Project Big Red

[laserjock]

Well, I hit the bare metal with POR metal prep. I tend to spray it on, let it soak, spray it again and work it in with a scotchbrite pad trying to really get it into the pits I can't get clean and then just repeat a few times keeping it wet. I try not to let it dry. Then I hosed it off and dried it with dry air. My refrigerated dryer is pretty awesome. ;sweet

I cleaned the edges back and hit them with some weld through primer and then put some pieces in to tie the rocker back to the B pilar and rear cab metal.

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I left the gaps on purpose. I want to get paint/coating in there and I will be cutting a couple more holes up higher so I can really get paint in there. Need to shoot a little paint up in the door post area and then weld that post patch in. Paint and close it up. Then cut out the back section and clean and fill it.

Next dilemma is when to order the engine. I almost want to have it installed before I paint. I'm real nervous about assembling the front clip post paint even though I suspect I could do a better job on the paint that way. I just never have any help and I can't imagine putting a painted hood on alone. If I want the engine in place before paint, I'm about there.

Weather is supposed to be decent. Maybe I can pick up the pace a bit.

 

[Andertusa]

I'm real nervous about assembling the front clip post paint even though I suspect I could do a better job on the paint that way. I just never have any help and I can't imagine putting a painted hood on alone. If I want the engine in place before paint, I'm about there.

Good job on the progress and it's looking great. If you're worried about scratching your newly painted parts, use masking, either masking tape in a couple layers on the parts edges, 'moving blankets' or something like:

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...urface-Protection-Tape-12-x-200?model=S-19224



To protect your newly painted parts.



EDIT: Or even: http://www.uline.com/Product/ProductDetailRootItem.Aspx?modelnumber=S-10447&model=S-10447

 

[IDIoit]

i have seen professional painters paint everything blasted apart.
ive also seen the countless hours they spend installing these pieces.
aligning them and getting it to look right.
i have also seen people that claim to be professionals do jobs such as yours,
paint everything, and go to install them and they never line up right.

not to insult your intelligence, but we are not professionals in body and paint.
we are novices at best!

if i were you, i would paint the back sides of each panel to your desired pigment.
if youre going to primer the panels before paint, get that on there.
i would install the engine and get it running before you put the fenders on.
wrap it up, and then align your fenders, this takes some time and effort.
install your hood, and then squirt it.

it will save you hundreds of dollars from being thrown into the cuss jar!
not to mention scratches you dont want. dings from tools on the corner of your panels etc.

the hardest part is closing the hood for the first time, not having it correct, and chipping an entire corner of paint off.

 

[laserjock]

not to insult your intelligence, but we are not professionals in body and paint.
we are novices at best!

Why do I feel insulted....



I have lived through that first hood shutting... I understand that agony.

My plan was to get everything in epoxy primer and then install it. Get the gaps sorted, number of shims etc and the hood lined up and then mark everything (I like to drill a hole in hinges etc for an alingment pin) blow it back apart to body work it and and get it in primer then assemble and paint. Or some variation on this. No way in the world would I take a bunch of panels that have never been fit, finish painting them and then try to assemble it. I may be just a dumb old farm boy but I aint that freakin stupid. My panel gaps are probably going to be a hot mess anyway. At this point I'll be happy if the damn hood closes and doesn't hit the fenders. That's about where I'm at.

 

[junk]

You're on the right track. I painted my crewcab all in pieces. Next time I do a big project I'll have everything primed, fitted, and jambed. Then finish sanding the outside and shoot the fenders, cab and doors as assembled. The roof and hood I would paint at another time. Too hard to paint those while doing the sides. On a car I can do it all in one shot, but not these trucks. They are too big.

Even if you paint the hood on the truck I would paint it seperate from the sides. I've done lots of hood and decklid installs by myself. As the others suggest it normally includes lots of blankets, towels, and masking tape to protect all edges and corners.

One last bit of advice I have is. Hang the fenders and doors and sight down the side of the truck. Being I worked all dents out of my panels apart I didn't get a good sight down the side of the truck until it was done. Now overall I'm OK with how it turned out, but there are a couple waves that I wish weren't there. If i'd of had the truck all together in primer first I might have touched up a couple areas.

As always looking great.

- Jeremy

 

[dieseltruck]

Laser,
Anytime you need help, let me know. I'll be glad to help.

 

[laserjock]

Hey I appreciate that and I may take you up on it. I'd love to have you up but my problem is I can't schedule anything to save my life right now. I'm only getting anything done when I can spare a few minutes. I'd hate to drag you up here for that. There are a few "big" events coming that will have to have time blocked off. I'll try to remember to drop you a line when I can block off some time.

Junk, great advice as always. Question. When you say paint the hood and roof separate do you mean first or last? My inclination would be to do it first but then how do you protect it? To be honest my thoughts to just paint the cab and doors are rooted mostly in the fact that I'm a short guy and I'm still not sure how I'm going to paint the roof. It's going to take scaffolding for sure. I might need to stand on that front cross member. I also think I'm going to pull the wheels off and drop it down as low as I can to the ground for a little height advantage. Problem with that is how do a roll it... maybe my little furniture dolly scate boards but not after the engine is in it.

 

[junk]

Laser,

On my truck I built scaffolding on both sides of the truck and used it to paint it. Basically ladders with boards between them. It worked fine, but was a little sketchy getting on a off with a paint gun in hand. You'll want to paint from the edge to the middle and then middle to edge on the other side. Being your a Supercab I might put the scaffolding across the frame and pant from drip edge to drip edge. I painted windshield to back window. I'm 6-2 and have a pretty good reach.

I would paint them first. Then to protect them in the future just use some autobody masking plastic and typical masking paper at the edges. Works well. On new paint I'll run the tape across my pant leg to remove some stickyness to avoid pulling paint off with the tape. And remove the tape by pulling it back on itself vs pulling it straight up from the panel.

I at one time had an old set of 8 bolts wheels I'd put the truck on to get the height lower. Wonder where those went?

-Jeremy

 

[laserjock]

Door post done.

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[fsmyth]

Dunno about you guys, but I put the 1st color coat on while I can get to everything.
(I like to see the same color inside door panels and fender seams).
Then put it together and get it lined up. Fix any holidays. then shoot the top of the
cab from the bed. hood next. then finish up the 2cd (and 3rd) color coat. clear coat
if you want - it can be done dead last. Then, after cab has set, cover it all.
Going from top down minimizes overspray problems.
Do whatever you want to the bed now.
Works for me. SUV's are a little harder.

 

[junk]

Door post looks great! Came out really nice!

Fsmyth - Don't agree more. If your going to paint a car then paint it. Don't just paint the outside. Door jambs and edges all need to be the same color.

 

[laserjock]

With the door post done, I cut and for the outer part. Once I got it roughed in, I put a support (1/2" square tube)in there to stop the oil canning. Here are the holes drilled to plug weld it. It runs end to end and straightened it up a bunch.

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There was undercoating up in there and I was trying to figure out how to get it clean. I came up with this.

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It's a little scary but it does work but don't catch an edge. I ripped all the tabs right off one while I was doing this. It is of course running backwards so while it worked, I'm not sure I recommend it. Flat wire wheel might be a better option. Oh well.

Got the plug welds in and the panel fit.

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Lessons learned have made this much better. Still had to cut the front lip off the panel because it's too deep. But not having to stretch it and having the reference of the corner made it a lot easier. What got me in trouble the last time was the lower front corner. It caused me all kinds of problems before I figured it out. Got it right this time.

So I cut out the back and cleaned it all up best I can.

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Damn I'm slow and this summer head cold is not helping at all. Hopefully I'll have it all ready to close up tomorrow.

 

[laserjock]

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Feel like crap. Going to bed. That is all.

 

[laserjock]

Back to work.

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[freebird01]

One trick I learned from an old hotrodder is to take the nozzle off a can of brakkleen and use it with the straw and cheap tractor implement paint to get inside the hard to reach areas like rockers...frame rails...inside fenders. I've started doing this myself...spray it till it runs with paint.