My buddy, the owner of a custom paint/restoration shop told me it takes him a week to cut/buff a full car paint job.
I blew that off, "yeah, right."
Now I get it! A week is rocking and rolling.
I have 4-5 hours per day to put in the shop. That gets one panel through all the stages of grits and compounds.
And all that does is show the spots that I need to go back and some more work on.
10 panels on this truck . . .
It is paying off though. I can see how it will look in the end and I'm encouraged.
Scale of 1-10, I'll give this paint job an 8.5.
Not bad for my first "real" full car paint job (the three I did in driveways in the '80's with Acrylic Enamel don't count.)
Here is the obligatory "measuring tape shot" on the tailgate:
Here is side shot with quarter and back door "done."
What I am really pleased with is the filler work.
I'm terrified of bondo. All the work I did 30 years ago, the filler showed in the final paint. I remember how discouraged I was.
I guess better products, more patience with age, and better information all paid off.
The worst dent on the truck was on the drivers side rear lower quarter, where I hit the shop door opening while backing a trailer in.
About a 6" x 6" dent, 1/2" deep.
I sanded it to bare metal, then used a dent puller stud gun to get the worst out, then epoxy, filler, 2K, blocking.
It came out good!
Also the areas around all 4 door handles had minor ripples from 20 years of use. Skimmed them and now really flat.
Only about 40 hours left and this will be done and back on the road .