07 | Broad surfaces like doors and quarter-
panels get medium and long boards. Wet
sanding with 400-grit begins when heavy cutting
is complete.08 | This head-on
shot of before (left) and
after guidecoat block
sanding (right) shows
the difference between
guidecoat and the wet
block-sanded guidecoat.
The guidecoat followed
by block sanding finds
the low and high spots.09 | Justin Smith of Superstition Restoration,
who is painting our Nova, tells us doorjambs
are painted first, as are the insides of the doors,
hood, and decklid. All exterior surfaces are
painted last. Doorjambs and internal surfaces are
painted first to minimize the risk of overspray on
outside surfaces.
it cure. Too much hardener and it
cures too quickly and becomes
brittle. Too little and it will never cure.
Once you have a solid foundation
in place, it’s time to work out the
irregularities—many of which you
cannot see with the naked eye but
will see when it’s time to lay down
the clearcoat. Primer/surfacer is the
next finish applied over the base
primer/sealer coat. Primer/surfacer
is your filler primer, which can be thin
like paint or thick like a filler to work
irregularities. Filler primer is what you
use to refine the surfaces while on
your way to a perfect surface.
And finally, there’s the guidecoat,
which is a differing color than the
primer/surfacer coat. The guidecoat
is a light dusting of contrast color
paint that enables you to see
imperfections—high and low
spots—in the surface when it’s time
for final block-sanding. If you’re
using a light color primer/surfacer,
the guidecoat should be dark. If
you’re using a dark primer/surfacer,
the guidecoat should be light.
The color of your primer/surfacer
should mimic the body’s final color
coat. Light color primer/surfacer for