Over the years at car shows & cruise-ins in Maine, I was often asked if I knew of a good place to get powder coating done. Recently I restored an '85 GMC and decided to get the old wheel rims blasted and powder coated. The guy who finished my truck (David Wildes, Limington) mentioned someone he knew. Upon further investigation I discovered the guy was Todd Chartier and he has a facility in the old Sylvania building in Standish. The name of the company is GDL PAINT, INC.
Contact number is (207)642-1055.
I can attest to extremely good results, and Todd and his staff are super friendly. They take "walk-ins", too - I dropped off my wheels on Wednesday and had them back on Monday. It helps that there is another company in the same building that does the blasting - since my wheels were steel, they used the "pellet" method that produced a super smooth finish.
If interested, give Todd a call, or drop by at 234 Northeast Rd, Suite 8, Standish. You gotta go all the way around the building to get to them, but it's sure wworth it.
Oh, by the way - they did all (5) wheels for $90 each.
And if you don't need powder coating, please pass this on to others who may.
/
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Now THAT'S what I call a gloss finish!
Okay, folks, here are the results of the complete ceramic coating on the Porsche. As you can see from these pix, the reflection is nearly free of any distortion - you can easily read the lettering on my shirt. And check out the reflection of the tile floor!
And when you realize these pictures are not even as clear as the real thing - when I look at my reflection I can make out every wrinkle on my 70 year old face. It's nothing short of amazing, when you consider there is not a drop of wax on this car.
Conclusion: I'm gonna do the GMC...
And when you realize these pictures are not even as clear as the real thing - when I look at my reflection I can make out every wrinkle on my 70 year old face. It's nothing short of amazing, when you consider there is not a drop of wax on this car.
Conclusion: I'm gonna do the GMC...
Friday, September 15, 2017
High Gloss Without Any Waxing
Today I decided to try something new for a very high gloss automobile finish that needs no waxing, and is hydrophobic (water sheets off, no streaks, no spots)
I used our 1980 Porsche 924 as my guinea pig.
First, I gave it a wet sanding, then a good buff. Then a good washing. To remove any buffing compound, I buffed again with Meguiar's ULTIMATE compound. I then washed the entire car with Meguiar's WASH Plus, which is more than just a wash - it has microscopic abrasives that further strip off any residue from waxes and buffing compound.
I followed up with an IPA wash (15% solution of isopropyl alcohol & water)
Here is the result - a very high gloss, even though there is NO WAX on the vehicle.
And this is only phase 1. Tomorrow I will apply two coats of C-quartz ceramic coating, followed by a coat of RELOAD. According to the manufacturer (and some pro detailers), I should end up with a very, very deep, glass-like gloss that needs no waxing (though you CAN wax it) and is hydrophobic - you can even spray-paint graffiti on it, let it dry, and it supposedly it just wipes off (though my experiment will not go that far!)
And if the results are what I hope for, I will use the same system on our '85 GMC C2500...
Bill
I used our 1980 Porsche 924 as my guinea pig.
First, I gave it a wet sanding, then a good buff. Then a good washing. To remove any buffing compound, I buffed again with Meguiar's ULTIMATE compound. I then washed the entire car with Meguiar's WASH Plus, which is more than just a wash - it has microscopic abrasives that further strip off any residue from waxes and buffing compound.
I followed up with an IPA wash (15% solution of isopropyl alcohol & water)
Here is the result - a very high gloss, even though there is NO WAX on the vehicle.
And this is only phase 1. Tomorrow I will apply two coats of C-quartz ceramic coating, followed by a coat of RELOAD. According to the manufacturer (and some pro detailers), I should end up with a very, very deep, glass-like gloss that needs no waxing (though you CAN wax it) and is hydrophobic - you can even spray-paint graffiti on it, let it dry, and it supposedly it just wipes off (though my experiment will not go that far!)
And if the results are what I hope for, I will use the same system on our '85 GMC C2500...
Bill
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Update on the '85 GMC C2500 Resto
I Know - It's Been Awhile.
Over the last 2.5 years that my GMC has been (supposedly) getting restored, a lot of folks have asked about it. Well, it's finally done! It's too late in the season to get it to many shows, and we plan to be moving to Virginia next year, so for those of you interested, I am posting some pix here.
I was forced to take legal action against the business that started the resto, and after 2 years I had to have the 50,000 parts hauled to another guy to finish. David Wildes (yeah, the stock car racer of old) did a wicked good job, and it only took 6 weeks. He had to redo a lot of hack work the first guy did, though. But I'll give credit where it's due - the first guy did a very good job in body correction, and a pretty fair (albeit incomplete) paint job. But anything that wasn't going to show was either short-cutted or hacked.
I actually have over 100 pictures during the process, but no time to post them all, so the "before and after" will have to do. Suffice it to say, it is a complete frame-up restoration, and damn close to perfect. Robin has claimed it as her own, and does 90% of the driving, which is why we have the vanity plate, "MOMS GMC".
Not sure if we will get to OOB this year - we're still pretty down on how they run their show, and how much they milk the entrants who are already doing so much to bring tourists and $$$ into the area.
Oh - and if you know anyone looking for a neat little 1980 Porsche 924 turbo in excellent condition, this one is available (and advertised in Hemmings). They can give me a shout at ptwoodycrew@aol.com
Later! And good luck at the shows...
Bill
Over the last 2.5 years that my GMC has been (supposedly) getting restored, a lot of folks have asked about it. Well, it's finally done! It's too late in the season to get it to many shows, and we plan to be moving to Virginia next year, so for those of you interested, I am posting some pix here.
I was forced to take legal action against the business that started the resto, and after 2 years I had to have the 50,000 parts hauled to another guy to finish. David Wildes (yeah, the stock car racer of old) did a wicked good job, and it only took 6 weeks. He had to redo a lot of hack work the first guy did, though. But I'll give credit where it's due - the first guy did a very good job in body correction, and a pretty fair (albeit incomplete) paint job. But anything that wasn't going to show was either short-cutted or hacked.
I actually have over 100 pictures during the process, but no time to post them all, so the "before and after" will have to do. Suffice it to say, it is a complete frame-up restoration, and damn close to perfect. Robin has claimed it as her own, and does 90% of the driving, which is why we have the vanity plate, "MOMS GMC".
Not sure if we will get to OOB this year - we're still pretty down on how they run their show, and how much they milk the entrants who are already doing so much to bring tourists and $$$ into the area.
Oh - and if you know anyone looking for a neat little 1980 Porsche 924 turbo in excellent condition, this one is available (and advertised in Hemmings). They can give me a shout at ptwoodycrew@aol.com
Later! And good luck at the shows...
Bill
Sunday, June 26, 2016
MAACO & Capone - Are They The Two Worst "Body Shops" in Maine?
I'll put it up front, then explain - if you are looking to have body work or painting done on a vehicle, whatever you do, don't go to either MAACO in Portland, ME, or Capone Auto in Limington. If you do, you may want to say good-bye to your vehicle.
First, Capone. I left my truck with him in April, 2015 with the understanding that he would get the work done by early July. Never happened. Had not even started it, but I was told they would get right on it. Month after month I was given the run-around. They had taken it all apart, so I could not just take it back. More months went by, and nothing. I was told in early September it was being sent out for sandblasting. As of October, that still had not been done. In November I again tried to get them to get going (I had made a $5000 cash deposit, by the way) and was told "You'll get it back when I finish it." I warned him it had better be soon. In December it was, "You'll have it by summer".
Here it is - summer - 15 months later, and I have yet to see any progress, or even hear from him. I will be suing that jerk. If you ever think about doing business with Capone, don't say I didn't warn you.
Now about MAACO - almost the same deal. I got an estimate for roughly $4000 to get the work done on my Porsche. "Tom" told me we were "looking at a time frame of two weeks" to do the minor body work and paint it. I brought it in two weeks before the Bonney Eagle show, in hopes of making it to the show. Nope! Had hardly started on it. I was told "About another week." Another week goes by, nothing. Was told "a few more days." Still no Porsche. Early June and they told me "another week or so." A week or so later - nothing. Every time I asked when, "Tom" would lie to me.
On June 9th I appeared at MAACO. The car was still in pieces, scattered around the shop. Tom told me they were going to "paint everything that day and the next, and then put it all back together. That meant I would have it back on the 13th at the latest.
Nope! I called and asked why it was not ready. "Just now going into the paint shop - a few more days. We'll have it done by the end of the week." I thought it was going into the paint shop the week before! That's what Tom had told me.
Well, it was the end of the week. It's was not done. He's not sure when it will be done. Tom said I could pick it up anytime, but I would not be happy with it. Why not? Are they doing such crappy work? He needs "more time to 'touch it up' ".
I told him he had 7 weeks to do two weeks worth of work, and I needed the car back. I'm almost 70 and would like to drive it at least once before I kick off. He then has the gall to tell me "We're not going to charge you extra." EXTRA? For what - sitting on their asses for 7 weeks? For lying to me? They should consider themselves lucky if I don't charge THEM.
Now I finally have it back - and these pictures tell a tale of complete incompetence and sloppy work. For $4300 I got a $200 paint job!
The short take - in my opinion both Capone Auto and MAACO are disreputable, will lie to you every chance they get, will drag their feet and will treat you like sh*t. And in the case of MAACO, the work they did on my car is third rate - or less! At least that is my experience. And when you consider just how long I have been getting screwed, and am only now posting, I think I have given them the benefit of the doubt - and now the doubt is gone.
Stay away from these guys if you value your car, your time, your money and your peace of mind!
/
First, Capone. I left my truck with him in April, 2015 with the understanding that he would get the work done by early July. Never happened. Had not even started it, but I was told they would get right on it. Month after month I was given the run-around. They had taken it all apart, so I could not just take it back. More months went by, and nothing. I was told in early September it was being sent out for sandblasting. As of October, that still had not been done. In November I again tried to get them to get going (I had made a $5000 cash deposit, by the way) and was told "You'll get it back when I finish it." I warned him it had better be soon. In December it was, "You'll have it by summer".
Here it is - summer - 15 months later, and I have yet to see any progress, or even hear from him. I will be suing that jerk. If you ever think about doing business with Capone, don't say I didn't warn you.
Now about MAACO - almost the same deal. I got an estimate for roughly $4000 to get the work done on my Porsche. "Tom" told me we were "looking at a time frame of two weeks" to do the minor body work and paint it. I brought it in two weeks before the Bonney Eagle show, in hopes of making it to the show. Nope! Had hardly started on it. I was told "About another week." Another week goes by, nothing. Was told "a few more days." Still no Porsche. Early June and they told me "another week or so." A week or so later - nothing. Every time I asked when, "Tom" would lie to me.
On June 9th I appeared at MAACO. The car was still in pieces, scattered around the shop. Tom told me they were going to "paint everything that day and the next, and then put it all back together. That meant I would have it back on the 13th at the latest.
Nope! I called and asked why it was not ready. "Just now going into the paint shop - a few more days. We'll have it done by the end of the week." I thought it was going into the paint shop the week before! That's what Tom had told me.
Well, it was the end of the week. It's was not done. He's not sure when it will be done. Tom said I could pick it up anytime, but I would not be happy with it. Why not? Are they doing such crappy work? He needs "more time to 'touch it up' ".
I told him he had 7 weeks to do two weeks worth of work, and I needed the car back. I'm almost 70 and would like to drive it at least once before I kick off. He then has the gall to tell me "We're not going to charge you extra." EXTRA? For what - sitting on their asses for 7 weeks? For lying to me? They should consider themselves lucky if I don't charge THEM.
Now I finally have it back - and these pictures tell a tale of complete incompetence and sloppy work. For $4300 I got a $200 paint job!
The short take - in my opinion both Capone Auto and MAACO are disreputable, will lie to you every chance they get, will drag their feet and will treat you like sh*t. And in the case of MAACO, the work they did on my car is third rate - or less! At least that is my experience. And when you consider just how long I have been getting screwed, and am only now posting, I think I have given them the benefit of the doubt - and now the doubt is gone.
Stay away from these guys if you value your car, your time, your money and your peace of mind!
/
Monday, June 20, 2016
D-Car
A couple of you have asked how "D-Car" is coming (the 924), so here are a couple of pix, fresh outta the shop.
But here are pix from a closer inspection - a horrid job by MAACO, Portland ME
But here are pix from a closer inspection - a horrid job by MAACO, Portland ME
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
First Escapade with the Porsche
So, as some of you know, I bought a house in Hiram that needed some rehab. In one of the 3 garages was an '85 Olds Cutlass 442, which I gave to Jimmy Peacock for parts. In another garage was a pretty nice 1980 Porsche, which I essentially got for free.
After getting the turbo rebuilt and making sure it was 100%, mechanically, I registered it as an antique, with a vanity plate. Naturally, being a new vanity plate they had to give me a temporary paper plate. And here's where is gets a bit crazy...
The mechanic said I had to drive it a few hundred miles in order to break in the new turbo, so I decided to drive it up to the house being rehabbed. I pulled into Ace hardware in Cornish to the sound of sirens. Two state troopers - one from each direction - came literally screeching over the curb and into the parking lot behind me. As I got out, they hopped out of their cars, hands on guns, and told me to stop.
"What the heck is this," I thought. Of course, those thoughts were in a different vernacular - I'm keeping this post clean. But I was sincerely confused - this was one of the very rare times when I was not speeding or anything.
Trooper #1 asked if I owned the car. "Of course - that's why I'm driving it," said I. He then asked for my license and registration, which I produced. Meanwhile, Trooper #2 was looking over the paper plate.
Trooper #1 then said, "Sorry, sir - I thought your plate was a fake. There's a lot of that going around." To which I replied, "Of course it's looks fake - it was made by the state of Maine, and doesn't have any duct tape on it." (Mainers understand that reference)
Trooper #1 looked confused; Trooper #2 looked amused. They left.
As I walked toward Ace, I noticed several people in the window. As I entered, the owner asked, "What was that all about? By the way they rolled in, we thought they had cornered a murderer or something." To which I smiled and said, "Nah - I just knocked over a couple hardware stores."
They all had a good laugh, but we all wondered how something as minor as a paper plate could result in such a reaction from the law.
/
After getting the turbo rebuilt and making sure it was 100%, mechanically, I registered it as an antique, with a vanity plate. Naturally, being a new vanity plate they had to give me a temporary paper plate. And here's where is gets a bit crazy...
The mechanic said I had to drive it a few hundred miles in order to break in the new turbo, so I decided to drive it up to the house being rehabbed. I pulled into Ace hardware in Cornish to the sound of sirens. Two state troopers - one from each direction - came literally screeching over the curb and into the parking lot behind me. As I got out, they hopped out of their cars, hands on guns, and told me to stop.
"What the heck is this," I thought. Of course, those thoughts were in a different vernacular - I'm keeping this post clean. But I was sincerely confused - this was one of the very rare times when I was not speeding or anything.
Trooper #1 asked if I owned the car. "Of course - that's why I'm driving it," said I. He then asked for my license and registration, which I produced. Meanwhile, Trooper #2 was looking over the paper plate.
Trooper #1 then said, "Sorry, sir - I thought your plate was a fake. There's a lot of that going around." To which I replied, "Of course it's looks fake - it was made by the state of Maine, and doesn't have any duct tape on it." (Mainers understand that reference)
Trooper #1 looked confused; Trooper #2 looked amused. They left.
As I walked toward Ace, I noticed several people in the window. As I entered, the owner asked, "What was that all about? By the way they rolled in, we thought they had cornered a murderer or something." To which I smiled and said, "Nah - I just knocked over a couple hardware stores."
They all had a good laugh, but we all wondered how something as minor as a paper plate could result in such a reaction from the law.
/
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