Spyder Painting 101......

As a result of the recently installed cross ventelation, I have decided to have the car repainted while the left rear is repaired....

Went looking for quotes. 2 GM dealers and a Toyota dealer declined the job, so I went looking for an independent shop....Found a place with a friendly owner who does some custom panel work for Panoz...

I'm stripping the car next week, and repairs should get under way shortly there after.....To be continued.

Leon--you are making lemonade out of lemons! Too bad about the mishap but you will have a niice new paint job!


Same color or another hue?---Jack

Leon,

I know you're 90 miles from Chuck, but there isn't anyone who would do a better job on the glass repair and he has a local painter who is spraying 904s. Just a thought.

Leon, my brother cracker!

Since you're having that bad boy repainted, any consideration on adding some darts on the fenders or any other accents?

Steve says, "PAINT IT BLACK!!!"

angela

Steve would make a GOOD living down here in Amish country. Mask only the windows and spray away!

~WB

BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!

You'd think the guy was born in a hearse factory or something!

angela

Cross ventilation? I must have been napping. Were you in a gun fight? Hid behind a steel car next time or you'll be ventilated too.

Almost ready to send it to the shop.....Jim, I've decided to relocate the scripting, and change the front turn signals. (broke a lens). The car's color and interior don't suggest a good color for darts to me, so maybe when I prang it next time......

"PAINT IT BLACK"......How can I steal the Laneco Logo???? If I had a realy NASTY 911 engine in back, then YES..... ;-)

Wolfgang....Spyders, in their best condition, make Speedsters look like they are hermeticaly (sp) sealed....With extra holes to collect wind and rain, they can become a bit of a drudge to drive.....I'm just saying....

Leon, post some pics....curious minds want to see.... :)

Leon, since your car is light metallic blue, a set of dark metallic blue darts (maybe with a silver or gold outline) would look sweet IMHO.

As for the "drudge" part, we can fab up some better side windows for you in a weekend.

OR...

You could sell the Spyder to Mickey and get a Speedster. I'm just sayin'...

What ever color you go with maybe ghost spears in a slightly darker of lighter shade instead of a contrasting color ...I'm just say'n ~Alan

Instead of 'darts/spears' how 'bout some blue ghost flames where the darts would go on the fenders?

Some of us still don't know what happened to Leon's car.

Is it described in another thread?

OK, I discovered the story of the golf ball sized hole in the Smokies thread.

I was reading it to refresh my memory about the obnoxious biker.

Now that his information has been discovered I have been hoping to read something about the wrath of the SOC coming down on him.

Ok,OK. I give up....How do you get a photograph onto a thread???
I looked for the "menu above", as instructed below, but can't seem to find it....Which means there must be another way....Clue me in....

Leon -

1. Go to the tabs up top here - look for "Photos'

2. Click on 'Photos' tab and click 'Add File'

3. A window will pop up with 2 boxes. 1 says 'Choose File' the other says 'Upload'.

4; Click 'Choose File' and look through your computer picture files for the pic you want to post.

5. Highlight the pic then Click 'Choose'. Then on the next window, Click ' Upload' and the picture will load onto your newly created SOC Photo File.

6. When the pic is uploaded, you can then add a caption to it by Clicking on the 'Edit Category & Description' and Click on 'Photo Category' (exterior, for example) and then type your caption. Then click 'Update'.

7. When you post on a thread, there are 3 boxes below the text box with your post.Click the 'down arrow' and scroll through your collection of pictures. Double Click the pic you want to include with your post. You can include 3 pics (1 in each of the 3 boxes below the text box) per post

8. Then Click 'Send'.

9. VOILA! Magically a picture will appear with your post.

Pics for Mike and all.....The "TOY BOX" is rather small and cramped right now....The nose shot has a blue tint from the flash....The damaged area is somewhat larger than a spoftball....Stripping every thing, including guages...Should be ready to tow to the shop Wednesday.....

And thanks Mr. Guapo for the transfer lesson....Free beer at Carlisle Jim.....

OK, I'm curious (besides being a "duffer, of course, and it has nothing whatever to do with Early Onset alzheimer's)

In the front view of your Spyder, it shows a bunch of slots to let air in to hit the oil cooler (which was standard in an aluminum Spyder). I kind-of assume that you don't actually have an oil cooler out front, but do all Spyders have those slots?

gn

Gordon, while we wait for spyder owners to reply I will say that I think I have seen some with and some without those slots. I assumed one arrangement was Thunder Ranch and the other was Beck.

Some mfg's do this within the mold and others have a grill that is trimmed in a black rubber and stainless screws to hold it in place.
~Alan

Hey Leon, I have an "ouch" in the same area, should get to a repaint this winter. What is it about the driver's rear?(Shut up, Vince!)

Gordon, lots of early Becks and TR had the slots cast into the mold as depressions, but they weren't cut out. Now, I believe they are all cut out. Vintage Spyders have always been cut out, and mine also has a chamber behind it. It has been used as an air intake for a Suby radiator, with a large aluminum shroud behind a radiator. Hot air exits under the front beam. Also there have been oil coolers installed up front.

I use my front grill as a pressure feed for the heater air intake.

Doc Evil.....Some devious little 10 inch high stone retaining wall sneaked up behind me in the fog and rain, and with the top up, I did not see it crouching back there until it threw its self into my quarter pannel.....I was backing into one of two level spots in the entire motel road works, preparing to hook up for a tow home.

Well, at least I might wind up with some touch-up paint .....

You know all those little imperfections you find in your cars finish after several years.... After pulling the windshield, I was studying a paint chip in the middle of the transition from instrument cluster into vertical/ door columb support....Guess what...It's a crack...
LOTS OF SAILOR LANGUAGE......after plugging in s drop light, I start inspecting the opposite side and guess what...That's right.....DAMN!

So now I have laid on 5 plys of matt behind each crack, hoping it will cure enough for finnishing, while I finnish pulling the instruments and switches.....FUN, FUN, FUN....

Car goes into the shop Mon. or Tues., depending on weather.....I've seen several speedsters with a plastic scratch/chip guard type film on their door tops and other areas.....Two questions....Are these custom made for a particular body style, or cut from sheeting??....
If the body shop doesn't carry a similar item, where should I go for it???

Thanks in advance.......

Gordon had someone do his front on the car because of the multi curved surfaces, the door tops you can do yourself. ~Alan

Thanks Alan.....Do you have a brand name??? Or a vendor, or is it commonly available??? If so, where do I start searching????

I got the door tops stuff on my car from Griot's Garage. It comes in a roll like tape, but you can get it in several widths. The stuff for the front requires either a well designed kit for your specific car (which doesn't exist in your case) or a professional installer.

Lane is right on the pro installer for the front ...the door top I get the 3M clear off of eBay auctions

Yup, either 3M clear or BASF, both should be 8 mil thickness or better for the nose, and 6 mil or better for the door tops. You can do the door tops yourself in ten minutes, but the nose should be done by someone with lots of experience - 356/550's are not easy.

Some places that do window tinting also do the nose stuff, although it would be sensible to find out who does the cars at local Mercedes, Audi, Porsche and other such dealers and see if you can get that outfit to do yours, too. The dealers always have a contractor do theirs for them, so find the contractor.

Expect to pay around $400+ for the nose and they may throw in the door tops free, or give you some scrap material so you can do them yourself.

Its in the shop....New lead time is 2 weeks....(sound familiar???)

Shop owner says he knows someone to do the transparent film instalation, and will have him look at the car and work up a quote...

If it turns out as well as the hatch he is redoing for one of the sail boat guys, It'll look beter than new....

Should the new paint be allowed to out gas or dry completely before applying? Seems you'd get air bubbles or delamination of paint if it was applied too soon. Suspect hard to use heat lamps or drying oven for a FG vehicle.

Thanks for the thought Wolfgang.....I'll cover that with the shop owner when I see him again....Much appreciated.....

Well, they put the stuff on new luxury cars within a month or two of being built, BUT those cars are all baked after painting and the paint is stable by the time the film is installed.

I doubt that the new paint will out-gas enough to matter, but unless it's baked it'll take a month or two to harden completely.

If it were mine, I would let it sit over the Winter and put the film on in the Spring.

gn

I believe there is an SOC guy out here in Socal that has a business in coatings/coverings and has done a few members' cars - name is "Desi". Get his advice; think he has hung out with LA/OC/Sandiego contingent. Anyone?

Wolfgang, Gordon, Scott.......The shop owner reccomended 2 to 3 months before doing the film.....He doesn't like to "BAKE" fibre glass. He believes the glass suffers some damage from the thermal cycle......I bow to his knowledge of his equipment.....Thanks guys....

I remember DESI from around 2 years ago.....we exchanged emails, but I didn't want to persue anything until I was ready to paint....

P.S. Tony, the owner, has a Lotus Europa, Sunbeam Tiger, Sunbeam Alpine, Triumph Spitfire, and two Triumph TR-3s.....The first three cars are for sale as is.....rebuildable. Just a thought for those with too much time on their hands....

Well, its back in the TOY BOX awaiting assembley.....Reassembley to commence Friday, 11-27-09.......Color match went to Volkswagen Speed Blue, 1st variation....Extermely close match....Looks better than the day it arrived....

Good job, Leon. Poat some pictures of that bad boy when you can.

I know you are happy with the result---sounds like it will look great when you get all the chrome and all back on the body.