[slowTA]

After almost 2 years of body shop class (3 hours a week) the ugly thidgen is getting painted this week! I dropped it off with my body shop instructor today and he's taking it to his friends shop to go over all my prep work and shoot the colors. It's going to be a 'simple' 2 tone, Alloy on top (yes, a mustang color) and the bottom is a Mercedes black with an orange pin stripe in the middle. The black and alloy have a bunch of metallic flake in them.

In progress pics:
(IMG:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KLGOjJHuYCY/SsQUHPVTMkI/AAAAAAAAAp0/vjU6e3IfQYY/s640/100_0789.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--bTfbRh2TTw/SsQUh6bgSaI/AAAAAAAAAqc/NZaLqf8VljM/s640/100_0798.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pF_wd5M4LBM/S7u3CRON9tI/AAAAAAAAA5E/xjQtBmvKQa8/s720/4-3-10.jpg)
(IMG:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z31Ea_0kFyc/S7ffEsYZRhI/AAAAAAAAA5U/UThhXMRZy3o/s640/IMG_0021.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SMt8QlWQhaA/TA8MSFRNMUI/AAAAAAAAA9M/lVztcy6RpB8/s720/6-4-10.jpg)
(IMG:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XZNnhBQMdT8/Thpi4PkLC1I/AAAAAAAABXE/j8v6POX3Duk/s800/2011-05-07_12-11-43_299.jpg)
(IMG:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y_Xd0tmy3F4/ThpaqhxFxgI/AAAAAAAABWo/l32eYT7myYo/s720/6-4-2011.jpg)
(IMG:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zrhAFGBe7pU/Thpa7IQ4wJI/AAAAAAAABWs/k7SZ01-rSdo/s640/IMG_0606.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i7IaMPqD9O0/ThpeWMrFEoI/AAAAAAAABW8/NQaFXFgbxsk/s640/IMG_0603.JPG)

Obviously I kept it drivable during these 2 years, also used a bunch of time to fit the 315's and Unbalanced Torque Arm so that should explain why it took so long. I painted the bumper covers and headlight doors above, and yes it looks like the same color at a distance... without the stripe it might look like one big strand of carbon fiber. I should get it back either the end of this week or early next week, then I'll toss it back together and bring it to a friend for the pinstripe.

[198esp]

you know all that paint is only going to slow you down, cant wait to see it all done

[slowTA]

you know all that paint is only going to slow you down, cant wait to see it all done

Shows what you know... now it will slip through the air better!!!


(IMG:https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zDZgCJXZxuk/Tiy7XCkFE7I/AAAAAAAABZk/0jWTAJHXpDE/s640/IMG_0607-1.jpg)
(IMG:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3Lfw9_Ug3f4/Tiy9BJfAAxI/AAAAAAAABbU/0mrsjuyuUdM/s640/IMG_0619.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FRdIzLvwA6M/Tiy8j2jfDkI/AAAAAAAABaQ/YduC5XoU6bM/s640/IMG_0608.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LP0bH1xpr78/Tiy9CRwyVeI/AAAAAAAABbY/ivU593z-wbc/s640/IMG_0621.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iBJSwNOxbEg/Tiy8u1BhmfI/AAAAAAAABao/cbt6XN6Z42s/s640/IMG_0612.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xM1VXYH5HDk/Tiy8vPIi6aI/AAAAAAAABas/mbaqkTXDz8M/s640/IMG_0611.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3VGOGPrhx5M/Tiy8zeEejvI/AAAAAAAABaw/3XCE_4XqaHc/s640/IMG_0614.JPG)
(IMG:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_YPITmiGcUU/Tiy8ptI94iI/AAAAAAAABac/a-bG-qoGF4U/s640/IMG_0610.JPG)

It looks great considering I did all the prep work but the painter and I had a few miscommunications. He just masked the driver's door handle instead of taking it off, he faded the door jambs color change instead of masking for a straight line, painted the hood jamb black instead of running the gray down to the edge of the fender, and for some reason you can see a masking tape line in the hatch jamb (that I shot myself ahead of time.)

I changed all the body gaskets and now the doors are REALLY hard to close with the windows up. I know they'll get better with time, but now the windows wont even go up all the way with the doors closed. I'm sure there is some more adjustments I can make in the doors, but damned if I know how to set them right! The hatch was OK to close with the new gasket, but once I put all the trim back in it got pretty bad! The pull down motor doesn't work but it was set to about the right height, maybe I should consider fixing it?