Thread: Tree Crushed 2500HD Silverado Crew Repair

Originally Posted by Slab

Super job Roj, great welds.

Thank you. I'm getting some traction on this project. I checked the inside trim and it covers all the welds but with a hitch, I have to grind them down kinda flat. A bit of epoxy primer and paint after that and I'm good on the inside welds now. It will certainly be a Frankenstein in the back before I'm through. Replacement door is painted on the inside and painting the outside today. Post to follow.

Beginning with stripping everything out of the door a true color change is painting inside and out. I realize I didn't take a picture of how I even painted inside the door where you can't see, that is so someone later can't see the door was replaced.



It was very funky inside the door. Dirt & Grime all over it. I had to wash it first with Acrylclean to remove the black tar like stuff that holds the plastic barrier in place then several washes with a strong mixture using Blue Dawn soap. I have the 2x4 clamped to hold the door upright so all the junk will drain out of the drains in the bottom of the door.



Now all clean I can start sanding. Every bit of gloss must be sanded.



Now sanded it's time to move the project outside.



After several wipe downs with Acryliclean no gloss is seen. All the contaminants are gone too.



I painted the complete inside of the door, no blue left anywhere. I will update the thread with a picture later right now the door is wet.



Always the most important step is the prep. This door was chipped everywhere. I sanded them all out with 220 grit using a D/A Sander.



Here is a shot of the door with 2 coats of white Epoxy Primer.




I laid down 3 coats of white topcoat adding to my flash time allowance each coat.



The last Flow-coats slicked it right down. Flow-coats can be tricky to newbie painters but it is only that way because the previous coats were rushed. Allowing 15 - 20 minutes between coats building up material on the job before wetting it down, burning everything level is a Walk in the Park. Space out your coats using a clock. Time every coat.

Not sure I’ve said this before but, you do great work Roj. Yeah I know, I’ve said it often, but it’s the troof.

Thank you sir. The glass for the door came in yesterday while I've been on a two day off site job on a 33 footer. I hope to put the door back together tomorrow. Post to follow, it really came out very nice. I need to paint the 4 Pillars I welded up so I can have the windshield installed and hang the doors back on (once each gets a fresh shot of paint).

First up is 2 pictures of the replacement door after doing the color change paint work. It matches better than expected and due to the haste to put this truck back in service I don't think I'm going to paint the other doors now. They are very easy to pop off to paint later.






I had to skim a couple of spots twice before getting the welds level. I had 2 high spots that needed tapping down. The front Pillars are covered with either glass or plastic so the insides are just getting 3 coats of epoxy, the outside where the glass rests has to be straight.








Now that the cab is cleaned up of all the weld beads, metal shavings, grinding wheel grit, dust & dirt, masking the job for priming can start. I'm only Epoxy Priming the interior work as every bit of it is covered in plastic Interior Trim.








Now masking takes time. I have it completed so I can move the truck out to top coat the primer.



This is a catalyzed filler primer that will fill 80 grit scratches. I spray it thru a 2.5 tip the same size I use spraying gelcoat. Using such a large tip keep me from having to reduce the viscosity slowing curing time.






Only Epoxy Primer on the inside.





Hopefully painting later today. I do have a job coming it to work on this week so If I can get the painting done today, I can be waiting on the windshield to be installed working on the other job.

I jumped on the filler primer this morning with a coat of Guide Coat sanding helper and gave it plenty of time to dry.





All 4 was sprayed the same. Guide Coat just shows all the imperfections so you can sand them out. I didn't realize I didn't take pictures of the 2K primer after sanding. A bit of a distraction going on here today.






After shooting on a wet coat of PPG Refinish 371 Epoxy Primer to serve as a sealer and tie coat I waited 1 hour to spray the 2K Urethane Topcoat. I finished the job with 2 wet coats of 2K Urethane with a 15 minute flash time in between. I'm now waiting for a new Windshield and plan on talking to the glass guys tomorrow.

Guaranteed better than new. You can come work on my vehicles any time you want.

Originally Posted by Slab

Guaranteed better than new. You can come work on my vehicles any time you want.

Too funny, you bring them home too fast for me to keep up. For some reason I'm thinking I will need this truck soon. I tow my tractor, bobcat, and camper with this truck. It's getting time for hurricane season to start heating up. I saw a report that basically said August 12th was the average first major hurricane timeframe. If it doesn't matter to the glass installers if the doors are on or not I will hang all the doors back on today. Then I have to fix and install the headliner before I close in the back of the cab. Way easier to pass that huge headliner thru the gap in the cab than thru a door opening.