Click for HOME

Construction Articles
All About Project33
Facts & Figures
Monthly Report
Search this Site
Helpful Tools
The P33 Toybox
Project33 Gallery
Email Project33
Progress Report

Project33
Want to know what's up with Project 33? This area is updated monthly to let you know where we're at with the project. The latest Articles are featured in the What's New? area of this site and are in reverse chronological order. To follow the build up  from "day 1", go to the From the Start link and keep clicking on "Next Article". To view Articles on a particular subject, use the Search option of this site with the area you wish to explore as your keyword.

06/24/04 Update

pntbot01.jpg (38882 bytes)

The underside of the body has been painted and it's ready to send to the paint booth! The easiest way to paint the bottom of the car is to do it while it's suspended upside-down. I decided this was something I could do to speed things along. It didn't turn out too bad for a paint job by an amateur in a dirty garage. A booth is so much nicer but I made due and will show how later.

I documented everything with photos but I'm going to wait until we get into the paint booth to cover the paint application (and the steps leading up to it) in depth. The PPG representative will be present when we paint the body to share his expertise in PPG products and their application. He'll cover what products to use on various surfaces and why, as well as the proper application techniques. We're scheduled to paint on the 17th of July and we'll be priming and blocking the body the weekend before.

I painted the floor of the body with a brilliant silver that has a fine metallic, giving it a kind of aluminum looking finish. 

The color break will be in the top center of the frame rail, so the floor will look silver while the sides retain the body color as they overlap the frame. I think it will be a nice contrast to the purple frame.

pntbot02.jpg (9305 bytes)

pntbot03.jpg (14565 bytes)

We've also sprayed the frame so I can start assembling it while the body is being finished. (more on this later too)

It went well except for a couple runs in the clear. Frames have to be the hardest piece to paint because of all the little nooks and crannies. To spray into some of these areas you inevitably get too much paint on another area.


Kids, don't be scared - this isn't the Easter Bunny from hell.

No fancy high-tech paint booth or special paint suit here - no sir, this is poverty painting at its best!

You've probably heard the old song "Smoke gets in your eyes" well, let me tell you, "Clear gets in your hair" and this was Bob's solution to the problem.


poverty_painter.jpg (11479 bytes)

ppg_p33.jpg (14954 bytes)

Oh baby, oh baby!

I won't divulge the secret formula, but I will share that there's a full ($70) bottle of pearl in every quart. So each gallon of paint contains 4 bottles of powdered pearl.

The paint looks electric! I'm so excited! These pictures don't do it justice.


What the heck is that thing?
bdycrt01.jpg (24037 bytes)

A body cart
has been built to hold the body about 17-inches off the ground while we paint. It's on 4 swivel casters and has 2 stabilizer casters in the back. The flat floor of the frame (from the firewall to the wheel wells) will be bolted to the upper outside 2x4's in two places on each side. The boards closely follow the frame rails except for the center bow. The front and rear body mounting holes will be drilled vertically through them using four 6-inch long bolts to anchor the body down.

This system allows us to roll in in and out of a trailer and in and out of the paint booth with ease. The body will sit on this cart until we're ready to place it back on the frame. All bodywork was done with the body on the car (and bolted down tight) to make sure it's correct and lines up right. The cart will only be used for priming, blocking, painting and temporary storage. The doors and deck lid will be painted off the car but at the same time as the body so the paint will be an exact match.


SNEAK PEEK!
Yup, you saw it here first. The band Aerosmith is having a custom theme bike built and here's a sneak peek at the front wheel - fresh out of the CNC milling machine. Pretty cool huh?

I'd like to build a bike sometime. It would be a fraction of the time and expense of this project.

Like the band says, "DREAM ON, DREAM ON, DREAM ON, DREAM UNTIL YOUR DREAM COMES TRUE".


areosmith.jpg (18605 bytes)

 

Until next time - Keep the shiny side up - and DREAM ON!

Scooter

Past Updates: