[MUSLCAH]

They come apart faster than they go back together……and the stress level is picked up a notch ( being careful around new paint ) …but yes it’s exciting and motivating !

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by 1_Wild_Cat

Yeah Baby — That’s what I’m talking about! Congrats…I wouldn’t be able to sleep…

Needless to say, I wasn't able to fall asleep last night as quickly as I usually do.

Originally Posted by gtospieg

Awesome...finally. Is that a factory color for 66?

Yes, it's Montero Red. It's correct for 1966, but not original to my car. It was born Cameo Ivory (paper white), but it had been painted red by a previous owner long before I got the car. I had considered returning it to the original white, but I just couldn't get on board with it. I don't like how white looks on the '66-67s, so I kept it red since that's the color the car has always been with me.

I find red very difficult to photograph accurately, however. Seems to always look slightly different in photos than in person.

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

They come apart faster than they go back together……and the stress level is picked up a notch ( being careful around new paint ) …but yes it’s exciting and motivating !

Yeah, so I hear. Fortunately, once I get the car back in my hands, I will no longer be reliant on others to do their work. I also have every single part needed to finish the job already on hand, so there won't be any waiting for parts to ship, either. The timeline to completion will fall entirely onto my shoulders and I will be my own project manager, so things should move pretty quickly. The cut & buff of the paint probably won't happen until after I've gotten the car back and have installed the engine and most of the interior, just in case I accidentally scuff or scratch the paint while putting it back together.

Anyway, here is a video from the painter: https://youtu.be/r3XPHGcQcUU

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

...I also have every single part needed to finish the job already on hand, so there won't be any waiting for parts to ship, either...

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by Scarebird

O ye of little faith. I'm tellin' ya, I got it all! Although I did have to buy new taillight louvers last week that I had held off on buying until recently. Originals ended up being too cracked and brittle to reuse. But otherwise, I have combed over every aspect of the build and ordered & received literally everything. Ames must have had a good 2021 due in part to me.

[62cat]

Looking good. Bodywork is the hardest and most costly part of the project. Latest pic of ours. Its in my friends garage until i can get back to it.

[RedDirtRoad]

Karl
What paint line are you using
Looks great so far

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by 62cat

Looking good. Bodywork is the hardest and most costly part of the project. Latest pic of ours. Its in my friends garage until i can get back to it.

Yes indeed! In my case the metal work needed to fix the rust in my car far exceeded the cost of the paintwork, but the cost of paintwork is extremely costly as well. It's an expensive hobby...

Originally Posted by RedDirtRoad

Karl
What paint line are you using
Looks great so far

Thanks Dominic! I wish I could tell you the paint line being used. I left it up to the painter and his experience working with various products over the years. He told me at one time what he is using, but I can't recall what he said. I know it's not PPG or DuPont, but beyond that I'm not sure. I will certainly have to get the details of what was used when he is done in case paintwork is ever needed in the future.

[MUSLCAH]

A word to the wise….take that paint formula and make some copies…put one in your safe and tape a copy in the glove box ..for the “ Next Guy “ ….it seems like ive been the next guy at least 3 times in 12 months. Having to deal with mystery colors ….SUCKS ! But someone has to do it…

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

A word to the wise….take that paint formula and make some copies…put one in your safe and tape a copy in the glove box ..for the “ Next Guy “ ….it seems like ive been the next guy at least 3 times in 12 months. Having to deal with mystery colors ….SUCKS ! But someone has to do it…

Yes, very good advice. That's the plan.

I saw on the painter's Instagram that the main body was painted last night, so progress is continuing. I can't believe how red it is, as I am used to seeing the old faded and dull single-stage paint it had before. It will be visible from outer space now - looks very good.

[ZeGermanHam]

Welp, the GTO is tentatively scheduled to be done and ready for pickup this Thursday. Things are about to get exciting, and busy.

[MUSLCAH]

Is it a one man shop ?

[1_Wild_Cat]

That’s great - I can’t wait to see the pictures. There is nothing like fresh paint. I remember picking up my Wildcat after it was shot - it was almost dark but you could still see the shine. That was 20 (!) years ago and I can still see it in my mind (and the set of little cat prints down the length of the car haha).

Congrats. It is a big step forward.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by MUSLCAH

Is it a one man shop ?

The painter? If yes, he's mostly a one guy operation but his cousin assists.

As for the rest of the work needed to complete the car, that's just me. I'll be putting in about 17 hours per week until its done.

Originally Posted by 1_Wild_Cat

That’s great - I can’t wait to see the pictures. There is nothing like fresh paint. I remember picking up my Wildcat after it was shot - it was almost dark but you could still see the shine. That was 20 (!) years ago and I can still see it in my mind (and the set of little cat prints down the length of the car haha).

Congrats. It is a big step forward.

Thank you! I'm excited, and if I'm honest, a little nervous to see how it all turned out. The paint won't be buffed out yet, so it won't be perfect right away, but that was always the plan. I'm just so relieved that it's finally being let out of paint jail. It was supposed to take 3-5 months, but ended up taking 9.5 months. I heard from others along the way that when having a car painted, you should take the painter's time estimate and double it. Turns out to be true!

[HoovDaddy]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

take the painter's time estimate and double it. Turns out to be true!

Funny, it's true though. I always double the parts estimate as well. My wife taught me that one.

I looked at your project, nice work.

[66sprint6]

Looking forward to seeing some pics of the painted body!

[gtospieg]

9.5 months really isn't bad...especially compared to some of the horror stories we've read about on here. Congrats, looking forward to seeing the forward progress from here til the end.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by gtospieg

9.5 months really isn't bad...especially compared to some of the horror stories we've read about on here. Congrats, looking forward to seeing the forward progress from here til the end.

Yeah, in the end 9.5 months really isn't bad. That's about the amount of time it took to do the metal work. However, I found having the car painted to be a considerably more stressful experience because the painter was less communicative than I was accustomed to. Months would go by without any update, and when I would periodically check in to ask how things were going, the reply was usually just that he was busy and behind schedule, but no additional details about where he was in the process. So while 9.5 months isn't bad at all, I felt like I was mostly in the dark for 8.5 of those months.

[gtospieg]

I hope my experience will be better...only time will tell.

[ZeGermanHam]

Yeah, I think that my professional background is part of what made me a little uneasy at times. I coordinate large scale, multi-year projects for a living, so my day to day life involves regular communications with various people to keep them updated and comfortable with how things are moving forward. Ultimately, what allowed me to sleep at night was having seen multiple cars that my painter has done, and also knowing some of his clients, some of which are heavy hitters that operate on a global scale within the collector car sphere. So his reputation did offer some peace of mind.

[Cardo]

Come on Ham - more pictures! - Without pictures it didn't happen!!