Restarting My '70 Nova Project

[BravoXray]

The most important part of a paint job, block sanding. I’ve seen cars with great paint but it’s just wavy because of not block sanding it well. I had a buddy whose joke was “they block sanded it with a spoon”. Enjoy!

We used to see a canary yellow '70 Chevelle at some of the cruise-ins locally. From a distance it looked really nice, but up close, especially when you looked down the side of the car it looked like a roller coaster track. Even the hood and trunk lid had pretty obvious dips and bumps. My two painter/body men friends were amazed that someone would spens that much time on a paint job and not make it right, because otherwise the paint job was very good.

 

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Did you say what color you're painting this thing?
In my mind there are just two valid colors in my world for this car and one of them isn't about "factory" color.
Also for the sake of muscle car mankind, please don't add a vinyl roof.

 

[goeduck]

I never understood vinyl roofs either.

 

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I never understood vinyl roofs either.

Vinyl roofs were first added to what was termed "luxury cars". This action besmacked the aspect of "if it had the appearance of some animal hide, it had to be luxurious".
Then Detroit got crazy and thought the aspect should be overlapped to just about any car to increase its "value look" and thus the vinyl on Chevy 2's and other cars.
This was the result of people in high places that just didn't get the "what is a muscle car supposed to look like?" question.
It was like putting ketchup on "corn on the cob" because you know, ketchup makes everything taste better and a vinyl roof "makes everything look better".
My reverence for a 396 Nova doing 12.5 in the quarter is not enhanced in any sort of way if it is adorned with a vinyl roof. As a matter of fact, it detracts such from me.

 

[BravoXray]

Did you say what color you're painting this thing?
In my mind there are just two valid colors in my world for this car and one of them isn't about "factory" color.
Also for the sake of muscle car mankind, please don't add a vinyl roof.

I'm taking it back to the original color, Cortez Silver. When I bought it, it was a Chevy maroon color. While working on the doors, there were layers of a light metallic blue over the original silver.
And sorry, but it originally had a vinyl top, which amazingly was still on it after the paint color changes, which I am going to replace.
Here is a picture of it when I bought it.

Here is a picture of another Nova the same color as I'm going to paint mine, with the (gasp!) black vinyl roof.

 

[BravoXray]

Brian and I worked on sanding and priming some more yesterday. We'll get it eventually, one panel at a time. I got it back on the rotisserie, will make it easier to do sanding and painting on the body panels.

 

[MossRoad]

My dad's 70 was misty turquoise. I've always liked that color.

 

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My dad's 70 was misty turquoise. I've always liked that color.

Me too. As a matter of fact, I would take a 396/375 hp Nova over the 428 Cobra jet I had. Lot less trouble to go as fast.

 

[arrow]

I'm taking it back to the original color, Cortez Silver. When I bought it, it was a Chevy maroon color. While working on the doors, there were layers of a light metallic blue over the original silver.
And sorry, but it originally had a vinyl top, which amazingly was still on it after the paint color changes, which I am going to replace.
Here is a picture of it when I bought it.
View attachment 761929

Here is a picture of another Nova the same color as I'm going to paint mine, with the (gasp!) black vinyl roof.

View attachment 761931

Actually the silver/titanium color was one of my color recommendations. The other was the deep green GM used at the time.
I know you're stuck with the vinyl but I know of no better deterrent to NOT put one on than the silver Nova example you show.
It looks like a Ford Pinto to me.

 

[BravoXray]

Me too. As a matter of fact, I would take a 396/375 hp Nova over the 428 Cobra jet I had. Lot less trouble to go as fast.

Not sure if I posted a picture of it before, but here is a picture of my '69 Nova SS L78 (396 375hp). In a Corvette, the same L78 was rated 425hp, but only 375hp in a Nova, Camaro or Chevelle.