Thanks guys, it's always good to get some motivation to help move things along. So does a deadline, looking at the possibility of using the car in my upcoming wedding so that only leaves a few months to sort out the remaining things. The problem is doing this alongside the high cost of the wedding too!

However, I'll see how I go, and heading out there now to start stripping off all the black.

I tried to mask up the door cards to start on the chrome trim but nothing (such as masking tapes) will stick to the door card vinyl or whatever it is! That I have found so far, anyway. So mulling that one over in my mind for a solution.

Timmeh

[88][88][88][88][88]I was trying to get my car going for my wedding car also but that failed terably[B)][B)][B)] Yours is a lot closer thou. good luck and i hope you do get it ready intime.[:p]

Go the satin black for your wipers and black out area's[;^)]Gloss black will look tacky[B)]

Gloss Black would look awsome.

Great project you have going their. Good luck with it.

quote:

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Originally posted by noexit
[br]Gloss black on wipers can make them reflect sun light in eyes when
driving so go for satin black would be my choice.

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Good point. Semi gloss won out in the end, and the wipers are all painted and installed back on the car.



I spent many many hours on the front bar, sanding it back both by the detail sander and by hand. There were a few minor cracks which I fixed, then I removed the sanding masking tape and cleaned it all down ready for the priming masking tape and primer.



As the daylight left me, I cracked out the floodlights and continued on. I got the whole front masked up for priming, then I got to work.



I can already see after the initial priming that I need to go over it again with a very fine grain sandpaper, and re-prime it. I may need to do that a few times for a perfect finish, but it's coming along slowly.



Timmeh

Today was the big day. I started out sanding back the primer filler with a super fine sandpaper, spent a few hours getting a very smooth finish. Then it was given a good clean down and the semi gloss black was applied! It still appeared gloss while it was wet, of course.


Once the paint dried, it was time to remove the mask and check out the job. All the edges were nice and straight, no leakage under the painting masking tape, and no big black marks where I didn't want it.



The paint is still finishing it's drying in the photo there. It's as fantastic as I could have hoped! Really hard yakka getting it there though, all up I spent about 50 hours on it, all of them slaving away. I'd never be a panel beater I don't think! Once I do the headlight surrounds the same, put the Ford badge on, and install the black teflon lip spoiler on the bottom, it will look one million times better than before. Always good when so much time spent works out in the end.

Once again it's something I have never done before, which was the point of my Escort projects, so I learned things along the way, didn't cost me a whole heap, and looks the goods too.

Today I also ordered wheels for the car, some 8 spoke 15 inch Superlites in a custom charcoal with the polished lip. Should look great on the white car, the dark charcoal should contrast nicely! Cost heaps for a 15 inch rim though, and the custom work will take them 3-4 weeks to complete before I'll get them, so I'll have to be patient. They look very close to this (but not made by Konig who don't do the Escort offset, made by an Aussie Superlite specialist):



Timmeh

what paint did you use? and did you mix plaspak with it? or it will crack. but dont use too much, or it will crack [:I]