not really to the point of doing the bodywork and paint prep on my 72, (I'm still restoring the frame and suspension and getting the engine built), but I can step out and do a little of this kind of work to demonstrate the process, if that would help?

Just to qualify myself, I did body and paint, specializing in Corvettes for many years in the 70's and 80's.  I have stripped probably 40-50 Corvettes and painted well over 300.  I stopped doing body and paint in the 80's because I wanted to keep breathing and one did not see many old car painters in those days before we knew toxicity of the industry.  Now I do restorations or customization's as a part time hobby.  This is why I am not up to snuff on some of the latest techniques as I simply have not worked with some of them. 




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Re: Prep and Paint (19/23)
 12/28/14 11:12pm
73shark
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Overland Park, KS - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.


Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 864

Actually the color in '73 was called Orange Metallic and was a brighter orange than Ontario Orange was.

Plan the repaint to be a base coat/clear coat.  Hope to match the color as close as possible.  I did block sand using a guide coat before the last repaint.  Will strip to factory primer this time.  Experience is a good teacher.   Wink

I'm going to leave it to a professional this time.  Thanks for the offer of assistance.


|UPDATED|12/28/2014 8:12:38 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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1973 L-82 4 spd

Re: Prep and Paint (20/23)
 12/30/14 1:27pm
greybull
Former Member

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Twin Bridges, MT - USA

Vette(s):
1972 Base Coupe


Joined: 2/16/2014
Posts: 9

Yes, I remember now, the 73's changed the color slightly, less red, more gold, and added some of the bigger flake into the formula.

BTW, was doing some research on these colors and I see that some of the paint manufacturers are going to be discontinuing the original formulas soon, at the end of this year for Ontario Orange.  That may cause some issues with who and where one can get the paint work done.  Most painters are a bit particular to a brand and if their manufacturer of choice has discontinued the formula then that may remove a particular painter or shop form the options... and there are few enough painters willing to deal with fiberglass cars anyway.  

I may have to do some scrambling to see about getting that formula and/or paint beforehand... or just go with something like Firemist Orange in a 2-stage paint as I do like the way that one looks.  I'm not going for NCRS certification anyway.

Good luck on the repaint when it happens, do post pics as I'd like to see what you find out.  I'm probably a year to a year-and-a-half away from paint on mine as I don't get as much shop time as I'd like.




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Re: Prep and Paint (21/23)
 12/30/14 11:07pm
73shark
Limited Member
Send Private Message

Overland Park, KS - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.


Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 864

Thanks for the heads up on discontinuing colors.  I'll have to check w/ the guy I plan to have paint it.  I just assumed it could be mixed like house paint.  Guess not.

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1973 L-82 4 spd

Re: Prep and Paint (22/23)
 1/5/15 8:56pm
tb2k82ceLifetime Member
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Lemon Grove, CA - USA

Vette(s):
1982 C3 Collectors Edition 44000 miles, sat in the sun most of its life, My wife purchased it for me for Father's Day in 2007 from her girlfriend that had it for 19 years. It is on the road again. I'm retired but it is now my daily driver.


Joined: 10/17/2007
Posts: 2041

Thanks a lot.  I for one would like to see some videos on how to prepare a Corvette for painting. 

When you make your video please provide enough information on the tools you use so that similar items can be obtained.  If you need help posting them give a shout-out.  There may be someone close that can help you make it or post it.


The comments you provided are just what I was looking for and I think others would also.  

The comment you made about Lacquer not lasting and the extra work required to remove it when you next paint.  The issue I have is I have no idea on what type of paint was used on the last paint job.  There was some minor body work done and the owner went from the CE colors to silver with black paint where the brown fader areas were.  

From what I have read Urethane paint would be a good choice because it is suppose to be able to be put over any type of finish.  

Besides the video what types of paint would you recommend or maybe the other way is better what types of paint would you not recommend.  I had a car painted with single stage acrylic enamel paint.  but you cannot color sand that so there was no way to actually finish it.

I do have to remind myself that almost any paint job you put on a GM product is better than the factory did.  I even saw a C7 with slight orange-peel paint.  For the money you would thing GM would do better. 

Re: Prep and Paint (23/23)
 1/5/15 11:15pm
73shark
Limited Member
Send Private Message

Overland Park, KS - USA

Vette(s):
1973 Orange Metallic Coupe (orig owner), L82, 4 spd (WR), PS, (A/C & PW (I installed from wrecked 73)), leather, AM/FM Stereo, ran with '65 FI unit earlier & will again some day.


Joined: 7/9/2003
Posts: 864

It really doesn't matter what the prior repaint used because it should all be removed down to factory primer before repainting again.

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1973 L-82 4 spd

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