Kendalls 68 SR20DE

[Kendall124]

Howdy Gang,
Here's a couple of pictures to see a little bit of the progress. Sorry I havent put up more. I'm not good at reducing file sizes.
Still waiting for her return. Cold weather has kept my paint guy worried. His answer is always "maybe this week."
Lots of new, cool stuff to bolt back on her. Until then, all I do is pace out in the garage like an expectant father.

[Skyman]

Love the black paint.

[Kendall124]

A little nervous about the black. Black paint doesn't lie. Any funny spots will show through.
But yes, I'm digging it too.

[Kendall124]

Update. Painted (again)

[Gregs672000]

How is she lookin? Let me tell you from personal experience, nothing beats wet sanding and buffing out black paint. I dont know if you're planning on this step or not, but if not I would encourage you to consider it if the paint is thick enough. Even if it goes on really nice, if you cut n buff it it will blow your mind... But only if you do it when the paint is supposed to be worked and not before or after (or at least not as easily/safely or successfully). It will save orange peeled paint, take out most runs, etc. You should have seen the black car my friend Tom and i did before and after... From pebbled mess to black mirror. It is labor intensive and takes some practice and care, but its worth the effort in my opinion. Now is the time to make a decision if you need to! Let us know how it comes out!

[Natenate4s]

Cool!

[Kendall124]

Yeah Greg, cutting and buffing is a couple of days away. I went by and took a look today and she's an orange peel mess. First off, remember this a frame ON resto that's a kind of on a budget. This is the same painter who did my show truck. He's good but his shop could use some improving. Paint booth vents, heaters and filters are kind of... um, in need of attention. Definitely get what I'm paying for ($5000.00). My first choice wanted $20,000.00 just for metal work + paint. (Frame OFF resto)
So yes, the cutting is coming. Going to let her cure for a couple of days. I'm never good with this stage of a restoration. I know it's going to look fine when she's done (cut, buffed and all chrome and new rims back on her). Anybody else experience this??? All I can see are the bad spots. I need to step back and envision the finished product. It is going to be pretty cool.
Can't wait to go hunt down that Vette that's lurking in my neighborhood. I think my little 1600 can take him.

[Gregs672000]

Oh yes, how do you think I kinda knew you might be there? Cause I'VE been there! Calm now, she'll come out great. Do you have experience? Access to the right tools and knowledgeable about products etc?

[Kendall124]

I took a break from the world of hot roddin' / collecting for about 25 years. Life + some poor life choices put other things first. Always had some cool cars, mostly Chevy's but they always had a bad spot on them (Big dented fender, tore up interior etc.) that I would "fix someday." Someday never seemed to arrive.
Well, I got the bug again. I have the time and finances to do a little something about it. It all started with my little truck. A friend rear-ended someone with it. I began to fix it. Pushed the front end back out, re-built the front of the motor. A mod here, an upgrade there and I was hooked. I changed EVERYTHING. Engine mods and chassis mods. Visions and ideas... I was able to try all of them. She came out really well. Have won a couple of awards with her. Slowly pieced together a workable set of tools and a functional garage with pin-up girls on the walls. What I really found was what being "under the hood" does for my spirit. Grease, rust, busted knuckles... love it. The stink of gear oil brings a smile to my face. I'm the kind of guy that has 10 things going in my head at any one time (a song, a set of blue prints, ideas about next years vacation and yes, there's always a pair of boobs). Design, research, installation, field testing, hating it, re-design, trouble shooting... I must apply it towards something or things kinda go sour up there. Any of this make sense to you guys and gals? So the truck was done, nothing to do on her except polish the paint off of her every weekend. I needed something to do. Join another band? No. Learn how to fly? Nah. Knitting? Oh come on!
Enter the Datsun Roadster. She's been a challenge, that's for sure. I got to drive her for a couple of months before the tear-down process began. The little convertible thing really took hold. I'm floored how people just love it. Seems every one's had one or knows someone who did. Since then, I've had moments sublime with intervals hilarious. She's been gone since November. Typical repairs to rockers and fenders. I forgot that it takes time. I've watched too many episodes of Overhaulin'. I wanted her back in a week. We're close now, very close to design, research, installation, field testing, hating it, re-design, trouble shooting...
Can't wait.

[Kendall124]

Here's a couple of pics of my truck. Yeah, that's me with the matching shirt. Love the 3rd pic.

[Gregs672000]

We're cut from the same cloth my friend! Looking forward to meeting you in person this summer.

Join another band? I've been drumming since age 13 (just turned the big 5 0 this past December). What do you play? Would love to find a bass player to translate the riffs in my head, and add a guitar to rip off some hot leads... All good fun!

[Kendall124]

Oh don't get me started. Trumpet 5th grade through 12th. Picked up a guitar in 10th and never looked back. The best of times, the worst of times. Lots of bands through the years. Tried to make a living at it... almost starved to death. Today it's just another hobby. Just me and my imac at home for now. Roadster is taking all the money.
But yes, looking forward to meeting all the NW guys and gals this year. Met a handful at Greenwood last year. Nice bunch. I see all the talk about Shasta, wonder if mine would make it there and back? I don't think I've had her more than 20 miles from home.
Here's a couple of pics. Parts inventoried, my shelf of parts waiting to go and some chrome goodies to make her feel pretty. I spent $72.00 on bumper plugs. Yep, chrome carriage bolts that didn't even come with washers or nuts. (heavy sigh) I can be kind of a knuckle head sometimes too.

[zippy67roadster]

I just finished painting and cutting/buffing my 67 520 pickup. I saw this company at SEMA last year and wanted to try their products but no one in town carried them. This year I saw them at SEMA again and they now have a distributor. The company is 3D and I used their HD Adapt compound. It stays wet longer than anything else I have ever used and it leave very little dust/mess. I wet sanded a spot down low with 1500 grit and tried to buff it. I was surprised to see that all the sanding scratches were gone and an incredible shine was there! In the past I would start with 1500 and move all the way up to 2500 grit when wet sanding so the 3M or Miguires compounds would remove the scratches. This saved me so much time and effort. I finished the who truck in about 1/5th the time it took me to cut and buff my roadster using 3M products. I will never use another company's compounds! Here is a picture of my truck I just finished.

[Gregs672000]

Wow, good to know! Some products are worth any extra costs.
How hard was the paint? Which paint? The last product I used hit hard and fast, and should have been cut and buffed immediately with no breathing between the cut and the buff. Instead I waited like my other paints and had a real tough time getting the scratches out! What a nightmare! It's important to know what your paint wants.

[Kendall124]

Gosh Greg, I wish I knew. PPG is the paint? Thunder Black is the color. Not sure which clear he's using. We went with Dupont (?) on the truck but it was crazy expensive. I'd better look into that. He sanded yesterday and is buffing today.