<VV> Comments to the Virginia DMV (humor) and the Forbidden Mention of painting

[Tony Underwood]

At 01:18 PM 9/20/2009, Mike Stillwell wrote:

>  Tony - Mike Hicks will back me up on this - it's all up to the 
> cop. I was stopped for driving my car to a Friday Night HS Football 
> game. Just wanted to get the dust off of it. I considered it 
> pleasure driving. The cop gave me a warning. Could he have ticketed 
> me? If he really wanted to, of course he could... following too 
> close, changing lanes without signaling, make up your own cop's 
> word vs. your word scenario. My solution... I put real plates on 
> the car. Not been stopped since.





I've had no issues with police for several years now regarding the 
'60 4-door.   I guess they're catching on.



However:


I've begun considering (since Mr Vigilante and his cute little 
friggin' note) just registering the car with the 1960 plates as a 
standard registration, put the yearly decals on the corner of those 
tags, get it inspected (it should have no trouble passing) and 
driving the thing exclusively everywhere and every place and wear it 
out instead of the Jeep ;).


Either that, or paint it...


That's a viable option right about now seeing as I'm in the mood, 
having shifted into "paint and body" mode over the last week.


Remember that '62 ragtop from Back When?    Painted it (finally) 
maroon, finished the final color coat yesterday, now waiting the 
required day or so for the paint to harden and cure before buffing it 
out, and yes it's lacquer and I'll probably regret it after a few 
years.   Lacquer these days isn't what it used to be, although this 
particular maroon stuff is "vintage" paint that had been sitting for 
quite some time, probably a couple of decades now.   It still was 
fine, no settling or thickening nor did it do anything but just go on 
smoothly.

I'd been looking for "back shelf" lacquer on Ebay and at paint shops 
around town for some time, trying to find older commercial quality 
stuff that hopefully still had some substance to it and I've acquired 
some older lacquer that although rather long of tooth still seems to 
be pretty good and looks as if it will maybe work out without rotting 
when exposed to the sun for a couple of years.

Recently (well, several years ago) we bought some fresh Roman Red 
lacquer (PPG) to paint the '60 Monza and it has NOT held up 
well.   Even clear coated, it has faded and is beginning to flake on 
the top surfaces that catch the most sunlight and will need a partial 
repaint again.    The same color red that is on the recently acquired 
'61 Lakewood which hasn't seen any wax since 1971 and has been 
sitting in the weather a VERY long time will STILL shine if waxed and 
indeed the sides are still showing gloss now, and that paint is the 
factory original lacquer.    I don't know what GM was using then but 
it sure holds up better than what is available these days.


As mentioned, lacquer ain't what it used to be.    This is partly the 
reason I decided to use this gallon of dusty and faded-label maroon 
paint that had been sitting around for many years.   Hopefully it's 
gonna hold up.   Likewise the Datsun red I have, and some DuPont 
white (ford white) and a gallon of DuPont black that dates back to 
the late '70s I think...  not sure if I'm gonna turn up any more old 
lacquer in this town.   I still haunt Ebay now and again looking for 
vintage lacquer but it's dried up even there. ;)



I have considered using a urethane clearcoat over lacquer to help 
make it more durable but I'm suspicious of how well it will actually 
stay on the car.  Urethanes are still basically enamels (tough 
enamels, I admit) but enamels do not have a very good history of 
sticking to plastic paint such as acrylic lacquer.    Others in the 
business I've talked to have said they hadn't had very good luck with 
clearcoating lacquer with urethane.    So, this maroon is gonna be 
it... we'll see how it holds up to the environment.

If nothing else it's an excuse to go out and buy some more Meguiars #8.




tony..