[kevost]

Hey Guys. I posted this on another truck forum as well, it looks like this website gets a little more traffic.

The truck is a 1970 Chevy.

Here in May I will be fixing a dent in the back of my cab on my 70 and repainting the door because paint chipped off(small fender bender). The dent is on the back of the cab right behind the drivers side door. I'm thinking i'm just going to repaint the whole back part of the cab from the trim piece down and repaint the whole driver door. Now my question is, can I just scuff down the clear that doesn't need any body work and shoot color over the whole thing or would I be better off scuffing the clear and trying to blend the color? On the door I will be repainting the whole thing.

Here is my original thinking. Sand paint down, fix dent, then putty. Now scuff the whole back of cab and epoxy the body work. Now 2k (filler) the body work and sand to perfection. Now is where I need a little help. I don't know whether to epoxy(sealer) the whole back of the cab to get a good color match or to just seal the body work and paint the whole back of the cab. Input is appreciated guys.

Thanks,

Kevin

[MARTINSR]

The procedure would be:

1. Remove all the bolt on components like the chrome and fuel filler (or mask them off).

2. Fix your metal to ready for filler.

3. Fill the area and surfact with body filler. (option here would be to epoxy prime over bare metal and out onto the paint a little first before filling).

4. Filler primer on body worked area only.

5. Block the primer and re-prime if needed.

6. Sand the primer ready for paint.

7. Scuff the whole two panels, door and rear cab for blending and clearing.

8. After blowing off and degreasing, mask off the areas and cover the truck as well as the overspray will stick to it.

9. Spray color out on the primer, then out a little further blending the color onto the panels.

10. Clear the both panels completely.

11. Sit down with a cold one and revel in your skills as an artist.

Brian

[kevost]

Thanks, i've read a lot of your posts on here, I respect your knowledge a ton.

Now for the back of the cab should I wet sand with 1000 and reclear the whole back of the cab (door jamb to door jamb) and under that little piece of molding? I've also got to paint the passenger side fender with all of this. I will have it on a rack and close(not mounted on truck) for ease of painting.

Thanks,

Kevin

[MARTINSR]

Thanks for the kind words. Realistically if you don't know how much clear is on there (as in YOU painted it) a gray scuff pad is fine to scuff the clear. But 1200 would be fine too, (even the 1000 if you KNEW what you had) just be careful not to sand too much on high spots like body lines. It really needs to be carefully done so you don't sand thru anywhere, that will be asking for a wrinkling problem.

If the color is metallic, put the fender on the truck it is much easier to control the metallic that way. And, those aren't the easiest fenders to get on in fresh paint without scratching them.

Do you plan on blending on the fender? Or does it need to be painted completely?

Brian

[swvalcon]

Are you sure this has a clear coat paint job on it? I ask because of the age of the truck. Sand a small spot where you will be doing body work and if it comes off with color its not a clear coat and makes a difference on how you go about your repair.

[kevost]

Not metallic (whew), and the whole fender needs painted. The truck was painted by a body shop in 04 and then in 06 I had an encounter with a not-so-friendly pole. That's the reason for all this work. The truck has been stored indoors ever since it got painted. I don't think it has seen the light of day for a total of a month since this paint job. (poor truck).

Thanks guys.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by swvalcon

Are you sure this has a clear coat paint job on it? I ask because of the age of the truck. Sand a small spot where you will be doing body work and if it comes off with color its not a clear coat and makes a difference on how you go about your repair.

You would have options but be it two stage or not you could repair it as I have laid out.

The option would be to get a single stage and "panel paint" it being these are such large blend areas, an open blend would be a tall request with a single stage. Panel painting would require a perfect color match.

But at this point, if that whole front fender needs to be shot, he is there a panel painting anyway. Which unless you get the same paint it was done in back in 04 (I am talking the exact same can of paint) the color is going to be off, blending into that right door may be something he may want to think about.

So what do you say Keven, is it a basecoat clearcoat on there?

Brian

[kevost]

It is base/clear. I do have some paint left over. Any chance its still good?

[swvalcon]

If its a base clear that helps. Mix up a little of the paint and spray out a test card. That will tell you if the paints still good. Be sure to get it all mixed up good. Sometimes when paint has set for along time I'll pour it off into another can to be sure there's nothing in the bottom of the can. Then pretty much what MartinSR said should get the job done.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by swvalcon

If its a base clear that helps. Mix up a little of the paint and spray out a test card. That will tell you if the paints still good. Be sure to get it all mixed up good. Sometimes when paint has set for along time I'll pour it off into another can to be sure there's nothing in the bottom of the can. Then pretty much what MartinSR said should get the job done.

Very good point about mixing that paint up, that's the type of thing we take for granted but boy if you don't know can it bite you.


Brian

[MARTINSR]

Absolutely it could still be good.

Brian

[kevost]

Thanks guys. Going to give it a whirl next week. I'll post how it turns out. I've got the whole week off of work to work on it, so i'm hoping I can get it all done.

[kevost]

Well I gave it the ole college try... Didn't turn out too bad. The tailgate and the door have a lot of orange peel. Fenders and the back of the cab turned out pretty good. I wasn't going to cut and buff it, then I rolled it out in the sun and the door definitely needs it. The tailgate im not so worried about. I couldn't get any close ups, but man I forgot how long body work takes. I need to be careful when I do get back to cut and buff, the rest of the truck never has been so I don't want a super awesome nice door and the bed and rest of it to look like a good quality job. The rest of the truck is probably equal to a paint job on a new factory vehicle, very nice, but not super show quality. Here's the few pics I did shoot.

Thank you guys so much for the tips and the help, I don't think I could have done it without you!

Thanks,

Kevin

[kevost]

The last pic is just the door and the back of the cab that I re-cleared, the door had no changes.(last post)

Here's a few pictures of the whole truck.

[hinges56]

[QUOTE=kevost]Thanks, i've read a lot of your posts on here, I respect your knowledge a ton.

Good post Kevin and I completely agree with you about Martin Sr. He has set me straight a time or two as well! Is that your orange and white 72 (?) in the background? I bought my 72 Cheyenne Super new in 72 for $4200. I thought it was an outrages price! Little did I know. I still drive it weekly!