Technical Yeah, Its got a Hemi/41 shop truck

This has me thinking Monster slicks on the back, Front Slotted Littles in the front maybe even raised Gasser Proud with a big green Arm through the roof, hand on a Normy Skull Shifter Fink High in the Air...and a tongue out Rat Finkster at the Wheel...really honing in on some big milestones in style Bandit...
​

 

Thanks for the detail Bandit!

 

Rain on the schedule for the weekend and next week, I cut it close but got the truck in epoxy primer yesterday.

I learned a lot from the primer application, I need more room for all these parts. It was a real labyrinth moving around the pieces yesterday. I think for the next stage (polyester ultra build) I will tackle it in steps. Cab, fenders, bed. That will be easier and make for better coverage. The trickiest piece is that bed, trying to get inside and out with a paint gun is tricky...too tricky. I may stand it up on end shoot the inside of the box then bring it down for the outside. Easy enough for the base but I am not sure about the clear. I hate the idea of moving stuff that is wet. I have time to come up with a plan.

I started the scotch brite cut last night, to prepare the finish for the polyester. The firewall is going to turn out nice and this rear fender looks like an OEM replacement panel.

This right front fender was by far the worst, tons of ball/peen hammer pocks, cracks, fatigue. When it was wet it looked amazing. I cannot wait to get to the ultra build and block these things down.

The cab is straight! I plan to paint the interior and exterior together just like I did with the primer yesterday. Start with the dash, jambs, inside of doors then rig up a method to hold them closed so I can paint the exterior. Anyway that is the plan, I am a novice, plans change.

The hood in the background presents painting challenges as well. It needs to be painted at the same time as the cab for best color matching. I think I will tape off the lift and use it. I can raise the lift to stand inside the hood to shoot the bottom and lower it to paint the top. The hood is already in high build.

 

Wow, looking good! I can only dream of getting to that stage.
Still going black?

 

Yep! The shinier the better! Looks like base/clear is the way to go at the moment. I've talked to a lot of painters and hobbyists and it sounds like I will get better results this way and have plenty of product on the truck to sand and polish.

 

I haven't looked in years (since I still have some paint left and haven't painted in a awhile), but is Acrylic Urethane still a thing outside California?. We still have a Urethane but it's not the same. BTW, I was using PPG Concept DCC and it would always flow out as it cured..........a little toxic but worth it .

 

Fantastic progress

 

yeah painting beds are a pain in the butt. On my C10 I pulled the bed apart. Luckily those beds are all bolted together when you have a steel floor so it was easy make stands to do everything apart. I could mask on the exterior, paint the inside, then mask off the insides of the sides and then shoot the exterior. Had to really set things right in booth as we filled it to the brim with all the metal as I had my C10 in a million pieces for paint.

 

That is why I view primering as sort of practice runs for putting down color and clear. I ran a spot by the gas filler I welded in, that is going to be a tricky spot and that bed is going to be a major pain.

 

At least yours comes apart. That would be nice.

 

Pretty in Pink! Looks like bubble gum, smells like bondo!

Sprayed the fenders and a bit of the bed (with leftovers in the gun) with super build primer.

This stuff is thick! Real thick! It took quite a while to stir in all of the solids at the bottom but as I did it lost the bright pink for the pepto hue.

I bought the gun one of HAMB faithful recommended. 2.5 tip and as per the instructions I removed the cupfilter and jacked up the PSI on the cheater valve to nearly 6 before it sprayed out decent.

The mix is basic 4:1. The paint gun came with a quart cup that once filled weighed about 50 pounds. I applied 3 coats waiting 5 minutes between applications. Sprayed out about 8 to 10 inches off the surface.

They look pretty nice at this point but we will see after block sanding commences. The pink will turn grey as they sand, built in guide coat. No more pink means time to seal and paint.

And I propped the bed up on it's nose to better reach the inside. This worked well. I primered the top rails heavy where I filled all of the spot welds. The rest of the bed is brand new and in fine condition.

I think I can paint it like this then lean it back down to coat the outside of the bed. You can see I added 2X4's to lock the bed to the dolly so nothing moves or falls over. I could actually paint the outer sides with it up like this and just lay it down to hit the front panel. More thinking required, well that and a lot of sanding.

 

@Just Gary

 

You are a man of many talents! Looks really nice!!
Leave it pink and you could sell Mary Kay.

 

"Pretty in Pink! Looks like bubble gum, smells like bondo!"... but how does it taste?

Looking good man, great work!!

 

I've painted my beds by elevating them off the floor high enough (supported by 2x's on the cross members of the bed) to get myself under them with my gun/hose (on a wheeled cart within reach), then standing up between the cross members of the bed, paint the inside of bed, move gun/hose myself out from under bed, and continue painting the outside of the bed.
Naturally in your case it would require removal of your dolly.
Your idea of then "laying it down" to paint the front panel should also work, since you have yours mounted on the dolly.. just throwing another idea out there, that has worked for me.
Nice to see your progress.

 

And I could start a new thread "lets see some pink hot rods". It would be a short thread.

I have only tried the dust so far, not bad tho

Good idea. Those beds are tough to get around. Learning as I go

 

Not much excitement around the bandit garage just block sanding and more block sanding. I got home around 5:00 from work and sanded until 9:00, 2 fenders is all I got done and they were the best two! Ugh.

Here is a cool trick I nabbed from the internet, lay your paper (180 in this case) on the curved fender sticky side up, lay your flexible block on the center and then press the ends down, then apply another sheet on top of the block to hold the shape. It does make blocking curved fenders easier. I used this and a flat block. I will say this primer sands easily and finishes smooth!!

The rear fenders have a peak to them in the centers, it tapers away toward the ends. I wanted to keep that line sharp so I used a trick that I use on 69 camaros to keep that wheel well opening line sharp when blocking. Tape it off.

Here I scuffed the top of the fender to help me see the ridge (old eyes) then I applied good tape down the right side of the ridge...

...and blocked into the tape at 45 degree angles. Once that was done I blocked out the rest of that half of the fender

Pulled off the tape and apply fresh tape to the other side of the ridge and repeat.

When you are done you are left with a sharp line that you can knock down a bit by hand.

I had a few low spots to re-prime so I will wait to knock that line down until I am prepping for sealer. I finished the ridge at the tail lights I cut in and in the front where the fender naturally flattens out to meet the running board.

That is a bit hard to see but the ridge is gone just before the halfway point in that picture. This is the fender extension I welded on to covert this '46 fender to a '40/'41 fitment. Came out nice. I hope the other one ends up looking as good!

I hope you found that interesting and/or possibly usable. If not please make sure to leave a disparaging comment but please, not about my mother, she is a saint.

 

^^^ How does a saint begat a bandit? It just doesn't add up!

 

Adopted

 

Shot the cab in "Mary Kay" primer and ran out before I got it completely coated. Ordered up another gallon this morning.

But I did get a heavy couple of coats on the firewall/cowl, the door reveals and the roof, the main areas that needed addressing. Sanding commenced.

It is really sanding out nice. The firewall was going to be white but I have changed that plan to gloss black and will add my own pin-striping prior to mounting it on the frame.

I went through a few times but only down to the black epoxy primer, no metal exposed. The Hemi will block 90% of the view of the firewall but that is no excuse for shoddy body work.
A buddy brought this over for me to help keep the dust down, seems appropriate

Local spirits distillery with good taste in bourbon and cars evidently. I'm just glad it isn't pink!

 

Looking good. Love all the little tricks you come
Up with

 

A distillery started by disabled veterans. I salute them and pass that bottle would ya!

 

Learned a valuable lesson the other day while applying polyester primer to the cab. I had just enough in the can for 2 paint gun cups of this ultra build primer, the first sprayed out perfect, heavy coverage. Ran the cup dry and filled it back up to find lousy coverage, thin and spotty.

I picked up a new can this morning on my way in to work and was telling the paint store owner about the issue, he suggested the pot life of this stuff may be wicked short. He was dead nuts correct. This stuff at 70 degrees has a 20 minute pot life.

Moral of the story? Mix it as you need it!

 

Liquor's that way too.

 

Like fawting in your general direction...

Hey Billy maybe that primer is recycled O-pee-che Sports Card Bubble Gum...did anybody eat that stuff anyway...
​

 

It does have the same hue, fortunately no bubbles in this stuff

Mix and enjoy responsibly.

 

I wish I would make better plans...or build faster so I can't change my mind on things. Like these notches I cut in my bed sides so I could close the tailgate using the bed chains.

Yep, changed my mind after reading the tailgate thread on here. I needed a 3/8 hole there not a notch so much

Done! Used a 3/8 lock washer. Closed the gap and flattened it and welded it in

The spring loaded barrel latches fir it the tailgate roll after you drill out these things

Welded up the holes they left and drilled and slotted some more

Then slide in the barrel latches

That part finished I added a couple of SS links to hold the bed open

Then I bondo'd up all those spot welds on the tailgate and my hole filling job.
And while that was drying I put another coat of polyester on the cab which I will block sand today.

The first block didn't go too bad but the roof and doors needed another go. I also shot the inside of the doors where I will paint gloss black to make sure they are straight as possible.

Productive Saturday. Lots to do to get ready for paint, now if I could just stop changing my mind!

 

I feel ya. At least it was an easy fix for the most part! Love the use of the lock washer too, that had to have saved some work!