79vetter

The painter came and got the car late September- total repaint. I stripped the car down to bare glass - 78 model. Some pics below....

markids77

It's time to start a dialog... don't go off on him but do ask when. You are a customer too, and your money spends as well as the next guy's.

ragtopman

Especially if it was to be done last year. You say its got base color on it?? Are you sure its base? If he has just sprayed base color on it and left it, he will be re-prepping surfaces again(wasting materials and time which equals out to YOUR money)because the time period for chemical cross linking is gone.

DUB

I agree with markids77 and ragtopman.

You need to talk to him and find out what is going on. And with the "basecoat" being applied and not clear coated....I am worried about that also. Many basecoats can be sanded with 1000 grit and have another coat applied before clear coating....but that is an extra step that...for some unknown reason...he didn't clear it at the time the basecoat was being applied. Now I have run into problems when applying the basecoat and stopped...and allowed it to dry overnight...so when I came in the next day...I could repair what I saw during applying the basecoat. BUT... I would never pull one out of the booth and let it set and get dusty. All that re-taping and what-have you...is just extra work that I would not do.

It may also fall into economics. Depending on how much this job is costing you...and the amount of money has has already been paid. The amount of money left on the bill versus the amount of time to get it completed is putting him in a strain and he is trying to get his funds back to where he is comfortable...and then finish you out...due to having enough money in his account to cover the time required to finish you out. You gave percentages...and not dollar amounts. If the overall job is costing you...lets say $10,000. And you have given him 70% of that....then $3000 is still alot on money and he should get it done..."RIKI-TICK". But if you are paying $3000 for the complete job and have paid him 70%...then he will be getting $900...and depending on how long it will take him. This may be what is holding him up. Especially if he cut the price of the job to get you in and found out that he priced it wrong and is now he is paying for it....and trying to get back on his feet...instead of going out of business. I am not making excuses for him and the time that he has taken on it so far......but things happen....and maybe he is having a hard time in letting you know what is going on because he may be feeling a bit guilty/ashamed in taking so long and knowing that it is upsetting you. Definately talk to him and BOTH of you need to leave the conversation with a feeling of calm and understanding. This is so you do not "blow a circuit" and he is not stressed out so he can deliver a paint job to your expectations. TRUST ME...I pretty much know that he already feels like crap. And knowing that our attitude is one of the only things that we can conrtol...keeping a positive attitude during this project is PARAMOUNT...and hopefully this experience has not put a "bad taste" in your mouth about painters. He is probably waiting for you to open the conversation...due to "circumstances" that he is under right now....he probably does not want to "invite" a discussion that makes him appear that he has lost your trust and respect. So ...speak your mind and get it off your chest. Like what was mentioned...you are a customer and your money is GREEN also.

"DUB"

ragtopman

For others to view, to me, what a waste of time and materials.

porchdog

if this is the car in question you might as well pick it up and count your losses. it will never be right imo. whoever is doing this has no business taking in a corvette.

79vetter

I would like to know why you say this....

porchdog

there must be some issues to base one then start sanding it down like that. it must have not been anywhere near ready for paint when done. you cant just sand it down and leave it then think you can come back and shoot it. just a little spooky as to why . you just dont walk away from one at that point.

DUB

I really hope these are NOT photo's of your Corvette. I know they were posted by "ragtopman" and NOT you "goliath1"...and the dates on these photo's are sevreal years old. SO I can only hope that this is NOT your car....BECAUSE....I would have to TOTALLY agree with "porchdog" in reference to "whoever" is doing this job....should not be painting Corvettes. You simply do not use basecoat color as a "guide coat" to make sure your body is straight...which is looks like in those photo's. The amount of prep it would take to make sure that your basecoat was clean and ready for another coat is quite extensive and VERY, VERY LABOR INTENSIVE! Improper prep = paint problems.

"DUB"

markids77

Generally speaking, a car which was stripped to bare glass would have the body lines established while the car was together, then disassembled at least partially for body work. It would then be reassembled to fine tune doorgaps and panel fits etc., then completely disassembled for base/clear; as in removal of the doors, headlights. t-tops etc. to ensure complete paint coverage and uniform gloss everywhere. The car would only be reassembled after the paint was fully applied and perhaps partially (or fully) perfected depending on who did the job.

Your photos appear to show a car which was painted in almost fully assembled form, then "color sanded" in such a way as to reveal at least some primer in spots. This is most unusual... and troubling since it should not be required. If all goes well the paint process can go from first coat color to final coat clear without the car leaving the spray booth.

Now... we do not know the full story yet as you have not shared what your expectations are from this job and some details about your agreement with the painter I.E. whether you expect a "driver" quality job, a "show" job or something in between. Or about how many hours labor you contracted to pay, which determines in large part what is possible to do. And if you ever discussed a cut rate for doing the job as "filler" work... whether that's in the written contract or not. Please share some details of your deal with the shop if you'd be comfortable doing so.

79vetter

Just an update:
I asked my painter why he blocked the basecoat. Here is the reply that I received:

"If you remember correctly I painted the bumper then placed them on the car. I also painted the doors and hood and placed them on separately. I do use basecoat as a guide coat. I do not scuff the color, I color sand the car. the reason I block the car with the color on it is because it was stripped down to the bare glass and I felt it necessary to achieve the finish you are looking for. "

Feedback is welcome

porchdog

with the cost of base i dont understand using it as a guide coat. i use a dry powder for guide coat if needed. the gray spi epoxy i use has a gloss to it so a guide coat is not really needed. i can understand cutting in parts then installing but i've never seen anyone use expensive base for a guide coat. plus it sands like crap oh well good luck with it.

0Road-Race Vette

Basecoat as guide coat. That is pretty retarded IMHO.

79vetter

It sounds like he may be going at if a little unusually - my main concern is that it is not going to fail later on because of this method...

0Road-Race Vette

I dont think it will fail. But as porch dog said, basecoat is expensive, harder to sand,etc... Just unusual, that's all.

jrm747

yeah, depending on who you talk to, you have to sand basecoat down after it has set up for 8-24 hours. again, it depends on who you talk to. as far as it failing, as long as he cleans it and preps it properly before basing again, i would figure it to be ok. it does sand horribly and, unless he is using CHEAP materials, it is a huge waste of money. did he prime it at all before he applied the base? i did a 69 for a guy and we took it to the glass. but we gel coated it, blocked that down some, primed it, blocked that, then based/cleared it. but the later years, i dont think had gel coating did they? thatswhat i was told by ecklers.

Mcdermott

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zwede

No C3 had gel coat from the factory. Many after market parts do though.

79vetter

Just an update: I went down and talked to my painter at the shop. It helped me to discuss in person as opposed to emails. I believe that he has my best interests in this project. I have had a couple of others tell me that the job is not necessarily lost just because he is doing this way - its just a very different way. This gives me some hope that this will be Ok - a couple of you guys really know how to scare a guy

I am going to give my painter the benefit of the doubt here - I suppose that the test of time will be my best way to judge results. Hopefully he will be alright to deal with when fixing any problems - should any occur in the future.
Since I don't know enough about the paint process I appreciate all the comments/opinions either way. I'll post some pics later on.

redvtt

I've learned the hard way not to use basecoat as a guide coat, it rolls up under the paper and can leave marks in the primer or sealer.
He is using a sealer, isn't he? Psssttt - it's cheap insurance: $28 a quart.

We did a '68, the guy who owned it did his own strip on it - with 38 grit on a big wheel DA. 8 months to get it straight (not every day 8 months), then Feather Fill and hand block sanding after that. It left black too, inside and out.

But the guy ddin't want to spring for sealer, so it was decided by the powers to be, no sealer. Once it sat in the sun, his beautiful, black $10,000 paint job peeled right off.

Any paint job should be done according to the manufacturers instruction, not what some keen individual thinks the way it should be followed. It's you that's paying for it, not them.