Repainting an Old Musclecar

In our first story about restoring a 1965 Pontiac GTO, we told about the project in general and then looked at the suspension upgrades and body prep. In this second article, we'll focus on the actual application of the paint. For some hands-on tips about how to achieve a flawless finish, we spoke with Mike Face of Mike Face Custom Paint in San Bernardino, who has done dozens of show cars for the owner of this GTO, Larry Weiner.

Pro Tips
Even though the actual spraying of the color is fairly easy in comparison with the amount prep work required, it still demands some special care. Before applying any color coats, Face points out that one key aspect is to have patience. "It's really important to make sure the primer is dry," he says. "If you spray too soon, the solvents haven't had a chance to come out, and you'll get 'die back' or a haze. The paint will look real nice in the booth, but will lose its luster in about week. That thinner has got to come out first."


In addition, as Face applies the paint, he watches for any potential problems to catch them early. "If you notice fisheyes (small craters), stop. The worst thing is to add more paint. Anything you see that doesn't look right, that's the time to fix it." Face points out that the biggest enemy of paint is contamination, especially in the spray gun's lines, where moisture can develop from condensation. Other sources of contamination can be airborne particles, a vinyl dressing, the painter's clothing, or diesel fumes from a passing truck. All these potential sources of grit, oil or moisture can ruin an otherwise quality paint job.


For this particular paint job on the Pontiac GTO, Face took extra care to get paint into remote corners and jambs in order to cover every square inch. Smaller parts were removed as well so they could be painted while hanging from a rack. Face started with a white primer, then added a white base coat about an hour after that, and then began a series of four coats of House of Kolor's Gold Lime Pearl. While spraying the color coats (normally about five to 10 minutes apart), he's careful to walk the whole length of the car while holding the gun perpendicular to the surface and overlapping about 75 percent of the layer just applied. "You have to be consistent with your trigger finger for both the angle and volume of paint applied," Face adds. "The most important part, though, is to watch your edges, around wheelwells and moldings. If you don't turn the gun to hit them, the paint will be too light otherwise."


In about an hour Face will touch the tape next to the paint to check for dryness. If the paint is ready, he'll then apply the clear coats, making sure they're wet enough to adhere well. "Consistency in paint means everything," Face advises. "My best tip is to always follow the manufacturer's instructions. Some painters are like mad scientists in mixing the paint, doing it by sight. Sometimes they get it right, but other times the paint doesn't lay down. If you do things the same way every time, you won't have that problem."