Lazer straight body work

RosharonRooster

RosharonRooster

Promoted Users
Ive painted about 6 or 7 full cars. I've spent hundreds of hours looking at thousands of cars. Looking to talk show car body work. What do you all think is the most important stage to achieve a straight 7ft long quarter panel? Imo its the 180 primer stage. Maybe im wrong. Lets talk about it
 
No one thing is any more important than the other. It's a combination of using the right techniques and quality materials. And there are several different ways to do it. If you had to narrow it down to one thing it would be being able to properly block a panel. Using the correct sanding techniques to achieve the desired result. Cross hatching.
 
If you want the ultimate when it comes to lazer straight.

2018 Ridler

I just now ran across this video and it makes me wonder if paint is one the items they judge on a car. I have seen paint jobs like this at the Autorama, but I sure wouldn't expect to see one of the great 8 contenders with paint like this, let alone the winner of the Ridler award.
www.spiuserforum.com

It took me a little bit to find this again. but its one of many things that have simply just stunned me on here.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
No one thing is any more important than the other. It's a combination of using the right techniques and quality materials. And there are several different ways to do it. If you had to narrow it down to one thing it would be being able to properly block a panel. Using the correct sanding techniques to achieve the desired result. Cross hatching.
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Like Chris said, if your not sanding in an "X" pattern you need to stop and think how to sand in an X pattern no matter how small or large the area is.
 
sprint_9 said:
If you want the ultimate when it comes to lazer straight.

2018 Ridler

I just now ran across this video and it makes me wonder if paint is one the items they judge on a car. I have seen paint jobs like this at the Autorama, but I sure wouldn't expect to see one of the great 8 contenders with paint like this, let alone the winner of the Ridler award.
www.spiuserforum.com

It took me a little bit to find this again. but its one of many things that have simply just stunned me on here.
Click to expand...

That's all metal straight not the skim the entire panel with filler "straight". @chevman is a true craftsman. Thing that will escape many who look at that pic is that on stock Tri-Five Chevys, the fender, door, and quarter panel, are all shaped slightly differently. They do not have the same curvature. Chev reworked the panels to where they all are in the same plane now. Awesome stuff.
 
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Herschel "Junior" Conway has been a source of inspiration for me ever since I wandered into his shop in 1990. He was so gracious to me, a 18 year old kid, he let me hang around for 3 days pestering him with questions and just watching he and his guy Tom work. (I did sweep the floor a lot though) What I saw there blew my mind. Work that I didn't even know was possible.
Here are three videos a guy did of Junior and it gives an overview of what goes into doing some of the finest work that there is out there. For years Junior was "the man" when it came to Ferrari's both old and new. He did Steve McQueen's 275 in the late '60's and that opened a door for him to do many other Ferrari's. Many of the cars he did were Pebble Beach regulars. Hot Rod guys may remember him as Barris's painter in the '50's.

Edit:Appears you have to go to Vimeo to view the vids. Well worth it though. Ed Iskenderian makes an appearance.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
 
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Take this with a grain of salt as I am on only my 3rd car but the other 2 get compliments from professionals. You need to use course enough paper to actually cut the high spots out. I am still on 150 grit and this weekend will be my 5th blocking session. You can get too fine and it won’t cut down the high spots it will just form to them. When I get a blocking with 2 coats of high build and only break through in few places do I move fine paper.

Second you will use a TON of paper. If your pressing on the block the paper is worn out. The paper does the work not pressure. I will likely use a roll and a half of 150 on the Dart but it has a lot of issues and I needed to put in a few patches.

Jim
 
JimKueneman said:
Take this with a grain of salt as I am on only my 3rd car but the other 2 get compliments from professionals. You need to use course enough paper to actually cut the high spots out. I am still on 150 grit and this weekend will be my 5th blocking session. You can get too fine and it won’t cut down the high spots it will just form to them. When I get a blocking with 2 coats of high build and only break through in few places do I move fine paper.

Second you will use a TON of paper. If your pressing on the block the paper is worn out. The paper does the work not pressure. I will likely use a roll and a half of 150 on the Dart but it has a lot of issues and I needed to put in a few patches.

Jim
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He's exactly right.
I initially sand my primer with 150 grit.
No matter how hard and straight your block is, it won't get it truly straight
with those finer grits like 320 and above.
Those grits are for removing the scratches left by the 150 to get
it smooth, not straight.
 
NextGen Classics said:
I would work the metal and use epoxy for highs and lows.Use more epoxy and 80 with light pressure on the long block,dollying out all imperfections.Continue with this until body is close to perfect. Keep the mils down is a major key....of course I rarely do this cause no one wants to pay for that type of work
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I don't even want to pay myself to do it on my cars :)
 
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