HardcoreZ28
10-09-2008, 07:23 AM
Most people don't understand what it means to really get the body right on an old car. I usually sand an entire car out 4-5 times before finally painting. Last night really drove that point home for me.
I've been working on this Mach 1 Mustang for over a year and a half now...car was a mess when I got it. Not a single straight panel. Last night I was sanding it out for what I thought was the second to last time. As I was sanding the back half of the roof I found a nasty wave in it still....about a foot and a half long by a foot wide area. Guide coat didn't pick it up because it's so big that my sanding block follows the contour. And when it's in primer you can't see it. Developing a feel for the body lines of a car while you're sanding is very important. If I hadn't felt that wave last night I would have painted the car next week and as soon as there was clear on it, the wave would have stuck out like a soar thumb, especially on the roof.
So some tips....always sand with the longest block you can, especially when doing your bodywork. You can go down to a small rubber pad for your final wet sanding. Use guidecoat atleast twice. And on large flat areas always run your hand across the panel in numerous directions to make sure you don't feel any waves. You don't want to have to go back and reshoot a large area and worry about blending clear in.....just not worth the headache.
I've been working on this Mach 1 Mustang for over a year and a half now...car was a mess when I got it. Not a single straight panel. Last night I was sanding it out for what I thought was the second to last time. As I was sanding the back half of the roof I found a nasty wave in it still....about a foot and a half long by a foot wide area. Guide coat didn't pick it up because it's so big that my sanding block follows the contour. And when it's in primer you can't see it. Developing a feel for the body lines of a car while you're sanding is very important. If I hadn't felt that wave last night I would have painted the car next week and as soon as there was clear on it, the wave would have stuck out like a soar thumb, especially on the roof.
So some tips....always sand with the longest block you can, especially when doing your bodywork. You can go down to a small rubber pad for your final wet sanding. Use guidecoat atleast twice. And on large flat areas always run your hand across the panel in numerous directions to make sure you don't feel any waves. You don't want to have to go back and reshoot a large area and worry about blending clear in.....just not worth the headache.