Unlike many conventional body shops, at Finish First, we have a real passion for classic cars and a keen eye for detail. Before taking on a restoration project we like to familiarise ourselves with the car, and the customer. We can then find out what the car means to you, how you would like it restored, colour schemes, finish, materials, time frames and the all important budget. We then have an accurate brief, a great place to start.
When taking on a restoration project our aim is obviously to deliver an outstanding finish that will last. In order to achieve this we have invested a great deal of time and money ensuring we have the right equipment in place and solid and proven techniques for preparing a shell for paint. Our preferred method is to receive a bare shell, stripped of everything, windows, handles, bright work, engine, gearbox, suspension, wiring, interior absolutely everything. We then like to remove all traces of paint and primer so we are working with only the original metal. This can be done in two ways, shot blasting or preferably acid dipping. Acid dipping removes not only all of the unwanted paint but all of the old seam sealer and all of the rust too. The other benefits are you don’t end up with endless traces of sand or beads trapped in sills and cross members which are traits of the shot blasting process, and you don’t get any warping of the panels through heat build up or pressure. This process will eat away all traces of rust and as a result you may end up with a shell that resembles a piece of lace. However what you are left with is good clean metal which is much easier to weld - and you can see instantly which panels are going to need replacing or fabricating.
Once the dipping process is complete and we have assessed the real condition of the shell we can then set about the metal work, which could be extensive, depending on the age of the car. We will always replace rotten panels with new panels unless specifically instructed by you to keep the originals. In this instance we will fabricate whatever sections needed to obtain a solid shell. With the metalwork complete we will then do all the final filler work, and ensure we obtain all the correct panel gaps, making absolutely sure we end up with a good straight shell. We will then apply a good coat of etch primer and then 4 coats of high build primer. The shell is then oven baked and allowed to cure thoroughly before blocking and sanding out for final paint application. Once sanded we will then assess whether another application of primer is required or whether we can mask up and apply the colour.
Choice of colour and materials is ultimately yours. However we would always recommend the latest two pack primers, sealers and top coats for maximum durability.
With the painting process complete, once again you have choices on finishing. The paint can be flatted and polished to a mirror finish - which looks fantastic - but only if the project requires that level of finish. Some times a good gun finish looks much more original and therefore more appropriate - depending on your original brief.