C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

[Roger P.]

Happy Holidays to everyone and your families! During this quiet week when I am able to take some time off from work, I am working on a small project that I've been planning for some time. The underside of my hood was looking a bit tired, so I removed the hood from the car, removed the hood pins and weatherstripping, and sanded the existing black paint. I also removed the hardened and mostly non-bonded putty that buffers the outer hood skin from the underside hood frame. After final cleaning and taping, I painted the hood with two coats of Rust-oleum Universal Satin Black paint (2 full spray cans). My next move is to apply the DAP Polyurethane Roof Sealant to replace the old putty, then install the new weatherstripping and hood pins before reinstalling the hood back on the car. However, I am considering changing the hood finish to match the inner fender and firewall blackout finish as the hood has more sheen than the rest of the engine bay. Should they match, or should the hood have more sheen? I like Rust-oleum's products, but their satin looks almost semi-gloss to me, and their flat looks more like satin -- which happens to match the rest of my engine bay. Any thoughts?

Happy & Healthy New Year,
Roger (50141)

[Edward J.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Roger, I like Dupli Color low gloss black engine paint. I thought it was the perfect match!!, and will be able to with stand the heat in the engine compartment. As with each paint company theres always a different hue or gloss no matter what it says on the can. another good company that most body shops like is SEMS, they make a satin black used on most GM mouldings,that also is a good match.

[John H.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

However, I am considering changing the hood finish to match the inner fender and firewall blackout finish as the hood has more sheen than the rest of the engine bay. Should they match, or should the hood have more sheen?

Roger -

The entire underhood area (inner fenders, firewall, and underside of the hood) were sprayed at the same time with the same semi-flat blackout paint; all of those surfaces should exhibit the same sheen.

[Roger P.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Ed and John,
Thank you for the information. I am going to pick-up some "semi-flat" black paint to match the rest of the engine bay. For me, the Rust-oleum "Painter's Touch" Ultra Cover flat black paint provides nearly the identical matte finish as my firewall and inner fenders. I have used it before on several projects with excellent results. If all goes well, I'll have the final coat of paint on the hood today, and will then let it cure at least two days before applying the DAP polyurethane sealant and the weather stripping. If all goes well, I should have the refinished hood back on my car by Monday afternoon to ring in 2012!

[Bill H.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

I just started this yesterday. Since I really don't like sanding, I 'm using my $14 soda blaster.

[Roger P.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Hi Bill,
That is a very familiar sight to my eyes! I sanded my hood since I don't have a soda blaster, and I am getting ready to apply the final coat of paint this morning. I initally applied 2 wet coats (one after the other), and then let the paint dry for two days. I then did a light sanding to prepare the surface for the final coat of paint. I will let the paint dry for 3 days before taping the new black paint so I can spray the red hood lip around the perimeter, apply the DAP sealant at the bonding points, and install the new weatherstripping and hood pins. Good luck on your project... let me know how it turns out.

[Bill H.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Roger, the soda blaster works very well. I bought it on a whim at Habor Freight mostly because I wanted to sand blast my rear crossmember (wouldn't fit in my glass bead cabinet). The silly $14 thing works. So I bought 50 lb of soda at HF. This takes the paint off the underside of the hood at 60 psi and leaves a beautiful finish.

[Lorne G.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

As a matter of interest, has anyone had success achieving a nice uniform finish by using a small painter roller instead of using spray paint? I find spray paint very messy in a small garage.

Lorne

[Paul J.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Roger, the soda blaster works very well. I bought it on a whim at Habor Freight mostly because I wanted to sand blast my rear crossmember (wouldn't fit in my glass bead cabinet). The silly $14 thing works. So I bought 50 lb of soda at HF. This takes the paint off the underside of the hood at 60 psi and leaves a beautiful finish.

Merry Christmas, we're going to see if Dick is right about soda.

IMG_0830.jpg

[Bill H.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Nice present you got Paul. I'm sure Dick knows a bunch. A couple things I've read, you have remove all the soda before painting so, I'm going to lightly power wash the hood before paint. And i've heard that blasting metal leaves the surface too smooth for the paint to adhere, I'm going to experiment with that. Dick probably knows more about this.
I did find out (and posted on the seat back thread) that even at 50 psi, soda will smooth out the graining on plastic like my 67 E-brake cover.

[Roger P.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Time for an update... I finished my final coats of the semi-flat black paint on the underside of the hood and it turned out very nice. After letting the paint cure for over 24 hours, I wet sanded the finish with a "no scratch" Scotch Brite pad to blend the finish and remove any "dry dusting" that you can get from a spray can. I followed that with a light polishing compound which gave me a very nice finish that I think looks original and not over restored as I sometimes see when the paint is too glossy and too perfect. This morning, I finished taping the hood so I could apply primer to the hood lip prior to applying color. The primer revealed a few spots that required some light filler, so I took care of that and I'm now waiting for it to cure so I can do a quick wet sand and lay down the Rally Red finish coats. I decided to apply the DAP sealant at the bonding spots and install the weather stripping and hood pins once the painting is 100% finished. Before I put the hood back on the car, I will do a little clean up and touch-up painting in the area in front of the radiator while I have the opportunity.

[Roger P.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

I have attached a photo of my freshly painted hood. Bonding sealant, weatherstripping, and hood pins are next.

[Gary B.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Time for an update... I finished my final coats of the semi-flat black paint on the underside of the hood and it turned out very nice. After letting the paint cure for over 24 hours, I wet sanded the finish with a "no scratch" Scotch Brite pad to blend the finish and remove any "dry dusting" that you can get from a spray can. I followed that with a light polishing compound which gave me a very nice finish that I think looks original and not over restored as I sometimes see when the paint is too glossy and too perfect. This morning, I finished taping the hood so I could apply primer to the hood lip prior to applying color. The primer revealed a few spots that required some light filler, so I took care of that and I'm now waiting for it to cure so I can do a quick wet sand and lay down the Rally Red finish coats. I decided to apply the DAP sealant at the bonding spots and install the weather stripping and hood pins once the painting is 100% finished. Before I put the hood back on the car, I will do a little clean up and touch-up painting in the area in front of the radiator while I have the opportunity.

Roger,

How did you apply the Rally Red paint? With a gun? Or can it be done with a rattle can?

Gary

[Alan D.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Your finish from the front hinges forward may not fly! Check for past posts on how the area was finished from factory.
Now you may not want or desire such a look so that's your call

Remember the black out was done with hood in place and some form of a mask held at the hinge.
Looking good!

[Roger P.]

Re: C2 Underside of Hood Restoration

Hi Gary,
I ordered a rattle can from an online company called "PaintScratch" Automotive Touch-up Paint. I still had enough spray paint from an order I placed about 18 months ago when I painted the rain rail on the car. I requested a single-stage paint and gave them the paint code. The first can they sent me was a little dark, so I sent them a color sample and they made me a new can at no charge. It would be best to send them a color sample when placing the order the first time around (live & learn). After it cures for a couple of weeks, I will apply a light polishing compound and wax (as I did with the rain rail), but won't wet sand it to a high gloss as I don't believe that's how it was done back in '65.