I started wet sanding the Chevelle with 1500 grit paper, and then again with 2000 grit paper. It was easier once the rain started, I just grabbed the sandpaper, my squeegee, a sponge and kept going. After everything was flat, I used the buffer and either Finesse It or Diamond Cut compound on the red pad to bring up a gloss. Then a finer pad with Machine Glaze brought up a deep, black shine. I still have most of the car to do yet.
Hopefully I can finish tomorrow. I need to call the glass man to fill the windsield crack too.
The Chevelle is now black...shiny and black. I had everything ready last night, the car was masked and the garage ready to shoot. I woke up early, ran up to Kemperle to get the high-temp basemaker for the basecoat, and was back home with the garage at 80 degrees. Perfect. I was just starting the first coat, when two guys showed up looking to get their car painted. Thank god Tommy was here to help keep them out of the garage. I'll have to call them back to see what they want painted.
After the two coats of base black, I had to run back to the paint shop again to get the correct clear activator. Then I got three coats of clear on everything, and it looks ok. There are some rough spots to be wet sanded, and of course the black shows every flaw. Now to go to wetsanding class from McGuire's.
You really want to know what it takes to paint a car black? Aside from the money, and years of body work and paint experience? It takes the support of family, friends and neighbors who put up with you as you attempt the most ridiculous task in the history of automobile restoration. If I can pull this off without killing myself or someone else, it will be a miracle.
I set aside the weekend to get the car final sanded, masked and prepped the garage for paint on Saturday morning. I had all of my materials (or so I thought), and the weather was just right (again, so I thought). I even had time to go to a movie on Friday night....so I could just finish up the masking in the morning, right?
Well, the morning came and I forgot to sand the small pieces like the valance and headlight extensions, so I prepped them and masked them and got ready to paint, By this time, it's Saturday afternoon, the humidity is down, the temp is up, but I'm already committed to paint today. I suit up and spray... what a mess! Nothing is flowing right or laying flat. There are a ton of 400 grit sand scratches showing in the black basecoat that are not hiding at all. There is also a big spot on the passenger side where some kind of contaminant is fish-eyeing the paint. I stop after two coats of base to figure this all out.
I realize that I have the wrong reducer for the shop temp, which my mis-calibrated thermometer once fixed is telling me is almost 95 degrees. I was using the mid-temp reducer for 70-80 degree days, when I needed the high temp reducer (which I am out of). I now have a new digital thermometer, and a Chevelle that has been sprayed with two coats of base, and then sanded down with 600 wet to remove the orange peel and sand scratches.
Of, by the way, my neighbor Tommy hooked me up with some excellent bumpers and other goodies from is Chevelle. Thanks pal!
I finally caught a break in the weather, and went back to work on the Chevelle body. A few small spots needed to be sanded and/or filled, then I figured I would just shoot the jambs with the black basecoat to see how they looked. There were a few fisheyes here and there, but for the most part it looks good. I'll hopefully get to wet sand and block the rest of the 2K primer down tomorrow, and get it ready for the basecoat.
The first two photos may look familiar, however these are the after wetsanding versions of the drivers side and hood. The third photo is a close up of the reflection of the Machine Glaze on the hood (the light spot is a drop of glaze) so flat you can read the label. For some reason, all my glaze and compounds have holes in the bottles. Go figure? 
