Hey everyone...Just got my baby back from the paint shop yesterday and couldn't wait to put the tires on and snap some pics! Still have to fully assemble the front clip and put the bumpers on, but she sure is purdy!!!

Thanks again for everyone's help along the way! It really has made a difference!

 

Lookin good, great paint job. Send more pictures when done

 

I have to ask.
How much was the paint job?
Any major repairs?
Did you do it with the fenders and hood off?
If so, how much was it to put them back on and realign everything?
Thanks, mine is about to go the the paint shop, very soon.
And of course yours looks super!!!

 

Thanks for the compliments! Like most Olds my needed patches on the front fenders. They tend to accumulate leaves and gunk in there and rust out. Luckily mine was garaged most of it's life and just the skins needed to be repaired and not the braces. The car was formerly a vinyl top so there was leaking around the back window and I had to have the metal between the trunk lid and window replaced as well.

Also the hood I got from The Parts Place Inc. turned out to be junk and the shop had to repair that too. (Remember kids "Just Say no to The Parts Place Inc.")

Keep in mind I'm friends with the shop owners and their family. They did all of the work with panels off then installed and realigned.

For all of the rust repair, new seal all around, hood repair, mounting the spoiler and the sport mirrors, paint on the wheels, full frame paint and control arms, fire wall, air cleaner, glass removal and installation, and factory stripes (not decals) it was about $6,500. They also used very top-quality paint. Oh, and they also installed the engine and trans for me before assembling the front end and hood.

I imagine that if anyone else would have done what they did for me it would be starting around $10K. Most of my money went into materials.

 

Wow! Looks great!

 

Looks real nice..Turned out great

 

Your car looks very good, lucky to have friends like that.

 

Very nice

Tell your friends at the body shop, I'm avaliable for adoption?

 

Very nice, I know you are pleased.

 

Very nice.I'd be scared to drive it! LOL

 

Thanks for the compliments everyone! I'll definitely be sure to pass along the positive feedback to the shop. The brothers that own it are really good honest people and work hard.

Last year they found out that their mom had a brain tumor and needed a risky surgery. She came through and to make her feel better their dad found an old 69' Chevelle in a field with no front clip all rust out. He had the boys rebuilt it from the ground up, drop in a vette motor, and they gave it to her after her surgery. She later entered it in the Portland Oregon auto show and took 2nd place.

 

Exactly, I am scared to even wash it at this point. I'm wondering if I shoulda done a cheap paint job and kept my peace of mind.

 

Wow - very spiffy looking! Love the color and the painted stripes!
They did a great job from what I see. What kind of paint did they use?
I agree - for that price I would also be scared to drive it!!

It looks like I was not the only one to have said that about the PP...

 

That is a really nice looking car...

 

Sweet! If I were you I would invest in a Phalanx cannon that can shoot all of the incoming birds. I would be worried about getting it dirty.

 

Thanks! It definitely came out better than I had expected. And yes, I'm afraid of driving it because of the dreaded rock chips. But what can ya do? If I keep it in the garage it defeats the purpose. I may end up having a clear 3M bra put on it, but I haven't decided yet. I don't really like those things. As far as the birds go, I'll have to be conscious of where I park and keep it away from powerlines!

They used Standox paint by Dupont. The clearcoat on it has a lot of depth and really holds up. They gave me some metal test panels from some other colors I was considering and I did some experiments with keys, chemicals, and dust and the panels passed the test. I've read a few reviews on that paint as well and all were positive!

 

Enjoy your car thats what you bought if for. My 57 is pristine as will be my 48 but they will both be daily drivers. I have to drive them rock chips be what the may.

 

Awesome paint.

 

Very nice. Is that a stock color, and if so what's it called? Chumley

 

The color of the car is a stock color for a 69' 442. It's called Aztec gold. Also, it's not very visible in the pictures, but the black stripes are a metal flake black. When the sun hits it, they really stand out compared to the gold.

It's a really great color and hides imperfections very well.

 

Yeah, I plan on driving it and not worrying about the little chips. Although...only on sunny days!

Also, Ben thanks for the compliments I appreciate it. I'll be posting more pictures as i get the chrome and front clip on it!

 

Somebody is gonna get laid.
Good luck.

 

Ha, Thanks. That's not the overall goal, but I definitely wouldn't turn away a good looking gal that truly appreciates an Olds Cutlass!

 

wow!

 

Actually, I really like that color. It might look good on my 71 instead of the Sandalwood color it is right now (less the stripes of course).

When are you allowed to wash and wax it?

 

Yeah go for it! 71' and 72' CS are the same so consider mine a preview.

I like the way the 442 stripes look, but it's all about personal preference. I was originally going to go with a light mint metallic green with gold stripes, but I'm glad I went this color. Maybe my next project I'll go with the green.

I believe that I can wash it anytime. It's a 2 stage paint and from my understanding it fully cures with in a day or so. To be on the safe side however, I don't plan on washing it for month or so. I still have to get the engine fired up and get the front clip all assembled.

 

I remember the excitement and satisfaction I felt after getting my '71 Cutlass back from the shop (27 years ago). I know you are very happy with it. That is really a nice color but the mint/metallic green with gold stripes would have been interesting to see.

 

Ha! Yeah, I agree! The paint samples the shop sprayed out for me looked pretty good.

The only problem I saw was that I have that saddle colored interior and I wasn't sure if it would look good with the green and gold stripes, so I chickend out and went with the Aztec gold. I think on my next project I might give that combination a try. I may even try to convince my pops of doing his 442 in that color, but I think he's set on white.

 

Now that's drop dead gorgeous! Well done!

 

Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it. It's taken me almost a year to go through, but she's getting there.

 

Car looks awesome so far. for the work they did that's a super cheap price. Paint and materials alone are at least a third of that. Standox is about the best out there next to Spies Hecker and Glasurit. They must be a quality shop is they're using Standox.

 

Sweet ride, nice paint. Enjoy

 

Glad you like the car! I appreciate the feedback.

The shop I used is awesome. The guys have a genuine passion for hot rods and you can tell that they look at cars as more than just a job. I really lucked out. That Standox paint did make up a good portion of the cost.

 

Thanks man, I appreciate it.

I'm out of town this week for work, but when I get home I'm going to work on getting the chrome on her and getting the bumpers on. I'll post new pics once I get all of that done.

 

Great looking car!

 

And a great car!
Great work!

 

Great car. Great motivation for the rest of us trying to finish our projects. Definitely post pics when you get it together.

 

Wow! That's flippin' gorgeous! I love that color!

 

Car looks great now throw a couple shims under the upper fender bolt to get that hood to match the fenders...

 

Very nice. Good luck with it. Hopefully I'll be getting my 442 out of the body shop soon.