71 500 Finally in the bodyshop!!! (Updated)

[haueter66]

They are doing the door jams but not the engine compartment or trunk... it will match close I think...

Going to be base clear.  The trunk and engine bay are single stage so there will be a little difference but hopefully minimal.

They said they will wet sand the whole car (primer) before they paint it.  Im not sure what they will do after the paint is on.  I imagine they only touch it after the paint if something is wrong.

He hopes to have it to me by Christmas... best Christmas gift ever... hehe   

[haueter66]

Ok here it is with the first color coat on... this was today about 1pm.  I am going back tomorrow for more pictures, he figured it would be clear coated by then and then wet sanded and buffed sometime next week.

[Charger_Fan]

Mmmm...I can almost smell that fresh paint from here...

[73rallye440magnum]

Good for you! That looks really nice. Congrats. I'm sure you are excited to get it home.

[4402tuff4u]

Very nice job and very nice price!!! Wow $ 3,000, that is a good friend!

[haueter66]

Price was quoted between $3000 and $4000.   I imagine the $4000 will be more realistic.   I am very excited to get it home and put back together.   I was over today and the clear is on.   There is some dust in the clear here and there.   He says once it is wet sanded and buffed I will never be able to tell it.   Other than that it looks beautiful... really it looks great even with a little dust...  

The worst part will be that the paint I put on in the engine bay (not a very nice job on my part) doesn't match up real well.  Someday I guess I'll pull the engine and have him do the bay.

Here are a few pics from today.

[haueter66]

couple more...

[cudaken]

 Looking pretty good in the PIC. Waite till you get it out side, inside lighting make the car look dull.

                    Cuda Ken

[haueter66]

Thanks Ken.  What is your opinion on the couple specs of dust in the clear.  Does wet sanding and buffing really cure it?

[cudaken]

 IF, you know what you are looking for you will see just a hint of them inside under floursant lighting. Out side it will look fine. One of the reason's I try to never let a custmer see there car before it is done.

I would not worry about it, it will look great and only someone like me or Drop Top would fine fault with the work. I have been told by many people my Charger looks great, but I can pick it apart.


                                      Cuda Ken

[Drop Top]

Looking very nice. Even the cleanest paint booths will allow some kind of dirt to get in or on the clear. Its just going to happen no mater what. I color sand all my jobs. But all I do is show cars. By color sanding and buffing it will bring out the color much more and it will be more brilliant. From the looks of it, this person is doing a very good job and I'm sure when its done you will not see any dirt in your paint. Like Ken said your going to have to now what your looking for and be really close to your paint. If anyone is that close to your car. You will need to slap him or her. If its a her then she better be thin and in a very small swimsuit. You better have a towel between her skin and your paint. You don't want your paint to get scratched. Don't worry about her skin getting burned. Thats her problem.

I remember a shoot with one of my cars being done. They put her on the fender with a towel to sit on. The paint was so slick she slid off and hit the ground. Her boob fell out and she bruised her butt. What a laugh. She was a trouper though. She got back up. Put herself back together and finished the shoot. Oh they had to get rid of the towel too her skin stuck to the paint and she stayed in place. Getting her off of the paint was a little ruff though.

[haueter66]

lol

Thanks for the input guys.  I am sure it will look fine when he is done with it... I don't think he really likes people to see it mid way through either, but he has been very gracious to let me come in and take pictures all along... I can't complain there.

I will post some pics once I get it home and sitting in the sun light.

[73rallye440magnum]

That looks great! I painted my dads truck today, I have been working on it for about 3-4 months now. 78 F-250 Camper Special. Hey, everybody has a charger fund, right? What else are you doing/having done on the car? How is the interior and drivetrain?

[haueter66]

Drivetrain is a 440 from a 73 camper (forged crank, heavy rods).  Its basically built stock other than its .30 over and the guy that rebuilt it goofed and put in 8.5:1 pistons   Has a 727 and 8 3/4 with 3.55 suregrip (clutch style) in a 741 case.  Entire front end is rebuilt with poly bushings.  I added factory sway bars front and rear and also disc brakes up front.  (It was originally a 318 car) 

Lets see, interior is not bad.  I have basically everything redone and ready to go back in except the seats.  I have covers for those, so I just need to get them done.

Overall the work on the car is average.  One must keep in mind two things.  (1) I was 14 when I started and (2) I built it to drive not show.  So the underside is not body color, its por15.  Nothing is built to "mimic" the way the factory did it and I am sure my quality on some things is sub-par.  But I am proud of how much I did on my own.  I have been working on it for 10 years now and can't wait to drive it.  I figure the little things that I did way back when that I want to change can be done as I go.

I appreciate everyone's input also.  This board is priceless for restoring/restifying/rebuilding a charger.

[joww3]

hey 66, it's kind a funny reading your posts, because it is almost like I am posting it, my 71 is in the body shop and at about the same stage as yours, I should be picking it up this week, Hemi orange, new front end, sway bar, front brake, and most interior ready to put back in except seat cover, I have them just still not finish putting together, I didn't like my engine bay's new color, and I was going to repaint that when I pull the engine, build to drive and not really for show. Very glad and happy to see another 71 being fix up. BTW, very nice  color.

[Goldfinger71]

Looking good! :yesnod:Keep the pics coming!

[Rolling_Thunder]

I know the feeling of getting your car painted...     it looks really good...   get her in sunlight and you wont notice much like Ken said...     What color is that ?

[haueter66]

its supposed to be A4 gunmetal gray metallic.

it is not the exact color though.  the guy painting it color matched his paint as close as possible to the 1971 dupont color sheet.  I love the color though regardless.  It is hard for me to know for sure if it looks right because I have seen 3 cars that are supposed to be "gun metal" and they all look different to me.

So, I call it A4, but technically it might be a shade off... who knows.

The car came home from the body shop today.  I will try to take some pics tomorrow and share.  It looks amazing.

[71Charger500]

The car was 99.9% rust free... only rust was a few pin holes in inner passenger quarter and top edge of windshield... I am going with gunmetal gray ... it was dark green originally... if I had everything to do over again (I have been working on it for 10 years) I would have left it green to save alot of work!   But, I was only 14 when I bought it and I hated the color then... it has since grown on me     Oh well... gray it will be.

Here is the car the day I bought it circa 1996

Sweet Mines a 71 500 too.  What engine you running?

[haueter66]

It was a 318 stock.  Now a 440.

Where was yours built?  Mine is from St. Louis and was built March 10.

[Silver R/T]

looks nice

[71Charger500]

It was a 318 stock.   Now a 440.

Where was yours built?   Mine is from St. Louis and was built March 10.

Originally?  Good question I have yet to check all the numbers.  However, the body was in good condition when I got it espically the interior.  Just some paint to touch up here and there.  Im in missouri also, my dad has a dealership, and hes helping my with it, since im still a "noob".

[cudaken]

Did they wet sand and buff the Charger? Like drop said, wet sanding and buffing makes the slick! When I got done with mine you sit a beer can on the truck it would slid off the trunk.

Couple of tips on care of the paint.

1 Don't rub the paint with dirt or dust on it, it will scratch the clear.

2 Buy a Calf car duster to keep it clean, will not scratch the clear.

3 Get a 3 M detailing cloth and Marquers Finaly Inspection cleaner. For when the car has small amounts of drit or water spots. Whole car is not drity but needs to touch up cleaning. Will not scratch the clear coat.


                    Cuda Ken

[haueter66]

Thanks for the tips Ken!  He did sand and buff the whole car... looks great.  Final price was $4000... not bad if you ask me!

Here are some pics I took today.

[haueter66]

few more pics from today...