Terc #454

[Paul]

Here it is... my 1983 SR5. Perhaps the oldest Terc still on the road. Paint by Rustoleum.

Paul

[jetswim]

Very nice job! Great colors! It's almost ready for rally racing!

[Paul]

Thanks... it was my first attempt at painting a car. Getting the stripes straight was tough. Next time I'll invest in automotive paint and hopefully get less orangepeel.

Paul

[Jonesy]

Very nice Paul! What process did you follow when painting the car? I'm looking to paint mine soon.

[Paul]

Jonesy... My process was pretty low budget. I did use "rust converter" - the stuff that turns the rust black - on various spots thoughout the body. After some minor bondo and primer treatment, I wet sanded to remove any gloss (there wasn't much). The top of the wagon was sprayed with Rustoleum "Safety Red". A day later, the stripes were masked off. I found it was easiest to start the tape at the front of the hood, then pull back and press down on the next reference point on the lower windsheld trim. The better tape intended for masking paint lines is worth the extra cash. Before putting the main coat of "Glossy Black" on, I hit the edges of the panels with an aerosol can of the same brand of paint.
Paint was applied with an HVLP gun that I purchased from Harbor Freight. I thinned the Rustoleum with acetone, and started squirting. Although I did take a few test passes, I should have practiced more with this new toy. Many of you are probably aware, HVLP throws the material on in small droplets rather than the fine mist of a conventional gun. Another problem was the 90F temps in my barn caused the acetone to flash rather quickly. I carefully pulled the tape while the paint was still tacky. The orangpeel finish was a little disapointing at first, but it seemed to flatten a bit after curing in the sun. A couple weeks later a buffer was used, and that smoothed thing out a little more.
This pic shows a Toyota vinyl decal I picked up for the rear - to replace the factory TOYOTA billboard.


Edit... sorry about that pic above (it rained today). Here's the vinyl decal I mentioned:


Paul

[takza]

DIY paint job...

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1970

[Jonesy]

Excellent posts, thanks for the responses! I may bug you a bit for a few more details once I get to that stage of things, Paul, if you don't mind. I need to get the thing running first..