[Blade10]

Matching color, especially with metallics and pearls, is sometimes difficult. You will probably need to "blend" the area, especially if there is no sharp curve or tranisition. Think of the fancy fades where the car is blue up front and changes to green at the back - paint, not that flip-flop stuff - where the color transition is so slow you never see exactly where the change begins or ends, but you do see the end result (blue to green). That "fade" is exactly what you do when you have a close enough color that just isnt quite perfect, your just doing it on a much smaller scale (area of the dent into undamaged original paint). The fade will "blend" the colors together enough that most people will never be able to see it. Even with a good blend, if the color is too far off it is sometimes still noticeable under certain lighting conditions.

Blade

[BadlandsGhost]

Sorry about taking so long to reply, been busy, LOL.

Stangboy: I forget which supplyhouse I ordered it from, but there are quite a few places online. What I got came in 12oz rattle cans, and they were about $7-8 a can, depending on where you ordered them. I'll look around for the invoice today, and let you know where I got mine from (and need to order some more from<g>)
Overall its been surprisingly easy, just time consuming.
Patience is definatly a virtue

nykmad: what Blade said, LOL

Thanks again for all the positive feedback!

Well, I think today I'm gonna tackle one of the side skirts, I'll keep ya posted.

J

[BadlandsGhost]

Sorry guys, not much to report for this weekend, mainly because I spent my time trying to pin down a nasty squeak in the front end that has developed since it got warm. (sadly, no luck, I guess I'm gonna have to pull the tires again this weekend and re-grease the tie rods, but anyway)

The only effects work I got done was a preliminary wetsand on the driver side skirts. Its still got some bonded nastiness, even after a 400 grit run, but shouldnt be too much work. The only thing that worries me are a few spiderweb cracks, but I'm hoping the primer will fill them.

Other than that, the only things looming on the horizion are the those of the beltline flexable f/x. they were nasty with loose plastic, and faded/cracked through and through. I'm gonna attempt to salvage them, but???.

Hope it helps,

J.

BTW, I have the preliminary pics, if anyone's interested, but its more of the same.

[Blade10]

Originally Posted by BadlandsGhost

Sorry guys, not much to report for this weekend, mainly because I spent my time trying to pin down a nasty squeak in the front end that has developed since it got warm. (sadly, no luck, I guess I'm gonna have to pull the tires again this weekend and re-grease the tie rods, but anyway)

Bit off topic - But Ive seen ball joints that squeek and it will drive you *crazy* trying to figure out what it is. I am talking well greased ball joints with no play! And they squeek!

The repairs are looking great. Excellent thread for DIY. Keep going!

Blade

[BadlandsGhost]

Just FYI folks,
The project is still moving forward, but unfortinatly the cams cable went AWOL for a bit, but anyway, it's since been found. I've been trying to get the update up for 3 days, but the site doesent seem to like the pics. (theyre in a compatible format/size, but I keep getting an upload error message. ???)

Anyway, I'll have a 3 week update as soon as I figure out the problem with the pics..
(short version: The driver sidefFX have been wet sanded/sanded, and most of that side has already been primered. But there are a few remaining bits that need some more work.
I was hoping to be able to spray a final coat today, but it wasn't to be.

Anyway, more to come tonight (hopefully)

J

[Lizardking]

Nice project.

Remember when repairing cracks, drill a small hole at the end of each crack. This will prevent the crack from spreading in the future.

[BadlandsGhost]

Good idea. I hadn't thought about that, but it makes sense. Thankfully I only had 1 real crack/gouge, up on the front, and I'll probibly end up redoing that some time in the indefinate future, as I get better with the body work. The rest seem to be spiderwebs in the paint itself.

And I'm still trying to get the pics up, they're apparently too big, and for some reason Imagezone isn't resizing them right. (I just loaded this Sundays batch, and as an example, one pic was 2.37megs fresh off the cam, and after resizing, is now 3.06 meg?!?

J

[bionic_chronik]

Originally Posted by BadlandsGhost

Last couple of pics....

Dude.. I should post some pics of my bumper covers and let you tell me if they are fixable? mine are horribly cracked. I debated on just getting new bumper covers for it when I got the money..

[BadlandsGhost]

Originally Posted by bionic_chronik

Dude.. I should post some pics of my bumper covers and let you tell me if they are fixable? mine are horribly cracked. I debated on just getting new bumper covers for it when I got the money..

Go for it. I'm far from guru level but there are many others here who would be able to offer a more experienced opinion.

New covers are an option, depending on what you're planning, but this seems to be a fairly cheap stop-gap while you're saving. Eventually I want to got to a rear that will work with lx/Cobra exhaust and maybe a cervini front, but for now, it looks a lot better than it did.

And for anybody that cares, I kinda got sidetracked from the project, (saving for the wedding, which will be finally taken care of this weekend, Woot!) But the rear and pass side panels are long since patched and primered, I just didn't have spare cash for a few more cans of paint. Not a big deal, since the primer and paint are fairly close, especially when covered with road grime, LOL) I'll take another whack at getting the pics I've got stored posted asap.
And the more I look at it, the more I think I'll have another go at that big crack on the front. Still not noticable, EXCEPT to me. Its like the freakin "Tell Tale Heart"! LOL.

J

[kraused]

i got this glue from a local bumper repair place in town that i used to elimate all the gt moudling stipe pieceand the mustang gt off myside skirts and bumpers.This glue is flexible and is like jb weld you mix them together to make them one then spread it on and sand it down.Idon't like the gt's line were the 1.5 inch stripe goes so i opted to make it one piece.I post some pics to show ya what i mean.

[joltcola]

i've repaired ground effects before, if you guys are going for the best look with the least amount of cost here is what i would do:

goto a paint supplier, such as finishmaster or painters supply and buy the following:

sand paper: 150 and 320
Filler Flex Putty (a bondo type product only is more flexible, MAKE SURE YOUR NOT BUYING BONDO it DOES NOT stick to plastic that well)
Can of primer
and a bondo spreader
Red scuff pad(s)

if you have an air compressor and a DA this will go alot faster but if u have to do it by hand just be patient.

Sand the parts down with the 150 first, get it down to as much as the yellow as possible and get the chips as flat as possible (some will sand out) after spread the flex putty over the chips and cracks...

give the putty about 15-25 mineuts to dry. sand that down with the 150 to make it go a little faster, and dont put a lot on, a thin coat should do...mabye 2 at most.

after u have sanded it with 150, then sand it down with the 320 really good to get rid of any deep scratches from the prvious sand paper.Sadn over the 320 and throughly scuff the part with the red scuff pad.

Now take your canned primer (dont cheap out on this part, you can get nice stuff for about 16 a can.) spray 1 coat on the part, let that dry about 10 mineuts then spray another coat. if you see scratches give it a 3rd coat at most.

Now sand the primer with 320 and your ready for paint!

now if you guys want to try to match the color as best as possible dont use a spray can, you arleady have to much time and effort into this project. At least pay 100 bucks or so and take it to MAACO or any other paint shop to do ground effects should be that much, but if you wnat to keep it cheap MAACO is the way to go, you alrady prepped it yourslef all the have to do is spray it and becuae it was PREPED so well paint should stick, and it will be a basecoat/clear coat paint that should hvae lifetime warrenty. But that wil give you a better color match than any spray can will....

this is just my 2 cents. hope it helps.

[shakerhood]

The SEM39283 is too light for my Ground Effects and the next darker SEM is too dark and then there is a Bumper paint that is just not right either, I ended up using all 3 to get a close match.

[foxbody88]

that looks great man..(Props) I have an 85 gt and the front lip is like cracked and I was thinking about just getting a new one but I love to do my own work ..Any Idea's? thanx, John

[countymounty]

This was really cool thread but I fear badlandsghost has been kidnapped by wedding planers…….he might be missing for a long time……..

[BadlandsGhost]

Ah, no such luck, LOL. The wedding etc was part of it, but mainly its been a series of small to large misfortunes thats been keeping me busy offline. But the last and almost biggest has gotten me back here....(more) Car Trouble!!

J