Chassis, Body & hardtop (started Jun '02, nearly done)
Chassis work includes:
Gussets welded to front lower-arm pickup points
Gussets welded to differential carriers
Gussets welded to rear spring plates and towers
Gussets welded to trailing-arm support triangle
Continuous weld applied to all spot welds
Media blasted and powdercoated black
Click thumbnails to enlarge.
I used over 1 gallon of Dupont Centari 99A, a single-stage acrylic
enamal, with hardener. This gave me 4-5 coats, except on the rear
fender and doors which needed 6-7 coats. I'll let it dry for several
months before buffing.
Why single-stage and not two-pack? Single-stage is the choice of show winners for good reason. When the layer of paint oxidises or is sun damaged, it can be simply removed by polishing, something that cannot be done with a clear coat. Single-stage paints can be polished on a yearly basis, and should last around 15 years. Besides, all two-stage paints never look black to me; they are either a brown-black or a blue-black. Centari 99A is black-black.
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Last update: 2 Dec, 2003