Sanding & painting doors/panels to a complete flat surface

[Alphabettispaghetti]

First off, great colour, its my equal favourite.

Secondly, I think there's a point where you just have get on with it. I've had paint issues that meant I had to do it all again. Even now, there's a few bits that i'm not 100% about, however the thought of loosing even more time and motivation made me have a good think.

There's a point where you just need to get on, its 40 odd years old, looks great and has come so far from where it started.

I've seen amazing £1000 resprays, i've seen shocking £10k re-sprays.

 

[s2k_adz]

Thanks for all your replies guys! Some of your panels look amazing! If mine were like that I'd be over the moon.

In terms of filler on your doors that you've posted photos of what was your method? A light skim all over then lots of blocking or a slightly thicker coat?

Yes the car certainly has come a long way but the panels were all completely rust free ones that were bought seperateley. Both doors, bonnet, bootlid and one of the wings are not the UK ones and were rust free ones .

The restorer did tell me hes tried to be as sparing with the filler as he can all over the car which I am happy about, but it might be that he needs to put more filler over the doors to get them flatter?

He's been very good in terms of attention to detail in all the fab work even pressing original patterns into the floors etc. The swage line over the arch isn't lost either it's just not too good in that photo (see one below).

I completely see what you guys are saying in regards to getting on with things and not obsessing. It's just that this is something thats been high on my list of "wants" from the car from the start. Flat down the sides. He doesn't seem to have a problem matching the paint at all as he's already painted down the sides a second time once. I'm super happy with the actual paint, just not the wobbles

 

[s2k_adz]

 

[s2k_adz]

What did you get done for 4k because that sounds like a really good price.

That was for paint from bare metal Mog. The metal and fab work was 6k plus on top of that!

 

[s2k_adz]

Here's how mine came out:

View attachment 30739 View attachment 30740

What was your filler/sanding technique Tenno?

 

[s2k_adz]

sk2: What's the other side like?

Other side is slightly better but not straight as I'd like

 

[s2k_adz]

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 ... ?

I think this is maybe what it is. He did say he's tried to be as sparing with filler as possible.

 

[slaphead]

Just a thought has the panel ever been shotblasted the heat can ripple skins quite easily.

 

[uk66fastback]

This is what I did my Mustang bootlid with ... came out very ripple-free. But as I said, the metal on these '60s US cars is about three time the thickness of our favourite Japanese motor!

It may be that he has to put a really thick layer of filler on, in order to get it 'flat' then chamfer it more towards the edges, so your shut lines are still good and the metal doesn't look hugely 'thick'.

 

[Ian]

Should be possible to get it flat but it will likely require more filler if the door is not flat in metal form, will need to be block sanded by hand with a longish board to get good results.


I think thats actually a cheap price for what you got. I'm considering paying a load more than that with mine but that would be for perfection, for example I was quoted £8.5 for body and paintwork, this doesn't include any metalwork or stripping it to bare metal as these are additional to this.

 

[AliK]

FWIW I'm with Rob, Franky and Mr Fastback in this one.

Your paintwork already puts mine to shame.

As already said, what I love about my car is that a stone-chip/scratch etc really doesn't feel like a personal flesh wound. I love driving the car and thrashing / giving it the beans (as those who have followed me will testify) exactly because it's not a concourse car. I do care of course but not as much as I would cry if it was 100% perfect.

I totally understand that perfection matters especially when you have spent so much time, money and effort. The trouble is, when you do this, you end up looking too closely at these things. If you hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed!

Have you looked this closely at modern cars recently? You'd be shocked how the things we worry about on our 40 year old cars are present on factory finished modern metal!

Sweat the big stuff and get her back together. You will love driving / polishing / showing / getting complements etc !!!!

 

[johnymd]

When I painted my blue car myself in 2006 I was very satisfied with the finish plus it wasn't so perfect as to be worried about using and abusing the car. It allowed me to get the maximum fun from it on the track. Over time I have become much more fussy and will probably get it repainted next year to fix all the fitment and detail that is missing. I'll still get full use out of it though. When I had the red car sprayed earlier in the year I just wanted a cheap paint job so I was happy to use the car daily and in all weather's. It came out better than I thought it would but has some blemishes that I just cant live with so it's going back in for repaint soon. I should of had these issues fixed before I put the car back together and regret that now.

My advice would be to get it fixed now or you will always be unhappy with it. It will be much harder to do it latter.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Oh dear John you have just dealt the 'killer blow'.

We are so privileged in this country to be able to afford to own a car like this never mind worry about the paint.

I am currently decorating a bedroom and I worry about getting the skirting-boards nice and smooth. Then when I go on holiday and look down from the 'plane at a housing estate I wonder why I fuss so much! Yes personal pride and job satisfaction, but it does seem to be out of proportion. We get so tied up in detail in the Western World.

My advice is to only return it if you know for certain that it will come back perfect. If you had painted the car would you be happy with it or would you start again?

We are all different and it takes all types. There is no right or wrong answer for you it's a decision you have to make based on your personality.

 

[uk66fastback]

Those two comment encapsulate the dilemma:

"Sweat the big stuff and get her back together. You will love driving / polishing / showing / getting complements etc !!!!"

"My advice would be to get it fixed now or you will always be unhappy with it. It will be much harder to do it latter."

As Rob correctly says, your personality will point you in one direction or the other. I suspect it'll be the latter as why would this thread even exist, otherwise.

A guy I knew in the Mustang club owned a 65, in BLACK, which as we all know is the WORST colour for showing paintwork blemishes. The work he had to put in every time he came home from a ride in it was ridiculous. I don't think he did anything else but drive and then redetail the thing in the summer months ...

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Its difficult to see in the pics. Is it a case of if you think you see it, your minds tricking you that its worse?

Just doors?

 

[Rob Gaskin]

To go slightly off topic perhaps we are painting cars in high gloss and they are showing every ripple and blemish. The trend with 'high end' cars these days is a satin finish isn't it.

Guys is it the paint that gives the gloss or lacquer. In the old cellulose days you had to polish the paint after a few weeks to get a shine.

 

[johnymd]

All my cars are painted in base (colour) and clear (Lacquer) because I think it gives a better lasting shine.

 

[chrisvega]

All my cars are painted in base (colour) and clear (Lacquer) because I think it gives a better lasting shine.

Same as they had from the Nissan factory when new.

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Mine was base and clear. I’d have massively preferred it without the clear!

 

[IbanezDan51]

Mine has some VERY minor ripples - best I have seen at any show (and Ive seen an MZR close up...) but I did the prep work and spent 100's of hours getting it right. I also wanted the bare minimum filler so took 3-4 good coats of epoxy primer then a couple of high build base primers and then base and clear over that. As said, you do have to be extremely light with the sanding on the panels of these cars.



In fact, in some instances it probably looks too flat to be original as I'm sure they weren't great from factory!