This is a budget build Froudey, and consequently DIY.

A lot of the mods I do are to prove that the average DIYer can build a neat custome everyday driver at HOME with normal everyday tools and equipment.

And not only that, stripping back all of the work SWC put in with the blending of the two hoods together is not a good idea. SWC did the major part of welding it together and the base blending with fibreglass bog filler.

My job now is to finish it off and make it ready for paint. I am learning that process as I progress, and despite this small setback, am enjoying working with my hands and developing new skills.

After the bonnet I have 4 doors, a tailgate, two quarter panels, two front guards, and bumpers. HMMM after I cut a hole in the roof, I may have painted the whole car LOL.

BenJ

i should of worded that better as i meant getting them to blast it back to point were paul had gotten the bonnet presentable. as soda blasting a really good pro can like only knock one or two coats off etc etc and it isn't that expensive (well the dubbo unit don't charge that muuch)

looking good non the less but i am wondering why it is required to bog onto of paint i have allways assumed with bog or another body putty it is better to apply directly to metal.

diy is always a learning curve i don't care who you are (unless it isa the same old same old over and over.)

Hang in there bog boy. Know how you feel slightly with the bog. Thought I'd done a great job on parts of mine around the rear arches, and 90% of it is fine. For some inexplicable reason there are now visible lines around the outside of the bogged patch in one spot. From reading this, maybe I had the bog too red...

Hmmm. Keep going brother (not that you need me to tell you that...!)

Go practice painting on your spare tailgate or something, and then come back to it once you've realised that DIY'ers CAN DO EVERYTHING..!... (not that you need me to tell you that...!)

I'm sure having a sexy bonnet is a great thing! Especially since it's soaked up your blood, sweat and tears along the way.

Years to come, they'll be searching through the remains of civilisation and there will be BENJ DNA pulled from between layers of primer, bog and lacquer... Jurassic Park has nothing on that scary scenario.

Primer is very different to top coat. I can understand bogging over it and now I think about it, bog is not waterproof so you should prime the metal first. Bog can also hold moisture.
Prime under and over the bog to seal and protect the repairs.

I once bought a car with poorly prepared paintwork. I pressure sprayed it at the carwash and the whole top coat came off in sheets. I prepsoled the whole car and resprayed it successfully.

i had simlar with my old 323, i pressure washed it at work and a whole chunk of bog came out leaving bare metal.

Many primers absorbs water too, this is the reason you shouldn't leave a car in primer.

hi ben, great write up!!
im not in anyway trying to have a go at u.
im a panel beater / spray painter the last 24 years. bog over paint is not usually recommended. paint will lift under bog if it is flexed.( especially bad on bonnets and around door handles) it can be done but wont last, dodgy crash shops do it all the time especially on car yard work.

bog should be put on directly to buzzed steel,after using a 24-36grit sanding disc or angle grinder, this gives the bog a larger surface area to bond with. what brand bog are u using? never heard of area having to be primed first.
u will have problems of shrinkback when painting as the primer will absorb into the bog and painted areas differently.

watch out when bogging to keep a consistent mix ,as using different amounts of hardener each time will make soft-hard- soft bog, hard bog sands slower so it makes it hard to blend the bogwork. also do not let the bog get wet as it will absorb the water and start to rust the underlying metal. all dents should be removed before the highfill primer goes on, left to dry then hard blocked back.(dont rub back through/past the primer) if u find u have lows still i would give another 3-4 heavy coats of highfill primer and rub back again. leave the primer to fully dry a week if u can before painting (top coating), this will help avoid shrinkback.

u may be able to get away with what u have done by using a isolater over the whole top of the bonnet and then reprime. isolater doesnt get rubbed before priming.

looks like you are using acrylic primer, are u respraying in acylic?

Hi elf100capri

Mate, no offense etc taken whatsoever.

I appreciate all comments that are constructive and are trying to educate me.

I have read your advise and will be able to follow that guide in the future. However, with this bonnet, due to the previous work involved to get it to the stage it is at now, and my non existent budget, I will have to progress forward using the materials and tools I have to hand.

I am using acrylic primer, and will be using acrylic paint. I have already purchased the Black Pearl body colour, just 1 litre, and primer and spray putty.

As this is a learning curve for me, I am prepared to redo the paint again in the future, using lessons learned.

Cheers
BenJ

OK, more progress today.

After running my lovely wife and stunning daughter in to the city this morning so they can watch the ANZAC parade in Sydney, I came home and got to work on the bonnet.

TROYMAN dropped by to say hello, and with some morale support handy, I got the bog out and got to it. A few hours later I had this.



All of the different colours were making it hard to see what was low or high, so I decided it was time to try my hand with the spray gun. I have never done this before, and it was fun setting up the Pressure Regulator and water trap, on my compressor.

TROYMAN went home, and I proceeded to mix up a pot of primer as my first spray victim.

I figured that if I stuffed it up completely, it could easily be fixed with some sandpaper.



And I was right!!!!! What you can't see in the photo is that while laying down the primer the paint can came loose on the gun and spilled primer all over the right hand vent and bulge. AHHHHHH!!!!

I grabbed a paper towel, and wiped away all the excess. I finished laying down the primer left in the gun and after a suitable drying period got busy with the sandpaper and smoothed out all the bumpy spots from the spill.



SOOOOOO!!!!! Todays lesson is, make sure the pot on the gun is on tightly!!!

Better to do something so silly now, than when laying down the body colour.

Tomorrow I want to lay on a couple of coats of Spray Putty followed by a light guide coat and then sand. This should soon highlight any trouble spots.

Question.

I am considering getting some straight black to use as the first colour coat. This would be used to cover up the primer, and would allow better coverage with the Black Pearl. Does this sound like a good plan?

Cheers
BenJ

i no panel beater but like some of us members i have had a lash at it. with the primer being the same run of the mill grey primer once the bonnet is preped proper and primmed to the point it is ready for paint i am thinking unless you want to put minimal coats on go with the a black base coat then the pearl.

As we discussed before Ben, I think that is a good idea, should give a better depth of paint. By the way, bonnet is looking good mate. Welcome to SWC.

sounds good ben, supercheap /sprints etc sell gloss jet black acrylic in a 1 litre can around $20-$30. put it on lightly,thin see thru coats. as heavy/wet coats will soften the coats underneath and also fry up any edges of bogged over primer.

craig

It's looking good ben, well done and keep up the good work..

Automotive Riddle

What do you install that is taller, to make it shorter?

BenJ

Diff ratio. The taller the number the shorter the ratio!