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Bingo!

I see a nice looking car, cleaned up by a Chevy owner, sprayed years ago by a 3rd rate "resto" shop, that has been well-used over the years and could use a LOT of detailing to make it a $40k car. Maybe even $50k if done right.

Most people want to sand chrome with 80 grit, but since chrome is hard, 80 grit doesn't really abrade the whole surface. It's not a hard job, just awkward.

That looks great! Our deck faces south... I'd love to put up a sun porch back there, for days like this when it's too cold for just sitting without some breeze protection. I spend most of my waking day outside when it's warm enough. Stuck inside when it's not drives me crazy.

If I remember correctly, the mirrors are assembled with the glass installed last. The ones with a remote cable can be disassembled without breaking the glass, but it means un-crimping white metal the holds the cable housing in place. I've had minimal luck doing this. I have taken some apart by...

No kidding, eh? I guess the uncle is well into his 70s now... This car is 100% rust free, except for the deck lid and the trough below the back window. A common place for rust on these things. Charlie, the brother, has owned it since '85, and daily drove it up till it became a 1/4 mile warrior...

You can, but it will only be as good as the paint and clear underneath the new coat. A good chance the bare spot will come out as a different colour, and there will be an edge around the broken clear, but it will offer a measure of protection till you can do it right. I take it it's not the OEM...

It did, actually. Everything looks good in primer, of course, but the door and forward section of the quarter aren't going to need a lot of filler work to make 'em good.

There were no repair panels or even full quarter skins available in Canada. No suitable used panels. No doors that I could find. None for under $500, that is. Who knew that 2nd gen GM A body parts commanded that kind of money? Jamie came up with a small donor piece. Normally, I would have...

This arrived in my driveway back in mid-September. My neighbour - who used to work for us - and his brother raced this car in the late 90s and early 2000s. A 460-something powered big block, with a nice four link, 4.something gears and living on a weight-restricted diet, it had been hit at the...

Doc, your ability to pick up on things we all miss is astounding. And funny as H*ll! :)

The wavy quarter panel turned me off right off the bat...

Otto, our Great Dane, left us this afternoon. He made it 9 years, 363 days. A good long time for a Dane, especially good for him considering the challenges he faced. We're going to miss the Big Dummy. :(

My best friend back home had a '72 Maverick similar to that. Originally red, Keith sprayed it a colour close to B5 blue, but left the red interior. Keith's ride didn't have all that blingy garbage, though. Just a plain Jane Maverick with a very good 302

I like it. But, for the life of me, I could never understand why someone would respray the entire rear clip only. That tone is too far off for a blend, so bite the bullet and shoot the entire car. The shop will be happier, the owner will be happier, and spectators will have to look elsewhere for...

The new paint will likely tone down slightly over a few days, especially if there are any oxide toners in the mix. If not, and it bothers you, send send me a note and I'll come over and take the car off of your hands. :)

There are some clear spray bombs available that are suitable for direct-to-metal. Can't think of the brand names... but really, any clear that's compatible for automotive should be ok. A used-car-lot trick for those kick panels: rocker guard sprayed at a distance will fool most first glances...

What tip size do you use? My early edition Finish Line with plastic body and tip came with a bunch of tips, smallest being 1.6 if I remember correctly. I use 2.0 and 2.2 for high build and polyester primers. My '99 model GTi, I use a 1.3 or 1.4 for single layer, and a 1.2 or 1.3 for base and...

They're decent guns. I've had some pretty high-end guns over the years, and while I really liked most of them, my all-time favourites are DeVilbiss. Keeping the packing around the needle lubed up is vital to any DeVilbiss. Spitting, sloppy patterns, and leakage are usually due to dry or worn...

Up in these parts, reno-rebuild work on older buildings simply needs a visit to the municipal planning department to verify the age of the existing structure. If it's deemed to be built somewhere around 25+ years ago, and there are no code violation notices attached to the property, it's deemed...