Intro: Ugly Betty(so far)

DanS HJ-45 · 05-16-09, 08:30 AM

Looking great!

Amazing how just having everything the same color (primer) makes it start coming together...

Nicely played sir!

Dan

jackbrad · 05-16-09, 09:35 AM

Looks very cool... Thanks for posting all this.

tmarx · 05-16-09, 02:36 PM

Thanks guys, much appreciated !

Dan, you are right. I got all exited when we put all those painted panels back on. BTW did you manage to find that P/S pump bracket yet ?

tmarx · 05-20-09, 02:03 PM

Quote:

I never planned on the cruiser ever being so straight. Non of the bondo is thick it is just a skim coat to iron it out. It is actually gonna look kinda fake because you know they didnt come off the show room straight...

So true....

Eventually after a touch-up coat of Rust Bullet to cover the scuffed areas and the filler. The final 2 coats of Rust bullet will be added when all the beating and filler work is done

Starting on the hard top panels

Then just when I thought that was the end of it, imagine the surprise I got. Gordon and his guys caught me for a sucker but it was a very nice one. The buggers secretly started to prime and paint all the small bits that are not needed for alignment

The bezel in white

And then my favourite the 6H9(Toyota Olive Grey)

cruiser enthuiser · 05-20-09, 03:57 PM

Wow, that's looking great. Can't wait to see more pics. Good job!

destin · 05-20-09, 04:01 PM

Looking great man!

DanS HJ-45 · 05-20-09, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmarx

Dan, you are right. I got all exited when we put all those painted panels back on. BTW did you manage to find that P/S pump bracket yet ?

Not yet. I'm actually on my way up to the shop to go fabricate one out of 1/4" steel.

You've got paint on there! How awesome is that?!?!?! I'm liking the 6H9 there. Is it Olive Grey, or Green? The 6xx paint codes were only for green, I thought? no matter, it looks wicked good!

Dan

tmarx · 05-20-09, 11:23 PM

Thanks guys, much appreciated

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanS HJ-45

You've got paint on there! How awesome is that?!?!?! I'm liking the 6H9 there. Is it Olive Grey, or Green? The 6xx paint codes were only for green, I thought? no matter, it looks wicked good!

Dan

Dan to me it is also more green than grey/gray but that is what Mr Yoda decided to call it so ..

I just love it !

cruiser enthuiser · 05-21-09, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmarx

Thanks guys, much appreciated

Dan to me it is also more green than grey/gray but that is what Mr Yoda decided to call it so ..

I just love it !

I dig the 6h9 color too and have been seriously considering it for my rig. Saw it on this PPG sample page described as Grayish Olive:

Color Chip Selection

I'm really looking forward to seeing how it looks on your completely painted cruiser (I bet you are too!).

Roberto · 05-21-09, 11:15 AM

god i love that color! I am going with my original Toyota 033 White (boring I know), I so wanted to go this green. Oh well, its looking great bro, will continue to follow, for hopefully in few weeks I can be at this stage? doubt it though

R

tmarx · 05-21-09, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser enthuiser

I dig the 6h9 color too and have been seriously considering it for my rig. ...

If you see it in real life you would stop considering - those pics don't do it justice at all. I visited the old girl today and couldn't stop looking at those painted bits

Rob don't let those pics fool you about my progress. Everything that is not on the tub or the frame in those pics, I still need to rebuild etc. I have a huge amount of work left but I just don't care. It is a first for me and totally out of my line of work but hey, I am having a ball doing this

tmarx · 06-05-09, 12:18 PM

.. and work continues in spite of the weather slowing us down

The long & slow process of adding little bits and then sanding it down continues..

With all the rain around we cannot cover or do touch-ups with the Rust Bullet and have started using self etching primer as a temporary measure....

Next week when the rain is gone we will sand the primer down and spray the Rust Bullet

Adolf · 06-07-09, 10:24 AM

Nice 1/2 doors Theo!

tmarx · 06-08-09, 12:34 PM

Got some very cool goodies in the mail today ...

tmarx · 06-15-09, 12:10 PM

Well we had a week of no rain last week, but the filler work took up most of the time.On Friday morning we still had 4 panels to go ...

But true to form, by Friday afternoon they had managed to finish 3 out of the 4 panels and also made use of the good weather by finishing all the Rust Bullet touch-ups which included removing the self etching primer(temp solution)

Then while I was away for the weekend, some of the guys came in on Saturday and made a big push by finishing both the primer coats.This was a huge but very pleasant surprise to me this morning

Guide coats on and final fine sanding being done in prep for one last primer coat and then the 2 dummie coats ..

As I arrived this afternoon they were finishing the last primer coat on the outside of the tub, wherafter we did the seam sealer and then it was final prep for the 2 dummie coats of colour

After a got home I received a phone call just to inform me that the 2 dummie coats went on well and that it looks "brand new" .
These guys have really put long hrs into this job and deserve all the credit for the finished product. Tomorrow I will collect the tub in order to take it for the PU lining on the inside. Thereafter it will get a further 3 coats of colour paint ..

cruiser enthuiser · 06-15-09, 12:29 PM

Exciting stuff....the body and paint work really looks top notch. You must be freaking out right now to get that thing painted and put back together.

Roberto · 06-15-09, 01:07 PM

T

I am about to drop my body off for sandblasting and then they are going to paint entire thing with RB that I just recieved minus entire top for I have not even started with that. QUestion again on what you did: After I have sprayed with RB I am then going to take it to body shop for them to start filler work and metal replacement where needed and then primer and paint goes on after all that correct? Was there any issues after RB dried putting filler or primer on to it? I just got every last bolt out of body, fenders, bib, hood, and all......and now ready to drop off. You see any issue with having all this done off the frame? I hope not for the frame is 4 hours away and have no way to get it where body shop is.

R

tmarx · 06-15-09, 02:06 PM

Mmmnn, difficult one to answer Rob as I don't know the state of your tub/rust. If you are going to be cutting out large areas of metal especially in the critical areas, I would suggest leaving the tub on the frame and /or bracing it where needed.Also if you expect to have a fair bit of filler to be applied I would suggest the tub and panels to be on the frame, in order to check and re-check alignment as the filler is built up and sanded down- although I would be the first to admit that I am slightly anal when it comes to certain things(

), and have seen tubs& panels being done while not on the frame with good end-results.I would also only apply the RB once all the cutting and welding has been done as the RB otherwise, needs to be grinded off in those areas, in order to weld properly - that stuff is tuff ! If I had to do it again I would do things slightly differently:

1. Blast
2. Coat with a primer as a temporary measure while metal work is being done
3. Finish all metal work
4 Remove as much of the primer as possible and shoot with 2 coats of RB
5. Fillerwork
6. RB , prime and paint.

Initially we were concerned about the filler not sticking to the RB as the RB is PU based.We tested a variety of fillers but soon realised that the "trick" was, to make sure that you scuff the RB properly. I did not have access to RB Metal Blast or the accelerator products ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser enthuiser

Exciting stuff....the body and paint work really looks top notch. You must be freaking out right now to get that thing painted and put back together.

Thanks and yeah

M5driver · 06-16-09, 03:22 AM

Theo,
That is absolutely fantastic work! True craftsmen. You will definitely have to find a new name for Ugly Betty when the work is done. I'm anxious to see the finished product.

'n'

Roberto · 06-16-09, 07:21 AM

Thanks Theo

I have no major body integrity support rust, just where my windshield hinges mounted to upper cowl area, front floor pans are rusted but not bad, in which I have new pans to put in, and a couple small holes in rear bed area, nothing where body mounts to frame. I know this RB is tuff stuff and hard as heck to get off threaded bolts and anything else it adheres to, thats why I wanted to put on first after freshly blasted metal like you did which truly protects it in my book, I will talk to my body shop about it and get their take on it. I just think putting it over primer would not really benefit in adherence but could be wrong, if the primer was ever chipped and then water penetrated under then it could spread from there because the RB is just on top of it? Who knows, no matter youre doing a great job and I cannot wait to get my project done. Keep it up, Im watching and following

R

tmarx · 06-16-09, 09:09 AM

Thanks Dan !

Rob, the comment about the primer first was made in case you had lots of rust and the cutting out and fixing was going to be a long drawn out process like mine.If you are going with a shop and you have no filler on the tub at the moment and can clearly see all the bad metal areas, then rather do all the metal work first with RB on the hidden areas and thereafter sand blast and then RB the entire tub, especially if you are going to Mig weld and not go old school style like me

.

bsmith123 · 06-16-09, 05:28 PM

Wow that looks great! Nice idea using the RB I wast sure how it would spray. I am becoming a big fan of the stuff since I used it on my frame. Not sure it is that critical on the outside of the tub but overkill is good eh?

The tub is looking first rate for sure!

yotaforce1 · 06-16-09, 08:43 PM

great work! this is a really nice build, can't wait to see the "new" look that the painters are talking about.

missipboy · 06-17-09, 08:28 AM

cool, nice to see some mississippi parts in cape town.

tmarx · 06-17-09, 12:19 PM

Thanks guys, much appreciated

Yesterday I collected the tub and this morning I dropped it off at Rainbow PU linings. At 14h00 they were finished and had done a really superb job. It was a frustrating and nervous drive back into town to drop it off during peakhour traffic.

I love the colour and in sunlight it is even better

The black and 6h9 gives a great contrast but I am thinking that the rims should be silver rather than the flat black I originally planned ?

cruiser enthuiser · 06-17-09, 02:09 PM

Love it. You lucky bastard.

I say flat black.

thecrazygreek · 06-17-09, 03:20 PM

Go OEM grey on steelies... old school for the year, but I think it would look great!

Roberto · 06-17-09, 06:10 PM

I hear ya Theo, I am following your lead here, I want to get it protected as soon as blasted which has to be done somewhere else from the body shop unfort. and was going to leave the few areas that need metal repacement unprotected and then paint RB on after replacement? I am taking the body to them next week and see what they say as well

R

tmarx · 06-17-09, 11:06 PM

Rob , if you have enough RB in stock then that sounds fine . I only had 4L to begin with but ended up stealing another 3L from a kind buddie, as we originally imported 8L of it

. Hey at least I left him 1L

Roberto · 06-18-09, 05:49 AM

True buddies! LOL> I only bought a gallon in hoping that will give me 2 coats for the entire body minus the top which I am tackling later. We will see, I will post pics as soon as it gets rolling. I got my 2 pieces of upper cowl section in from SOR where mine is rusted out where hinges mount, I will have body shop weld them in to where mine is rusted out? We will see? That color looks great, bet your happy with it!

R