fixing poor paint work Escalade content

NOT A TA

NOT A TA

reliable source of info
Thought you guys would get a kick out of this.

Owner bought this BLACK 2011 Escalade off a used car dealer lot at NIGHT! then went home and tried to back it into their garage without checking height. The tail gate had been damaged in the past and low quality paint materials were used on shoddy body work which the new owner didn't notice at night under dealer lights. So between the short garage damage and the previous crappy work the rear of the truck needed attention.

Figured I'd post this up here for a couple reasons. First, the truck wouldn't fit through my garage door either without letting air out of the tires or removing wheels. Second, the paint work was done with a $12.00 HF paint gun. No sanding or buffing was done after paint.

This is what happens when your truck is to tall for your garage. The trucks suspension was compressed as the truck slid under till it hit the roof rack which stopped it. Third brake light was smashed in the process also as it was the first part to hit the garage.



Since the truck wouldn't fit in my garage (which I use as a spray booth) either creative taping with visqueen and paper sealed the door opening and floor to the truck around the tail gate area to be painted.

There's a LOT of electronics in a modern rear hatch!!!









 
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wow! I need you to move next door!
your surely in possession of body work and paint skills ,
that exceed mine in some areas so it would be so damn nice,
to have easy access to that experience to ask advice and pick up tips from!
 
I rent a room to another old guy who happens to be a very experienced (35+ years) bodyman. We do jobs like this together so we can get the car in and out over a weekend. With 2 guys doing de-trimming, body work, paint prep, and reassembly on different parts simultaneously we can get a project done pretty quick. Jeff actually shot the base and clear on this one.
 
Looks better than new!
What were the steps you took after the color coat to the finish?
 
Thanks Rich!
The base was PPG Deltron (PPG Omni and Omni plus aren't as "black" and look kind of brown). After the base coat was misted on (to be cautious about potential problems with the previous paint) shot a few coats of PPG 2021 clear allowing plenty of flash time between coats (again, shooting over previous unknown paint). Let dry about 5 hours before removing masking materials. Then let dry over night. Jeff reassembled the gate components like the wiper, poppers, handle, etc. and installed the rear wing/third brake light while I spent a couple hours getting off all the paint and overspray previous painters had gotten on all the emblems and other trim bits. Nothing is quite as much fun as carefully scraping paint off of chrome plated plastic emblems and lettering with a single edge razor! There was no wet sanding or buffing involved. Customer was very happy and bringing moms car next for a bumper cover job.
 
NOT A TA said:
? . . . . . . . . . . . .I spent a couple hours getting off all the paint and overspray previous painters had gotten on all the emblems and other trim bits. Nothing is quite as much fun as carefully scraping paint off of chrome plated plastic emblems and lettering with a single edge razor! . . . . . . ..
Click to expand...

I glanced at a recipe for removing paint from modern chrome plated plastic parts in a hand-written manual left by the shop's previous owner. Directions were to apply the mix with a high density foam brush and when dry to the touch rub off with your fingers or a patch of cheesecloth. There is a neutralizer that can be pre applied to surrounding surfaces before this remover is applied (for safety when needed).
I'll get back to the shop on the 17th to the 19th of this month and try it for myself first and pass it along to you if you are interested. My understanding is that this saves a lot of time and safe to use for many applications.
 
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That would possibly save time on some types of jobs. Most of the work I do is on the old cars with metal parts so just soaking the trim bits in cheap thinner takes it off. I've always been afraid to put plastic pieces I need in a tray of thinner.
 
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