# My old Buick Skylark



## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Finally got my car painted after many problems and set backs. I still have to wet sand/buff it and install the trim, moldings and emblems.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Pics of what i started with


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Some pics as i went along. I replaced both front fenders, used the old front fenders to fabricate to flanges for the rear wheel wells. Car was originally Gold with tan/gold interior. Car is now white with white/black interior. Still have a lot more work to go but i am trying to do this on a budget so the wife does not kill me.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

pics of left rear 1/4 being patched


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

more left rear 1/4 pics


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Pics of right rear 1/4


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

More pics of right rear 1/4 and welding trim studs to the doors


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Pics of the old rear dash and pic of one i temporarily fabbed/painted


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

New windshield and the start of painting the interior.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

More interior pics. I have more that i have not downloaded but the steering wheel, steering column, seats, interior panels and trim ribbons are all painted with Dupli color interior paint.


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## HARRY304E (Jan 18, 2011)

Nice,,,,that's a beauty ..:thumbup:


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Sanded the car to bare steel, used one coat of self etching primer, one coat of 2k urethane primer "went on like crap", then 3-4 coats fil-n-sand laquer primer for blocking and then one coat of 2 k urethane primer as a sealer "again went on like crap". 1st coat of paint lifted on every panel. Body supplier tells me i should not have used the 2k urethane primer with laquer primer, well i told what i was using and they sold it to me telling me i could use it as a sealer!!!! So, i had to sand of the paint. Put down another coat of laquer primer to block out and finesse any problems from taking the paint off. Then i put on 3 coats of urethane sealer, sanded that and put down the paint. 

Well, wouldnt you know it the roof had fish eyes! I get mad, throw my mask on the floor smashing that. I drive to the hardware store and buy a new mask while the paint dries. I get back, take the newmask out of its plastic tomb only to drop one of the cartridges. Now, out of a 48'48' garage where do you suppose the cartridge falls? Yup, into a pile of sanding dust!!! Back to the hardware store for new cartridges!!! So, now the paint has dried, I wet sand the fish eyes out and prep the roof again. Shot it again, fish eyes!!!! but not as bad. I let it dry and shot that spot again and they disappeared! Shoot the car with 3 coats to find i had striped the roof because i was having trouble reaching the middle. So my buddy gets home "his garage" so i have him shoot the roof with what paint i have left. He runs out, now the roof is striped on one side with a huge dry spot in one corner. I said screw it and went home for dinner. This is Friday night so no getting paint until Monday, now what to do? So, i sat and thought through vittles to my days of collision work many moons ago and thought i would try a solution. I go back, load the gun with straight reducer and shoot the roof, this melts the existing paint giving it that fresh painted look just like doing a blend on a wreck. Problem solved! 

Now i mix my pearl into the clear for the 1st coat, have my buddy shoot the roof 1st and then i proceed with the rest of the car. Now, my friend is suppose to come back and give me a hand with the roof until it is done, he is a no show, went to bed. So i try the next coat only to lightly brush my gut on the door. Now i have to drag out the big halogens and use them for heat lamps so i can wet sand the damn door! At 12:30 am i sprayed on the last coat of clear. Some dust in the car and two small runs on the right front fender, one above the other. It took me a little over 12 hrs to paint/clear the car with the exception of dinner.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

pics of being primed


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

The 1st two cars in Gold color is what the car looked like originally, the white car is the look i was trying to get when done.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Picture out front of the house by neighbors garage


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## Mississippi (Jan 3, 2013)

Awesome!.... It takes a lot of hard work to save these old cars from the scrap heap, but it's mostly a labor of love. 

I had a '71 Skylark in high school. I outran several "built" hot rods with that old Buick. It was bone stock, but fast as hell. It would run the 1/4 mile in the low 13's. I was stupid and sold it after high school. Damn, I miss that car.


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## CompleteW&D (May 28, 2011)

Mississippi said:


> Awesome!.... It takes a lot of hard work to save these old cars from the scrap heap, but it's mostly a labor of love.
> 
> I had a '71 Skylark in high school. I outran several "built" hot rods with that old Buick. It was bone stock, but fast as hell. It would run the 1/4 mile in the low 13's. *I was stupid and sold it after high school. Damn, I miss that car.*


Kinda like the '68 Cougar I had. 390 V-8 with a two barrel carb, but the barrels were the size of quarters!

Talk about flat out flying.... 

I miss her too. Traded her in on a brand spankin' new '77 Chrysler Cordoba. Complete with bucket seats and Corinthian leather (for those of you old enough to be Ricardo Montalbon fans).

What a piece of S*^@ car that was.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

CompleteW&D said:


> Kinda like the '68 Cougar I had. 390 V-8 with a two barrel carb, but the barrels were the size of quarters!
> 
> Talk about flat out flying....
> 
> ...


Who would have thought with all those awesome ads they ran. :laughing:

I have a '69 Buick Skylark and am working a deal on a '69 Cougar that has had body work done years ago and has sat in a warehouse for 20 years or so. Just needs painted and put back together. 

The Buick I have had for nearly 20 years, but it has sat outside for 8 or 9 of those. I thought it was bad, but not nearly as bad as you just dealt with. Maybe there's hope for her after all.


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## ranteso (Nov 11, 2010)

Sweet car! Now I'm really missing my 65 Buick Grand Sport


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

I'm digging that car-awesome work! Did you do the patchwork? I had a 66 Charger and there were no aftermarket sources for rear fenders-what a pain. 

Painting is a challenge but so rewarding. Recently painted my motorcycle a pearl-3 coats base, 4 pearl, 4 clear-started at 9pm finished at 5:30 am....still have the wetsanding to do. A labor of love!

I hope you have kids-it's would be cool to ride around with those guys heading out to car shows or cruising the strip. Great work! Enjoy the wetsanding-only car I've done was a 300zx and it took me a month of weekends and 2 cases of beer I think-those were the glory days


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