Sanding & painting doors/panels to a complete flat surface

s2k_adz

s2k_adz

Club Member
Hey guys

I've just had my car back from paint for a second time due to not being happy with the sides on the first time. When you look down the side the reflections are wobbly not mirror straight. He's a proper car restoration company who's done all the welding work really well and the actual painting is brilliant, it's just this wobble that I'm not happy with.

I've seen several 240/260/280Z at shows and most have an element of this although maybe not quite a bad as mine. He's agreed to have it back again in a few months and do it again.

My question is can the doors/sides actually be made into a mirror completely flat surface or is the Z metal too thin? Is it just a question of hours of block sanding with a really long block? Any tips on what to use?

Do you guys have any photos of yours I could compare with?

Thanks

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johnymd

johnymd

Club Member
It is very hard to get these panel's straight and any pressure you apply when sanding will deform the panel which will spring back when you release pressure. My red car is pretty good but then I didn't pay much or expect a show quality paint.
 

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Alphabettispaghetti

Alphabettispaghetti

Club Member
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These angles what you need?
 
s2k_adz

s2k_adz

Club Member
Yea the same ones as I posted really Franky. What you posted but with the door on. It's my doors I'm mainly bothered about. Your door looks really good although it's not looking along it.... Mine does look ok from some angles!

Johny I'm pretty happy with my rear quarters bar the passenger side one in front of the rear arch as there is a little wobble there he's going to look at where the new arch was welded in and filled.

Your red car does look good. I've paid a pretty hefty price of nearly £4k for this so Id like it right!

I don't know if I'm expecting too much to have the doors flat?? Is there a way of sanding them lightly rather than with lots of pressure or sticking something on the inside to reenforce them?
 
moggy240

moggy240

Insurance Valuations Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Without seeing it in flesh it's hard to say, if it's had a lot of filler in the doors it's not easy to get them to look like new audi doors, also when it it's on the trailer it's right in the eye line.
If I am honest I like my paint work to more original on older cars as I think of you get the paint work too flat they look artificial.
 
moggy240

moggy240

Insurance Valuations Officer
Staff member
Club Member
What did you get done for 4k because that sounds like a really good price.
 
uk66fastback

uk66fastback

Club Member
Is the door paint over metal (and no filler), or has the metal of the door been skimmed with a touch of filler and then properly sanded flat with a three foot sander ... ?

Bear in mind, it'll want to be sanded in more than one direction as well horizontally and vertically. I did the same on my Mustang and while good, it was never 100% perfect. Thicker metal though for a start, so more of a solid base for sanding ...

In the US they seem to basically make the WHOLE surface filler ... or bondo as they call it! Thin, though ...
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Here's my input for what it's worth - I'm not a perfectionist and I haven't had a Z sprayed.

Cars that are original come out best - not surprising really. I am guessing that your car has had repair work done.

You have a curve over the rear arch so I'm assuming the arches have had work too?

£4k seems ok to me i.e. not a rip-off. If it goes back will it come back better and will the paint match?

Are we being too particular these days about 45 year old cars?

The panel 'line-up' is as important as the paint.

It would be good to see pics of the car before painting/repair.

Other member's cars on here look fantastic but it doesn't come cheaply or quickly and you have to decide on your priorities - to drive it or agonise over every detail. When it's finished how are you going to keep it like that. I had a 370Z that was 'as new' but it worried me to death whenever I parked it or in fact drove it - every stone thrown up gave me an anxious moment. It really does detract from the pleasure of using cars IMO.

Your decision, only you know what you will be happy with but I would like to see how the car was before the paint-shop.

I have sprayed a car many years ago in my own garage and the satisfaction came from the repairs I did and the refresh of the paint. I didn't worry too much about the shine - good job because I rallied it and then it was written off in an accident (not my fault).

EDIT: Just found your resto Thread https://zclub.net/community/index.php?threads/my-260z-rebuild.17868/

The car has come a long way - finish it and enjoy it!
 
Rob Gaskin

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
It might help if you guys who have posted your pics up show the cars before resto. so that the original poster can compare.
 
uk66fastback

uk66fastback

Club Member
Rob Gaskin said:
Other member's cars on here look fantastic but it doesn't come cheaply or quickly and you have to decide on your priorities - to drive it or agonise over every detail. When it's finished how are you going to keep it like that. I had a 370Z that was 'as new' but it worried me to death whenever I parked it or in fact drove it - every stone thrown up gave me an anxious moment. It really does detract from the pleasure of using cars IMO.
Click to expand...

This is, in a way, how I got into owning a 240. My Mustang had paint like glass, beautiful it was, but I agonised over every little bit of it ... during the time I was putting everything back on the car and when I drove it afterwards. I found it very stressful! Which is mad, really. The thing would get driven and would get dusty and dirty from doing basically nothing but driving along. All this had to be removed. The car was never washed, it was detailed with the spray, as to scratch the clearcoat in any way (or as little a way as possible - it will always get marked to some degree) would cause me angst.

This. amongst a couple of other things, led me to sell it in the end and the Z I was looking for had to have serviceable paint but nothing I couldn't get chipped without caring too much.

If anyone sees my car in person they can marvel at my '$1000 US respray'!
 
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