I've decided to do it... I'm known for doing my own auto-body work around my home, and with a little bit of clear peeling off the hood of the car, I decided that 10 years (well, will be in August) adn 130,000 miles had done their number on the Monte Carlo and I've decided it needs a repaint. Here are the photos. If you stay after me, I'll try to make sure I post new photos every day showing my progress.


I took everything off the car and I decided on a whim to just fill those line up holes for the door and quarter trim that "protects" from door dings (or whatever tis purpose is) I like the cleaner look of not having them. I got the preliminary sanding and the smoothing out of the part where the trim used to go.


























Day 2









Here is hte progress. I'm doing some sanding in the tight spots where I've missed earlier and doing a little glazing puddy out in the sun where I can see very well. I've cleaned all the pieces of Bondo out of the shed and washed it down and I'm letting evertyhing dry out now. I'm going to take it back in, mask it off, and hopefully get primer on it by this evening.

I've got it sanded down well with 400 grit. I hooked it with the screwdriver under the trim, in the windows, between the bumper and fender, along the edges of the trunk and fenders, hood and fenders, etc.

I then went over the "high spots" with the 800 grit sand paper on the long block to really smooth over the highly visible spots. I will mask it off this evening and depending on how I feel, perhaps paint it.


(You can see my sanding block sitting on the roof of the vehicle.)







I'm working on the re-assembly. A little dust got in it, but that is to be expected. I need to put another red pinstripe on it. I also replaced all the light bulbs since the assemblies were already out. New SilverStar Ultra healidghts, low and high beam!!!

I also sanded down, compounded and buffed the headlights... then clear coated them. I think that made the front end look amazingly better.

Here are the demanded portraits.

 

Looks Good..

 

Not right now, but it will. Maybe working on my Chevy and picking all Chevy's in the NASCAR fantasy thing this week will get me a much needed Pocono win.

 

I'll be watching this one closely.

 

Your getting rid of side trim .. That's why it looks Good.., Next you need to get rid of junk stock rims..

 

My side trim will be gone when i redo mine & now is a good time to get a stand up spoiler lol

 

X2 -Nascar spoiler ..

 

Damnit - now you're persuading me to drop my door trim. I've been on the fence about it since I got the car really, and I'm planning to have both doors resprayed anyways... Hmmm.

 

So are you staying with the same color scheme? Can't wait to see the finished product. Also looks like you need to defog those headlights lol.

 

The spoiler was the first thing I was gonna say. Also I think you should leave the emblems off and maybe even shave the trunk locks. Color matched mirrors may look good too. Just my 2 cents