The Improbable Car Company ([info]improbable_cars) wrote,
@ 2007-03-11 11:24:00
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Day one interior pics.


For those interested, click on the above pic for a gallery of pics from the first day of the interior re-do.

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[info]plymouth
2007-03-12 12:32 am UTC (link)
are we getting transmissions from the same car repair satellite?

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[info]pixel
2007-03-12 12:36 am UTC (link)
*g* Apparently.

Ah the joy of trying to get a decent shot of a car's interior without a wide-angle lens.

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[info]ladywench
2007-03-12 02:56 am UTC (link)
Beautiful.

*sigh* :-)

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[info]hotel_jewelweed
2007-03-13 05:46 pm UTC (link)
Sweet!

I am so glad I found you and I hope you don't mind my friending you. I heard about your car The Cat some years ago, and it was sticking in the back of my mind.

I am about to embark on making my first Art Car-- one which I hope will involve words, palindromes, word squares, hexes, calligraphy, etc.-- though I have no idea yet how I am going to go about it or what materials I will use. There might be collages-- who knows.

I look forward to reading about your adventures!

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[info]pixel
2007-03-13 09:35 pm UTC (link)
If you ever want any help with suggestions on optimal materials, surface prep, etc. let me know. I've built a couple artcars at this point and would be glad to help you out.

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[info]hotel_jewelweed
2007-03-14 04:38 pm UTC (link)
One thing I would like to ask about is what kind of paint you used on The Cat-- silver paintsticks? Do you mean those irridescent silver pens tht you can get in stationary shops, or something else?

Also how do you prepare the surface? Are there any paints that would stick to the car without your having to sand it down first? (I have limited equipment and skill at this point).

Thanks!

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[info]pixel
2007-03-14 10:10 pm UTC (link)
Something else. They appear to be more commonly referred to as "Paint Markers", they have actual paint in them, you can spot them because they have a rattle-ball inside to mix the paint. This is one example, though you're going to have to try various brands to find one with a tip design that works well for you. They aren't designed for exterior durability and did fade over time.

I did nothing to prep the surface except to wash the car, but that wasn't an optimal choice.

Here is my surface prep 101:
Sanding is the best choice for surface prep, no matter what you're using. However if the car's paint is in good shape you can get away without doing that.
First wash the car really throughly, using plain dish soap (with no antibacterial/scent/etc. additives). Scrub and rinse all of it at least twice. This will obviously clean it, and the dish soap helps strip wax and grease from the car.
Then you have to make sure the car doesn't still have wax on it, or the paint will never stick. The easiest way to tell is run water over the car, if it beads up there is wax on the car. You can buy a can of wax remover at most auto parts store. Follow the directions on the container, but don't obsess about getting every square inch as the next step will further take care of the wax problem.
Next get a can of mineral spirits, using clean rags wipe down the *all* painted parts of the car. What you're doing is both scrubbing the contaminants from the paint, but more importantly you're breaking up the surface of it enough to let new paint stick. You may want to scrub the car twice and/or go back and re-scrub as you're getting closer to working on it.
Rinse the entire car again, and let it dry. Then you should be ok to paint. if you do the car in pieces, either just do all this as you get to that section, or re-wash them with the soap and mineral spirits before you do any painting.

The *best* paint for cars is One-Shot sign enamel. it comes in a huge amount of colors, and is incredibly durable. The downside is it is a bit expensive, and some colors may have lead in them (only dangerous if kids are going to paint or gnaw on your car).
Second is Rustoleum, but only the "exterior" colors. less colors, but pretty durable. This goes for the various rustoleum knockoffs.
Third is automotive paint, only because it is hard to get in useful quantities.

Hope that helped.

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[info]pixel
2007-03-14 10:12 pm UTC (link)
Oh addendum. You *might* be able to significantly improve the marker's durability by spraying a coat of automotive clear-coat over it once you're done. But I have no idea how well that would work. You would likely be best off to wet-sand the car with 800 or finer sandpaper first though if you're going to be using clearcoat.

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