[DML] Re: Proto 1 Looking for flap sander

["bbbigray" <bbbigray@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Tony!

Nice to hear from you.

Before you sand:  Thinking back to my days at DMC when our transport 
guys were schlepping your Proto all over the country, three things 
come to mind.  

First of all, the wheel and grit used in production and in the 
dealerships was not finalized until just before production, and long 
after Proto 1 got the treatment.  I just remember we kept seeing 
paperwork related to all these exotic grinding gizmos.  It became 
quite the issue. (Hey, list, jump in on this one if you have some 
history here.  Never thought to write all this down...)  

Second, regraining the car actually produces a slightly different 
grain than factory, and you can easily see it in an A/B comparison 
with a pristine vehicle if you know what it looks like.  A side-by-
side comparison may give you some clues as to how the Proto was 
done.  

Third, and I may be preaching to the choir, but regraining has a few 
less-than-obvious caveats.  

So, what do we do?  Call the DMC road show guys, if anybody knows 
them.

Failing that, I would suggest a few things:

Research: start with an A/B/C comparison.  Look at the skin as you 
would a choice piece of mahogony. If you have access to an untouched 
original (Don Steger has a pretty good one for this.) and one that 
has been done by hand with a pad, and the Proto of course, look 
closely at their finishes.  On the factory original, there is 
actually quite a bit of smooth SS between the individual channels 
where the grit on the original wheel cut, and the overall 
brightness/reflectivity has a very distinctive character to it.  

Also, you can clearly see the entry and exit points of each grain of 
grit, and in fact they make an attractive pattern, like layered 
blonde hair, that quickly identifies an original finish.  Dense 
graining and an overrun set of entry patterns is a sign of 
refinishing with a wheel.  Sometimes this was done at QAC.  (Do we 
have any QAC alums on this list?)  The luminosity is noticeably 
different at a distance.

Now look at the hand-rubbed car.  Very dense grain, and no entry 
points.  Depending on the grit of the blending pad (I use 3M wood 
finishing pads with fairly agressive grit for extra shine.) the 
abrasion begins to create grain in the original clear areas between 
the factory channels; it's much more dense.  Compared to a factory 
car, the rubbed car is brighter and looks "sunnier" in subdued 
light.  The factory finish, on the other hand, has a much softer, 
delicate sheen, an almost satin quality IMO.  (I bought my car with 
roof scratches, and had no choice but to refinish. I miss my original 
finish to say the least.)

Why all this looking?  You may be able to gain clues as to how the 
Proto was grained, and how the road crew maintained the finish.  It 
wasn't a secret, but they were so steeped in incredible detail when 
they dressed this thing up, nobody really knew how they did it.  
Besides, you couldn't really ask them because they were always on the 
road!

Okay, so now you've determined how the finish came to be on your 
Proto as it sits in your garage.  Now for the part where I may be 
preaching to the choir.  (Press Fast Forward at your convenience.)  

Please don't rub the car down in little sections.  In broad daylight, 
you won't notice the difference.  But at twilight, in fog, in a 
partially lit garage, those patches will show up like darned socks.  
(How many know what "darn" means here?  Am I that stinkin' old?) I 
have spent hours on mine and several other peoples cars getting rid 
of those nasty square patches.  It takes forever.  (Okay, you can 
hit "Play" again.)

I can tell you this much--that finish was flawless like jewelry when 
you saw it.  Stop you dead in your tracks.  

It's good to know someone is taking so much time with this wonderful 
piece of history.  Imagine, being twenty-something, seeing that thing 
in the flesh when all the world knew was vinyl hardtops and spoke 
wheelcovers...

Cya, list!

--Ray
10693 and Remembering

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "dmcproto1" <DMCPROTO1@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> 
> Before the restoration of Proto 1 starts I would like to find an 
original DMC 
> dealer flap sander. I was told that it is an air tool that all the 
dealers had. If 
> anyone knows of one I could buy it would help out a great deal.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tony








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