Time to Paint the VN again

[GE4CE]

I wasn't going to post this but because I now come to the site nearly every day
to see whats cooking or looking at the "HOW TO" section I thought I may as well

Let me explain a bit before I get some pics going,im now 44 and started spray painting when I was 16,worked on one project or another for most of my life and when my first daughter was turning 18 I started looking around for a car for her,In 2003 I came across a white VN Commodore in Morrabbin (Vic).It was covered in cutting compound outside a car yard and its was a really hot day and I remember thinking,god that cutters will be baked on and nearly impossible to get off,then I saw the For Sale sign and $1200 later drove it to my near by shop to start the first makeover.The car had 215,000 ks on it but to my surprise hadn't had a major smash,went right over it and couldn't believe how original it was.



First,it needed a tailamp panel,tailamp,and I decided to color code the grille and both bars,time to get going



I was prettty pleased with the overall result when id finished it and this is the car that I presented to my daughter for her 18 birthday,i look at those hubcaps now and think the $60 i paid for them served me well,but realise that this is also the time i started becoming hooked on the VN product.



The first daughter learnt to drive in that car for 2-1/2 years and it served her well and decided to buy a new car,she had minor accident in the L/H front guard and the rear bar and the dealership offered her $650 as a trade in,I could understand that,but couldn't accept it as I had replaced numerous things since the time she had it and started to "learn" the car,so i gave her the $650 and have started to do it up for my youngest daughter.

[Jo3_Blo]

Looks very nice. Are you going to paint the whole car again?

[GE4CE]

Yeah i already have,the youngest daughter didnt want the car unless i did something wild with custom graphics so i thought uhh she's only going to scratch it but what the hell,you only live once and im doing up a VN calias (yes im offically hooked) at the moment and have to get this project out the way

[Cobez]

nice and clean!!! its addictive though isnt it!! i started with my vp with the senator kit.........now i have spent over $17,000 on it.........about to spend another $14,000 on it..........i like that VN in your avatar.........very nice

[GE4CE]

First thing to do was replace the rear bar,in the pics it doesn't look like much the the reo copped a pounding and I found a Rear Bar with a lower skirt on E Bay for $50
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[GE4CE]

Next was sanding down the car,stone chips,little dents,doesnt look like much when you start, but it all adds up,forget what your doing on the week ends when your into prep mode,preparation of a car is the utmost,very important,painting it only takes a couple of hours,proper preparation takes Weeks
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[Jo3_Blo]

Cool, so is it as it is in your avatar now? With the purple and red?

More pics please.

[GE4CE]

Yes,thats what it is now,original white with black-10 grams blue pearl,10 grams red pearl gives the purple glow and pink pearl graphics,anyone attempting graphics(word of advice) have a plan,its easy to get lost

[GE4CE]

Primed the car up and this is the secret to best paint-LET IT DRY
Paint is plastic,as enviroment conditions allow especially in Melbourne,extreme heat,chilling cold,metal will take on all these conditions,expand and contract which lead to shrinking,if its done in the priming undercoat stage its easier to rectify, i drove the car like this for a month before i considered sanding.
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[1991_Vn2nV]

Aint nothin like a good VN Good to see you standing by the old girl

VN Power

[GE4CE]

I actually tried to just paint the car white and tried to tell the wife that it would be easier to touch it up if the young one smashed it-that didnt work,id done some computer images of how i wanted the car to look and showed everyone and she (my wife) quickly replies "good with the images,no so good with the application huh" (like a red rag to a bull) graphics are going on!!!!
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[GE4CE]

Ive worked with the best in my industry and spent 3 yrs at Peter Brocks in Port Melbourne under the HTD banner,one thing that man taught me was to do everything you try,DO YOUR BEST,im tellling you now he could spot a 3 mm mistake at 100 yards,Grapics laided there is alway room for improvement,you either do it properly or dont do it at all -Simple
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If you notice ive got photos taped to the windows of what the end result should look like because as i said before its easy to get lost in what your trying to achieve

[VRSS]

good advice there, looks like you take real pride in your work

[GE4CE]

Doing the stripes is time consuming,lots of masking with tape and paper,the guide tapes have to be put down properly because the last thing you want happening at this point is pink "bleeding" on to your white or black,the paper i actually used to cover the black is a new recycled plastic to ensure that it wouldn't stick to the bottom colour,plenty of drying time in between coats was important

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[Jo3_Blo]

Erm, is this a how to topic? Rather than a topic to show off your car?

[Wagon_Wheel]

Lookin good mate, any more progress pics?
Lucky daughters too lol

[phat_com]

love the little pics on he windows, the car is gonna look tough if it ends up looking like the avatar! good work mate! "i'm loving it"

[GE4CE]

Out of the Oven and Assembled
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[CALAIS 6]

that loosk awesome dude u should be real proud off that looks very very well done would look great with some mags on her a lowered a bit keep us updated

[Jo3_Blo]

Love yar work mate! Looks great.

BTW, those hubcaps are nice, but they're still hubcaps..........if you know what I mean. Get some interceptors for it!

[GE4CE]

I look at those hubcaps now and think the $60 i paid for them served me well
These are what I have purchase but cant fit them till late April,what do you guys think?
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[Jo3_Blo]

Yep mate. They statesman? VS? I reckon they'll look great.

THey could get a bit scratched though, what with your daughter being a learner and that!

[GE4CE]

This is what i hope to the car will look like in the end (photochopped) (wheels=WH Statesman alloys)

[Boonz]

Next was sanding down the car,stone chips,little dents,doesnt look like much when you start, but it all adds up,forget what your doing on the week ends when your into prep mode,preparation of a car is the utmost,very important,painting it only takes a couple of hours,proper preparation takes Weeks

agreed, i took 2 months every night after work and all weekend to get my ute prepped for spraying...there was not a single dent, line, bog mark, run or imperfection anywhere after it came out the booth
i liek the paint job on your VN it looks heaps old school

[Jo3_Blo]

That photo shop looks awesome. I hope it becomes a reality!