e-tek

It's killing me not getting at the re-assembly process now that it's paints (and ALL the parts are here!), but I've got several other projects in the cue and I'm hoping as my son gets older his interest in it grows.....

This is the BEST part of a restoration - cleaning parts and putting them back on - its always what gets me through the other parts! Enjoy!

There's an old saying my Dad used to use: You can have it Good, Fast or Cheap..........but not all at once! You chose Cheap, so you being surprised at getting a crappy job done is ironic. There's NO way anyone should leave gaps - especially of that massive size - in anything, anywhere, on a car. It's even MORE wrong to suggest you can seal it with Bondo - he jumped to the top rung of "HACK" with that comment! If I were you - with your level of experience - I would either buy a welder and learn to do it right, or pay someone to do it right. You'll save money doing it yourself, but time with someone else (in theory).

E-tek's 240Z thread in Check out My Ride section. Cheers!

FANTASTIC!! The inner aprons look incredible. You know when the engine bay comes out that well the rest is gonna be spectacular. Now don't make the mistake I did and open the door into the bench when you get it home...

Yes I do. I'm fairly well-equipped, but I have learned over the years what to farm out - like some paint jobs and major blasting. I've also learned not to blast things like carburetors !

I use a mobile glass service called Showtime Glass here in Saskatoon because the owner, Chase, does great work and stands behind it. Today he needed his crew to do the work, which I wasn't crazy about, but I learned later it was because he had broken his elbow in a skate boarding accident. He still showed up however, to supervise and lend a (good) hand to make sure it was done to his standards: Cleaning the trim/insert pieces: That'll be it for work on the Z for a while. I wanted to get paint on and the glass in during good weather so that I could work on it in the winter when I'm between other work. This will give Dan a chance to get ahead of me though - so I won't be leaving it for too long!! ! Thanks for following along!

Thanks guys, although I'm not sure what blue means......

That is AWESOME! Who woulda thought when you sold me those panels years ago we'd be at paint at the same time! I guess it's a fun winter of re-assembly for us both!

Full disclosure is that I applied to be on something called the Dupli-color paint crew, a random group of DIY'rs across the US and me - from Canada. They supplied their products and we posted on their FB site about their use and results. So, when I said I had to wait for more paint, it came directly from Dupli-Color. We were not told what to do, how to do it or what to say. With that said, it's a basic lacquer paint, which was always a very EASY paint to use. It was only discontinued because 2 part urethanes address the 2 major drawbacks of lacquer: durability and shine right out of the gun. The Dupli-Color paint does not require a hardener, mixing, or reducing. It's used right out of the can and has no re-coat window, meaning you can spray a second coat anytime after the first. As well, you can spot in a repair spot very easily with lacquers, whereas with urethanes you can spot the base but generally have to clear an entire panel. The DC paint is also MUCH less expensive. I did a 40 Ford in base/clear (urethane) last month and the paint was $800. The DC is $30 a quart and it took 4 quarts of color and 4 coats clear, for $240. Judging by the number or blue zeds just on this site, Me thinks you're being facetious! HaHa!

It's close to yours Hunter! Even have similar wheels!!

The E-tek Zed finally got color!! Here's a shot RIGHT AFTER the final coat of clear - check out the overspray in the air Now - imagine it after a color-sanding!:kiss:

Well WHAT'dya THINK BOYS?!?!?!?

Woo-Hooo!!! The E-tek Z is finally painted!! The entire job today took 6 hours, but I did the inners and exterior all at once this time. You can see the light-blue color I mixed first awaiting it's re-caoting. First up though, a sealer coat on the exterior panels: I hung the hood and deck lid from a rope stretched across the shop so as to get at both sides: ...and BAM! She's blue! I sprayed 3 coats of Dupli-Color's DIY-friendly Lacquer paint. No mixing, no thinning required. It covered extremely well,, went on like butta and the metallic sat right - the first time. The 3-4 coats of Dupli-color clear went on really easily as well. All-told, it took 5 hours of straight spraying (including flash-times). Lacquer doesn't have the same shine right out of the gun as do the 2-part Urethane products, but it can be "color-sanded' (wet-sanded and polished) to the same glossy finish. Now the fun part: re-assembly! Next spring I'll be able to pull out a perfect classic Z ready for summer cruising - and a little slalom time!!

Fixed a couple last minor items while waiting for more of the (dark) Blue Metallic to arrive from Dupli-Color. Paint goes on (for good:cry:) Monday!

Well - I mixed a color and sprayed the inners - but after a TON of thought , deliberation and input from others, I decided it was too light for the classic lines that are the 240Z. So Dupli-Color is once again stepping up and sending me enough of their Deep Blue Metallic to paint the entire car - in and out. If you want to see the color I vetoed, check it out here: E-tek/Dupli-Color FB Page The new color will be on SOON!

A little more work to do and awaiting a FINAL color choice!!!

So, after a LOT of thought (and input from my 9 year old son!), I'm pretty sure I'm not going to spray it this color..... I've decided it's just too blah. I'm going to go with 100% Deep Blue Metallic - the color I mixed into the Silver. My decision was also partly helped along by a 40Ford I'm also doing for someone else that is going a Dark Blue Pearl called Stormy Blue Mica - and it's beautiful. I'm sure it'll look MUCH better with the white stripes too. I also won't be spraying it right away: as I went to sand the overspray from the inners off, I noticed 3 tiny spots I want to fix - plus the drivers door gap, which is not good enough for me. these items will take a bit of work, then I'll have to re-spray the inners. Thanks for all the feedback - it was very much appreciated!

I think I do..... it has a lot of pearl, so the edges shine differently in the sun. Though I am floored to see Blue's 280 with a very similar color, it's not a classic Z color, so that's partly my problem.

Back story - I've been a Z-lover forever and have had several, including this '73 that I've drug around for nearly 20 years. It's been a "filler" project between other interests and cars but is now - finally - at the paint stage. The other issue is that the build is partially sponsored by Dupli-Color and I'm using their new line of lacquer-based "Color Shop" pre-mixed paints, which come in a rainbow of popular colors. Just for fun though, I decided to custom-mix a color by mixing their Silver Metallic with their Deep Blue Metallic to come up with a unique color which both have pearls in them, adding another dimension. Anyways, I sprayed the inners last week and want to be sure it's not gonna SUCK before I spray the rest this week!

I've always liked the front bumper bars!

Howdy and Welcome! I'm from Saskatoon. I just bought fenders from Southside - do you work there? I built a white 240 spec racer that my wife raced in Vancouver but is now in Regina and I'm just painting a '72 (thread) which should be on the road next summer. There's also a guy near me here with a blue restored Z but with a newer engine and I'm sure you've seen the silver one that is at cruise weekend every year. Maybe we should try for a Saskatoon Z-together next summer!

Decided to keep it. It'll be a summer car (of course!) and its nice to have.

FINALLY!! :thumbup: Color on the 240Z today - inners anyways. Hopefully complete it on Sunday. The local jury is still out on the color (Mrs E-tek and Colt had plenty to say :wtf:), but I think it'll be fine. I didn't over-think it and of course had to use Dupli-Color's pre-mixed colors, but even so, I made up my own shade with a 4:1 custom mix of their Brilliant Aluminum and Deep Blue Metallic colors. I got started at 9am to catch the coolest part of the day, but by the time I got through applying the primer sealer, then the base, then clear, it was an 8 hour process and the clear was STILL going on at 2PM and it was 30C.... First up - final masking (9am 21C/74F) Sealed up, ready for final wipe and tack: (10:45am 22C/76F) First application - Primer Sealer: (11:15am 25C 82F) While the Primer Sealer (large can in back) flashed, I mixed my base color: The Deep Blue Metallic was mixed into the Brillaint Silver: As I had decided on a 4:1 mix ratio, I just used the appropriate mixer gradient on the mixing cup: The new, custom color. That's a TON of metallic.... (12:00PM 28C/88F) The re-coat windows were considerably shortened due to the temperature in the shop, so - after a bunch of test sprays to set up the gun were shot - on went the base coat: (1PM 30C, 92F) Me likey - but Colton wasn't so sure.... :bounce: Oh well, time for the clear coats: (31C, 94F) A couple hours later and the floor was dry and we could open the doors: Tomorrow I'll tear off all the masking paper, Lower it down on the rotisserie, install the doors, hood and hatch, wet-sand all the overspray, then re-mask and seal it all up - again. Hopefully I can shoot the outer on Sunday and be done with for a while. I have to leave it for a while anyways before color sanding it and I really want to tear down the Camaro so that when the body parts come I can get right on it.