Projects Tim's (aka anothercarguy) 1938 Ford Club Cabriolet Build Thread

Just checking in on the incredible progress.

 

I think that build threads like this are pure gold. Thank you Tim for sharing your beautiful work on the cabriolet with us. It's a privilege to come along for the ride. Having the A as an example of your top notch finish work is a huge bonus.
This is the best content on the web. Anyone reading it can learn something. Admittedly my builds aren't to your standards, but investing hundreds of hours into a project gives a guy a deep, almost spiritual reaction to your effort. Huge props from here for your vision, your work, your grit to grind through the innumerable, seemingly endless difficult tasks one by one, pushing ahead without losing faith in yourself. Sure a break here and there for life, injuries and health issues are required, but it is the dogged determination that are so impressive.
I'm not sure where your motivation and determination come from, but you have them in spades. I can't tell you how much respect and admiration I have for you. Nothing but thanks and encouragement from me.

 

Thanks for the kind words and vote of confidence...still at the prime, guide coat, block sand repeat stage. Not real photo worthy, but progress none the less.

 

Great colour and great work too! Keep 'er up!!

 

Again, thanks for the kind words...I've been thinking about this/your comment as I've been mind numbingly block sanding...about the only explanation I can come up with is that I've always been particular/fussy/anal/choose your word here about the way my cars look (and stuff in general really). But, from the beginning, I didn't have the kind of money it would take to pay someone else to build to my expectation...so that meant I had to figure it out for myself...which then, for me became a good deal of the hobby fun.

As I said above, I'm continuing with the block sanding aiming for laser straight. With that said, a small update...per the video I posted earlier showing Darryl Hollenbeck's body preparation process, he mentions the "Next Level" sanding blocks that he likes and uses. I have a pretty good collection of the "DuraBlock" sanding blocks, but decided to try out the "Next Level" blocks. I must say, that I like them a bunch better than the DuraBlocks. They are available with various thickness backing so they are able to conform to the shape of the panel being block sanded. They are also available in various lengths and widths...here's the collections of blocks that I purchased. I will add that in the longest lengths, I've not used the most rigid long block. It would be good on the hood or quarter panels of a 60's era Cadillac, less so on the gentle roundness and curvature of the '38 Ford panels.

Here's one of the doors in the dry 3M guide coat with the long board I used for blocking.
And finally, this is what I'm after...I've walking the block across the panel in a crosshatch pattern a couple times...all the guide coat is removed evenly with no burn throughs, high or low spots visible. Feels like money! This is with 150 grit on the board. Once all the panels are at this stage, I'll begin scratch management be blocking with progressively finer grits to remove the sanding scratches from the previous paper (220, 320, 400 and then 500 grit).

It feels good to reach this stage...panel by panel.

 

we are all running out to buy those blocks-and then not use them!

 

Nice to have a second opinion on them! I doubt I'll be as perfectionist on the old 'glass fenderless ride, but it's nice to know what the good stuff is.

 

That door looks great Tim! It's a little late for us to try those new sanding blocks but I'll try to remember them if I am ever crazy enough to try this paint job thing again. We stop sanding at 400 ( before painting). Seems to be working so far. Does your previous experience show that 400 grit prep will eventually show through the base and clear?

 

That's a good question Sam...the guys that taught me said to go to 500. So, that's what I've always done.

Kind of reminds me of the old story about the gal that cooks Thanksgiving turkey for her family. She cuts 2" off the turkey at the neck end, and then another 2" off the other end and binds up whats left with string. Bakes it and it tastes great...but her husband asks why she goes through the effort of cutting and binding...the wife explains that that was how her mother taught her to cook turkey. She then asks her mother why...and the mother explains that that was how her mother had taught her ...so she asks her grandmother...and the grandmother explains that her roasting pan was too small to hold a full uncut and unbound turkey.

 

Good one. Nice to see the progress!

 

Always looking great Tim!

 

i tell that about once a month or so....

 

I had a high school friend who's parents were from another country. His mom had never 'done' Thanksgiving American style. He invited a few of us friends over when we were all in our twenties and did the whole thing himself, pre-internet. The turkey came out really well. When asked how he had done it, he explained that he had turned the turkey every hour, since that seemed like the right way to do it.

The end result is the point.

 

I usually stop at 400 wet for urethanes and acrylic enamels and 600 for acrylic lacquers . I've only done base/clear once (on a hood) and I think I finished with 400 there. I didn't care for the base/clear, so I won't do that again. Come to think of it ; I don't plan on painting anymore. You're doing fine.

 

Since I don't know...
In the "scratch-management" phase, do you usually need to re-prime the panel so's you don't cut thru the last coat you're sanding w/150 grit?
TIA.
Marcus...

 

Glad that the thought was able to rattle around in your mind for awhile and you sorted it out a bit. Liking your stuff to be exceptionally nice is a great driver. Choosing to do your own work (due to money or any other reason) is a great thing. The saying during my upbringing was "figure it out" which you also have embraced. I'll grumble my way through upholstery, but once it's done it does feel really good. The auto union Deutschland source material in your build was friggin' brilliant. Your bodyworking example has me reconsidering the hood rescue revival on my current project. I should have bought a better starting point, but after all the hammer/dolly work, the heat shrinking and shrinking disk work - I'm thinking some really solid prep along the Hollenbeck line, a lot of patience and significant effort, I might end up with something that changes my mind about final product expectations.

Keep up the exemplary work and finding worthwhile things to contemplate during the long grinds. I used to cycle 200 miles a week; during long rides, you had to have something to mull over.

Peace.

 

Once I'm done blocking with 150...and the guide coat comes off evenly (showing there are no more high or low spots remaining) and has no burn throughs, the progressively finer grades of paper doesn't take a lot of sanding because all that is happening is reducing the sizes of the scratches...if all goes perfectly, there will be no further burn throughs. If there are a couple (there usually are), they get addressed with the final coat of epoxy sealer coat sprayed just before the final paint (the sealer coat does not get sanded).

Thanks Joel. it seems there is a ringing endorsement for stopping at 400...new plan...ignore the final pass with 500.

 

Thanks. In the past, guess I sanded too hard, or too long, as I'd cut through leaving various sized spots that then weren't "flat" anymore. More primer... But then, I never worked to your level. Mine was "passable" back then. Maybe. I do have a few better, newer sanding blocks for future use.
Thanks.
Marcus...