Four years later- Painting day arrived

[Benckj]

Looks like the IOS fix is still in development.

[GDII]

Managed to re-shoot rear bumper as I wasn’t happy with my repair work. Came out very nice considering I’m scrapping the tins for last bit of product to use and temps have dropped which increase dry time between coats. My $15 side entry spray gun worked well which was a pleasant surprise.

More pics to come once I peel off masking tape. Let’s see if I can attach ones of product used using my iPhone.

That's awesome to hear you've fixed the moth problems. Looking forward to some awesome snow capped mountain photos soon.

It appears that iPhones are still not able to attach files. The test forum worked but I'm not sure if Michael has tried to add this fix to the actual forum yet.

[mknz]

I did the exact same thing to the real forum as I did to the test copy.

[GDII]

I did the exact same thing to the real forum as I did to the test copy.

Test forum still works but the main one doesn't. That's odd if you've applied the exact same fix.

[Benckj]

That's what I thought which is why I tried again. Pics attached above using my work PC.

[Benckj]

Been awhile since I’ve updated my thread. Paint job looking great even though car spends its life out in the cold. Noticed I have several spots in clear coat from not using a moisture trap on my compressor when shooting. As Repco have a good special on I think buying a Mesquires clay bar and high tech spray wax may be in order. Got a decent break from winter blues so may give this a crack tomorrow. Heard good reviews from products so worth a try.

On another note I decided to get another used laptop for movies but it didn’t have an HDMI port as advertised. Thought it may make a better car-puter as had SSD, 8gb RAM and decent battery. My old chunder box was struggling with a road tuning run so better to keep the modified laptop for some tunning fun.

Good choice as I went for a blast around the block using new computer. Easy to navigate and fast response when driving. Megasquirt is so nice to road tune with and using data log when I’m home with beer in hand helps verify data.

Finially getting around to building my garage on-site. Had a digger here last week straightening out building pad and drive way. With any luck I’ll have my long awaited shed built before next winter. It’s quite a project so expect a few pics and progress report sometime soon. Anyone who has been to my house will understand the complexities of my construction projects. Watch this space.........

[GDII]

You aren't going to pull out any painting defects with clay bar. This only removes surface contaminants that are on top of the clear and not actually in from the painting process. Also, claybar should be treated like going to the emergency room at the hospital, it's only used when you really need to and not something you would use every time you clean the car. I've been washing a new 2017 6 figure car for the last 3 years and I have never used claybar on it because I have kept it protected and washed regularly.

[Benckj]

Good point. Think I’ll look for a mild cutting compound to use first. Was thinking the clay bar was abrasive enough to smooth out defects while removing the tree sap and bird poop from finish. I do need to do something before applying any sort of protective ‘wax’.

Thanks for the advice Phil. Maybe when I get this garage done it won’t be such a big deal. Lots to do.

[GDII]

It is abrasive but it's not going to lift stuff clear coated into the paint sadly. Tree sap and bird poo, yes, but you should never let bird poo sit on your paint as it's acidic and will etch the surface. I've got a few spots on my car like this and it refused to polish out even with a soft single stage paint.

I've been using CarPro Hydro2 and/or Reload as a good protection or you can use something similar. For claybar, these are way cheaper than Repco sold claybars. If they ever have them in stock... https://www.detaildepot.co.nz/product/c ... y-bar-kit/

I've actually bought a clay cloth instead of claybars. It works quite well and if you drop it you can just clean it and keep going. Plus it does a larger area faster. I'll still use original claybar for my wheels and tricky spots but the cloth is great. Again, of they ever stock things...
https://www.detaildepot.co.nz/product/c ... ber-cloth/

[Christopher]

Car looks great!

How much did the paint cost you? And how much did it take to cover the car? I've heard around 4-5 quarts or around a gallon but I'm unsure if that is total (Inc. Clear coat) or just base coat.

[Benckj]

Thanks for the comment.

As far as quantity what you see in pics above is what I used. I believe I have the exact numbers somewhere but since the products didn't cost me anything (brother covered through his PPG sales account) we used much more than required. Probably used double the base and clear coat applications.