Getting there

[NoCoWillys]

I cleaned and primed yesterday, shooting color today!� 8-)

[1955CJ-5]

It looks good!�

Did you use an epoxy primer?

How are you able to move the tub around?

I was thinking about this earlier today and I thought that maybe it would be easier to do the interior if the tub were on it's side....and there you are , doing it!

I'm guessing that the interior primer�does not require sanding..that just seems like it would be an enormous pain..

[NoCoWillys]

[NoCoWillys]

And with clear on!  Thanks!  Once I started spraying I didn't move it any.  I just ran around it.  I only did the top and bottom.  I'm going to come back through and mask off and do the sides after everything has cured and then blend in the clear coat with the body up on stands.   

I had primered the bottom with 3 coats of epoxy primer (eastwood) a few weeks ago so I scuffed it up with a red scotchbrite pad. Everything I read that was all I had to do to prep it since it had been so long since I had sprayed it.  I then wiped everything down with Pre grease and wax remover and hosed it all down with air.  Since I hadn't done the top, I did 3 coats of epoxy on there, then came back and put a fourth coat on the bottom to make a good bond with the my next step. The epoxy sticks nicely.  After the 3 coats on the top and the 4th on the bottom I waited 30-45 minutes and started spraying 2k urethane primer. I did 3 coats top and bottom with that.  This was again eastwoods.  I found this to be the most difficult.  It sprayed slow and didn't run, but was a pain.  I eventually switched back to my cheap harbor freight gun that spews paint like the end of the world is coming.  With the increase flow I was able to get good coats down.  I finished up around 6pm Saturday night with the last coat of 2k primer.  I was beat so couldn't keep going.  According to eastwood, I have an 18 hour window to spray on top of it before I have to sand.  I got up early this morning well within the window, but looking it over and feeling it, it felt very dry to me.  So I brought out a fresh scotchbrite and rubbed everything down after sanding flat a few runs.   Next came the base coat.  I ended up going with TCPGlobal's mix for Normandy Blue.  I think it looks great.  I don't know if it's exact or not.  I can't even be sure of what color my 3a was originally. I'm happy with the color.  I had it at my door in about 5 days.  After 3 wet coats of color I switched to clear and put down 3 wet coats of it.  It started getting a little windy later this afternoon and I got some dust and cotton fluff in the clear coat but I don't think it's too bad.  A little polishing and mud from the trails and noone will know!

[NoCoWillys]

As far as moving the tub around, I usually get a few friends over.  Yesterday when I pulled it off the saw horses, I used an engine hoist on one end and lowered it slowly. The biggest pain I ran into and I think having it on the side like this made it easier was paining behind the dash.  Getting the underside of the top cowl isn't too bad, but getting the dash ends up being "good enough."  Unless you got a really tiny gun, maybe a air brush gun?  You just don't have the room to easily get in there. 

[1955CJ-5]

Well, it looks great! That clear sure makes it shine...

I too have used the 2k epoxy primer from eastwood, but I'll have to look into the urethane..

Why not spray the color directly over the epoxy?

This is all completely new to me.....

[NoCoWillys]

Someone with more painting experience may chime in, but that's what eastwood recommended.  The urethane primer certainly fills more and covered up some of the stuff I left behind on the body work.  For our purposes, I think base over the epoxy (assuming it's still in the window to topcoat) is just fine.  I also used the extra coats of primer as practice before getting to the expensive base. I would have had the option to block sand out anything I didn't like after the coats too. 

[1955CJ-5]

Thanks....I think you are right. If the finished product will be scratched by bushes, driven on dirt/gravel roads, rained on etc etc...then a perfect show quality paint job would just make you cry.....

Keep posting pictures!

[macrisel]

Well, it looks great! That clear sure makes it shine...

I too have used the 2k epoxy primer from eastwood, but I'll have to look into the urethane..

Why not spray the color directly over the epoxy?

This is all completely new to me.....

While you certainly can spray base/clear over epoxy, I would HIGHLY recommend against.� Most all epoxy primers are very thin and will actually highlight any scratches (especially sanding/grinding scratches), dents, dings or any imperfections.� A good urathane filler primer can fill in most all scratches......even ones left from sanding bondo with 80 grit paper.

It is another step, but if you have put the work in to take it this far, what is another week of prep?

[1955CJ-5]

I'm limited to whatever I can get in a spray can...U-POL #5 looks like a good product...it's expensive enough...

[NoCoWillys]

It's pretty expensive but Eastwood sells a bunch of their 2k products in a can.  You puncture an internal container, the two components mix in the right proportions and sprays somewhat like normal spray paint.  I picked up two cans of their epoxy primer to get into hard areas like inside the tool box and behind the dash.  It went a lot farther on one can than I though. So much that I still have one can.  At $19 a can, that's a good thing.  One option though.  You can at least get a good base under everything.  Looks like there are companies that sell 2k paints that can be mixed and put in cans:
http://www.66autocolor.com/SprayMax_2K_Aerosol_Auto_Paint_by_U_S_Chemical_p/spm-mix2k.htm

An option.  I found using the eastwood evolution spray gun:
http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-evolution-paint-gun.html

I as a first time painter got a fairly decent paint job.  I won't win any awards but I didn't get any runs and am happy with the result.  Can't really beat it for $70.

[NoCoWillys]

I got some more done tonight.� I've been fighting over how to fix the bubba grill on my 3a since I took everything off it to get it blasted.� Here was what I found when I dug into the parking lights.



Looks like some previous owner decided to upgrade to turn signals and bought some parking light assembly off a store shelf and cut everything to fit.� Worked great until it started rusting out.



I can't get into it to replace the wiring and repair the rusted out bulb socket either.

[NoCoWillys]

So after deciding not to shell out the cash and replace the whole grill I decided on two of these parking light assemblies for an early cj5.  I picked them up from Walcks.




Of course they were smaller than the monstrosities I removed.  Two hole saws and some filing later:






I'll weld them in and grind it down level tomorrow after work.  I'll fill the other mess of screw holes as well.

[1955CJ-5]

Neat patch...and thanks for the info on the primers etc...

I've already used the eastwood 2k and will use more..I hope it holds up. Everyone tells me to put the epoxy under the filler, but then i guess you are relying on the epoxy for adhesion...

Those light assy's that you took out look like my '55 cj-5 lights..I'll have to measure them...

[macrisel]

Very nice work so far!