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My GY8 '71 Road Runner

Still plugging away at getting my car ready for final bodywork and then on to paint. I received a sample of paint from Chad’s. It’s GY8 Gold Lead Poly (Metallic) - the original color of my car. When I went to spray it, I ran into some issues. The paint was basically spattering out of my gun. I tried everything I know (which is limited) to get it to spray correctly. The only thing I can figure that caused the issue was the screen filter in the pps lid. It looks like the metallics got hung up and clogged the screen. I was able to get a rough representation of how the paint looks though.

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Looks good to me! Onward and upward…
 
Ugh!!! I mulled over this for years, going back and forth. I really like the gold, especially with the black strobe stripe. I also like how the gold looks different depending on the light; sometimes, greenish, sometimes brownish, sometimes straight gold. Plus, you don’t see it that often.
 
I’m still cracking on. After last weeks fiasco; new tank of mig gas turned out to be a dud, forgot to add reducer into sample of paint before spray out, re-learning how to tig after not touching one for about 15 years… I was able to actually make some progress this week. I got another sample of paint and mixed it with reducer, this time, and sprayed another card and a junk front valance I have. Sprayed much better, go figure. I also started seam sealing everything. I decided to tape-off the seams on the floors, arches and trunk to keep the mess to a minimum.

Second spray-out of sample. I sprayed some clear on the bottom halves of each:

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Clear on bottom half:
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Taped up, yes I have OCD:
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Sealer applied:
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I have a custom mixed spray can of GY8 that I got a few years ago. The color looks more greenish to me.

Spray can mix on left:

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Spray can compared to panel I just sprayed:
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Not sure which is closer to factory? I’m thinking the sample I got is.
 
Ugh!!! I mulled over this for years, going back and forth. I really like the gold, especially with the black strobe stripe. I also like how the gold looks different depending on the light; sometimes, greenish, sometimes brownish, sometimes straight gold. Plus, you don’t see it that often.
Have you done much car painting before? Keep in mind the difficulty with high metallics. Your latest spray out card looks like you have some mottling going on. Also keep in mind as you need to spray the whole exterior of the car at once with a high metallic to get it to look right. You have to have your technique and gun settings really dialed in or some sharper contours or areas on the car can get kind a buildup of dry spray that can look like sandpaper, or you pile it on too thick and get mottling and tiger striping. I love the gold color too, but be prepared for some re-dos if you don't have good experience with painting. I have been down this road with a high metallic gold car and I did end up respraying the whole exterior. If you want an easier painting experience and a guaranteed way to get an excellent finish I would go with a single stage, non-metallic color.

Just figured I would give you some input I wish I had before I attempted my gold paint job that I did. Love your build thread btw. I am sure it will turn out great either way. It sure looks like it has been a long hard road with this one.
 
It’s all in the lighting. I have a GY8 71 and in the light in gives off a greenish hue.. I will post pics from my PC. My car has green interior and I am keeping it as it was from the factory.. Here is one outdoors in normal light..

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Here it is in indoor lighting...

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Have you done much car painting before? Keep in mind the difficulty with high metallics. Your latest spray out card looks like you have some mottling going on. Also keep in mind as you need to spray the whole exterior of the car at once with a high metallic to get it to look right. You have to have your technique and gun settings really dialed in or some sharper contours or areas on the car can get kind a buildup of dry spray that can look like sandpaper, or you pile it on too thick and get mottling and tiger striping. I love the gold color too, but be prepared for some re-dos if you don't have good experience with painting. I have been down this road with a high metallic gold car and I did end up respraying the whole exterior. If you want an easier painting experience and a guaranteed way to get an excellent finish I would go with a single stage, non-metallic color.

Just figured I would give you some input I wish I had before I attempted my gold paint job that I did. Love your build thread btw. I am sure it will turn out great either way. It sure looks like it has been a long hard road with this one.
I don't have much experience at all. I'm well aware of the difficulty in painting metallics. I plan on doing a lot of practice before spraying my car. Thank you for the input.
 
I don't have much experience at all. I'm well aware of the difficulty in painting metallics. I plan on doing a lot of practice before spraying my car. Thank you for the input.
Nice, that practice will help a ton. I was spraying ash gold on my 68 Buick and it looks like a very similar color to the GY3. I love how it changes color with different lighting. Once I adjusted my spray pattern to have less material and finer droplets, and started gong to a 70-75% overlap and really kept things moving is when it turned out really good. From my experience if you can see any sort of tiger striping in the base coat it will be accentuated by the clear coat when it is put on, because of the depth of the clear.
 
Thank you for the info! Everything I’ve been able to read, watch, etc. has said the same. There is a definite technique to spraying metallics.
 
Well, I guess I’m committed (or should be) now!
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I’m finishing up the seams and then on to filler work.
 
Good choices. Curious why you went with the Euro clear over their Universal clear?
 
Good choices. Curious why you went with the Euro clear over their Universal clear?
I was thinking Universal too but the guys on the SPI forum recommended I go with the Euro for my first attempt at painting. From my understanding, it’s a lot more forgiving than the Universal.
 
I finished up seam sealing and now on to wrapping up a few odds and ends that I missed. I rewelded in the wire covers on the floorboard/rocker area (didn’t take photos) and remade a wire bracket that was missing from the radiator support that I recently noticed. I also welded up a pinhole in the roof (no photo).

MIA wire bracket:
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This is what is missing:
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Best I could come up with:
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A little plastidip and Bob’s your uncle:
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I have to add one more wire bracket to the driver’s side inner rear wheel well.

Thanks for looking!
 
I was thinking Universal too but the guys on the SPI forum recommended I go with the Euro for my first attempt at painting. From my understanding, it’s a lot more forgiving than the Universal.
I can confirm what you know about the universal first hand. That universal clear is THICK. To be used by way more of a professional than me. At least if you want off gun slick slick paint. I’m a very talented buffer. Mid range painter. Glad to see all the SPI stuff. Barry will answer a text about his product during church on sunday. Again. First hand experience.
 
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