Blue Thunders getting a face lift

So folks ,with a lot of thought ,my car is going in for a new paint job.Blue Thunder will be painted the same colour ,just Grabber Blue base coat /clear coat.She still looks awsome but she is really only a 10 footer now ,she has many little chips and scratches that are not that noticable but they are there .I have arranged with my painter Dale that after the NOS tune up on Monday ,into the body shop on tuesday for some small chip and scratch repaires ,oh lets not forget the top of both fenders from bending over them to work on the engine ,then into the paint booth for a paint job .Dont worry friends she will be looking pretty for Mega Ford Weekend Sept 11 and be ready to race the paint right off of her,lol .cheers Jimmy

 

Awesome!! Talked to my friend with the 72 Grabber "Lil' Thunder". Said he can't make it this year. Doesn't have his enhanced drivers license yet. Hopefully next year...

 

You get her painted, then we want to see some new strip pics with the new hood!

 

Leave it ORIGINAL SURVIVOR! THAT CARS WAY TO NICE!

 

Only original once! While it may look nicer with new fresh paint...it still makes me sad..

 

Yea Blue thunder was kept inside its whole life, I Have a Survivor 71 Grabber and a restored Grabber, although i have about $16,000 in my restoration....i still like my survivor car better... the stripes are straighter, door gaps are original.... they are only original once thats why people pay for survivors

 

Also Original Paint is alaways gonna be sharper on body panels because the paint thickness is thinner, Aftermarket paint= Etch primer, filler primer, blocking, more filler primer, then sealer than paint...... I like Original paint

 

4 day resto ,lol

Well Folks ,after reading your posts and taking a very close second look at Blue Thunder ,she needs a face lift .I beleave i can make her look as good or in fact better than what she came out of the factory.The NOS is now in and working perfect so back to my shop she went this morning .Dale and i striped her down today ,front and rear bumpers off,front and real valances off,front and rear window chrome off,hood off ,rear spoiler off,door handles and all locks off,headlight doors and grill off,trunk off,quarter windows out,im thinking it ll be sand blasted where needed and minor body work done by Thursday and sanded and masked by Friday night and repainted Saturday morning ,My goal is she is back together and driving her by this comming Tuesday and a few days to spare befor Mega Ford Weekend .Ill post a few pics tomorrow .:Handshake

 

Well folks ,for thoughs who are interested here are a few pics of Blue Thunders four day resto Job.Blue Thunder looked good from 20 feet away but really she was a 6 out of 10.With the work im getting done to her and some great detail work to things like front grill repaint ,cleaning up and repainting the headlight doors,repaint rad support,replace all chrome that is scratched or worn with much better replacement parts and a new paint job,Blue Thunder will be a 9 out of 10. The front fenders look worse than they are ,after a good long board sanding there will be a half a dozen spots the size of quarters and silver dollars.I hope she will be in primer and sanded for paint tomorrow night.

 

should make this already good looking car better!

 

I cant look :'(

 

Jimmy. No issues expected with the original paint as a base?
My guys at work wouldnt have any part in letting me work over the original paint. Cant remember exactly what my painter said but I think it was something about the paint sinking into the new body work/primer vs the original paint base/primer and the solvents in the new primer and paint biting into the original paint.

Maybe it was because my car needed more body work?

 

Darren ,my body man painter Dale says NO worries at all ,Were going light on the primmer and giving it 10 hrs to flash off plus were using a water base paint ,NO solvent (new technology ) ,then clearing it.He says it will turn out great .

 

I was wondering about the water base thing. We were just getting into the water base mess when mine was being done so it wasnt a good option for me. Didnt want my car being one of the first guinea pigs so to speak for the new water base. Of course we use it everyday now without any issues except in this humidity we've had lately. The paint wasnt really a problem for us it was the new primers. They took some getting use to. Long dry times..... Not very practical in a flat rate shop.
We chose to do mine in urethane. Personal preference for myself and the painter with regard to it being a solid color. We dont even carry urethane anymore.
We do have some really nice clear now for the water base though. Its almost to glossy for the older stuff though if that makes sense?

Cant wait to see the finished pics.

 

Well folks ,im a whole 2 days behind schedule,my target was to painted Saturday morning , then sunday .Its going to be painted at 10 am tomorrow morning .There has been a change in my program,it appears that Dales paint gun is having issues ,so plan B comes into affect ,i called a favour and brought in the BIG GUN,my other friend Adam is comming in to spay it in the morning .You ask who is Adam, Adam is a super painter ,he is the one who painted Bevs(Grabbergirl719) Grabber last year.Adam ,have paint suit,gun and mask ,will travel,lol.