Blake's 1965 Mustang Project

[Cobranut]

I just checked this out from work, so I could see the real color.
That looks awesome, Blake. 
I think it's convinced me to go with blue on my race car.   

[babillaracing]

bro that looks bad ass, you learn something new, did it the way you wanted and save some cash

[65imp]

Silly,
Impalas have 6 lights, Biscaynes have 4. 
Love the color and the execution.  Even cooler is you crushing a 20k paintjob on your first effort.   

[gnx7]

Big props to prep, sand and paint it yourself.... don't think I have the cojones for that!  Also in CA you can only buy waterborne paint unless I head over to NV or OR to buy it. 

[digitalsolo]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words!   I'm extremely happy with how it came out, honestly.   

I'm going to start color sanding/buffing shortly, hopefully I don't screw that up.     I'm pretty okay with a buffer though, and the really hard spots to polish came out well in the clear already, so I'm hopeful.   The hood is the real question mark, but I'm already resigned that if I have to reclear it, it's not a huge tragedy or anything, I can put a nice flow coat on it.    It is much straighter than I expected (the hood).   It had a nasty bow in one area that I worked out and I figured the body lines and stuff would be really bad, but it's honestly pretty good.    That said, I could just put a carbon hood on it... 

And Mark, I hear you on the legalities.  I don't live in the city limits here, but I do live in a fairly high end subdivision and I was honestly waiting for a sheriff to show up and knock on my door for painting in my shop, but apparently I kept it quiet enough and contained enough that no one noticed, or at least no one complained.   I'm fairly confident my neighbors think I'm some dumb redneck, however.

[Cobranut]

LMAO!
Most of my neighbors ARE rednecks, but I wouldn't call them dumb. 

Besides, with nearly everyone in the area armed, many of us heavily so, crime just isn't a problem around here.   

[freeskier7791]

Blake I bet they would have said something if you started spraying in your driveway!  I can't wait to see this thing all put together in the sunlight

[1point3liter]

but I do live in a fairly high end subdivision

Blake has many leather-bound books in his 3D printer space

[digitalsolo]

but I do live in a fairly high end subdivision

Blake has many leather-bound books in his 3D printer space

I am a really classy SOB.

I started working in prep for wet sanding and buffing;  I started by going after the bugs and drips on the hood.   Basically took a single edge razor blade, wrapped the last 1/4" on each end in masking tape, then did a "drag" across the problem areas until they leveled out.   They actually came out great.   Did the 3-4 on the hood, and the 2 little areas on the deck lid I've found so far.   I did have a little bug carcass on the hood that chipped up a piece of base/clear when I removed it, just about 1mm x 1mm.   I mixed a thimble of paint/reducer, filled it with a razor blade, let that kick, then filled it with a few layers of clear and it isn't visible anymore, so I'll be remembering that method. 

Hopefully I'm going to start wetsanding the hood (figure I'll start with that as my "practice" piece since it's the most likely to need resprayed).   I'm planning on 1000/1500/2000/3000 on the areas with bad orange peel, and 1500 or 2000 -> 30000 on the areas that laid out more smoothly.   Hopefully I'll be able to get it close enough with the 3000 grit that I can final polish with an orbital instead of a rotary, just because I have more experience with an orbital and rotary polishers scare me a bit. 

[freeskier7791]

I would definitely be careful with the rotary polisher

[kinger]

Wow that is just awesome and a heck of an accomplishment to be able to do that yourself in your garage and have it live up to you expectations!  I could never do it and have something I am proud of like that.  It would be botched so bad I would probably go into hiding and hope it fixed itself...

DAT BLAU!

[rk970]

Nibb the dirt with 1000.  Soft block with 1500 then go to 2500 and buff.. The difference between 1500 and 2500 is very little..  not like 180 to 400.. just my humble opinion..

[wickedrx7]

Well? how’s the cutting and buffing?

[digitalsolo]

Waiting on some more sandpaper and a 3/32 random orbital sander before I get back at it.    Had issues with straight line scratches from the rougher grits, so going to all machine sanding as a method.

I’ve been working on wiring in the meantime.    Starting to get the CANbus system running, just debugging it right now.

[digitalsolo]

So I started the roof/sail panel color sanding today.   I'm pretty happy with the outcome on it.   I'm hoping to get the other half of the roof and other sail panel completed tomorrow.