The personalization of "Black Betty"

So good to hear that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. Back to late Summer, Fall crusing. 😀
 
What's that sayin'...

...two steps forward, one backward.

Yup. Murphy came to the dance.

The satin clear was sprayed during the hot spell, as such the paint booth air intake was sucking in hot air and the booth became too hot.

Usually they like painting with the booth around 70F to 72F but could go to 75F.
In this case the booth was 77F+.
(Note: Betty was backed into the booth, hence sprayed from front to back re the overspray.)

The satin clear dried to gloss clear on the back half, and they noticed the difference when Betty was taken out of the booth and getting ready to be dressed again..

Back into the booth yesterday early morning to reshoot the back half.
It was another 30C day but in the morning it was not that hot yet.
It came out okay this time.
 
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Another step backwards....

Oh boy oh boy.

If I build another ride, think I will stick with trucks, less complicated and not as many "stupid" little parts that put you behind.

Another molding clip stopped the assembly this morning.

And it's a special one that is not in production anymore.

And its one that most of the time you can't re-use because normally the tabs that hold it in the window gasket rusts out as water collects in that gasket area.

And thats why there was only two of them left.
Suppose to be eight of them.
And why that particular trim was loose.

Of course, the rear window trim has to go on first before the wrap around trim gets installed.
So it's holding up the process.

Found a lower set...the suppliers last one, and a very big OUCH to the pocket book. $18USD apiece.

The old
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=285&height=175&fit=bounds&crop=fill


The new
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=450&height=278&fit=bounds&crop=fill

So far, this supplier in California has saved my butt twice now for having the clips that no one else has, but at a very high cost too..

Now the BIG wait.
Once they come in, only a one hour job or so to finish installing three pieces of moulding.
 
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I know what you should rename it, There is an outboard motor company that builds black engines, the mechanics call them the Black C.... .What an ordeal you have had. And I have the same car but mine is not black, only had one black car never again.
 
It's home....for now.

Yup, brought it back to do a few items myself that were planned for the winter.
Quite busy for the last couple of days.

Still missing the rear trim.

Next week the exhaust gets fixed up with smaller pipes.

One problem though....the gas gauge isn't working, and a few other items in the cluster.
I think because the battery was dead for so long, the memory got lost.

Will be doing a reset on the weekend.
If that doesn't work, then its a wire somewhere.

A few peeks for now:
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=285&height=175&fit=bounds&crop=fill

https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=450&height=278&fit=bounds&crop=fill

Took it for a cruise around town for now.

That felt good.
 
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JohnnyBgood said:
Am I seeing 2 tone clear to make scallops or is it just the way the light hits it?
Click to expand...

No, you're not seeing things, eyes are pretty good.

Paint is flat black with a satin clear coat, "ghost" scallops in high gloss clear.

Scallops start around the headlights with one scallop across the fender top, another horizontal.

Also two from the wheel opening too.



More pics forthcoming.
 
1Kool52 said:
No, you're not seeing things, eyes are pretty good.

Paint is flat black with a satin clear coat, "ghost" scallops in high gloss clear.
Click to expand...

We did something similar a while ago on a trailer just to see how it would look but we did the scallops in flat as the trailer was shiny. The flat scallops were a little subtle l but I really liked the effect but then he wanted to put some flake in the clear and go over the scallops again. The flake made it look cheesy so it was all sanded and repainted. I am liking the shiny scallops too. Nice touch.
 
I feel your pain with the paint Brian, I argued with the supplier I got my paint from for my Satellite, told them that the reducer was not listed as compatible with the paint, they assured me it was, sprayed the whole car out, everything looked as if it flashed, sprayed the clear, turned out amazing, for my limited skills. Thennnn a couple days later I peeled the paint off in sheets, stripped the whole car in 4hrs, the reducer WAS not compatible. Terrible feeling.

Your car is looking awesome, love that two tone clear, great idea. Nice job.
 
An exhausting day....

The molding clips from California only took 4 days to get to Vancouver, now they are lost in the Canada Customs abyss....they've been in there for 5 days now.

Previous owner has a bike accessory shop, so he had some Harley pipes laying around and installed them. Nice sound out of them.
The big pipes: 4.5 inches
https://hosting.photobucket.com/alb...jpg?width=450&height=278&fit=bounds&crop=fill


On another matter, the last item was to fix the pipes as both got damaged when loading the '52 onto the flat deck.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=285&height=175&fit=bounds&crop=fill

Time came to cut them off and install smaller 2.5 inch slash tip pipes.
That became a big problem. Not many chrome tips around at the moment unless bigger diameter pipes were wanted. Covid and the China supply situation is the problem. In China but the wait time is up to 4 months.
Didn't want big pipes as they don't suit the car anymore.

If I had known the '52 was going to be so long in the shop and the problem of getting new tips, I would have ordered from the US Stainless Works sometime ago, they make them up and it takes about 3 weeks before shipping.

Took the'52 to a local shop for the exhaust work, to be paid by the insurance company, with a picture of what I wanted, had a discussion with the shop Forman as to where if wanted them to be located...tucked up and back..

First take was wrong, the tips were at the back bumper, not what wanted.
Second take got them in the right location but they had turn downs somewhat, not what I wanted.
They were dust raisers.

So today was spent jacking up the '52 and cut down the exhaust tips to what I wanted.
Poor compressor couldn't keep up with the cut off wheel. Ended up using an electric grinder with a cut off wheel.


the wrong tips
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=450&height=278&fit=bounds&crop=fill


Cut down tips
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=450&height=278&fit=bounds&crop=fill
Yeah, "slightly" out of round too.


can't really see them unless you get down low or step back a distance.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/ima...peg?width=450&height=278&fit=bounds&crop=fill


Surprisingly, the "unique" sound didn't change as much as I thought it would. In fact one can hear the cam more now.
 
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Lookin' real good. I like the frenched lights. A real improvement. The scallops will have them doing a double take. With you're pipes recessed, I would go another couple inches of lowering blocks. :D
 
Always liked that body style.
Had a couple as a kid, but one was a sedan the other a 2dr post, and they were Pontiacs.
Yours is very nice!!
Fred
 
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