[Project] IROC nose job

[WMCCjames]

Decided to make a post of my latest project that has been consuming the little spare time that I have now

Some of you know that I had some serious issues with the nose and GFX on the IROC. It was full of spider cracks and had a really crappy paint job put on it a few years back by some dill hole who thought he could paint. I've lived with it for awhile now only because I hated to pay someone else to fix it again. So after much debate I decided I would try and tackle the stripping and repaint myself. I've always looked up to guys that could do paint/body work as well as all the other mechanical stuff that goes along with hot rodding. So I grabbed a couple books at Barnes and Nobles awhile back and started reading...alot. Little by little I have been buying the equipment need to spray paint. I bought a big compressor before Christmas and some other things and just recently got my new paint gun. A couple weeks ago I headed down to finish master and picked up all the other paint and supplies I needed.

On to the pics....

#1 is a pic of the copper piping arrangement that lets the air cool down after it exits the compressor so the water condenses out of the air....then there is a 25 micron filter at the end.
#2 is the stripping process beginning
#3 is of my new compressor
#4 is some disassembly when I started
#5 is my new Devilbiss Finishline HVLP gun
#6 is parts stripped and ready for adhesion promoter.

[OIF1VET]

You're the man James! Sure it will be perfect, like everything else you do!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[WMCCjames]

You're the man James! Sure it will be perfect, like everything else you do!!!!!!!!!!!!1

LOL...well, we shall see....At least this time if it doesn't turn out good I'll know who's ass to kick.

Sorry for the out of order pics...had to go back and add some descriptions....photobucket was being a little punk so I just attached them to the post.

[mcalus]

Looks good so far! Good choice on the gun!

[MP81]

Looking good!

Wanna repaint my cobalt's front bumper next?

[98blackbeauty]

Looks like you have it all set. Next step will be all the side jobs. (good way to practice)

[BAMF TA]

sweet!

I wish I could paint.... I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do in my engine bay.

[Fbomb]

Cool. Do you have to use a different type of paint to accomodate for the flexing of the bumper?

[Darren]

Is that what the bumper looks like just sanded down or what process did you use James? Looks great BTW I will be getting into some body work myself come spring!

[WMCCjames]

Looking good!

Wanna repaint my cobalt's front bumper next?

Um, no, no I don't. I'm still waiting for my fingers prints to grow back after all the sanding I've done.

Cool. Do you have to use a different type of paint to accomodate for the flexing of the bumper?

No, I will be using Dupont Chroma base and clear which does not need any flex additive. Most modern urethanes don't need the flex additive anymore. They say the remain flexible enough.

Is that what the bumper looks like just sanded down or what process did you use James? Looks great BTW I will be getting into some body work myself come spring!

Yes, that last pic is the bare urethane. I stripped the bulk of the paint off with an 80 grit DA. Then went to 120,220, 320 wet and 500 wet. It's pretty smooth as it sits right now.
Hopefully soon I will be able to paint. I'm going to be using Bulldog adhesion promoter (2 coats) first since it's a plastic substrate. Then going right to my base coat and clear. I was told I could skip the primer step because there was no body work done to the piece. Hopefully the paint guy was right on this....I bought a quart of base/clear and the Bulldog for $225....thought that seemed a bit expensive, so hopefully it turns out good.

[TSTONE]

looks like you did a nice set-up - i really like the multiple bleeds

[meissen]

Looks good so far, James! Good luck! My dad and I tried doing this with rattle cans years ago on my front bumper. It worked for the most part but from my understanding you can never get rid of spiderweb cracks forever - once it's in the plastic it's there and will continue coming back. But, it looks like you took yours down further into the urethane than we did so hopefully you should be good for awhile!

[WMCCjames]

Looks good so far, James! Good luck! My dad and I tried doing this with rattle cans years ago on my front bumper. It worked for the most part but from my understanding you can never get rid of spiderweb cracks forever - once it's in the plastic it's there and will continue coming back. But, it looks like you took yours down further into the urethane than we did so hopefully you should be good for awhile!

The spider cracks were in the paint, the urethane looks really good for the most part...I can't see any cracks in it. There was 3 layers of paint on the nose...2 white and one red. I thought this was the orginal nose to the car being it's dated 1985 but obviosuly it came from a red car at some point.

[Gregs_gsxr]

nice set up on the air. second if there are any cracks in the plastic you gotta end them, just like fiberglass. you do this by drilling a small hole at the end of the crack. Now James are you planning on laying the paint yourself in your garage?

[93formulalt1]

nice set up on the air. second if there are any cracks in the plastic you gotta end them, just like fiberglass. you do this by drilling a small hole at the end of the crack. Now James are you planning on laying the paint yourself in your garage?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say. . . Yes. That would be why he's got pics of his air lines and paint gun. . . lol