Once the repair to the body is complete, the Alfa's body is ready to be repainted. A high-quality paint job is one of the most visible steps in bringing a classic automobile back to like-new condition. When it comes to repainting, it's best to rely on the services of a reputable professional paint shop to do the job, since they have the specialized equipment and expertise necessary for this process. Following are the major steps in the in the repainting process as shown in the episode.
- Two coats of gray primer are applied to the Alfa's body prior to painting (figure A). At this point, the body is given one more close inspection to identify any imperfections or problems in the surfaces.
- Fortunately, this particular Alfa was not plagued with a lot of body rust on the exterior. If it had been, one solution to the problem would have been to install custom-made patch panels (figure B) prior to repainting. These after-market panels are specially built to provide an exact matches for external body surfaces on specific vehicles. In cases of severe rust damage, the panels can be installed in order to prevent having to replace entire body components.
- With the gray primer applied, and the body thoroughly wiped down to remove any traces of dust or residue, a red primer is applied to the body (figure C). This in-between layer covers the entire vehicle between the gray primer and the actual paint. It is applied carefully with even strokes to achieve smooth, uniform coverage.
- Once the red primer is finished, the paint is applied using a gravity-feed, high-volume, low-pressure paint gun (figure D). This paint system is the type used by true paint professionals. The paint is applied in even strokes in one direction, then applied with strokes in the opposite direction. Using an overlapping technique, the paint specialist makes certain that the spray pattern overlaps "before" spray with "after" spray by about 50 percent to ensure complete and even coverage.
- This complete paint job included painting of the doors and door jambs (figure E) as well as underneath areas such as the underside the hood (figure F) and trunk. This extra attention to detail helps ensure that the paint job approximates the original one that the car had when it rolled off of Alfa's assembly line.
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Alfa Romeo Owner's Bible: A Hands-On Guide to Getting the Most from Your Alfa
Model: 0837607078
Author: Pat Braden
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Bentley Publishers
Alfa Romeo Spider: The Complete Story
Model: 1861261225
Author: John Tipler
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Crowood Press
Original Alfa Romeo Spider (Bay View Original Series)
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Author: Chris Rees, James Mann
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Essential Alfa Romeo Guilia & Giulietta Coupes & Spiders: The Cars and Their Story 1954-95
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Alfa Romeo: The Spirit of Milan
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Sutton Publishing
Classic Car Restorer's Handbook: Restoration Tips and Techniques for Owners ...
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