The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk My Truck Has GONE To The Painter

Tonight I drove my truck onto the painter's trailer and watched him take it away to be painted ... two colors with a black pinstripe between:
[b]I\'m Posting All Info And Updates Here[/b]

I gotta tell you all ... I was really surprised at my reaction as I watched the truck go away from me, down the road, and out of sight. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of lonliness and separation, akin to watching a loved one go away for a long time! Wow. It was heavy, man! LOL!

I won't see it again until September sometime ... if all goes well. But what a kick it's gonna be when I see it all new and shiny!

I'll be a healthier man by then, too -- I'm riding my bicycle until I have the truck back!

congrats thats a big milestone

I understand exactly where you're coming from about that feeling you get about your truck. Heck, it's only a piece of old iron......but it's a reflection of better times (IMHO) when our lives were less cluttered with today's pressures.

Some of my fondest memories as a young boy, are of my Dad and I stopped by a peaceful brook, sitting on big rocks warmed by the sun, eating cheese sandwiches and drinking thick milkshakes out of paper containers....carried there by one of his beloved Chevy trucks.

Dad and those simpler times are gone, but those old Chevy trucks are still a part of my everyday life. Can't imagine being without one for any length of time.

I truly understand your sentiments and wish you the best during your separation......please be extra careful on your 2 wheeler.....and BTW, that's about the most comfortable looking bike seat I've ever seen. I've heard they give "double points" in Jersey for bicyclists on Tuesdays!!!!

Dave

Well, WHAT two colors?

That's great news Alan, I'm jealous

I enjoy your web site and appreciate the detail you provide.

Dave, you gave me goose bumps talking about you and your dad because I grew up the same way, bumping around with dad in his '54.

nice.........

Thanks, all.

Hey, Dave -- LOL! That bike seat is sooo comfortable!

Your recollections about you and your Dad touched my heart, too. Me and my Dad were best of friends and I think of him every day.

Speaking of milkshakes, it's been on my mind these past few weeks how no one seems to care about those wonderfully bubbly and creamy(!) things called milkshakes that we all use to enjoy so many years ago. Well, last night (maybe the temporary loss of my truck spurred this on) I decided to do something about it. I went on eBay and found a beautiful Soda Fountain Milk Shake Machine, circa 1941, and purchased it -- you can *not* make a true milkshake with only *one* spinner on the shaft (like these newer versions) ... the machine must have *two* spinners, as the old ones do. Then I went to Amazon and bought some natural vanilla syrup, sweetened only with cane suger (like it was back in The Day). So ... while my truck is gone, and I'm riding my bicycle, I'll be drinking cold, frothy, bubbly, CREAMY milkshakes to comfort my lonliness.


Hey, gazim -- You can see the design I came up with via the link in my first post -- the bottom color is candy burgundy with a fine metal flake and the top color is cream.

Horvath,

I had to ride a bike for a month to school and to the grocery store when I was in school and my car went kaput.

I used a book bag to go shopping for basic stuff. I found liquids like OJ and milk were kinda iffy in that situation. I would have preferred a setup like yours or maybe even a box on back, nice work.

You do tend to buy less stuff per trip when shopping by bicycle though.

Heh.

-W

Alan, I understand your pain. My truck went off to the painter last October but I visit at least twice a week to relieve my angst and make sure its getting the proper TLC. The cab is due to be reset on the chassis tomorrow, and this should mark the beginning of the end of our separation.

BTW, your keep busy projects look great!

Don

Alan:
I am offering a discount on separation anxiety counseling. I'm betting you can get visitation rights.
I rather believe we could all benefit from a few miles on a bike. I'll be looking for pictures of the finished product.

Woogeroo -- The grocery store is always "on my way home" (I go to my Mom's everyday), so I usually shop in small amounts every other day ... plus I live alone, so nothing has changed in terms of the amount of shopping I do. My mom is just 1 mile from me ... the grocery is 3/4 of a mile ... Home Depot, Target, Office Depot, etc. is also 1 mile, so I'm in a very cool location. The saddle bags are each about the size of a back pack and I've gotten my usual shopping in them every time.


Thanks, Don! -- Wow ... you've been without your truck for 7 months!? I was just wondering about them removing the cab and thinking, "Man, that's a LOT of trouble!" I was thinking the cab wouldn't be removed ... now I'll have to ask. I know all the windows are coming out, the bed is coming off, the front fenders and the hood ... and it's gonna be media blasted, not sand blasted.

My painter is a 45-minute drive south-east of me, so I won't be visiting as often as you ... but I do plan on going out there. He said he'd take pictures of every stage for me and I'll be posting those as I get them (see link above) and taking pics when I visit, too.

BIG CHEVY -- LOL! Thanks.

Hi Alan,
Very nice website,you do very nice work.I'd say you're a perfectionist. I can relate to your anxiety waiting.I have a 54 Triumph TR2(rhd)that came from Singapore that's been away for almost 2 years now getting the sheetmetal or body worked on. I told the guy to take his time but now it's getting ridiculous. I hope he still has the car,he's not returning my emails and he's 400 miles away, and I already paid him $3,000.
Joe

Alan, great to hear that you are going to get your pickup painted. We waited a year and a half on our first attempt to get ours painted. I finally got someone else to do the paint. It took us 9 months on our second painter. Well worth the wait though. Hope everything turns out ok with your paint job. Frank

Thanks, Joe ... Thanks, Frank.

I've heard of such long periods of waiting ... one of my first questions to my painter was, "You're not going to be one of those nightmare stories I hear about, where my truck is in limbo for months on end, are you?" And yesterday, he assured me, saying that he wanted to get this done as quickly as possible for me, knowing that this is my daily driver.

He only works on one project at a time, too, which means he stays focused.

He's only charging me $7,500.00 ... plus, I have to pay for a new windshield and having the bumpers rechromed. That's a *great* price ... I've heard from a couple of guys who know, that they've seen $12,000.00 paint jobs that were not up to par.

Spoke to a fellow yesterday concerning his AD that has been in the paint shop for over a year. The painter is reputed to be one of the best around. When it is finished he will have paid over $20,000. I don't know if that is just for paint or paint and body work but I was sucking wind when he said that. I think my little project just moved from completive show truck to daily driver.

Good thing you live alone Alan, My wife wont let me get any $7500 paint jobs I just have to keep touching up my present one. Does any one know how to touch up white pearl with a blue tint??
I have screwed it up every time I touch it.
The paint scheme looks great hope you are happy with it when it comes home.

I've seen this guy's work and it's *very* impressive. He's young and just getting started, so I believe he's gonna do a great job in the interest of showing what he can do (also the reason I got such a low price).

It seems prices are skyrocketing all over ... including on the value of our trucks ... I've heard that "show" paint jobs are between $20,000 and $30,000 now and, according to Barrett-Jackson, prices on our sweethearts are going up at a rate of 20% per year!

Okay Alan, just to make you jealous I posted a pix of my cab ready to remount. See Cab ready for remounting on chassis . The long wait and separation is worth it. I'm one happy camper right now. :p

Holy Moly!!!

"Jealous" is *right* Brother!!

That is an absolutely beautiful color *and* paint job! Wow! I sure hope mine looks as good as that.

How many coats of clear is on there? And, if you don't mind, how much are you spending?

4 coats of clear. I don't mind you asking, but its a little complicated as the body shop was sub-contracted by a guy I bartered some stuff with; which included a 1927 10 Gallon Fry Visible Gas Pump and an a mint Eco Air Station (the kind where you set the air pressure and it goes ding ding ding. I'll PM you.

Don

What a paint scheme!! It will be a knockout!

Thanks. I can only imagine how nervous one gets when getting their vehicle back with new paint.

My nephew had a 70-something Dart ... just got it back from paint and took it to get the gas tank filled. The guy was putting the nozzle into the filler ... it popped out ... he grabbed it to shove it back in ... and wound up carving a 6-inch gouge into the new paint on the quarter panel!!!

Can you imagine? I think I'd go insane!!!

So would I. I might become homicidal. My trucks will never look that good, because then I'd never work them.

[img]http://thumb11.webshots.net/t/59/459/9/93/66/2193993660096215731StgIlR_th.jpg[/img]

And, I gotta work them. We don't work, we don't eat.
"If I were a rich man.."