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