M543 Restoration begins...kinda

[bigmike]

"Kinda" is because I started this months ago but I'm finally gaining some ground. I started tearing into the wrecker to get her prepared for paint. The previous paint looked cracked, like fish eye, but worse. I'm thinking too much hardener??? Anyway, I ended up using 40 grit sandpaper in order to try to make a dent in this stuff. It has not been an easy task. I thought painting a Deuce was a lot of metal but this thing takes the cake.

I can't believe how many crooks and crevises there are on these trucks. If I had a nickle for every hour I spent sanding, I'd be a millionare. Furthermore, I've sanded so much by hand, I have no finger prints left.

The good news is that I'm about 80% there. I need to finish a bunch of the ancillary parts and items but otherwise, I'm rounding the bend. Here are a few pics.

 

[Old Lincoln County Iron]

You must have alot of time on your hands! And the nickel for every hour would have a big dent for the cost of sand paper! Lol

 

[clinto]

I've always thought the hardest MV in the world to paint was a wrecker. Just looking the back half makes me tired.

 

[zebedee]

Oh jeez - I so feel your pain. I've had my 816 for just over a 1 year and don't seem to have made a dent in it yet - paint wise anyway, but boy, would I love to be half as far on as you are - great job and I really do empathise with the 'no finger prints' thing...

 

[maddawg308]

And now you know why lots of us would rather buy a sandblaster and be done with it, than buy a single piece of sandpaper.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Yup, I'm all about the blasting. You can do five hours of sanding in ten seconds with a blaster. Only way to go. Harbor freight has them for under 100 bucks.