Platinum69

Has anyone done something stupid when assembling your car after new paint? I pushed on the eyebrow mounting lip on fender to make molding fit better and cracked the paint. Someone please make me feel better!

Jon442

Can you post a photo? That might be helpful.

Platinum69

guy who painted it said he can fix it.

don71

Those things can and do happen. Its a scary careful time when you get this close to the finish line. You did the right thing getting your painter involved because he knows what is there and how to deal with it, versus going somewhere/someone else.

Please share with us some photos when you get to the point of finishing. I feel an Olds in silver with some black stripes is pretty darn good looking.

chip-powell

Please don't make me worry too.

My painter just called yesterday saying that my Cutlass is ready. I've got all my chrome set aside just waiting for me to put her back together. I can't wait to get started.

allyolds68

My painter told me six weeks. I sent him the car in early winter. Six months later in July it was finally done. I went to look at it and he buffed through the clear in two places. He told me to take the car and he'd fix it the following winter. I reassembled the whole car (everything was removed so it could be painted correctly) and drove it the rest of the late summer and fall. I brought it back for the two week repair job. A month later he called me and told me after prepping the entire car he reshot it and he didn't properly clean his clear gun from the previous job and there was metal flake all through the clear. He kept it another three months and I got it back in early spring. The paint looks like **** and I've resigned myself to the fact that I got what I paid for for $6500. The nice thing is I drive it and don't worry about the little things. Everyone tells me it looks great. I'm pretty sure they're lying to make me feel good

A good dentless repair place can fix that cracked paint for $100

oddball

**** happens. That will probably need to go back to the painter for repair.
My painter was nice enough to specifically tell me to drill out those holes before putting that molding on. Take your time with all the trim and don't force anything.

442Harv

When my son had his Chevelle painted, he also had to replace many of the emblems. We learned the hard way, fit them before painting. Many of the holes, of the aftermarket one were different. On one on the trunk, had to cut off one of the fastening posts.

olds 307 and 403

This does happen, post some pics, it might not be as bad as you think. My BIL had issues on his VW, knew a real good guy but someone else has ended up painting it at the shop, less than stellar results. A good painter is hard to find.

allyolds68

The paint isn't bad, it's just not what I expected. I wasn't thrilled that when he cleared it the third time he didn't removed everything either....some things, but not everything

bry593

I've painted a lot of cars, and exercised plenty of poor judgement that resulted in later good judgement. i.e. lacquer thinner and enamel reducer are not the same thing <- early lesson age 14. Live and learn, **** happens.
One of the things I learned is to accept the fact that your paint is bound to get damaged. My dad used to joke that I should take a handful of gravel and throw it at my fresh paint job so that I wouldn't feel bad about driving it. Of course I never did that, but I did eventually get to a mental place where a parking lot ding or stone chips in the header panel were no longer a big deal. That said, my cars are drivers. I've never owned anything concours and if I did, wouldn't drive it. That would have to be an "investment". My current 442 has paint chips, cracks, a few rust bubbles, etc. No big deal, still looks good from 10 feet.

And yes, always fit your moldings before painting. Especially when dealing with aftermarket crap reproductions.

allyolds68

The guy that did my car has so much paint on it that by the third time that I had to file out some of the molding holes to get the fastener studs in

bry593

Sounds like a Johnny Cash song, "when we tried to put on the molding, all the holes were gone".... One piece at a time

droldsmorland

Ive seen it in person. Still a pretty car Mike, with a child seat strapped in and stick to boot.

Kensey

1. It's done, can't undo it.
2. There's always that "first scratch" or whatever. You're just ahead of schedule, congrats!
3. You can't have nothin' nice...