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Post by seerex on Mar 20, 2013 20:16:48 GMT 10
 What a great disappointment. I'm booked to be in Fiji same time as the 2014 Nationals to celebrate my 40th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends. So won't be there unless...my love for my 1955 Carapark is consummated once I finish it's clean up and makeover-after 17 years in my father's shed. Wondering if I should paint strip the blue and polish the original aluminium???
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Post by shesgotthelook on Mar 21, 2013 8:28:15 GMT 10
I actually like the painted product but purists would say otherwise.  |
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Post by seerex on Mar 21, 2013 9:43:57 GMT 10
Thanks for your 'purist' comment 'shesgotthelook'- I'm not sure yet which way to go. Give it a decent re-spray compared to my father's hand painted result or polish.
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Post by humpyboy on Mar 21, 2013 17:13:45 GMT 10
Paint it! it's got to be easier than polishing |
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Post by seeshell on Mar 21, 2013 17:53:18 GMT 10
oh Ho Humpty...
I've got now NINE coats of primer that say painting's not THAT simple....whatever you do it will look good. But polish might be a nice differentiator? But it is an equally big job - first stripping then polishing. I heard of a guy that took almost 900 hours to polish an Airstream to a mirror finish.
If you do decide to polish, the first step is getting it back to clean ali. You can first strip off paint with this product, available here in Australia: PPG Eldorado PR-5044 Peroxide Activated Stripper. Is used on planes to take off paint and prepare for polish and recoating.
Brilliant stuff regularly used by the Airstream/Canned Ham community in the USA. Comes in 5gal containers for about $140 here in Melbourne. Tullamarine office number is (03) 9335-1557 if you need to reach them.
This stuff will even take off powder coat if you lightly sand first to cut the surface and let it sit for a few hours - then rub it off with a scotchbrite pad. The time you have to leave it on depends on the paint - a bit of trial and error will do you right.
Cheers,
Seeshell
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Post by humpyboy on Mar 21, 2013 18:24:49 GMT 10
I just was joe king ;D
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Post by seerex on Mar 21, 2013 20:58:56 GMT 10
Thanks seeshell, I've already had some experience with Eldorado etc on my son's 1966 Airstream he brought in from USA last year. We did a strip and polish - it's had about 60 hrs polishing to date and looks pretty fantastic already. Reckon I'll squib stripping the whole lot and just do the lower half, spray paint the top and do a 100mm silver pinstripe between the polish and top paint.
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Post by Don Ricardo on Mar 21, 2013 22:40:26 GMT 10
Hi Seerex,
Quite a few of the Carapark "toaster" vans - particularly the larger ones like yours - were painted, and often in blue and white (although in a different design to the paintwork on yours). There are quite a few examples shown on the Carapark thread in the Down History Lane section. That being the case, I reckon you'd be quite justified in leaving yours painted. For what it's worth...
Don Ricardo
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Post by seerex on Mar 26, 2013 15:42:10 GMT 10
Thanks Don for your justification reassurance if I was to leave it painted.
Somehow it has a sense of heritage if I left existing colours(s).
A set of classic white wall tyres and chrome hub caps would add to appeal.
Definitely have to have Venetian blinds installed. All photos I've seen of original Caraparks seem to have them.
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Post by seeshell on Mar 26, 2013 16:31:17 GMT 10
Hi Sellex Whatever you decided to do it's going to look great. I've quite a fondness for the old toaster shapes. This earlier Superb, in blue and white, is one of my favorites. More pictures of it can be found in the Down History Lane section, under Carapark.   Cheers! Seeshell |
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Post by Roehm3108 on Mar 26, 2013 17:59:46 GMT 10
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