——- Sorry I did not get something out last Friday but we had a work interview with a potential employee here at GYR. ——
After the lead process is all done and all the metal has been cleaned and prepped, we then start the paint process. At Graveyard Run Restorations, we start our paint process by laying a coat of epoxy primer on the entire body while in bare metal. Once the epoxy primer has been applied and dried, we then start block sanding everything out and applying shadow casting. Once the block sanding and shadow casting is done, we then use our hands to feel for any imperfection. We then roll the body and all parts into the paint booth for the paint process.
Once in the paint booth, we will then apply an epoxy sealer to the entire car. Most of the time the body is on a rotisserie so it makes it easier for us to paint the undercarriage of the car first. With the epoxy sealer applied, we then have to wet sand, clean, clean, and clean again. Then all the body except the undercarriage is taped up and painted in black, red oxide or in the color of the body, whichever the manufacture called for. Once the undercarriage is painted, we then bake it and dry it again. After the undercarriage is taped up, we start on the outside body of the car. Everything is really perfected and gone over and cleaned again, then checked for any imperfections before applying any paint. If we are doing a single stage paint job, then we apply single stage paint (which has the base coat and clear coat mixed together). For a custom Hotrod, we use a two-stage basecoat/clear coat process. With the basecoat/ clear coat process, we apply the base coat, sand for any dirt specks, and then apply a clear coat. After the clear coat is dry, we wet sand with 600 grit and then allow everything to sit for 2 or more weeks to shrink up. If the car is an older vintage vehicle, at Graveyard Run Restorations we go through a process that gets a single stage paint, much like the original paint was done. Once that paint is dry, we then wet sand the car down with 600 grit and leave it to sit for two weeks or longer to cure. After the paint has cured, we then re-paint with an additional flow coat of clear (this process can take up to 3 to 6 coats of clear) and once the clear is dry, it only gets wet sanded with up to 5000 grit. After sanding, we then buff the car using a 3-step process starting with rubbing compound, followed by hand polishing, and then a final buffing that gives you a deep glossy finish.
Look for our next blog on October 16th, 2020 for more about our Frame-Off Restorations Process.
Rachel Richardson and the GYR gang