Canea,
I guess I started around 1963 doing body work for my Uncle who owned an Earl Schieb's.
Opened my first shop just prior to my probationary year on the Columbus Police Dept. Started a technique on BC/CC's I call "Plaining". where you take a single blade razor blade and scrape or "plane" the last coat of clear leaving a perfectly smooth surface. (Ever done that, not just a run, but the entire car, inch by inch?)
Won Dupont's TOP GUN award for my first DV, always wet sanded my cars with 600 to buff. (I can't tell you how many times I have been told to use 1,000 grit by many experts in the field!) Had numerous Dupont Reps in the shop over the years to show and explain my "plaining" procedure. Won "Best Paint" so many times I long ago turned down the prize and offered it to the runner up. (Sounds terribly egotistical doesn't it!?)
Remember, or read Cpt's eddie post again, his car was buffed twice, it looked pretty darn good, BUT it did need a final buffing and polishing when Ed took it home. He was to do that on his own-per him- this winter! Then decided he had had enough, and just wanted to walk away, so he did and now I have this fabulous 100K** cobra sitting in my shop with a weeks worth of Finalizing.
** I know, I put on the best parts on the market, totally customized the car with many, many features I had not done to other Cobras over the years, and this evaluation is from me and the 75K plus receipts that Ed has! Add my costs to build, paint change, add,take away etc., Factory blemishes/bluntly screw ups that had to be repaired, the actual cost is well over 100K!
A car guru and might I add a car NUT
was here in my shop as many are on Saturdays, saw Ed unload his "Road Dirty" Cobra (Towed on an open trailer in a nasty snow storm from Chicago!). Asked Ed just about every question in the book about the car, Ed started it for him for a second, and watched itself start walking across the floor all by itself, rumbling, growling all the way! Then begged me to sell it to him as IS!
I told him to come here and read everyone of the posts concerning the build and what still needed done.
By that time Ed started showing both of us his phone pictures of his new Mustang and we were both drooling!
Selling the, "Cpt Eddy" Cobra is not a thought that has even crossed my mind -yet!
Maybe some day when it is totally finished, buffed and standing tall. Maybe for a charitable organization, maybe for one of the most deserving people here on Club Cobra? Maybe, just maybe, one day I will ???
All to be decided over time, all I am sure of at this time is to get the T-5/6(?) into the car and just really see what this 351 balanced, custom made for longevity and speed-torque monster can really do!
Drop my finishing to 1000 grit, naah but thanks, maybe for the final wet/sand? Thanks for the suggestion/info anyway! But, I know you know, in the "Custom Car World a guy has got to do what he does best!"
My first "Dupont Top Gun Winner" after it was "plained" and wet sanded with 600!
P.S. This DV was donated to raffle at the third "Double Venom Spring Fling" for Cystic Fibrosis! Chuck Siefke of Springfield, Oh. won the car. Raced it against Corvettes for years, professionally went through the motor gaining mucho gusto HP. Now it can be seen on Curt Scotts pages and here on CC in the for sale section. IF I had the coin I would buy this car back before you could take a breath!