Project - VMC 81 Pepsi

[Pat Pixley]

Hey Brian how it going so far ??     it has been a little bit  

[BrianB]

I have been really busy with birthday parties and a school for the military over the past weeks. I havent had a chance to touch it for about 2 weeks!! Such is life though! I'll get back to it shortly and will post something when I do, I promise! 

[BrianB]

Welp, I don't have any new pictures to add but I have been working on the machine! I have been doing a lot of prepatory media blasting (iron oxide) prior to getting things plated and painted. Instead of using hammertone paint, I am going to be using chrome , where appropriate and the following: Clear Zinc plating, Yellow Zinc plating and, powdercoating

Last Friday I sent off a few peices to be chromed and zinc plated. I am trying a new place in Illinois and will let you guys know in a seperate thread how things turned out. I have spoken to the owner of the company a couple of times and he seems very knowledgable. The biggest (and most important!) part I sent him was my recently acquired VMC Coin Entry Bezel. He quoted me $40 to chrome it, what a great price!! I can't wait to see the results. His current turn-around time is 4 weeks which is pretty typical for a busy shop.

Other than that, I should be receiving my refrigeration deck back from restoration any day now and will post pictures of that as well. Springtime here in Indiana is a rainy affair and I haven't had a chance to blast the big painted parts like the main door and the body.

Question: If the the machine needs a little body work, do you guys blast, flash prime, bodywork and then prep and prime? or do you bang out any dents then blast, do body work (putty) then final sand, prep and prime? I've seen it done a few different ways. I'm open to all suggestions.

For kicks, I'll have a few local body/collision repair shops run a quote for me for all body work, primer and paint. I will then have them break down the (3) seperately for pricing. Even though I like to do as much myself as possible, I realize than not everybody goes that route. Maybe this will help give people a raw number to work with if they want to go the "full" body shop route.

[collecture]

For kicks, I'll have a few local body/collision repair shops run a quote for me for all body work, primer and paint. I will then have them break down the (3) seperately for pricing. Even though I like to do as much myself as possible, I realize than not everybody goes that route. Maybe this will help give people a raw number to work with if they want to go the "full" body shop route.

I am going to be doing that with my Westy S-O-M and it will be interesting to compare the prices we get across the country.
I too am curious about blast before body work and the generally accepted procedure.

[Crazzy Canuck]

I always blast first. Tin bang and then fill where needed/new metal and prime.

[BrianB]

First update in a while!

As of yesterday, my machine has been comletely sandblasted and I will hopefully pick it up this afternoon after work if all goes well. I am coordinating getting it painted at the same time! I will post some pitures of the machine later.

[BrianB]

Talked to Alan Huffman today. Told me that he was finishing up my refrigeration deck and would be shipping it out via UPS on Monday the 5th of July along with a case of soda pop with the shipping paid for! I'm excited to see what it looks like!  

[BrianB]

Finally got around to snapping a few quick pictures of the machine post-sandblasting.

[mznb1u]

Remarkable how pronounced that embossing looks whit the entire door blasted.  Can't wait to see the finished product!

  Tim

[BrianB]

Yeah, I too was struck by how nicely that clean, paint free embossing "popped". I'm really excited to see it in paint!!