Transmogrification.........In Progress

[Bookwus]

Hiya All,

So I thought I'd tune you all in to what Willy is doing to my Bug. At this point he's just primered the Bug. More updates when they arrive to me (and thanks to Nicole for that!)

Here's the Bug before any of this painting started......



It doesn't look too bad in this shot. But it really is a twenty footer. Lots of problems with it up close and worst of all, the integrity of the original paint (and all my little patch up jobs) is failing. It would be only a matter of time before serious rust became a problem

We delivered the Bug to Willy last week and he started disassembling and patching immediately............



This next shot will give you a better idea of just how bad this car was under that coat of paint.....



Willy is really punching this thing out. Here's a shot of him working on the hood. It was really messed up - mostly by me trying to touch up the original paint.....



Here's Willy masking off that engine I just finished. This attention to detail I really appreciate, especially after all the work on that engine. Willy is a good one!



Masked up and ready to shoot the primer. Willy did not leave much original paint on this car........



And what does it look like after its first coat of primer?...........



It's Yellow!
I was expecting gray. Nicole tells me that the color of the primer is keyed into the final color of the car these days. Kinda surprised me to see it in yellow. And what's worse, I'm kinda liking that color........sorta.



More pictures when I get 'em!

[zblair]

What color is your bug going to end up? You know I was half expecting a Calvin and Hobbes thing here...

[hambone]

Beautiful! Tools do make all the difference, I've been broke most of my life so hand tools have ruled - files, sandpaper, and even screwdrivers for the worst of it. But it would take a lifetime to hand sand/prep an entire car so completely. What do you use, a small grinder with a sandpaper disk?

[Bookwus]

Hiya Bob,

......What do you use, a small grinder with a sandpaper disk?

I'm no painter and an even worse body man. That's why I take this sort of project down to Willy. He knows what he's doing and he has the tools to do it.

I'm guessing that a small grinder and sandpaper is Willy's MO. Take a look............



......that's obviously what he's using at that point. I'm thinking that he also does a lot of hand work on the body to make sure it is smooth for the final finish.

[hambone]

I'd love to do more of that sort of work, in a good shop...it's like sculpture.

[Bookwus]

Hiya Bob,

Yeah, I know what you mean.

I don't think I'd have the patience to do all the body work to the degree one has to to get a smooth final finish. I'd always be wanting to put a coat of paint on it to see what it looked like.

[Bookwus]

Hiya All,

Color coat went on today.............

[hambone]

Shore looks nice.
Would you tell how much it set you back?

[Bookwus]

Hiya Bob,

The final price has yet to be determined. Willy gave me an estimate at the end of last summer but prices for paint have gone up since then. He's doing his best to stick as close to that estimate as he can - which this guy appreciates. Ya' gotta like Willy. Not only is he skilled painter, he's also an honest guy.

I'll let you know how it all turns out when I retrieve the car. And that should be within the coming week.

[spiffy]

GORGEOUS!!!

Looking great Mike!

[bean5446]

Wow! That's quite nice. I may need Willy's help with the syncro, great work.

[Vdubtech]

Hiya Bob,

......What do you use, a small grinder with a sandpaper disk?

I'm no painter and an even worse body man. That's why I take this sort of project down to Willy. He knows what he's doing and he has the tools to do it.

I'm guessing that a small grinder and sandpaper is Willy's MO. Take a look............



......that's obviously what he's using at that point. I'm thinking that he also does a lot of hand work on the body to make sure it is smooth for the final finish.

That's not a grinder, it's a random orbit sander-available at any Home Depot or such store and far superior to the older vibrating sanders. I use mine all the time.

The car looks amazing...I hope he took the time to remove the 4 bolts holding the front bumper brackets on before he shot the color. I don't understand why someone takes the time to mask off something like a headlight when it would take less time to just remove it. All in all though, the car looks fabulous, ya can't argue with the results!!

[Bookwus]

Hiya All,

The Bug is done and back home. The "After" picture..........



The "Before" picture.........




I tried to shoot it the same angle as the "Before" picture so you could see the difference. The car (well, the exterior) looks brand new. Willy is a wizard with paint! If you need to have any kind of exterior work done he is your guy.

[hambone]

Very very nice. Now you must wrap it in satin and never drive it again.

[hambone]

It's funny to read this thread again. In June I'da never thought I'd be going thru the same process! How is everything holding up?
Willy mentioned that for the first 30 days water drops must be wiped off to avoid permanent spotting. Pleagh. Well it was a good excuse to clean out the garage yesterday. AND it kept me safely outa the house.