Restoring custom corvette

[SpaceCrawler]

After searching for a vintage blue Custom Corvette hood for months to complete my childhood vette I have given up and bought a repro hood from The RedlineShop. I have to paint the hood to match using the blue paint they sell and I was wondering if there are any tips to getting a good paint job with their paint,or can you just airbrush in on the new hood as-is? Any tips appreciated.

Sean

[Playz with Carz]

The real trick with a repro hood is to get the metal itelf to match the shine of the original car. You may have to polish it a little or a lot so it matches.Also, keep in mind the repro hoods are a lot softer metal and can be marked / bent rather easily. Lastly, regarding the RLS blue paint - it has a VERY strongpigment to it and can become dark very quickly. When I use RLS blue, I cut it with laquer thinners (2 parts thinner / one part paint) - this allows you to"sneak" up on the color you are trying to match without suddenly becoming too dark.

Mark.

[SpaceCrawler]

Thanks for the tips. What can you use to polish the metal?

Sean

[Playz with Carz]

I use a polishing wheel and polishing compound in my Dremel. This will polish it pretty quickly, and maybe too much for what you need to match. I'd startwith some Nev-r-dull polishing pads or some Brasso and go from there. It's easier to work up to the polished level you require, but it's more difficultto back up if you get it too far. Matching an existing finish can be trying, but it's not impossible.

Mark.