Geek2.0's VP Berlina

[Geek2.0]

Today went great, managed to get all the filler work finished off and a final sand done. Then did a final rust treatment and wipe done clean. Then some etch:

I was very happy with how the guards came out:

The doors i just spotted on small bits where need be (and yes my etch primer is suitable to go over OE finishes):

and also etched the side skirts:

And what a pain! i might have to park on bricks or something when it comes to topcoats to give me some extra ground clearance because the gun+watertrap+air hose simply doesn't fit and you have to spray at silly angles.

So that's now the last of the etching and once i spray the primer-filler tomorrow the body will be ready for blocking. Once I've sanded back and primed the bumpers and various plastics that will be the last of primers.

 

[Geek2.0]

Went out and bought a space heater today, its too cold in Canberra to be spraying the topcoats:

Seems to be a little beast!

Got everything in primer filler, mad!





Tomorrow i will start rubbing down the bumpers and plastic parts, at this stage though i am thinking they will be painted off the car and a day or two later. I would like to do it all in one go (being a noob spraying metallic), but the booth simply isn't big enough to do them well on the car, and there isn't enough space to do them off the car.

 

[Geek2.0]

I've spent the last couple of days guide coating and blocking down the body, its a steep learning curve! The combination of quite thin paint and bad blocking technique mean that i blew through in a few spots while i was still figuring it out. I've fixed that now (spotted on some more etch wherever i hit metal).
So far i have blocked: Boot, rear quarters, roof and bonnet. And at this stage it looks like it will only need to have more primer added to small areas.



Pretty happy with how its going at the moment, the areas that are done feel and look very straight and smooth.



The weather is rubbish at the moment in Canberra, its been pouring all day and its due to continue for a while. At this rate the plan is to spray colour and clear next weekend so hopefully it will be a bit warmer and less humid then!

 

[hi_ryder]

:spot on: ...........

 

[LAP004]

Great work so far . Looking forward to seen the finished product.

 

[BrokWoods]

Should look sweet when it's done.

 

[Geek2.0]

Cheers for the kind words lads!

I have finished blocking the bonnet, the guards and I am 3/4 through the doors. There are a lot of areas now that will need more primer and blocking, but hey, thats the process!



What a curious dent!:



Had some fellas around today which was mad, its amazing how much faster things move with some extra hands, plus i managed to get someone else to sand/key the front bumper for me! I was not keen to do that one, too fiddly!

 

[Geek2.0]

No pics today because its all boring!
Because I am a bit of a noob i had a bunch of areas (mainly edges) where i blocked too far and hit metal, so this afternoon i feathered them out and removed any rust then spotted in some etch. While i was at it a mate sanded down the rear bumper.

Things to be done before colour:
block back the etch a little
scuff off any excess guide coat (shoulda masked!)
spot prime areas where i blocked too far (its basically all straight as the etch had a fair bit of build, so all i really need to do is seal with the primer)
re block those areas
a little bit of shaping of the rear bumper and a tiny bit of filler
prime bumpers
sand and primer fuel cap, trolley strips, mirrors and C pillar covers
clean spray booth (fix busted battery terminal to move the car out)
masking


I'm back at uni full time now, but i can watch lectures online and has monday and tuesday off. Gonna be a busy 4 days!

 

[Geek2.0]

Been a good weekend thus far!

I got the stuffed up areas re-primed and have now done the second round of blocking, i just have to touch up the roof a little and it will all be straight and smooth:



i got the trolley strips, C pillar covers and fuel cap sanded back and plastic primed



I was hoping to have them, the bumpers and the mirrors primed by tonight but simply ran out of time.


Tomorrow the plan is to get the plastics primed and smoothed, clean out my spray booth (i wander if the car starts after 6 weeks!!) and get the masking done.
If i get time i will primer the mirrors and the bumpers, if not i can do them later, being plastic I'm not too concerned with slight colour differences and at the moment i really need the car back on the road.

Then hopefully, weather permitting colour and clear on Tuesday.

 

[stockies]

Loving your work!