Whoa!

You're doing a good job, and so fast too!

I hope you don't mind but I'd like to offer a little advice, in this image here you can see the streaking from the gun, although this isn't too big a deal in the priming stage it can be very visible later on.

That streaking generally indicates that the fan of the spray gun (which is the web of paint that the gun sprays) is much too narrow so it is casting thick (thick as in laden with paint) and inconsistent paint leaving that streaking look. In the prime stage this isn't a big deal as you can block it back and feather the streaks out. You can even throw a new coat on after you've done that.

What you can do to reduce this streaking is:

1. Adjust your gun nozzle to properly vapourize the paint and increase the width of the fan of paint that the gun sprays. A wider fan gives a softer edge, thus a better overlap as the softer edges can lay into each other with much less definition. A softer definition at the edge of the paint you spray down means you'll have less of a streaking effect.

2. Clean your gun nozzle to ensure no coagulated paint is affecting the spray fan.

3. Purchase a quality gun (I recommend Graco hand-pieces not automotive specific but a good gun nonetheless) that has a bit more adjust-ability and nozzle options. Ironically the gun kinda works like a carb, if it isn't jetted or tuned right (which are your nozzle sizes and mix settings on the gun) you won't get what you desire.

4. Up the air pressure and hope that the extra pressure will produce better paint dispersion from the nozzle.

5. You can also adjust your paint mix ratio to thin it out or thicken it. The viscosity of the paint will have a HUGE effect on how it leaves the nozzle and thinner mixes tend to flash off quicker and dry quicker.

I suggest you consider 3, 4 and 5. But it's only advice.

coming along...question i see the front lights grill been taken off, why not the bummeretts and t/lights if your going to the trouble in total re-spray......maybe lazy :P

2 pack is the best, if the prep work is good then 2 pack will pretty much last a lifetime

Final coat of primer went on today! New compressor worked much better with the spray gun. Pretty pumped about getting the color on tomorrow. Although everyone keeps telling me 2 pak is a very bad idea. Really hoping everything turns out okay and all that hard work so far will pay off.

So I set out to finally paint the ute after hearing some girl at the train station go to her mom "eh mom look at that orange t-h-i-n-g". Wanted to smack her. I do admit, it is kinda an eyesore with grey splotches here and there on the bright orange where I've done sanding and bogging over the past year or so. Kinda reminds me of the movie "Joe Dirt" with his superbird. Never painted a car before so this was going to be all new to me.

Went to Inspirations paint and bought some fresh paint to match the old in two pak which they coined "blood orange". For a whopping $495 I walked away with 4 litres two pak, 4 litres thinner, 2 tins of hardener, and 4 litres 2 pak compatible primer and an empty wallet. They did give me some friendly advice though which was nice.

The last two weekends I've spent about 36 hours or so prepping, sanding, bogging, sanding, bogging, and more sanding to get the body where I think its up to snuff to start painting. Took the tonneau cover hooks which were pop riveted off, and the holding angle off as well. Don't plan on putting these back on and they are all intact if anyone wants them and the sports bar for a cheap price let me know. Bogged up the drill holes and sanded some more. Went over the whole ute with a big fat pen and marked out all the spots where there were slight imperfections which was a technique I thought worked really well in the longrun to track my progress. Patch primed the bare metal areas to be left for the next week when I was to prime. Left the interior and engine bay mostly as is because I decided not to paint these since I am putting the original color back on. Plus I would have no clue how to take all the mechanical bits out and put them back in successfully.

Stripped all the exterior bits off, tailights, bumpers, etc.. but I left all the glass and window rubbers on and just made sure I masked around them real accurately. Taking all the stuff off was kinda fun actually because it made me think about how all that stuff works. Oh and I found a small fender bender behind the bumper which was previously bogged up with about 2 inches of bog which I chiseled out. Most people take the glass out though don't they? Broke the lock on the fuel compartment taking it off ...doh! One more thing to fix haha.

So last weekend we finally got a coat of primer on her. Had a bit of trouble with the spray gun and compressor which I am borrowing from a friend who has kindly let me do the whole operation in his garage! The gun was just spraying real inconsistently which you can see in the photos in some spots...had a rant about this in a post on the main forum think its all due to the smallish old compressor he has. Will be getting a new gun and compressor to try this weekend hopefully with better luck. Oh and I have NFI why the primer is banana yellow either. Kinda unique I suppose. Reminds me of big bird somehow. Has anyone seen this color two pak compatible primer before?

Can't wait to get the color on hey? Its been alot of work till this point and I have TOTAL respect for people who do this professional as I now know why they charge so much $$ to have it done.

I'll post pics of the finished job if we get done this weekend. Wish us luck!

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Yea the big tub under the bonnet near the firewall is supposedly the radiator overflow as observed. It has a big rubber tube going from the top of the radiator near the cap straight to the tub. Was like that when I bought it and I have no idea why the guy before me installed one so big, or one at all even. As with a few things on the ute, it makes me suss why its that way and not the original setup. I like the washer tank positioned where it is and its quite big, must have come from some other late car of some sorts. It actually sprays over my windscreen though so not sure its too handy because all it does is wet the roof and tray haha.

Sorry to steal your piping there unfamilia, I actually had no idea someone like yourself has done it before. Do you have any pics of how yours turned out? I'd be interested to do something else with my door panels.

Cheers guys.

duct tape ftw lol.

steal my orange piping idea will you. bout 6 years too late- did it on my ute in purple too. found some left over the other day in the shed still hahahaha

ah yes it does have a kangaroo bag my mistake, i am intruiged myself now lol

Yeah the overflow for the radiator just runs down next to the radiator doesn't it? Shouldn't overflow too much!

Seems an interesting place to have it as an additive bottle, not the most accessible place. The front of the engine bay or in the tub near the filler somewhere seems more sensible haha. I guess it IS a Datsun though haha

Might be an additive for running the unleaded, some people were a little concerned about running unleaded fuel in these engiens so they fitted those things.

Mind you it's about 3 times the capacity of the ones that I've seen.

Weber does sweeten that scene up a bit hey!