Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

thanks! she's getting there

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looks great. I went a similar route under my Suburban. I coated the body, fenders, splash pans and running boards. It's held up great for the 2,500 miles worth of road grime.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looks good. Truck is coming along nice. I plan on using some type of bed liner material on the 57 I am doing. What type gun did you spray it on with? Steve

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Interesting stuff eh, I think Lizard shin works great IMO.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

after reading all the comments, i used the gun they sell. worked great, they even specify exactly how many turns on setting to set it up.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Thank You. Steve

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Sprayed over the LizardSkin with Summit Racing single stage satin black this afternoon. That should help it clean up better! Also means the cab is ready to set back on the chassis for good!

The varying texture of the lizard skin took the paint a little differently and created some more and less shiny spots. Not a big deal under the truck, just heads up to anyone doing the same.

https://i.imgur.com/IylRQp4.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/yTdFJcl.jpeg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

well ... crap ...

things were going quite well yesterday, for a while. i had high hopes and solid ambition to get as many smaller parts painted as possible. figured i'd start by finishing off the only remining orange bits. tent up, heater staged, lights, parts cleaned, primed, even got a really good couple layers of paint laid down. then it wouldn't cure enough for me to flip them over, to finish. i started cleaning up more parts for black, but only got them into primer in the shop before i had to just bring the orange in without flipping for the night. so i still need to paint the other side hopefully tonight.

then i wake up at 12:15 to a storm, i thought it was only supposed to just rain. that ends and you can see a bigger stronger cell coming behind now and more wind predicted. so 12:30 and i'm out there taking the stupid tent down, got all wound up, couldn't get back to sleep, and here i am typing this at work half asleep ... :facepalm:

https://i.imgur.com/jTdSrhN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rpNIzWu.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

That sucks... having to tear down the paint booth in the middle of the night.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

That's my kind of luck. Sorry to hear that. At least it was warm enough there to do it outside. Yesterday winter finally caught up with us here. I was changing the oil in the wife's Excursion and it was 24*. Big fun. Some idiot has the garage/shop full of chevys torn apart. :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

ok, so new plan ... the tent, it's out ... going to build a large, foldable for easy storage, spray booth so i can just shoot paint in the garage.

3 4x8 sheets of white 1/8" wall board, hinges, some duct tape, a few box fans, furnace filters, and i should be back in business. i gota make it big enough to paint an axle in, and hopefully i can keep it together and use it for future projects.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Sounds like it'll work. I was planning on hanging plastic sheeting from the ceiling if I ever get to that point. Actually I did do that once to paint a Ford that was being built in my shop.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

got my booth all set up last night! the fans are on the back just hanging from some hooks, and i put a lazy susan bearing on my stand to spin things. before i paint i'll cover the floor with something, and hang a drop cloth on the garage door behind the fans to make sure nothing sticks to the door.

she even folds up nice to store it for later.

https://i.imgur.com/rgL6ByB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HcYvnma.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

with any luck i can get osme guys over to help me set the cab back down the right way here in the next day or 2 ... getting that on the chassis opens up a TON of space in my shop, plus i can open even more by storing stuff in the cab still i move in to work in there.

this painting crap is really a pain and taking a while to deal with ...

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

So you type your story at work as well eh! Guess I'm not the only one lol.
Ya boy does that wind me up as well, middle of the night hearing a storm coming remembering you have something out side that might not be there in the morning. I like your spray booth idea, how does it seem to work?

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

doesn't everyone? :lol:

i wasn't really worried about the tent, if it died it died ... but if it blew away in the direction it would have, it might have bounced off of 3 other vehicles and the Airstream :(

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I thought it was required

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Things happened!! Now the only big thing between me and final assembly to drive it is paint work.

https://i.imgur.com/r5F7P8d.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Very nice!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

What's this paint work you speak of?? Your not leaving the body alone? The body looks great resting on the frame.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Body stays as-is! well, for the most part, i plan to CLR scrub it and then that patina-sauce stuff. all the suspension and brackets however still need painted black. this whole using real paint thing is labor intensive :lol:

plus the wife is pretty adamite that i fully clean and paint the whole inside too. ugh

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Fair enough...carry on. Yes, I'm adding seat belts as the wifey has suggested "several" times we need seat belts.

It is a nice driving experience to have a clean painted interior with the modern amenities like heat and AC oh and some tunes.

I like where this one is headed.

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so far i think I've settled on Restomod Air for the HVAC, the Bantam S. should even fit with the crazy doghouse i have for around the 12V.

https://restomodair.com/shopproducts...ioning-system/

also agreed on tunes, but no clue how exactly yet. either something with wireless android auto and a screen that hangs down below the dash, or a RetroSound with bluetooth and a nice phone mount. either way i have a 10" slib sub kicking around from way back that i accidentally bought and will finally get used!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

frame looks awesome under there. you may need skis for the rockers though, haha.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

If there's snow when she's ready for a drive, then skis it is!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Painting is progressing slowly ... Stupid dry times n not enough space. But the spray booth is working great! Its really good, just gota stage the crap out of everything before ya start.

https://i.imgur.com/xXs0lDA.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/0w7aKWl.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/NgoSeKE.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/inSsO5J.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/dhNKzEY.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/RzaMXnR.jpeg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looking great! You are making quick work of it. I wish I could have mine moving at that rate.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

More parts in black! But these aren't done and need flipped to paint the other side. Even rattle can'd the mock-up drive shafts to look better in pictures �� though they will get driven on until I can be sure nothing major is changing.

EDIT: it's interesting looking at the pics now vs how they dried. this paint sprays and looks almost hammered finish to start, but by the time it dries it's only a mild peal look. the picture of the LCA shows it mid-leveling

https://i.imgur.com/DUpW1DK.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/vRJXs82.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/3s5KG0O.jpeg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

And One more post before the Monday morning slackers check in from work. :Lol:

Super happy about the look of the satin black paint against the gloss metallic orange! The wife was less happy to see all my newly painted parts stacked in the guest room though ;)

https://i.imgur.com/5IZPcxG.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/kW5Duls.jpeg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

woke up this morning and was apparently more motivated than usual with my alarm. didn't even think about it til i woke up, but i flipped and painted all the last batch of parts. by the time i get home they'll be dry enough to move around and start the next batch!

i could actually get the front end supporting it's own weight now, but the rear still needs the trailing arms and axle painted. also need to do the transmission crossmember and mount. so getting close.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Yep.... I'm one of those slackers in question. I also really like the black against the orange. Maybe because it my Alma Matter colors.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I'm pretty sure Restomodair will loan you an empty condenser (housing) to check fitment. I looked them when I was deciding.

Thanks
Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

they will, and that's one of the major reasons why i want to use them. i've been waiting to order that until it was really time to fit it, but i guess that time is rapidly approaching!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

It's all turning out really nice!! What fan are you using behind your paint wall?

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

just cheap-o old box fans. i thought they were 24x24, but are actually like 20x20. they are just hanging from some hooks i made from some old romex wire.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

you ever screw it up? i screwed it up ...

so Sunday i got parts flipped and fully painted, and they cured over night. Sunday morning i was anxious to start the next batch and moved all the "cured" parts into the guest room. i stacked some parts to take up less space and be ready for the next batch coming ... and that was it, fail. the stuff won't take fingerprints after a few hours, but it's 18-24h for a full cure at 70deg, and my garage/house is not. they freaking stuck together and now i have to do touchup work. uuuugghhhh.

https://i.imgur.com/KoxZ3sw.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

That is why we cant have nice things.....

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

i know right!!

:lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Would that still have happened with rattle can paint? Probably