Chevy Chevelle Project Car - Goodmark Chevelle Project Car, Part 4

The tool in Craig's hands may look like a planer but is actually a metal file. This can be used for everything from filing led body-filler, to shaving off very slight bumps, to reading the scratches left by it that will show you what parts of the body are too high and too low. This effect is a lot like what guidecoating does during the block-sanding stage.

This is where expertise pays off. A body pick-hammer and good set of body-dollies are a bodyman's best friends. When small bumps and dimples are found, they can be smoothed with light tapping. Once the protruding bump has been tapped down, a skim coat of body filler will be all that is necessary to finish the area.

We can all see in this photo, wherever there is body filler, it's a place that we most commonly find factory blemishes and body seams. This photo is a true testament to how close Goodmark has come to the quality of factory sheetmetal.

After the body has been thoroughly cleaned and is free of dust and grease, the PPG Acid Etching Sealer can be applied. This stuff may look funny and seem like it's not covering the surface like other primers, but the simple fact of the matter is that it's not primer; it's a basecoat to lock in the bare metal from the atmosphere as well as to promote adhesion of the filler primer. Even catalyzed primers can let moisture through, causing rust you won't see until it's too late, making the Etching Sealer very necessary.

With the body sealed, it's time to load the body up with a good filler primer. Filler primers are very heavy and add thick layers of micro bits of "body filler-like stuff" to block-sand off. Notice the spotty black streaks all over the panels. This is guidecoat. Its basically just paint applied in a very light coat over the entire surface to be block-sanded. As you sand, the low areas will still have the guidecoat visible, thereby letting you know that additional filler or primer is going to be needed.

When block-sanding large, flat areas, like the roof of a car, the longer the block, the smoother the outcome will be. If the surface is straight and flat, all of the guidecoat will sand off with no metal showing through. You will also want to be aware of how much primer is being removed because you won't want to sand through the Acid Etching Sealer.

Sealing all the body seams will not only leave the body looking just like it did from the factory, but it will seal areas that, if only paint were applied, would crack and eventually rust and ruin the beautiful body and paint.

For a clean and factory-fresh look, the firewall, underside, and inside are all sprayed with a semi-gloss black, very close to original.

With the body completely block-sanded and the inside and underside sealed, it's time for the next coats of primer. The PPG DP 90 will also receive a thorough blocking when fully dry.

When applying any primer to your car, it's a good rule of thumb to spray it as if it was the final paint. You want good, solid coverage with wide, even coats covering the entire area.

In this shot we can see Hopkins using a clean sponge or rag to keep a good flow of water where he is sanding. This will not only wash the sanded primer away from the area being sanded but will also clean the area so you can keep an eye on how far the area is being sanded.

The last step before paint was to install and align the doors-a job that is much easier and safer at this point.

Wow! I hope everyone can see how straight and smooth the Chevelle's body looks with glossy black paint. Just wait until this baby's back together. Very soon.