I’m baaaaack

[mvliotta]

What follows is a bit of a confessional, a long one at that, so be forewarned!!
 

After a 9 month hiatus of all things ‘02, I’m back.

 

Why the self-imposed exile, you ask?..well…mostly had to do with being disappointed with my restoration and not being sure what to do about it.  I was avoiding dealing with some problems that surfaced from my new paint job. And since I didn’t want to be reminded of it, I also avoided this site. 
 

Let me explain…hopefully this will help someone not repeat some of my mistakes.

 

At this time last year, I was well on my to restoring my ‘72 tii back to its original color, Ceylon. It was a Down-to-metal paint job at a shop which had a couple of e21s and a roundie shell in the back making me think they were very familiar with ours cars (first mistake). After a frustrating 8 months with the shop, I got Liesl back fully painted with a new headliner in the Spring of this year.

 

My excitement was short-livid, though, as I found the flaws, mostly minor, but some that were…um…upsetting

 

Improperly welded seams that cracked

 

Paint on passenger’s side of hood was not as deep as adjacent panels:

 

And most disturbing of all…The beginning of some rust bubbles in rear wheel wells…evidence that the rust, which I explicitly pointed out, was not all cut out 

 

 

it wasn’t a complete disaster. They are capable of nice work, but they rushed a few things on my car. Maybe the original price was not enough for the time needed to do it right?

 

Anyway,  was sort of paralyzed as I was thinking about next steps. The issues had to be addressed but I was not thrilled about going back to the shop. However, going to another body shop  proved not to be a real option.

 

So I sucked it up, came to an agreement with the original shop to fix (cut out, weld, Paint, etc) what needed to be done with detailed expectations and some additional funds. 

In the end, they came through and addressed all the problems and then some. I think it helped that they were less busy in the last few months and I was super specific about what I wanted. 

Liesl is now back in my garage and she looks amazing. I’m stoked about continuing the restoration and the thought of interacting with this awesome community once again.

 

Vince

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rodolfo Lasparri]

Glad to see you back! The challenge can certainly be real at times and certainly feel overwhelming. I'm a bit further along in my 73 Tii resto, so happy to see you stuck with it and got back on track.

[markmac]

I am glad that worked out for you.  Not a body/paint expert here, but I know enough to know that when things are f*cked up underneath (metal work, rust etc.,) it's tough sledding, back to metal, primer, filler paint, and probably re-shooting everything.  I know I wasn't (and still am not) particularly happy with the paint on my race car, most can be fixed and I will get it fixed.  Some dog me and say, its a race car, paint doesn't need to be good (and probably wasn't the greatest back in the day....) - it will be good.  The next owner can do what they want with it.  Ceylon Tii is going to be very nice, not many out there in that color.  Top notch Ceylon paint is pretty awesome (IMO).  Good luck with your project.

[Mikesmalaga72]

I feel your pain... I had to hammer my paint dudes pretty hard about what I wanted. Glad you got her outta there!  Yeah time and materials can get expensive for sure sometimes you have to bite the bullet but if pre agreed price this can occur. 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by Mikesmalaga72

[Slavs]

I stripped my car to bare metal and did my own bodywork because a lot of the shops don't take the time  to thoroughly finish the bodywork and paint.  I'm slow and methodical, though.

 

I don't like the modern 2 stage paint system as it is a compromise and short cut. It was designed to cut time and achieve a high gloss with the clear coat, instant gratification.  The base coat is matte with the two stage system. It is is applied thinner. And, it's easier to apply. The shops love it. But, I feel it doesn't have as much dept. And, the clear coat will eventually peel, usually within 10 years of a factory application and in less time if performed by the average shop. So, I purchased a gallon of high quality German single stage paint. I've used BASF products such as Glasurit and RM. It's about $1,500 - $2,500 for a gallon of paint.

 

The single stage is superior in thickness and dept. And, the high quality lines will last a lifetime without fading. You don't have to worry about peeling as there is no clear coat. In most cases you must color sand the final application, which takes time. But, the end result is well worth it. The problem is that most painters these days don't know how to work with these paints, nor do they have the proper equipment to apply them. It's a lost craft.

 

I entrusted a shop to just paint my car. But, they didn't know what they were doing. Within 5 years most of the paint on  the top surfaces  cracked and lifted. They didn't use the proper primer and sealer and probably lacked the proper equipment.  I thought they knew what they were doing, but that wasn't the case. Now, I have to disassemble my car and start all over again. Some of the high end shops which restore classic Porsches etc. know how to work with these paints, but they  start at $25K +. And, that's simply something I can't afford. Furthemore, it doesn't make sense dishing out in excess of $25K for just paint on a car that is worth about the same.

 

25-30 years ago there were plenty of painters who knew how to work with good single stage paints. One of my cars was painted by a guy for a mere $200. The paint back then cost me $500. I did all the bodywork and prep. And, the results are incredible. The car still looks as good as the day it was painted. And, it spent half its life outside in the elements. To achieve the same results today would cost $$$$$$$.

 

Gone are the days here in California when you can pay a painter $200, rent a booth for $150 and have your car painted, often with exceptional results.

 

There is also no way I would entrust a shop to disassemble and assemble anything on these cars. I know these cars all too well, and I'm also aware at the lack of knowledge, relating to these cars,  among the average body shop workers. This even extends to many BMW specialty shop staff.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Alexei

[markmac]

Paint is one of those things, you jack up one stage of it and there is a pretty good possibility that everything after is going to follow suit.  It might be a year or two down the road, but it generally will....at some point.  I think it is somewhat of a lost art.

[NYNick]

Welcome back Vince!

[JsnPpp]

Your car looks great! Always a journey...

[MurphinDC]

Welcome back and good luck!  The car looks great!

[Daily02]

Glad that you finally got it corrected. Body & paint on a +50 year old car is non trivial, so many time consuming details to be addressed properly.

Also after all that work never use the cheap paint. The quality paint is generally 9 times more expensive, and will last. The inexpensive paint will not! 

 

Regards

 

Dono

[Schnellvintage]

Glad it was remedied to your satisfaction.  Bodywork prep can be hidden and hoped to not be seen.  I tend to make numerous visits to the shop to check on progress and make sure my requests are met.  They should not shortcut the work, just to get the car out of the shop.  As frustrating as it was, you did the right thing. 

 

Cheers,

Matt 

[Conserv]

Glad to have you back, Vince. And Liesl is very lucky to have you to shepherd her back to her original appearance!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[saaron]

Car looks great.  That sounds like a super painful ordeal.  Glad it worked out in the end.

 

Scott

[0257]

My sympathies for your “journey” One reason I paid too much for Zouave was that the paint had already been done. The trauma of anticipating all the problems you know you’re gonna have, the experience of having them, and the heartbreak of seeing your clearcoat crack, or your seams, or you pick your trauma, I wanted to whistle past that torture tour.  So now I refer to it as my perfect paint job and try not to look too close!

[Henning]

On 12/19/2022 at 3:56 AM, mvliotta said:

 

So the Bonnie&Clyde house in the background has been converted to a paint shop? Cool.

 

Wondering what they might drive these days.

 

henn

Edited December 20, 2022 by Henning