Projects 28 RPU "problem child" build thread "first try at a hotrod"

That’s pretty much exactly what I said also when i saw the runs..

That’s exactly what I should have done.. if I had to do over again I would have epoxied the frame and everything else right as soon as it was going together and just drove it.

Made another attempt at it today and was definitely gun shy about runs so buddy brought his gun down.. we set the pattern and cut the fluid way back.. and I put the coats on extremely light on the base.. if I intend to paint again I need to get a decent gun and really get familiar with how it sprays.
Thanks for the kind words and following along with this circus!

Thanks for the advice! I have never heard that about the soap but it makes perfect sense though!

I’m sure it was 98% my fault on the runs but I just can’t help to think that the other brand reducer didn’t help.. smells way different then the same brand reducer as the base is.. I got a gallon of the same brand reducer and stepped it back on the coats and not any issue today.. I do need to add more lighting if I spray a car again.. it’s hard to see the pattern and keep an overlap with the lights I have now. Thanks again for the advice it always helps!




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So back to task at hand.. I was going to put this off longer but it’s irritating more that it’s not done and back together.. so over the last week sanded the runs out and started over today...

Ended up with orange peel about like on the cab.. so I’m perfectly fine with that and I have no issues with buffing it rather then pushing it and ended up with what happened last time.





So have to give it some time and get it set back on the frame and put some of the cab back together to see how it matches up..


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I painted a Olds Vista Cruiser Wagon in enamel and it turned really cold and all the metallic puddled in lower spots but I did not have a run but had to redu it. The correct temp reducer has a lot to do with it, be sure to wait till the first coat tack’s up and watch your overlap in your spray pattern.

 

Took some time and removed the paint booth and stacked it up in the basement..

Kind of nice having the room again..



Rolled the truck out to set the bed in and see how well the paint matches


Punched out a couple new pads for the rear of the bed




Now just need to wait and hopefully this weekend have a sunny day to roll it out and see what it looks like





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Well it didn’t turn out as I hoped..

The bottom bed structure is really light on the top edge and doesn’t match the cab..

The outside of the bed rails are light also.. along with the inside of the bed in the sun you can see the light spots where the runs were and I had sanded down to the primer..


So back to sanding.. I ordered a new spray gun that’s actually from a good manufacturer (SATA) so I’ll have a good one of my own that I can be familiar with..




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You have a good attitude, no use getting all mad it won't fix the problem.

 

Sara guns are good, you need a 1.8 or 2.0 tip for painting enamel. Even coats are the key. Most paints are semitransparent the more coats the darker you get.remember your first coat is your tack coat, wait till it gets tacky before applying second coat and wait till it’s tacky to put he third coat on. Because of the semi transparency you need a solid color base. Red sealer will make red top coat darker toward a maroon cast. White sealer will make the red really brighter, and black will make it really dark. Always youse natural light on color correct bulbs when painting because different lights show different shades of the same color. Also it’s important to match the reducer to the actual temp, high temp reducer dries slower when cold and produces runs and cold reducer sprayed when it hot will produce dry spots. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Love your build Frank

 

Did a little more work few weeks ago.. busy with other things at the moment.. work.. a rental thing I started last year.. and rebuilding the motor for my other roadster..

anyway.. picked up an actual quality spray gun since my cheap one from tractor supply seem to be all over the place when spraying..

will take some time to get used to how it sprays it’s way different

Luckily when wet sanding to recoat some rust showed up and I had the time to catch it.. apparently when they are assembled they are trying to save primer..




did a little wet sanding on the headlights to try out the process I wanted to do in the fenders.. figured the smaller parts would be easy to fix if I messed them up.


getting the motor together for the 32

 

great color........

 

No primer in joints is “authentic” maybe? Really have enjoyed following your build. Thanks for keeping it updated.

 

I like the look of it but should have went with a black sealer and a better line of base.. I believe that would have made it better.. I guess learn from mistakes

haha you might just be onto something there!
Thanks for following along in this long drawn out process

thanks! I tried deleting it and reposting it with the picture rotated and it still showed upside down.

 

Well had a minute to set the bed on.. then had to wait awhile for the rain to stop.. finally yesterday after work had a second to roll it out....





It matches good enough that I don’t think it will be noticeable when the fender is on it since it will block a lot of the light and reflect the black color..

I get the motor back going for the 32 I can get back on the truck full time..

 

Thanks LB, I was worried about that MOPAR hanging upside down.

 

So as winter is coming up it’s time to drag the rpu back out..

Somethings have came up since the last time I updated this.. was able to get the engine for the 32 all done and back on the road. Majors improvement it was definitely time for an overhaul..

Then the old buddy I bought the roadster pickup off of originally has been having some health issues.. believe it’s dementia.. so at one of the afternoon coffee meetings he brought up selling his 1934 pick up.

was able to work out a deal with him on it and drag it home. I put everything on hold to try to get this thing back on the road so he could see it before winter time. was able to reach that goal weekend before last and get it out to his house..

Dragging it out of his barn


not a good picture of him in it but was glad he agreed to a picture. Also was able to take him for a spin down the road also..


cleaned up and it started throwing fits and not starting due to no spark so thinking the pickup in the new Mallory distributor is going out.. will sort that out over winter also


But back to normal drug the rpu out today to switch spots and store the 32 for the winter and give me space to work on the truck.. so maybe I’ll have some more updates coming on the rpu.


have to clean the house bay up to roll the car in and cover it up so I don’t get buffing dust all over it..

 

Getting started on it...

Started with the fender aprons..


finished wet sanding the cab tonight hope get to buffing on it tomorrow. The 34 trucks ignition is throwing a fit so trying to get that sorted out before it gets to cold..

 

Looking good

 

Nice!!!!

 

Nice job! Great choice on the color, too.

 

Been poking away at sanding, buffing, and setting parts back on the frame hopefully for the last time..

have to figure out how to get some pics off the cloud so I can post them since my phone doesn’t want to download them.

anyway here is where I’m at with it now..



first time I’ve ever had the middle and horn button on this truck.


have to pop the Speedo back out and get a new one since after a cold trip when I first got it going it won’t keep its memory for the speed pulses

 

Looking really good!!
I replaced a speedo (SW Wings Electric) with no change-problem was it needed new pulse adaptor on tranny that converted the the mechanical speedo pulse to electrical pulse.

 

I’m pretty sure it froze the battery on whatever keeps the memory inside.. it was probably about -5 when I trailered it to that indoor show and it was never right since.. ordered a new one yesterday so see if that works.. still using the gm speed sender can’t remember if I put a new one in or not when I first did it...


Well today didn’t go as planned.. wanted to get the windshield picked up so I could get it installed and put he dash rail in.. this is what I noticed after I got it home..glass has gaps in it, chipped on the edges, scratched, some chips in the paint on the frame, and just all around filthy.. going to try a different glass shop now.



sure do miss the local glass guy who was a family friend.. he did amazing work and ran his business like everyone should.. unfortunately he passed few years ago.. so see how the next one goes.

 

VERY NICE !!

 

I would take that right back to them and insist they either refund your money or replace the glass with one cut right!

 

Ditto on the glass I would not accept that kind of work.

 

thanks getting there slowly

took it to a different shop they called this morning and said it was done.. see how they did.. definitely a lot faster.. I’d say there is a reason the first guy isn’t very busy.

I actually went there to get it if it was done or not since it had been about a month.. kind of wish he wouldn’t have finished it now.. hopefully pick it up from the other shop today or tomorrow see how they did.

 

But you had to pay 2 shops this way, I wouldn't have let them get away with that crappy work! The first shop should have been given an opportunity to either get it done right or refund your money, their choice! I don't like paying for something that isn't good, so maybe you can get compensation thru small claims court or stopping payment on the check or whatever means you used to pay them with.

 

Totally understand that. First shop did it for $60 and I just paid cash for it.. I don’t like paying for it twice by any means but for $60 I’ll consider it a lesson learned and not go back ever again. I always hear horror stories about people getting taken by body shops and hotrod shops and ending up right where they started and out a pile of money.. so I’ll chalk it up as a loss and move on.. I know if I would have taken it back it would have been another month..

the place I dropped it off at yesterday at 2pm called at 8:30am today and said it was done.. $125 but I’ll gladly pay that for the quick turn around and they did a nice job. But I completely agree with you and if it was more money I’d chase it..


so back to the project at hand.. much better this time and was able to get it installed along with the dash rail since the window stanchions are on and tightened up. Couldn’t help but set the instrument panel on to see what it looks like 99% together..





had made up a cap for the breather on the intake for the 34 and didn’t use it.. the one I made for this is hiding somewhere in here and can’t find it.. so the one for the 34 was just a tad on the small side... threw it in the lathe and cut a grove for o ring


Quick polish so it blended it with the intake


Bolted some parts on the motor and maybe get started on some wiring and make up a mount for the coil and electric fan.. never liked the push ties on the fan so I’ll make one like I did for the 34

 

Few things needed changed since to get it going the first time some things were done temporarily..

first was to get the fan actually mounted and get rid of the push ties.. Just using what I have around here went into the road sign pile like I did on my 34..



little bandsaw and jigsaw work


Like everything else not much room in an A so I milled slots for the nuts to sit back into the angle aluminum to be able to get the screws in closer to the side.



Quick paint job



Next thing was moving the coil.. I went to mount it back to the inside of the firewall and when I snugged the nut up it pulled a little indentation into the firewall you could definitely see on the outside.. knocked it back out with a hammer and dolly so it’s not noticeable.. kind of worked anyway since I kinda thought it might not be a good idea to have it inside the cab right under the Gas tank and the gas line running right over top of the coil. So this was the idea/fix for that..



might add a bolt toward the bottom to help it from flexing. Always hated having that flat spot on the end of the intake anyway so that will cover that up also. It’s the angle of the pic but it’s not that close to the belt.

 

Nice work. May I ask the color and paint code please?