Paint Help

[86GmLsCoupe]

I'm finally getting the car painted in about two weeks, but I just wanted to make sure the color I'm going to have mixed is the same as whats on the car. My info label is gone, but I know the color is called Medium Shadow Blue Metallic. The Dupont book listed its Ford code as as 3R. So.. anybody with my color car, could you tell me what your code is just so I can make sure? Thanks

[turbo2256b]

A good auto paint store can match the color. It takes a few days some times but you can take a part of your car in usually a gas door or such and they send it to be matched. Also if you pull the seat pannel behind the front seat there is a build sheet there should also be one under the passenger side front carpet if that helps.

[Grand Marquis GT]

That needs a repaint?

[86GmLsCoupe]

Thanks for the compliment, the top a the car is pretty rough though. The place I am going to get the paint can do a color match for me. This was done when the car had work on the drivers side about 10 years ago from the gas door like you said. But, since I'm getting the whole car painted I figured I'd try to get back closer to factory color versus a match on the 21 yr old paint. I know about the build sheet you mentioned (in seat back), would this have the color code it? I think I also remember one under the seat bottom to, I found a few when I stripped the interior but just put them back when I finished.

[Grand Marquis GT]

Go ahead and srip and delete that vinyl top. I didn't see the trunklid!

[86GmLsCoupe]

Yes, the trunk is a mixture of rust, primer, JB Weld, Por15, and Plastikote (Chrysler Teal). Oddly, I really like my vinyl top, though thats going to need redoing as well at some point. I posted some pics of the what I got done today. I'm debating on removing the door guards for the painting and either trying to reattach the old faded ones or just pick up brand new NOS ones (come only in black) that I'll spray with SEM "Shadow Blue." Also need to figure what fillers/reinforcement to use especially with the driver's rear rocker area, it's a mess. Will probably use the Speed Blaster on that area.

[LTDMan83]

That rear rocker looks pretty rough mang.I'm willing to bet once you sand blast it,it's gonna be full of holes and extremely thin as well.I would cut that section out and replace it with new sheetmetal myself,but you could allways cut it out and replace it with fiberglass as well.Whatever you do just make sure that all of the rust is completely gone from that area before you commit to paint.

[87lxcoupe]

Mine is a shade lighter than yours (Spinnaker Blue), so unfortunately my code won't help ya. From the first pix, you can't even tell it needs a repaint. I have EXACTLY the same situation, albiet no rust. The car photographs very well, but when you see it up close in person, the truth comes out! I have the factory primer showing through, in large spots, on the hood and roof! I wish I had the $$$ for a decent paint job. If I may ask, where are you having your paint work done?

[86GmLsCoupe]

Well, I originally planned last year to just have the roof, hood, and trunk reshot to buy me some time because I really want to fully restore it down the road. A few years earlier I had rattle canned the rusting roof and now thats been chipping. I never got it done last year and this years it getting much worse, so I decided to try and go for the full repaint. The guy doing it is someone my dad had spray a fender for me, and he repainted a friend's dad's truck. He's got a little shop in Roselle a bit off Chestnut St. His price, with me prepping is around $800 (paint, some final scuffing, and spray). I decided to get the epoxy primer, and the supply store said I might need more paint so the price might bump up a little than what he quoted.

[87lxcoupe]

Ah, I see. Well, at least you'll KNOW the prep work was done right, cause your doing it! I'm going to be a nervous wreck when it comes time for paint. I've never had a car painted, but have heard alot of horror stories. Plus, I'm really concerned that, after paying big dollars for the job, I'll get a half-assed result. I think at that point I'd have a meltdown and just go postal! Anyways, back to your car.....$800 and some change doesn't sound TOO bad. Im very curious to see the results! When do you plan on wrapping up the prep work?

[86GmLsCoupe]

Well right now the latest pics are as far as I've gotten due to the heat, but I have that tent over it (my neighbors are amused my car has a wedding tent). I'm supposed to have it ready friday, 27th. I went to Albert Kemperle (supply shop) and got some All-Metal filler, 3m Body Tape, Rage Filler, and some 3m sanding disks, just some stuff, I know I'll need more. I picked up two Bodywork books today to help me sort out what I need to do to get it done right. The $800 isn't so bad I guess, plus I don't have to breathe those chemicals, risk messing up/wasting paint, and with the paint as it is now, I've got nothing to lose. His work is pretty nice so it's worth it to me. I'm going upgrade the primer to epoxy, plus figure in all the supplies I buy for the prep, and labor and it should be a quality job. I'm still trying to find the right color code on the car. I saw the color chip in the Dupont book, but who can tell from that? I do have the original brochure my grandparents had when they got it, and they highlighted the color so I know the name & choice for sure. I don't have time to wait for the History 999 report so I'm thinking the build sheet is the next best bet?

[86GmLsCoupe]

Custom87, you were right about the rear rocker being rough. It didn't even take a sandblasting, just a light push with my finger. Needless to say, thats getting cut out. It's going to need new metal mig welded in. Also, got the color code from the build sheet in the drivers seat so one less thing.

[LTDMan83]

Harsh!, good luck with it.

[saiyaneye]

I see grass :p, Are you going to be doing ANY of the prep work yourself?

[86GmLsCoupe]

Yea, I'll be doing some of the prep work including all trim removal, which is pretty much done, sanding the car down with 400 grit (to primer), filling the dents, some rust issues inside the trunk lid lip and the other rocker, cutting out the driver rusty rocker, and making sure it is very very clean for paint. The shop is going to do repair/weld the driver rocker with new metal, and I'll give them the leftover All-Metal filler and Rage filler for on top of that. The rest is just them putting on the Dupont Epoxy primer, base and clear. The guy still insists on self-etching primer but the shop swears epoxy hides many sins. I'm going to try and tell him since the filler is going on paint, the primer should be epoxy and talk him into using it, he's worried about recoat times, so i dunno. Sanded some on the trunk today.