Paint Job - Refinishing Touches

Summit Racing Equipment sent us an array of primers, paint, clearcoat, activators, and hardeners.

1 Our painter, Dean Santiago of Spike's Performance in Ocala, Florida, sealed all of the necessary seams with a seam sealer.

2 The engine bay had already been primed and blocked, and it was ready for color.

3 Santiago then mixed the basecoat, reducer, and hardener, and sprayed the jambs.

4a All of the jamb surfaces were painted with basecoat and clearcoat before assembly.

5 Santiago then bolted on the decklid, doors, and fenders. National Parts Depot (NPD) sent us a set of new fender bolts (PN M-16006-1K; $7.95), which Santiago scuffed with Scotch-Brite.

6 He then moved on to prep the front and rear bumper covers. The rear was reusable, so he just sanded it down and scuffed it for paint.

7 We wanted to swap our LX front bumper cover for a GT cover. NPD sent us this new one made from original Ford tooling (PN M-8190-3A; $459.95), as well as a matching rivet kit (PN M-8190-1K; $9.95). We plan on using the foglamp holes to mount front-brake cooling ducts.

8 Our carbon fiber cowl hood from Motor City Solutions ($1,145) was also primed and blocked.

9 Santiago then began back-taping the areas that weren't to be painted. Back-taping is a way of masking off a panel by only applying a portion of the width of the tape and peeling back the remainder. This allows paint to be sprayed to the edge of the tape without leaving a hard paint edge after the tape is removed.

10 He then used a Scotch-Brite pad to scuff the exposed area of jamb that was already cut in. This allows the new paint to stick and blend in with the paint in the jambs.

11 Santiago used masking paper and tape to attach to the back-tape.

12 He then installed the canvas tire covers (PN APT-9004; $18.95) from Summit Racing Equipment.

13 A quick wipe with surface cleaner followed by tack cloth, and he was ready to spray.

14 Blue Sky Metallic requires gray sealer (PN SUM-SWSP411G; $59.95) to be sprayed before the basecoat. This provides a consistent canvas for the basecoat.

15 Santiago mixed the basecoat (PN SUM-SWBC518; $159.95) with reducer (PN SUM-SWBR585G; $39.95) and laid the first coat of base.

16 After letting each coat "flash" for 5-10 minutes, he continued until he finished the third and final coat of base.

17 Santiago mixed the clearcoat (PN SUM-SWSC610G; $69.95) and hardener (PN SUM-SWSH612Q; $24.95).

18 Next he sprayed the clearcoat one coat at a time until he reached three coats.

19a Out of the booth, we're really digging the new color, and the engine bay looks spectacular.

19b We can't wait to drop in the engine and see our Coyote between the fenders.

20a Santiago painted the hood...

20b... bumpers, and moldings separately.