There was a lot of
excitement when Dynacorn Classic Bodies
introduced the '67 Mustang replacement body
shell. Mustang & Fords has been there from the
beginning, first with our comparison to an
original '67 Mustang body. We followed along
with the construction of this Dynacorn-based
Pony at Autoworks International in El Cajon,
California.
When we last saw the
Dynacorn Mustang project, all of the bodywork
had been accomplished to perfection, and
two-part primer from House of Kolor was applied.
This kind of primer relies on a chemical
reaction to cure rather than on evaporation. The
result is a harder, more uniform surface.
Careful sanding followed the primer coat,
bringing the surface preparation to the exacting
expectations required. The level of workmanship
for this project is top-notch, and no detail is
overlooked. The car was being built by Autoworks
for Dynacorn to display at the '07 SEMA trade
show and-besides being covered by our cameras
for print-the build will be taped for the SPEED
TV show Chop-Cut-Rebuild.
To make the project really
stand out at SEMA, a two-stage red from House of
Kolor called Apple Red Kandy was chosen. The
basecoat gave the car a metallic-bronze color
that looked really cool but was a long way from
the deep red we were after. However, when the
second layer of paint was applied, the true hue
became apparent. The color is similar to the '65
Mustang Candy apple Red but darker and deeper.
As most automotive
restoration professionals will tell you, it's
the body and then the paint that's the hard part
in almost any automotive restoration project.
Check out the workmanship that Autoworks put
into this project, and see how the car is
carefully prepared for paint and what the color
is going to look like. When it's finished, we'll
have a completely painted body along with hood,
trunk lid, and front fenders. Then we can
continue on with drivetrain and interior
installation to wrap up our project. Stay tuned
for more on the fastback project, including an
update on costs in an upcoming issue.
While the primer and earlier prep work was
done in-house, the actual painting was
handled at an off-site paint booth. Once the
car was unloaded from the flatbed, it was
rolled on casters into the spray booth. The
plastic covering was removed, and the
masking job continued with the dashboard
top. The engine compartment was completely
enclosed across the bottom as well. |
Here, you can see how much of the interior
was masked off. Other pieces of the car body
such as the front fenders and hood were set
on separate stands. Room in the booth was
tight, and there had to be room for the
painter to move around the car with
unimpeded freedom. |
With all preparations completed, the car was
wiped down with cleaner. The painter also
went over the body with a tack cloth before
painting. Notice that the rear wheel houses
are completely closed off from the painting
process. |
Here are the paint materials from House of
Kolor. One container of each type is shown,
but the actual volume of materials used was
much greater. Several gallons of basecoat
and clearcoat were applied to the car. The
value of the materials was estimated to be
around $4,000. |
Modern paint, especially the clearcoat, can
be a dangerous substance, and a protective
suit complete with respirator is required.
Failure to use the correct protective
equipment can cause skin problems as well as
serious lung damage. |
A deep-red pigment was added to the metallic
mixture. All of the complex instructions
that came with the paint were closely
followed and measurements carefully made to
be exact. |
The painting process began from the top down
with the roof and the windshield frame. The
doorjambs were carefully covered; then the
painting of the broad areas began. |
As the metallic basecoat was laid down, the
unique bronze color became apparent. The
cranberry hue threw us for a moment, but we
knew not to judge the outcome prematurely. |
Back on the paint bench, the color coat was
prepared. Like the basecoat, it was mixed to
exacting proportions; then individual
cartridges of the paint were made up for the
paint gun. Once inside the spray booth, the
painter can reload his spray gun without a
long delay. |
Shooting through the glass of the spray
booth door, we see the painter laying on the
color in long, smooth sweeps of the gun.
Here, the true color of the paint became
more apparent. |
After the spray job was complete and the
booth ventilated, we had a chance to sneak
into the booth and see the job. Everything
looked perfect, as the job awaited the final
clearcoat step. |
With the clearcoat applied, the body was
brought home to Autoworks. To help the paint
harden, the body shell sat in the sun to
bake for a few days. |
A complete color sanding awaited the car,
and here the hood received the treatment.
The sanding was followed by the buffing
wheel and ever-decreasing grits of rubbing
compound. |
The few custom touches to the mostly stock
body have already begun. A painted black
rocker stripe will adorn the car, and the
"Phantom" project logo was airbrushed on the
lower front fenders. |
On the computer, subtle running-horse
graphic designs were experimented with
before settling on one design. |
The entire hood was masked off before the
air-brushing process began. The design was
transferred to carefully cut paper that was
positioned on the hood. Segments of the
design were carefully removed at the desired
time with an X-acto blade. With the paint
applied very lightly for a super-subtle
effect, the running-horse graphic was
complete. We weren't able to see the
finished graphic with the masking paper
removed due to drying time and our schedule.
We'll be looking for it, as well as the
awesome paint job on the finished car, in
our next visit to Autoworks as we tackle the
drivetrain installation. |
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