My 71 Challenger RT Project

[Bluemonster71RT]

Well I got her painted. I wish that this wasn't my first try at painting a car. But I know what to do now. I wish I could do it over but for now it will have to do. There is a lot of dust in the clear even with my best efforts to keep it as clean as I could. All I have to do is color sand now and the I can do what I know how to....mechanics.

[barracuda7199]

nice color and be proud you did it yourself!! that will probably be the only way my car gets painted

[Bluemonster71RT]

   The car Gods are out to get me. As if my journey with my car hasen't been hard enough. While doing the wet sanding of the clear, I managed to cut through right to the primer in a few spots. It looks like it was because of light coats of both base and clear in those spots. Which made me learn lesson #1. If you think your garage is brite enough...it isn't. Then in a hasteful move I moved the hood over to far and caught the corner of the drivers fender and put a chip in it. I so want to be done with painting and body work and sanding and buffing. I find not one ounce of joy in it. Mostly because I paid to have this done already but yet here I am     

[ShelbyDogg]

After painting a couple of cars myself, I have since let Maaco paint the last 10 cars for me, including my 2 Challengers, my son's, daughter's, wife's cars, my grand cherokee, cars I bought to sell etc. No paint all over my garage and most are finished within 3 days. My 10 year old base clear coat on my Challenger was $899 and my Urethane job on my Vert was $499.   I drive the crap out of them. If they get chipped up, I'll have them repainted.

[Bluemonster71RT]

After painting a couple of cars myself, I have since let Maaco paint the last 10 cars for me, including my 2 Challengers, my son's, daughter's, wife's cars, my grand cherokee, cars I bought to sell etc. No paint all over my garage and most are finished within 3 days. My 10 year old base clear coat on my Challenger was $899 and my Urethane job on my Vert was $499.   I drive the crap out of them. If they get chipped up, I'll have them repainted.

The paint job that was on the car before this one was a Maaco job. After 3 years the paint started to crack then just plain ol' fall off. I said I'd never have them do it again. After the "incident" I couldn't find anyone who would touch the car (because of how I got it back) or do it for less than $7k because no one would continue where the other shop left off. So I did it. Now Maaco was starting to look good.  Today is more humid than the amazon so no touch-up work today. Tomorrow is supposed to be a great day so we'll see how things turn out.

[ShelbyDogg]

The paint can only stick to a good base. If the body work under the paint is poor, then the paint will fall off. My body is mainly finished when take the car over before I get the paint jobs. Maaco doesn't guarantee their paint if they don't do the bodywork. If yiou would have paid more for them to do the work, they would have repainted your car when the paint started falling off. I stuck with the same shop since the first job. This shop also switched to all Dupont paints a couple of years back. They used to use Sherwin Williams paints, which makes Duplicolor, which I was also happy with. All Maacos aren't the same. Find a good one and all of your paint problems can now be their paint problems.

[Bluemonster71RT]

The paint can only stick to a good base. If the body work under the paint is poor, then the paint will fall off. My body is mainly finished when take the car over before I get the paint jobs. Maaco doesn't guarantee their paint if they don't do the bodywork. If yiou would have paid more for them to do the work, they would have repainted your car when the paint started falling off. I stuck with the same shop since the first job. This shop also switched to all Dupont paints a couple of years back. They used to use Sherwin Williams paints, which makes Duplicolor, which I was also happy with. All Maacos aren't the same. Find a good one and all of your paint problems can now be their paint problems.

They did the body work. To long of a story and hell I wasn't even old enough to drive yet. My father who brought the car to them had words and I think he got his money back. My "incident" was a much bigger issue
which brings me to the situation of the last 8-9 years.

So being that trying to "touch up" some spots turned out not so good. The new plan is to put it all back together and get it running. With luck and money I will repaint it again. Knowing what I did wrong and how to not do it again. I will have a winner next time. I feel that it's just something that I have to do.

[Bluemonster71RT]

The reason why my wife is awesom is, We were talking about my paint issues and she said that because it bothers me that much.... Lets just redo it now while it's easier. 

So let me run this plan by you guys.
A co-worker said to wet sand with 400 then apply the primer sealer 2 light coats  and reapint. Does this sound ok? I was going to sand all the clear off then re spray.

[bb71challenger]

I think its awesome that you painted it yourself. For what its worth I had a pretty good painter do my car and the clear has trash in it too. Nothing that cannot be wet sanded out though so I am not worried. Good luck with your build, I will be watching this one!

[wally426ci]

Yes, you can base over sanded clear. Some people finish off with 600 but 400 is fine.

Just do the panels that are messed up or if you think its too thin, hit the whole car over.

In the future, try not to wet sand on "edges" or "corners"

I don't listen to my own advise as I just wet sanded through my 68 tailgate right before carlisle. 

[Bluemonster71RT]

I got the car repainted again. It came out much better but still not the greatest. I have a few spots where the metalic blotched up even though the paint went on even and I tried my best to keep shaking the gun. I was told it was because of the air pressure drops and ups as it turned on and off. I also had one issue where this paint had a reaction with the paint covered in primer. I was told that in a few months it could be fixed.

The paint I used this time was Sherwin Williams and it was a dead ringer to the the orignal cars paint that is in the floor. The PPG was a shade lighter.

Ill post pics up later when I get home. 

Lets hope that I don't cut through with the wet sanding this time.

[Bluemonster71RT]

Redo pics

[Bluemonster71RT]

There is a small foam gasket that goes around the inserts for the hood scoops. What do I use on it now? Also did the qtr side vents have a gasket also or just bolt it on and call it a day?

[Jocigar]

 looks great !! 

[Bluemonster71RT]

I Got my engine out of storage this weekend and got it in my garage. I needed to measure my pushrod length so I started to put the rockers on. As I near the last rocker, trying to install the adjuster stud, it wouldn't go in.    I looked at it and found that they never tapped it. Drilled but not tapped.  If not for bad luck I'd have none.  I bought them bakc when the shop had my car so I had never opened them. It's been like 6 years so I guess a warranty is no good. My wife is a machinest so we should be ok. But damn.