Muscle Car Restorations

[gjdls95]

Brian - Did Tom do the paint as well?  Where is he located?  My dad bought this car brand new in 77 so I want it to be absolutely flawless as it means a lot to me so I really need advice where to go so it is like or better than new..

Rick - Did you do all of your own bodywork and paint?

[y88rick]

yes i have always done all of my own body work and paint never have I paid anyone to do anything for me.

[gjdls95]

Wow I have a setup for doing everything but nothing for paint or body work  I have always done evrything else my self...I guess 'm stuck, not sure what to do.

[y88rick]

the only way to learn it is to study it and try it. not everyone can master it but its not hard to do. If you have a garage and a good air compressor and a good paint gun you already won half the battle. plus everyone knows someone who can do body work.

inshort someone has to be willing to teach you something. its all really in the "feel" then there is paint but base coat clear coat can make anyone look magnificent by wetsanding and buffing. thats all your body shop will be doing. if you lived closer, I'd love to help you and teach you but i think that may be out of the question for you.

[gjdls95]

I need to look at the mileage...my garage is probably not suitable to painting it is only a 2 car garage and it just does not seem like a clean room to paint...of course that could be all of the stuff taking up room in the garage making it seem small.

[y88rick]

i have painted in a single stall before. infact the smaller the place the easier to control dirt/dust movement. i do not have a booth and i have a 30x40 garage its a little harder to control the dust in there but by cleaning the shop up a few days before paint helps the dust settle down and wetting the floors will really control it

[brian c]

Brian - Did Tom do the paint as well?  Where is he located?  My dad bought this car brand new in 77 so I want it to be absolutely flawless as it means a lot to me so I really need advice where to go so it is like or better than new..

Tom fixed the previous (2) shops body work as best he could without taking my car back down to bare metal, did all the paint work, and striped it. He recently moved his shop to Arcarde, NY.

I had K&S Automotive in Tonawanda NY do the collision work for me as the car was involved in a hit & run this past April. They were able to color match the car flawlessly and were only minutes from my work place if I needed to run something over. Only gripe I have about their work is that there's a little gold overspray in the right rear wheelwell but it's easy enough to fix.

I've sprayed cars before...outside on a grass yard. It can be done without getting too much contamination in the paint as long as you start early enough. Once you start spraying paint you'll find most bugs, including little children, RUN from the area as they can't stand the smell     I know...I've done it

IF the bodywork had been done on my Y88 I would have sprayed it myself...well that and if it weren't gold. Next one I plan on painting myself as I'll save a boatload of money that way. I bought a Devilbliss (2) gun set that can lay down both primer and finish coats. It's still new in the box as I don't have the $$ to buy the paint supplies to get started on the 80 firebird just yet. I'm thinking next spring to take the front fenders off, strip them, and get them shot with epoxy.

[gjdls95]

I need body work to fix rusting fenders and clean up the frame and underbody and give it a good paint job.  I was intersted in the chemical stripping and e-coating the underbody but for that I would need to take it to someone.  How difficult is it to place decals like the hood bird?  I can do anything electrical and mechanical but bodywork scares me...maybe I need to pick up another car to practice on before working on this one. 

[y88rick]

sure get a practice car however if your under 21? most local tech centers offer classes.