Awesome Inspiration Poster

here the link to where I found it:
http://jalopnik.com/361677/mad_science-makes-bid-for-project-car-hell-poster-child-award

Paint Class - Day 23

I couldn't go to class today. I left my boots and some other stuff at home, and I had to stay late at work to finish up stuff for a deadline.

Paint Class - Day 22

Today my partner sprayed a black sealing primer on both the hood and the deck lid of the BMW, but we noticed some deep scratches from the block sanding the day before on the hood - the trunk looked ok - so we ended up putting a few more layers of paint on the hood two of which I got to spray :-) I learned that the nozzle of the gun should always point straight down at the surface you are spraying, that you want a lot of overlap with each spray so there are no dry spots (which you will see when you put the clear coat on) and I go too fast.

Ordered Wheel Cylinders for deVille

I ordered 2 wheel cylinders(one right rear, one left rear) for the '67 deVille today, Maybe they will get there by this weekend...I ordered from Rock Auto, they had the raybestos versions for $27.79 ea. + 7.90 shiping - $2.90 discount w/coupon vs. $45.99 ea. at Kragen (who also does not have them in stock).

Paint Class - Day 21

Today we also had a tool check - which consisted of checking for about 5 things, from our 20+ item list. If you didn't have an item you were sent home, I think one we got to the fifth item our teacher decided we has a critical mass of students, and didn't want to loose any more. My partner and I wet sanded with 600 grit sand paper and a sanding block the hood and deck lid of the BMW. well, he blocked the hood (that we put so many coats of primer on) with a long board and 180 grit first, then wet snaded it. I learned that the wet sanding should be done in an x pattern, and that it should be done to the point that none of the guidecoat shows any more (which eliminates low spots).

Paint Class - Day 20

Today we had a "tool check," which consisted of checking to make sure we had a pencil and paper. My partner and I applied primer to the hood and deck lid of the BMW, but the group next to us was stripping their car, and the little metal flakes got into the primer. so we had to pick all the crap out and re-apply the primer a few times. I learned that If there is an air bubble in the primer you should push it in with your finger, and then apply another coat. After we finished with the primer, we applied a guide coat, and left it to dry. Then I spent the rest of the day looking at what other groups were doing.

chrome on plastic?

This was an unsolicited post on one of the cadillac groups I belong to. This guy says he's an expert at chrome-plating plastic. Now everything in that whip can be shiney chrome. But his name is bandit, so maybe see if you can get some good feedback before you try anything too expensive.

http://www.lashopabandit.com/pages/chrome_plastique_plaque_en.php

New oil in the '95

Changed at 117040 miles. It was a quart low, so when I drained the oil, it didn't overflow my insufficiently-sized oil pan this time ;-)

I also changed the air filter, and I guess it's the first time I've done it since I had this car. Apparently, somewhere inbetween 1993 and 1995 Cadillac thought it would be a SUPER idea to add a little bracket that goes over the corner the air filter is on, so now a simple air filter change involves five bolts.

GM really sucks now.

Paint Class - Day 19

Today my partner Dan showed me how to apply a plastic filler (like bondo but made of different stuff) and sand it down to the right level. You use a tool called a cheesegrater, which looks just like a cheesgrater with no handles to shave off the excess plastic, and then sand down with 80 grit sandpaper and a longboard, and then 180 grit sandpaper with a longboard. Then we re-sprayed the corrosion protection to the area around the palstic where it had been sanded off. Then we were put on some one else project for a bit, because it was too cold to spray the primer. Then we cleaned for the last hour.

Paint Class - Day 18

Today I was stuck in the tool room checking out tools. We're only supposed to have to do it one week, but I think the two instructors have not compared notes well enough, becuase the guy who was doing it yesterday was not doing it today. SO... I'm sure I'll have to do it again. My partner on the BMW sprayed the hood and trunk with a black-tinted primer.

Paint Class - Day 17

Today we were assigned to specific cars in the shop. A second year student is assigned to the car, and a first-year student to help them. I was assigned to this 1991 BMW 3 series that had oxidation on the hood and a repair on the trunk. the last class had stripped the paint down to about the primer with a chemical stripper (my dads favorite stuff - airplane paint stripper). So today I used a grinder with 80 grit sandpaper to take it down to the metal, then I came back with a DA(Dual action) sander with 180 grit sandpaper to take the fine bits off. I was working on sanding the paint from the slats in the hood (by hand), when we had to pack up.

DeVille

Today, we (meaning my dad - since I knew that it had to be special ordered) looked for a wheel cylinder for the deVille. Doug and Dad had been moving cars around and trying to get them going, so when I got down there the deVille had been moved to where Dougs camaro used to be (not easily accessible, but not terrible). He said it started and ran, but it needed tranny fluid. So, I'll need to order a wheel cylinder so we can replace it at the next opportunity. The car is registered and insured so as soon as I can get it roadworthy, I'll bring it up to the house.

Paint Class - Day 16

Today is really the first day in the shop with the second teacher, and we spent the day cleaning the shop out (this time was much more thoughourg than the first time we did it.

Paint Class - Day 15

Today we wet sanded the primer we put on our fender Monday, and then put the fenders away. Then we buffed the paint on a car.

Painting Class - Day 14

Today we had a test, and watched a video about painting with different types of paint(1-stage, 2 satge and 3-stage paints).

Painting Class - Day 13

Today was a long day, When we came in, our freshly painted fenders all had been "keyed" or scratched with a key. And our project for the day was to feather out the damaged area, and prime. It took a long time with so many people in the class. we didn't get out until 10:40.

Car problems today

(to be edited later)

Today I hooked up the trickle charger to the 944 and after about an hour, it started up. I was going to let it run for the recommended 20 minutes to charge up the battery, but the gas light was on (I forgot that I needed to fill up last time I drove it). So I went down the street to the gas station to fill up. After the tank was full, guess what, the car wouldn't start.

I, of course, had nothing with me... no phone, no jumper cables, not even my camera (two dog-in-cars went by while I was at the station). so, I bought some jumper cables and asked a few people who were filling up at the station to help me out, the first guy said he was in a rush and couldn't, the second guy said it was a company truck and he couldn't, the third guy (a young guy driving a 91 BMW) agreed, but didn't really look like he wanted to). So, we hooked the cars up and it didn't work. That guy and another guy who had just pulled up helped me push the car into a parking spot. And I walked home in my flip-flops. On the way, I was thinking about going to get a battery and swapping it out, but I decided to just call AAA. I renew in April, so I might as well use my last roadside assistance for the year now. Plus, it's such a pain to find stuff for this car, I didn't want to waste half my day looking for a battery.

I drove back to the gas station in the Cadillac, since I figured the AAA battery truck wouldn't take too long to arrive (it didn't - I pulled into the gas station and started filling up the Cadillac, and before the tank was full the AAA guy was there). The guy was really nice, we got into a conversation about cars and racing - he races a '67 Camaro. And we talked about my 944 and how cool it would be to put in some racing struts to replace to worn out struts that are in it right now (which is why I haven't been driving it).

He hooked up the jumper cables and battery to the car, and it still didn't turn over. He said he thought it was the starter, but I told him that there had not been any issues starting the car in the past, and usually a starter will give you a little warning before it gives out. So, he hooked up a second set of cables to the car. It started :-) I left the caddy at the gas station, and high-tailed it back home in the 944. I left the car running in the driveway while I pumped up the tires on my bike, hopefully it was enough time to keep the battery charged enough to start the car again.

Then I rode my bike to the gas station, put my bike in the Cadillac and came home. It can be such a pain in the ass to deal with the cars sometimes.

I'll need to bring the 944 to a Kragen or Autozone and have them test the battery to make sure it's OK.

Paint Class - Day 12

Tonight we went over our tests from Tuesday (I got a C - better than I was expecting). I Learned that PPG stands for Pittsburg Plate & Glass and purchased Ditzler a number of years (maybe decasdes at this point).

We also partnered up and took apart an accuspray gun to see if it needed any new parts. We ordered one part, a gasket, but neither my partner or I had the tools we needed to open the gun up (as did about 95% of the class), so who knows if we needed any other parts.

On Tuesday we will install the new parts, and see if the guns will spray.

Paint Class - Day 11

Today I went out and bought the remainder of my materials. $258 ouch. (+another $52)

In Class, a group of us who has missed the last couple of classes spent the first hour of class sanding our fenders, then we all went into the paint booth and sprayed some color on, and then clear coat. We were in class pretty late, I didn't get home until about 11pm.

I think tomorrow is just lecture, so we shouldn't be there so late.

Painting Class - Day 10

I've missed the last two days of class. I guess we sanded our fenders last thursday and painted them yesterday. But there are a lot of other students who apparently didn't get all their tools in time, so I won't be the only one trying to catch up.

Today was a test, I think I did better than the last one, but really not so great, it seems as though the tests include questions on topics we haven't talked about yet. This was followed by a lecture, and we went through catalogs of products and talked about what they did. We also talked about the grit of sandpaper, and sandpaper types.