Ole School!:D

[Beemerboy]

This is a 68 Pontiac Firebrid 400 that I`ve been working on for the last week. I only worked on it a few hours threw the week, then on Saturday I put the hammer to it.

I used a 50/50 PB car soap and APC mix to clean the surface. Since this was single stage paint it was badly oxidized over the top parts of the car.

I then used SSR2.5 and an Edge heavy cut wool pad..I forgot how much fun it is to work with wool..the cutting with the SSR 2.5 took about 1.5 hours...I then used a lighter cut wool pad with SSR1...finish was starting to really come out...The with an edge polishing pad I attacked with P-w-C, and the finish came back to mirror like...I machine glazed with twice with BH and my orbital using a finishing pad...and straight to Nattys red two coats!

The rims need work, but it was hard to work around the lugs, he is taking them off the car and I will work those separate.

The chrome was polished and sealed with PB wheel sealant...LOTS of hand work on the tight areas...I mainly used PB PP on those areas.

All in all I spent about 8 hours start to finish to get this car in this shape.


I love working on SS paint, its an art form IMO to get it back to this level of refection!

Ive` asked for some more before`s and to take pics of the same angles afters...those will follow

Before


Afters

[Poorboy]

This is a 68 Pontiac Firebrid 400 that I`ve been working on for the last week. I only worked on it a few hours threw the week, then on Saturday I put the hammer to it.

I used a 50/50 PB car soap and APC mix to clean the surface. Since this was single stage paint it was badly oxidized over the top parts of the car.

I then used SSR2.5 and an Edge heavy cut wool pad..I forgot how much fun it is to work with wool..the cutting with the SSR 2.5 took about 1.5 hours...I then used a lighter cut wool pad with SSR1...finish was starting to really come out...The with an edge polishing pad I attacked with P-w-C, and the finish came back to mirror like...I machine glazed with twice with BH and my orbital using a finishing pad...and straight to Nattys red two coats!

The rims need work, but it was hard to work around the lugs, he is taking them off the car and I will work those separate.

The chrome was polished and sealed with PB wheel sealant...LOTS of hand work on the tight areas...I mainly used PB PP on those areas.

All in all I spent about 8 hours start to finish to get this car in this shape.


I love working on SS paint, its an art form IMO to get it back to this level of refection!

Ive` asked for some more before`s and to take pics of the same angles afters...those will follow

Before


Afters

Nice Dave ..what did you decide about the pin striping?

[Beemerboy]

Steve

Once I started with the SSR 2.5 it didn`t take off any of the stripping unless I sat on that area.

One concern the owner had was if there might be some ghosting from the stripes left on the car...I didn`t there would be.

In the end I told him to leave them alone...Once he is done with the inside, he going to have the car repainted...This was a restoration just to get it looking good again for summer cruising

[Poorboy]

makes sense ... if they have been on there a long time you would have had to wet sand a good deal of the car to remove them

[Ronkh]

nice. good looking car

[atkinsonair]

Nice, that was my first car i had was 1968 firebird,mine was the 350 though.Good job.

[Poorboy]

Nice, that was my first car i had was 1968 firebird,mine was the 350 though.Good job.

350 was better ..the 400 were oil burners

[Beemerboy]

350 was better ..the 400 were oil burners

This car doesn`t have the OEM motor its a frame up resto on this one

[memnuts]

350 was better ..the 400 were oil burners

Why were they oil burners rings or valves guides. The 400`s were just overbored 350`s right or did they have a longer stroke and deck like a 302W vs. 351W?

[Poorboy]

Why were they oil burners rings or valves guides. The 400`s were just overbored 350`s right or did they have a longer stroke and deck like a 302W vs. 351W?

pretty sure it was the rings ... my neighbor next door when i was young was a Firebird fanatic, his brother was a GTO freak ... they used to love to scare us by giving us rides (imagine that now )
and every Firebird he had with a 400 burned oil ..brother`s 389 Tri-power just went fast until it blew

[JaredPointer]

All in all I spent about 8 hours start to finish to get this car in this shape.

Why did it take so long??????

[atkinsonair]

Why were they oil burners rings or valves guides. The 400`s were just overbored 350`s right or did they have a longer stroke and deck like a 302W vs. 351W?

I think the 400 was considered a medium block,so it was not a bored out 350. Jared u starting something?

[Poorboy]

Why did it take so long??????

now that you mention it

[Ronkh]

[dave40co]

Tuna sandwich break?