1975 Chevy Laguna S-3 Gets A Paint Job- Bad In Black

To bring the rear bumper in... 

   

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To bring the rear bumper in closer harmony with the surrounding metal, the bumper was sectioned, allowing it to hug the corners of the car more closely. The mounting will also be revised to bring the modified unit in tighter to the rear of the car.

Stick It!
A prominent feature of Project Talladega is the extensive use of vinyl graphics, which define the stock car look of the finished machine. Most of us have seen some of these appliqus used on a variety of custom cars, but are mystified by what is involved in the process. We had Heath Elmer of Heath Elmer Restorations (aka Arizona Auto Trim) handle the creation of the graphics package for our Laguna, and the final result was nothing short of eye-popping. Heath tells us that the technology for doing these graphics is readily available: "Any sign shop is going to have a plotter; it is a basic piece of equipment." The plotter cuts the material to a design made in a CAD program, which can be simply scanned in, and that drives the plotter to cut the desired pattern. You can start from scratch by having the design drawn up in the computer, or choose from a virtually unlimited selection of fonts for numbers or lettering. Once the design is finalized, the vinyl material is fed into the plotter and out come the decals.

Compared to laying out graphics the old-fashioned way, by tedious reverse masking or hand-lettering, the vinyl graphics are cheap, easy, and quick, offering new possibilities for customizing a car. In contrast to painted graphics, a vinyl appliqu can be removed if you decide it's time for a change. Heath tells us to select a high-performance exterior grade vinyl in a 2mm thickness for automotive use, and that the material has a life from five to seven years in outdoor use. If you prefer paint rather than vinyl, this process still has significant usefulness, since the same technique that creates vinyl graphics can be used to cut complex masking templates. For this purpose, Heath uses a special material that can be sprayed over, and is easy to remove, creating a positive or reverse template of the paint design you are after.

By The Numbers
Paint Price List
So how much did the materials for our suede paintjob cost? To be sure, a properly done "hot rod" coat isn't cheap, but the results are stunning, and the durability and upkeep are hard to beat when compared to a standard two-stage high-gloss finish. Below are the Sherwin-Williams products we used to paint Project Talladega. The costs shown are at "Scheduled Refinisher Pricing" level. It's also worth noting that the personal service we received from the Sherwin-Williams Tempe, Arizona, branch was outstanding, in particular, the on-the-spot help from SW rep Brian Downen (480-894-8388).

Once the offending extra section...        read full caption Once the offending extra section of girth was removed, the bumper was trial-fit and welded back together. For a cleaner look, the rubber bumpstrip was also removed and the fastener holes welded shut. These welds will be dressed, and the bumper finished with a matte silver rather than chrome.	Stripping the car to the bare...        read full caption Stripping the car to the bare metal would greatly bloat the budget, so the decision was made to sand the finish already on the car. Rather than attacking it with power tools, the crew at Jackson carefully blocked the existing paint, using the existing material thickness (there were at least three prior paint jobs, plus their related primer layers) as a base to cut to a level surface.	Using a hard board and 80-grit...        read full caption Using a hard board and 80-grit paper, and using a crisscross sanding pattern, the existing paint was worked as though it was a primer layer, bringing even these large curved quarters into shape.
The glossy surface of the...        read full caption The glossy surface of the old paint acts as its own guidecoat, clearly showing flaws such as depressions or dings in the metal as shiny spots. These can be lightly bumped with a hammer and dolly, and filled.	High or raised spots will...        read full caption High or raised spots will manifest themselves as cut-throughs in the paint to a deeper layer. This area was worked by blocking to the limits of the available material thickness. Once bare metal is reached, no further leveling can be achieved without adding either primer or filler material.	For some of the more intricate...        read full caption For some of the more intricate areas of the body, improvised blocking tools are often the best for sanding. Here, the distinctive S-3's slant nose is being blocked using a section of rubber tubing as the backing board for the 80-grit paper.
This is the time to do the...        read full caption This is the time to do the various metal-working mods, which for our project included shaving the trunk lock. (We'll be adding billet hood pins for the trunk and a bunch of other cool custom stuff in next month's coverage.) After grinding the area to bare metal, a filler patch of sheetmetal was cut to fit.	A MIG welder is the best tool...        read full caption A MIG welder is the best tool for welding in steel patches, since the heat zone is tight for minimal warpage. The plug was tacked in place, and then welded solid with a series of alternate tack welds until it was fully welded.	After grinding, the repaired...        read full caption After grinding, the repaired patch is nearly perfect to the surrounding metal. Very little filler thickness will be required to blend this area in.
Since the filler required...        read full caption Since the filler required on this car consisted primarily of very light skims, the product used was Evercoat Metal Glaze, which is actually a spot and finishing glaze. It mixes just like regular body filler with the supplied hardener.	A light wipe of filler will...        read full caption A light wipe of filler will be enough to provide the fill here, and will minimize the time required to block the fill area smooth. A plastic Bondo spreader is used to apply the material.	Ricky used 80-grit on a block...        read full caption Ricky used 80-grit on a block for the first cut, followed by 180-grit for the final smoothing. The end result should feather uniformly and seamlessly into the surrounding paintwork.
There were a few isolated...        read full caption There were a few isolated spots of rust that were apparent from bubbling and blistering of the existing paint-and fortunately for us, all of these were on the passenger-side door. These spots were previously just troweled with filler and painted; an improper repair. The right way is to cut the offending rust out.	Once the bad metal was cut...        read full caption Once the bad metal was cut out, the loose surface scale inside the panel was cleaned and treated with SEM Rust-Seal, which will arrest the further progress of rust in the panels. A patch was made and welded in place, and then finished with a technique similar to that used to blank the trunk lock.	Sanding in the contoured areas...        read full caption Sanding in the contoured areas of the jambs is always the toughest, but removing the door provides the access to get the job done. The existing paint in these areas was the roughest, and most of it came off before the areas were smooth enough for primer.
With the block-sanding done,...        read full caption With the block-sanding done, and the various dings and damaged areas massaged and filled, the Laguna was given a thorough cleaning, moved into the booth, and masked for primer. Taking time to do a nice job pays off with a better-quality result in the end.	For the first primer application,...        read full caption For the first primer application, Ricky mixed a batch of Sherwin-Williams P30A Spectraprime, using H38 hardener and US3 reducer. The primer is used as a surfacer to allow further block sanding. A straighter car will be the result.	Before the primer was applied,...        read full caption Before the primer was applied, the car was wiped down with a cleaning wax and grease solvent, and then wiped with a tack cloth to remove any dust or lint. Three medium coats of primer were applied to give an adequate build of material.
Once cured, the Spectraprime...        read full caption Once cured, the Spectraprime was block-sanded with 180 grit for an aggressive leveling of the surface. Then a second primer coat was given using SpectraSeal, a conversion of the same primer that allows it to be used as a sealer. The SpectraSeal was in turn wet-sanded smooth with 400-grit paper to achieve a surface ready for paint.	Although the car was getting...        read full caption Although the car was getting a satin finish, the basecoat application is just like normal. Ricky shot three coats of Sherwin-Williams Ultra 7000 base, giving the body a nice consistent paint coverage.
Once the base was given sufficient...        read full caption Once the base was given sufficient flash time, the final step was the application of the satin clear. The clear is a mixture of Sherwin William's No. 950 production clear, and their No. 947 Matte clear. The ratio of the mix determines the gloss level. Rickey used four parts 947 to one part 950. The application technique, temperature, and solvent will also play a part in how glossy the final result will look. Once sprayed, the clear will lose its gloss as the solvents evaporate.	The loose panels were painted...        read full caption The loose panels were painted off the car with the same exact mixture. Here, the inside of the decklid is getting the satin black treatment.
If your windshield is as old,...        read full caption If your windshield is as old, hazy, and pitted as ours was, it should be replaced. If you're doing a major body and paint project, this is the perfect time to get this job out of the way. Here, the guys from A & E Auto Glass in Mesa, AZ (480-228-5390), are installing a new windshield at the job site at Ricky's Customs. Thanks for the freebie, guys!	Rolled out of the booth, preliminary...        read full caption Rolled out of the booth, preliminary assembly of the Laguna began with replacing the trim and panels. Although it is still naked-looking in its plain satin hue, once the spoilers, graphics, tires, and wheels are added, the effect will be dramatic.