The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1952 Chevrolet 3100 Project

Looks good Phil! Someone asked me about painting my truck and well, I don't want to go through all this work right now. Your labor is paying off.

Looking great, glad you were able to get it done before the weather changes.

I felt the same way, but I bought this truck in 2019, with the intention of doing the body work and paint but was sidetracked four years by all of the mechanical work. I figured if I didn’t get started soon, I may not have the energy or health to complete it. It is a long road, one that I may never go down again, but I’m glad it’s starting to get to fruition.

Congratulations Phil. Your cab looks great. I’ll bet you can’t wait to get your cab outside so you can look at it from more than 2 feet away.

I applaud you for your work. I keep putting off the body work. It's coming I'm just not sure I'm ready for it though.

Some great work Phil, the Truck is going to outstanding.

Phil, that paint job looks awesome. You have a lot more guts that I do to use a darker color like that. They show all the little imperfections.
Great work.

Nice love the blue 🤩

10/26/25: I'm happy to report that I've accomplished what I set out to do: The doors and most of their associated parts are now finished with their final coat.

Overall, I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. The color looks great, and the coverage is good. I did encounter a minor hiccup due to insufficient light in the workspace, which resulted in another run on one of the doors. However, there's definitely enough paint, so once it's fully dried, I'm confident I'll be able to sand and compound it out without any issue.

I've still got a few smaller items to paint: the inside door trim, the rain deflectors, and a few screws and bolts. I'm hoping to tackle those in the next few days.

Fingers crossed for good weather and good lighting for the remaining pieces! Once that's all done, it'll be time to start the exciting part – reassembly!

Is that Mariner Blue?

How does the price of that Prevost compressed air piping compare to other systems?

To be honest Otto, I never checked pricing when I bought mine. I was more interested in “one stop shopping” and the system looked really good.
Phil, what kind of gun is that?

No, it’s actually a furd color from the 1930’s called Washington Blue. My wife and I didn’t really like any of the colors that GM had that period correct. We went to car show a couple years ago, saw that color and fell in love with it. It was hard to find a company that made the correct version of this color.

It’s a Eastwood Contours 2. It sprays really nice and only requires 5 SCFM @ 30psi, which suited my old 2HP 20 Gallon Sears compressor fairly well (that pushed out 8.3 @ 40 SCFM). It comes with 2 tips, a 1.3 and a 1.7. My only complaint is it’s not the easiest gun to clean, requiring complete disassembly.

Nice color. I thought it looked a little darker than Mariner Blue.

Does it have a “baggie” liner inside the paint cup? I’m in the market for a new gun. I’ve gotten used to complete disassembly after shooting, but apparently 3M makes a gun where you throw the paintier bits away and are left with a gun that’s ready to shoot paint again.
Your paint looks great BTW. I can’t wait to see what your truck looks like outside. Right now, it looks outstanding.

Paul, I have that gun. It's called a 3M Accuspray. Has disposable cups and caps with integral filter screens, and the nozzle is part of the cup connection and also replaceable (good for at least 10 uses.) To clean the gun you just remove the paint cup (a bayonet connection,) fill that connection with solvent and spray that thru the nozzle 2 or 3 times (takes only a few ounces of solvent) then snap the nozzle off and wipe down the needle. Takes about as long to clean as typing this post.

There are also adapters that are available to use the 3M disposable cups on other makes of guns, but you still need to get the gun itself cleaned. But that eliminates the need to clean the cup out, using quite a bit of solvent. It looks to me like Phil is using the 3M cups on his gun.

Just an FYI for those interested in the 3M Accuspray gun, beware there is an original version (1.0) and a newer version (2.0) and the nozzles etc. are not interchangable. I have the original version and was able to get cups, liners, and tips from my local automotive paint supplier but I believe they may becoming harder to find. In my case the paint I used recommended a 1.3-1.5 tip and the gun came with 1.8 and 2.0 (I beleive) so I purchased a box of 4 of the 1.4 tips.

As Kevin said cleaning the gun is really easy and doesn't take much solvent to get the job done.

From what I have found (I have the 1.0 version), the gun itself is the same as the 2.0, but the difference is in the nozzles and cup connection. So theoretically, I could use the 2.0 nozzles, and cups. I have not verified that however. My gun came with 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.8 nozzles which covered both primer and final coats.

The Eastwood Contours 2 kit does not have the disposable cup system. I cheapen out and bought the kit from HF, but have second thoughts about my purchase. The first time I used it, I didn’t get the lid on properly, so it leaked all over. Fortunately, I was only spraying prime and not my color coat. I also had issues insuring the locking ring was on tight. The starter kit only comes with one hard cup, so you have to make sure you clean it really well so you can see the measuring marks.

Also the cup is really small, only 20 ounces, so mixing another batch midstream while painting kinda sucked. I’m not sure you can mix multiple cups with the flimsy liners. A second hard cup would definitely be helpful and I may just buy another starter kit.

Having said all that, now that I know its deficiencies and not experiencing any issues since, I’ll continue to use it.

Phil, go with 3M's disposable cup system with an adapter to your Countours 2 gun. If you get 2 cups, you can have two full cups of paint at the ready. 3M also has 28 oz cups as well.

OK: 3M commercial over.

11/09/25: Mother Nature has been unusually kind over the last few weeks, which allowed me to make significant progress. I have officially turned the corner! Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been painting all of the little bits and pieces of the interior necessary to get it back together and are now ready for installation. I’ve transitioned from the grind of deconstruction to the pure fun of reconstruction!

I started by tackling the interior floor and the gas tank area. My first order of business was installing the sound deadening sheets under the seat area and behind the gas tank. With that sorted, I installed the new gas tank isolator pads and set the new tank temporarily in place to ensure I could position it correctly for the gas petcock installation.

After taking a good, hard look at the old gas tank petcock, I decided to replace it entirely. Given its age, a failure down the line would mean draining the tank just to replace the valve, so a new one is cheap insurance. I did hit one small hiccup: the grommet I bought where the petcock passes through the floor was too large. So, I’m holding off on strapping the tank down until the new parts arrive.

While waiting for those small items, I switched gears and got the shifter back in place and mounted the steering wheel— it feels great to have those components back where they belong! I also installed the parking brake and a new boot that fits into the floor.

The final task involved the transmission cover. I bought the transmission cover gasket kit, but after inspecting the contents, I chose not to use them. The gaskets appeared to be real thin tar paper, and the only sealing surface would have been the thin edge of the transmission cover itself (18 gauge). This would inevitably leave about a 1” ledge for debris and water to collect, a perfect environment for rust to thrive. Instead, I opted to use 1/4” thick foam weatherstripping, 3/8” wide. I believe this will do a far better job of sealing out the elements and noise than the kit provided. I installed two strips: one directly on the outer edge of cover and another on the floor, positioned closely to the edge. The two gaskets straddle the cover bolts.

The transmission cover gaskets did not go to waste. I was able to cut and cement them on the new access cover I fabricated for the new relocated master cylinder, providing a seal for that floor opening.

I also decided to buy a new battery box cover. I was going to repair the existing one but after sandblasting the bad spots, allot more holes appeared .

It’s amazing how much happier I feel reassembling, as my dream starts to become a reality. I’ll keep you updated as the interior continues to take shape!

Good job .when I took my tank out the foam rubber around the bottom of the tank was wrong as well .I ended up using a sponge rubber hockey puck that I cut the center out and it fit well .i also used some flat rubber for my trans cover similar to a bike tube .

Looking good, progress always feels better than grinding and disassembly.

Looking good Phil. Nice progress.

11/13/25: I received the parts I ordered from Classic Parts, with high expectations, but was quite disappointed.

Firstly, the new stainless steel lower windless retainers were a significant letdown. Given they are stainless steel, I fully expected them to arrive polished, ready for installation. Instead, they have a mill finish. While I am capable of polishing them myself, this is an additional, unexpected task that adds to the overall project time, which I had hoped to avoid by purchasing new parts.

Secondly, the battery floor cover, while aesthetically pleasing, presented functional issues. The locking mechanism was extremely stiff upon initial attempt to secure it. Upon inspection, I discovered that the locking bars were rubbing quite hard against their guides. After carefully tweaking the guides, I was able to free up the mechanism. However, the cover still does not tighten adequately to the floor; there's about a quarter-inch of play, meaning I can easily lift it which will not seal out the weather or wind. It appears I will need to fabricate custom spacers, likely using my 3D printer, to achieve a secure fit.

Perhaps the most baffling item is the seal for the gas tank to the floor. I received several distinct pieces – multiple foam rubber seals and a few hard washers that appear to be made of a gasket material. I was anticipating a single, thick foam rubber seal for this application, and I am entirely unsure how these various components are meant to be assembled to form a proper seal. I could use some advice on Any ‘bolters that have faced this issue and how they solved it.

On a more positive note, I have had some genuine successes with other aspects of my project. I finished installing the sound deadener on the floor and firewall. I now want to extend this to the cowl and roof. However, with only four full sheets remaining, I will need to order another full box of the sound deadening material to complete this area.

Another successful, although initially challenging, was the foot-operated starter pedal. I encountered an issue where the lock nut would not tighten, as the threads in the mating bar were stripping out. My initial thought was to weld a nut to the bar, but the tight quarters made this impractical. Instead, I successfully extended the threads up the rod by about 3/8 of an inch, then cut down a new nut on my lathe to create a custom lock nut, which I installed on the backside which was no easy task, to resolve the issue completely.

I’m pleased with my progress.

I don't understand what's being sealed between the gas tank and the floor. The tank just rests on two saddles and is strapped in place. Anti-rattle strips of roofing felt type material were on the saddles and between the straps and the tank.

The only thing that needs sealing is the hole in the floor where the fuel line exits the tank. I used a rubber grommet. Maybe that big rubber ring is supposed to lay over the fuel outlet hole and squish down when the tank is placed on it?

When I removed my original tank, there was nothing resembling the rubber washers in your photo anywhere.

The only washers associated with the fuel tank are those on the strap bolts and they're made of steel.

When I had my tank out I had ordered what I thought was the bottom seal but it was incorrect so I think I ordered another like yours and it was too loose sitting on the floor so I ended up using a sponge rubber hockey puck and drilled a hole in the center .I don’t know if it was because I had put some rubber on the saddle were the tank sits and that made it sit a little higher but I think it was no more than a 1/8 thickness .

I'm glad that you're finally at the point where everything is going back together, that's HUGE point in any project.

I have been juggling projects so I really like seeing other Folks make progress, it's a,great motivator.

11/14/25: Well, I've pushed through another phase of the project! The last four sheets of sound deadening are now firmly applied to the cowl. Let me tell you, for a 73-year-old fella, lying on my back trying to contort into those spaces was no easy feat – my back can attest to that! – but it's done. That just leaves the roof to tackle, but I'm on hold for more sheets to arrive.

Since I had a pause there, I jumped straight into the gas tank installation. Last night started with a bit of head-scratching over the new seals I bought for the tank-to-floor interface around the petcock. They just didn't seem right. Rather than lose momentum, I decided to improvise with what I had on hand to keep things moving forward.

Before I could permanently set the tank, I absolutely needed to get that 1/8” pipe plug out of the bottom. After all the horror stories I've heard about breaking the solder joint, I thought I'd be smart. My brilliant plan was to use a second wrench – a big 12” adjustable – as a hold-back on the two flats of the soldered fitting, hoping to relieve the stress. The moment I applied a bit of muscle to the 7/16” plug with a socket and ratchet, the adjustable wrench decided to stage a rebellion. It slipped right off the fitting and gave me a direct hit just above my right eye. No blood, thankfully, but plenty of pain! I did a tactical retreat into the house for some ice. Lucky for me, I seem to have a rather hard head, so no permanent damage was done, just a momentary (and painful) pause in my progress.

Back to that plug – it was really, really tight. My initial 'smart' methods had clearly failed miserably, so it was time for a new plan: out came the impact driver. Wouldn't you know it, that plug spun out with hardly any effort at all!
With the plug out, I removed the nipple from the petcock and installed it in the tank. This allowed me to accurately locate the tank outlet relative to the hole in the floor. I’d measured the space between the tank and floor, and it needed about 1-1/4” of fill, so those foam washers I mentioned earlier came in handy. I applied some weatherstripping adhesive and glued a few of them together to form the perfect seal, then carefully adhered it to the tank. After reseating the tank again, I snuck underneath the cab to check, and the seal was making perfect contact with the floor. Success!
From there, it was smooth sailing to finish the installation: installing the clamping straps, the sending unit, the petcock itself, and finally, the gas tank filler neck. So, the tank installation is officially complete!

Nice work Phil. With your new-found expertise at sound sheeting, you’re my go-to guy when it eventually comes time for mine. You’re busy that day? Darn it.

Phil, the reflection in your paint is beautiful... Awesome job on the paint.👍

Nice work I can feel your pain looking up at the kilomat arms stretched up putting those pieces in .Looks good nice work on the tank seal.

11/19/25: I officially had "cut and buff" day a few days ago, and while it was productive overall, it definitely threw a few curveballs my way.

My main goal was to knock out a couple of pesky runs around the rear window openings before I reinstalled the glass. Naturally, things didn't quite go as smoothly as I'd hoped. Upon a closer inspection, those two runs seemed to mysteriously multiply. I spent a good, chunk of time meticulously sanding them down, and I actually managed to successfully remove all but the original two I started with – wouldn't you know it, those are the critical ones for reinstalling the rear glass!

As I really got into those two problem areas, I discovered a new challenge. The runs underneath were quite porous, so the more I sanded, the more little pock marks started to appear, like tiny craters. To make matters worse, one of these spots didn't have quite enough paint to begin with, so I sanded right through to the lighter primer underneath. So, a spot repair is definitely in order before those windows go in. My plan is to warm up the garage to at least 60 degrees, then bake the repair with a propane heater to help it cure properly. I've ordered a can of Spray Max 1k Spot Blender, which should arrive on Friday, so hopefully, I can tackle that this weekend.

On a much happier note regarding the paint, there was one area I was genuinely worried about – the passenger side cab corner. I'd accidentally brushed my air hose against it during painting, so I'd shot some additional paint on that area, hoping it would give me more material to sand out. Well, I'm thrilled to report it came out near perfect! That was a huge relief and definitely a win for the paint job.

Beyond the paint drama, I've had a really productive few days getting some other stuff installed. I managed to get the firewall padding and its cover in place, laid down the floor mat, and installed the sound deadening pads on the ceiling. The windshield wiper assembly is now installed, the gas pedal is in, and I even got the cowl vent attached. It's great to see these major pieces finding their homes.

Despite the minor paint setback, things are really starting to come together quite nicely!

Is that firewall cover plastic? Was that the stock type in 1952?

I like that firewall cover too!

Always end with a win Phil. Great job.

It’s ABS plastic and definitely not stock. I’m not a purest and my truck is not stock, so I don’t mine.

Good choice I went with a rubber type and wish I got the abs one but I did go with the abs headliner and it worked great .

12/01/25: An update on my project. It’s been a classic mix of two steps forward, one step back, but I finally feel like I’ve broken through a major barrier.

The initial delay was a real nuisance. I was patiently waiting for my blending spray shipment only to receive a notification that it would be delayed "with no expectation" of when it might arrive. I canceled the order and planned a trip to my not-so-local auto body supplier (almost an hour away) to grab what I needed.

Since painting was on hold, I switched gears and focused on getting the doors cut and buffed, ready for final reassembly. The driver's door turned out pretty good, aside from a few visible sanding scratches that I’ll need to re-sand later. I decided not to delay assembly for those minor spots, so that door is now back together.

The passenger door would require another full respray after I discovered another run that was porous and simply wouldn't sand out, so reassembly was now off the table, for the time being.

Reassembly of the driver’s door was not without its challenges. I hit two minor snags. The first was self-inflicted and incredibly frustrating. After installing the window regulator and glass, I rolled the window down to check operation, and it stopped dead about halfway. I removed both the regulator and the glass twice, looking for something fouling the path. As it was getting late, I decided to wait until morning and tackle it with a clear head. As I was trying to fall asleep, it dawned on me: the screws! I had opted for shinny new stainless steel screws instead of cleaning and painting the original clutch head hardware. Those new SS screws were a bit too long and were hitting the regulator gear. I chose the easy way out, and it definitely bit me in the arse. Once I swapped them out, the window operation was perfect.

The second issue involved the new exterior shiny chrome handles and the remote door opener. I had installed the latch and inside remote, but I couldn’t get the door to lock properly. After a few frustrating removal and reinstall attempts, I compared the new handle with the old one. Sure enough, the push bar on the new handle was about a quarter inch too long, preventing the latch from fully engaging the lock position. Cutting it down solved the problem instantly, and the rest of the door reassembly went smoothly after that.

I took a much-needed break over the long Thanksgiving weekend to spend time with family, which helped me come back refocused.

Today, I tackled the repaint. I used a couple of portable heaters and was able to raise the garage temperature to 64°F. It took me most of the day just to prep the area, mask everything off, and get the door ready. I painted the entire exterior of the passenger door and, most importantly, was able to successfully blend in the area where the two problematic runs (with their pock marks) had been. The painting went really well. I noticed only minor specks on the door, which I’m confident will disappear entirely when I get to the final cut and buff.

I’m feeling much better now that the paint issues are behind me.

Once agin your paint job is looking great!

I understand your two steps forward and one back concept as I have had a lot of those on my own project.