Projects 53 COOP (Studebaker) gets a major makeover

Thanks for hangin' in there, guys!

 

Well worth it!

 

I love seeing people resurect old trends that aren't currently popular.

And that shade of blue looks beautiful on your Stude's curvy body.

 

Happy Thanksgiving, guys!

Tonight, I'm going away from my normal sequencing of progress on 53 COOP's build to bring you an important progress show-and-tell. Based on weather forcasts of cooler temps, I decided to start on the painting and show you the interim results.

With all the priming pretty well done, but a very dusty garage, I decided to tent the whole car and mask off the top for painting. This allows me to have the top completed without dust in the air, and then do the real shop cleanup for painting the lower part. After washing the top with Dawn soap, I masked it off, prepped it with Eastwoon Pre, and tacked it. By the way, my normal HVAC is a thru-the-wall unit. However, in order to not have any forced air moving dust, I use the older system of electric baseboard heaters. These can keep it about 70 degrees and minimize airborne dust.

So here's the tented and masked body ready for paint on the top. Note that I am planning to do the fade up the sail panels at this time, as well. This minimizes the area needing blending of the clearcoat when I do the light blue bottom:



Here's the dark blue basecoat laid down, along with the initial fade, which I didn't like (it's the first time I ever tried this and I am really glad that my tribute to Gene Winfield was not a large area!):



For the first attempt at the fade, I used a couple of HFT detail guns and had four different shades of dark and light blue mixes. It just didn't look like a good graduation from light to dark:



But that was last night, so this morning I got out my HFT airbrush to make a second attempt. I didn't know how well the metallics would atomize, but, with a much thinner mixture, I was able to get the results I wanted:





Then I cleared it all and let it cure while I sat down for Thanksgiving dinner (just me and Judy, as daughter and grandkids are out in Denver):



With the masking off, I'm ready to clean up the dusty garage and get it done before the end of November. So far, so good....





By the way, with the clear laying down so nicely, it's my reflection that distorts the fade...or is it the ghost of Gene Winfield?

So now it's cleanup time. See you on the other side of the light blue.....

Later, 'Gator.......

 

What a clever move adding a little fade there. Love it! Looks great

 

Woof!!!
Andy

 

My goal to fininsh the back portion by October 31was last adjusted to November 30. Well, I masked and base coated it by 11-30, but cleared it today....one additional day. But I'm really pleased with how it came out:

Masked and base coated:



Cleared and unmasked (mostly):





Whudoya tink?

 

Good job!

 

Looks good.

 

Looks great!

 

Woof!
Andy

 

Magnificent!

 

learning a new skill is a challenge but, your results worth it. makes us start to understand the years of experience behind Winfield, and others

 

Love it.

 

Gene Winfield would be impressed.

 

Looking great, Jim.

 

Chefs kiss. Snowman ⛄️

 

Groovy !

 

WOW, guys! Thanks for the kind comments. Right now I'm installing trim, windows, etc. on the back section and will post progress very soon (I hope!)

 

Back half ***embly progress:

Bumper on, LEDs mounted and cut-down '56 Packard lenses installed and tested:





I painted the inside of the housing white to improve light diffusion and the clear plastic diffuser panels that I glued to the leading edge of the lenses really even out the light very well. The LEDs were from Lambert Enterprises. No nead for third brake light....these really POP (I can't get my phone to show the red of the brake lights)!

Trunk lid back in place after a sshort respite in the back garage. Rear window is about ready for install:





Headin' out to the hardware store to get weaker springs for the trunk pop-ups. Then I will be installing windshield, rear window, chrome window trim, and still need to paint the fuel door and rolled pan.

Later......

 

Oh that’s gonna be *****in under the street lamps!

 

I Llliiiiike it!!!