Back in beige

[Gary71]

So in summary make it perfect then let time and usage age the paint.

[Darren65]

I couldn't agree with Gary more.

Seeing final colour on a car is always the 'money shot' however this is just a small percentage of the work required.

Agreed, when the cars first left the factory they may have had a little orange peel, the occasional small paint run and the odd blemish although this would have been rare and the cars obviously looked 'new' and in showroom condition. Panels would have been totally flat and a perfect fit, along with perfect gaps etc....'perfect' meaning to most eyes! At the end of the day, Porsche sold a quality, premium product.

Painting a restoration you have a blend of old and new metal, worn hinges and less than perfect new panels that have been blended together as best possible etc etc.......the art of paint preparation is try to take all these factors and end up with something looking like a factory pressed, crisp 'new' shell without using tons of filler........and that is what takes the hours.

You've spent a chunk on getting a perfect, solid, rust free shell.......have the final finish exactly as you'd like but make sure the integrity of everything below that is equal to the quality of the shell itself.

[Darren65]

From what I've read, Porsche used a Glasurit 'Glassomax' enamel system on these early cars. It's no longer available, but it appear that Rustoleum enamel, as used in the famous '$100 paint job' (modelled in grey by Jury's 'Mod Rod' 912), is a pretty close match.

Looks like the closest thing readily available now would be a single-stage urethane, perhaps reduced down to dull it down a touch.

Not heard of Glassomax.....at one point a cellulose type paint was used although I would have thought by the time the 911 came around paint technology had moved on. Flat colours would have been a single solid, metallics had a 'clearcoat' finish.

Most paint shops will want to use water based paints these days but I would always go with solid solvent based paint which will be the closest to what was used originally.

Lots of talk about using Glasurit; in the UK you can no longer get a solvent Glasurit although that may be different in the States, either way formulations will be totally different from that produced 40+ years ago and any good quality 2K (2-pack) will be fine, Porsche used various paint suppliers anyway.

As for colour, irrespective of what was original, I'd always choose what pleases your eye!

Cheers,

[jamie]

I do like beige Porsches. Bamboo on an SC, Sand on an early car..

Agreed Gary and Darren. It will get done properly - after all this effort, I won't let myself scrimp on the paint. At the same time, I don't want to get tucked-up into some fancy-ass spray job which makes the car look like an iPhone.

Now to find someone that can do this...

[sladey]

I know very little about paint but I think the main thing is you go for a solid colour as opposed to base and clear then you should up with a 'normal' shine and one that will age appropriately

[jamie]

Update received from Maison Carter. Lots of new metal in the front...







Before:



After:



All this was done without removing the crash-damaged front slam panel. I wanted as much original metal retained as possible, and Barry worked out a way to do it.

Here's the damage to the panel (taken from inside the boot shortly after I acquired the car):



... and here's the same area following Barry's invisible repair, shot from the other side:

[jamie]

In other news, Barry just informed me that the aluminium 911SC front crossmember that I intended to fit, is bent.







Looks like it must have come off a car that has been in a shunt.

[jamie]

Barry managed to straighten the crossmember, which is great news.

No progress reports in the last few days - he has been out buying an old car for himself. I won't ruin the surprise - it's a leftfield choice.

I've been working in the US for the past few weeks, so whilst I was here I bought some new rear seatbelt mounts from Restoration Design. From the picture on their website, I expected them to be a bit rough around the edges. As it happens, they are beautifully made. A good buy.

Also a plastic dash cap. My dashboard is so brittle and cracked that it snapped in two when I lifted it out of the car. A plastic cap is perhaps not the nicest solution, but I thought I might at least give it a try since a new dashboard is $800.

[sanjay]

I do like beige Porsches. Bamboo on an SC, Sand on an early car..

Agreed Gary and Darren. It will get done properly - after all this effort, I won't let myself scrimp on the paint. At the same time, I don't want to get tucked-up into some fancy-ass spray job which makes the car look like an iPhone.

Now to find someone that can do this...

Jamie,

I'd be buying my NBF Darren a bottle of his favourite tipple for Christmas and having a chat with him if I was you.....

Re your dashboard - I may have the correct one in very good condition, you'd need to confirm with Lightweight Andy etc and I'd be happy to take a low ball offer from you for it to help the cause... Makes a big difference to the interior IMO.


Best

Sanjay

[Darren65]

I'd be buying my NBF Darren a bottle of his favourite tipple for Christmas and having a chat with him if I was you.....

Appreciate the referral Sanjay although I think the Mongrel will be the last bare shell paint job we take on. They're far too stressful and we find it difficult to fit this type of work in I'm afraid. A shame really because I do enjoy the involvement.

Lots of great painters out there but as I mentioned to Jamie it's not about the paint, it's all about the prep!

Cheers,

[jamie]

Thanks Sanjay. Yes - as Darren says, I already gave him a shout. I have really been in awe of the cars that have come out of his place.

I'll send you a PM about the dash...

[jamie]

Barry has been working on the floors. They were like antique lace. Ordinarily he'd patch the hole that needs fixing. In this case, there were too many holes.



The centre tunnel was bashed to shite. Corresponds with the damage that the heater flapper boxes had also sustained (Dude has straightened them out beautifully - more on that in the near future).





Barry decided to do one half of the floor panel at a time, as not to disturb the integrity of the shell too much. He supported the sides of the shell with jacks whilst the floor was out. "I'll see how well it worked once it's back on the jig tomorrow". That's the spirit!







I didn't want 1968 seatbelt mounting points, so Barry made these to fit in the same locations as later cars.



Tricky place to weld them in!







I ordered a repro SWB heater tube from a guy called Marek Lappok. Barry reported it was beautifully made. Unfortunately, by the next time I visit, it will probably be enclosed inside the sill, so I'll never get to see it.



Perfect in every way...







In place. There were a dozen cheaper ways of replacing this part, since it will never be seen again, but but only one correct way



Front crossmember aligns well:



New floor at smugler's box, with new drain tube. Both were totally rotten.



The base of the smuggler's box featured a lot of small rust holes. Notice how Envirostrip's process got all of that crappy rust out, even down in there. The rust you can see here is surface rust from sitting in my garage for six months. Need to address that once Barry is done.













Bottom of the smuggler's box looking pretty sound now:

[jamie]

Floors solid, dents gone:



Subframe jig aligns well. Looks like a job well done

[Gary71]

Lovely stuff. The pictures don't do justice to the massive amount of work in each one of those stages.

[911hillclimber]

Too true, irritatingly excellent results born from experience and the right tools.
If only my MIG welder behaved like that
If only my brain and hands behaved like that!

Makes me ashamed at my DIY work

Great thread and thanks for posting, really interesting. Never seen the early car sill heater tubes before.