Your Body

[adgx]

I was wondering...I'm rebuilding a 70T out in my polebarn. I don't call it restoring because I just took it apart, fixed and painted everything, and I'm putting it back together. I'm no body man, that's for sure, but I worked all summer doing all the suggested tricks and procedures to get my bodywork straight, sealed up and clean. I painted it with some nice deep red paint (maidenhead red), wet sanded and polished the paint to a mirror finish. Looks fantastic. Thing is... when I look down the body and get the light just right, I can see slight ripples and little slight dings. I can't see them straight on, or even feel them, but they're there. I never could see them with the primer on. I guess the body will just be this way till I get my carbon fiber doors, decks & fenders, whenever that will be.
Anyway, I wonder If everybody has perfect bodywork or is it common for older porsches to have this "patina".

[Early_S_Man]

Alex,

Sounds pretty normal to me ... and unless you have exceptional eyes, the only real way to find those tiny dings before you shoot the color coat(s) is during the primer stage of painting!

It is a LOT of work, but you have to shoot a very light coat of contrast-colored primer, and block-sand the contrast coat away untill the 'low' spots of contrast primer are left.

[Rot 911]

Warren's advice is right on. Don't be surprised if you have to do the primer/block sanding routine 6-8 times to get all the waves and ripples out.

[Jim T]

I think "patina" is a bit euphemistic to describe wavy panels under fresh paint.

"Patina" is generally referred to as the normal wear over a long period of time. Classic example is old, original leather seats that have been well taken care of and are in excellent, but not "like new" condition.

A car with fresh paint can't really have "patina," at least as to the body.

Did you block sand it with guide coat primer? When I painted my car, that is what took the longest. You primer with light color, then spray a very, very light coat of dark. When you block sand it, the dark will come off quickly on the high spots, and remain in the low spots. You then respray with your building primer, and guide coat again. After many times of doing this exercise (3 weeks, in my case), you come to a point where when you block sand the guide coat it comes off perfectly evenly. Then you know the panels are straight.

The bummer is the shinier the paint, the worse ripples, etc. look.

When you get your carbon panels and repaint, block sand, block sand, and block sand some more!

[adgx]

I was just being facetious- I know what patina is. I did try the guide coat method. Even wiped it with a wet rag and looked down it as I sanded. These spots are very, very slight. I can live with it I guess. I'm sure not starting over! Thanx Guys