My GN "X Tribute" Progress Thread...

[DJ Red Barron]

I figured since I took the car in for a decent amount of work to begin this week, I would do a progression thread and update it somewhat frequently.

This time around, it's mostly cosmetic changes / upgrades. The car is getting torn apart and painted allllll black. There will be a few cosmetic changes made. No emblems or moldings will be going back on the car. The gauge on the hood is going away. I also have a HID headlight conversion and a cool LED tail light kit for the car. All of the lenses will be tinted and possibly the headlights as well. The Monte Carlo SS style exhaust is getting canned and a more stock looking Pypes cat-back is going in its place. Plus any needed gaskets and seals are getting replaced.
For the interior, I hope to get rid of that horrid digital dash and get my GNX cluster installed along with the 3-gauge pillar replacement and the 2-gauge console pod. I decided instead of going with the original Stewart Warner gauges used in the GNX that I would go a more custom route using gauges from Speedhut. This way my dash gauges will match the pod gauges. And they will have a stock-looking, yet custom-touch appearance to them (if that makes any sense). Also, some stereo work may get done in this stage as well.

The bulk of the work will be exterior with some minor interior. Later on, once I decide what route I want to go from a performance angle, I'll start that stage. And the interior will be redone later on once I decide what seats and console I will ultimately use in the car. Although as it's turned out, I have gotten a TON of various interior parts to go ahead and put in now.





So here's the car when I purchased it in 10/2008. It looked like this until noon Monday when I dropped it off at the body shop...















[/QUOTE]

[DJ Red Barron]

Between Noon & 4:30 pm Monday, it changed in appearance a bit...

[DJ Red Barron]

Here are a few shots from my visit to the shop on New Years Eve...

[DJ Red Barron]

More pics from this evening...

[Z28Thunder]

But but it looked good as is stock...

[SteveCZ28]

X2 man

[DJ Red Barron]

But but it looked good as is stock...

X2 man

Thanks, guys. I will admit, it photographed surprisingly well. While the paint was far from horrible, up close it was far from perfect, too. It was 20+ year old paint with a lot of ton of oxidation. GM lacquer paint just doesn't do well if exposed to the elements very much. Also, there were some dings here and there on the hood, driver fender and passenger door.
Now, it's will have a nice base/clear paint job and have a shine for a REALLY long time, be it up close of 50 feet away.

Plus, after doing a lot of research and digging, I've managed to get my hands on some hard-to-find GNX parts the car was lacking. Many of these will involve cutting on the inner fenders. So I will be doing all of that now while it's torn down.

[Z28Thunder]

Thanks, guys. I will admit, it photographed surprisingly well. While the paint was far from horrible, up close it was far from perfect, too. It was 20+ year old paint with a lot of ton of oxidation. GM lacquer paint just doesn't do well if exposed to the elements very much. Also, there were some dings here and there on the hood, driver fender and passenger door.
Now, it's will have a nice base/clear paint job and have a shine for a REALLY long time, be it up close of 50 feet away.

Plus, after doing a lot of research and digging, I've managed to get my hands on some hard-to-find GNX parts the car was lacking. Many of these will involve cutting on the inner fenders. So I will be doing all of that now while it's torn down.

Okay in the pictures while not perfect it looked good. Cant wait to see the finished product I guess!!!

[JoshieDoom]

Subscribed. Looks fucking good man!

[bodyman5000]

I can't imagine why one would go to all that trouble to paint over lacquer. The car should be stripped to bare metal if you want it to look nice AND last.

People will say that you can paint over lacquer, and I guess that is true. I just wouldn't do it. Unless I was using more lacquer anyway.

Not trying to be too big of a dick but there is still time to strip it isn't there?

[bodyman5000]

Ahh, one more thing. This is the first time in my life that I have seen someone store jackstands on a shelf like that. I would hate to see someone lose part of a foot. People might think that unlikely, but old bodymen start losing feeling in their hands from time to time. Oops, dropped one. OUCH

[DJ Red Barron]

Okay in the pictures while not perfect it looked good. Cant wait to see the finished product I guess!!!

Subscribed. Looks fucking good man!

Thanks guys!

I can't imagine why one would go to all that trouble to paint over lacquer. The car should be stripped to bare metal if you want it to look nice AND last.

People will say that you can paint over lacquer, and I guess that is true. I just wouldn't do it. Unless I was using more lacquer anyway.

Not trying to be too big of a dick but there is still time to strip it isn't there?

You're not being a dick as far as I can tell. You made a legitimate point. One that I have heard from more than one painter. AFAIK, he's going down to sealer, if not metal. The driver door was off the car and down to metal a couple of days ago before he primed it. I could be wrong, but I think he is taking it to metal before priming as he goes.

Of course, I know exactly jack shit about doing body work and painting. So he may not be and I honestly would be none the wiser considering I am not at the shop all the time. I just go by every few days to see what's up with progress. I am going to keep my fingers crossed & hope that it's being done right, though.

Ahh, one more thing. This is the first time in my life that I have seen someone store jackstands on a shelf like that. I would hate to see someone lose part of a foot. People might think that unlikely, but old bodymen start losing feeling in their hands from time to time. Oops, dropped one. OUCH

Hadn't thought about that. Man, that would suck.

[Z28Thunder]

Of course, I know exactly jack shit about doing body work and painting. So he may not be and I honestly would be none the wiser considering I am not at the shop all the time. I just go by every few days to see what's up with progress. I am going to keep my fingers crossed & hope that it's being done right, though.



Hadn't thought about that. Man, that would suck.

The photos posted are not to metal. The photos posted are sanded down to a smooth surface. There is still lacquer on the body. Can you paint over it sure. But as stated painting over lacquer will not give that long lasting shine.

[third_shift|studios]

that thing looks mean as hell

[Vee 6]

Sweet Monte Carlo, does it have a 350?

j/k, I know you just got the car so I'm sure you'll hear a lot of that.

That'll look sick when its done (not that it wasn't before). Wish I had the money to get my GN repainted.

[DJ Red Barron]

that thing looks mean as hell

Thanks TSS!

Sweet Monte Carlo, does it have a 350?

j/k, I know you just got the car so I'm sure you'll hear a lot of that.

That'll look sick when its done (not that it wasn't before). Wish I had the money to get my GN repainted.

LOL! Yea, I've heard that a time or two.

Thanks for the compliments!

[Black-Jacket]

looks good, just nix the exhuast

[cuzimoto]

I just asked about that car on another thread, and there you have it.

[DJ Red Barron]

looks good, just nix the exhuast

That'll be gone very soon.

I just asked about that car on another thread, and there you have it.

[Z28Thunder]

Need some new pictures soon.....