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Reply to "Maui garage find Intermeccanica rebuild"

Alright, the fiberglass grinding, repair and smoothing is complete and the painting process has begun. Here's a short update. I look forward to your observations and suggestions. Thanks again to everyone for your guidance!

PAINTING GOAL
Goal is daily driver good. Skill level just ok, shot an old Porsche turbo at home 10 years ago in RI with compressor and Devilbis Finishline. I got a lot of experience with sanding out drips.

EQUIPMENT & ENVIRONMENT
Fuji mini-mite 4 platinum turbine, T75G HVLP gun with 1.3mm, 1.5mm and 2.0mm tips in temp tarp paint shed in back yard. On dry side of island with infrequent rain, temps mid-70s - 90. Humidity between mid-50s-70.

PRODUCTS
Using mostly Southern Polyurethanes (SPI) products: Wax & Grease Remover, Epoxy Primer, 2k Regular Build Primer, and Universal Clearcoat with slow activators.
Filler on top of the epoxy is Evercoat Rage Ultra.
Base coat is PPG Deltron Porsche Arctic Silver 92U with DT885 (70*-85* F) reducer

PROGRESS SO FAR
Shot 3 coats of epoxy w/1.5mm tip and the Fuji worked just fine. I used almost exactly 2100cc mixed per coat. I'm buying another qt of epoxy and activator so I'll have enough for a 10% reduced (PPG DT885) sealing coat before the base coat. I like the convenience, size and noise level of the Fuji. Turbines have a reputation for putting out a very dry, oil-free but warmer flow of air. The Fuji Platinum series has a "heat dissipation chamber (TM)" to address the issue of the warmer air. In my experience so far, it hasn't been a problem. The epoxy coat is amazingly tough - reminds me of very smooth, warm concrete. I'm thinking about painting the tarps on my paint shed with it and renting the new cottage out to island visitors :-)

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
I can't say enough good things about the SPI folks. They provide super high end products that are showcased at concours events, but answer the phone on the first ring and are willing to talk you through the pros and cons of every step. I grew up in NC and these guys are based in Georgia. They remind me of what southern hospitality still means in some places. They provide tons of documentation and recommendations including some that are extremely specific (like ONLY use the 1.4mm tip with Universal Clearcoat). Since Fuji doesn't make a 1.4mm tip for the T75G gun, I called and they talked me through the choices and we ended up with the 1.5mm tip and slightly reduced fluid flow (and maybe slightly higher painting speed). They said to do some test panels with the goal of wet coats with no drips - easy peasy... I felt much better and was glad that I hadn't just gone ahead without chatting with the experts.

NEXT STEPS
I've got some obligations that will put the painting on hold for a few weeks. When I get back to it, the SPI folks said to just scruff up the epoxy with red scotch-brite pads before starting the filling and sanding work. I really glad that the fiberglass repairs are complete and the car is all sealed up.

MikeIMG_20190308_160114IMG_20190308_172830

One of my buddies saw this picture and commented on my choice of using white for the epoxy coat: "These are not the droids you are looking for. Move along."

IMG_20190308_155033

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