3rd series tailgate

[Kevin Mienke]

A year after calling the restoration of Fenway complete, I've got Fenway's tailgate painted and hung. I had planned to paint the raised letters in black but my stencil guy didn't come through. Masking it would be nearly impossible for a novice like myself, so green it is. With some orange peel, it truly isn't my best work, but it's not going to Barrett-Jackson either. One other notable is the arrow turn signals mounted on the bottom of the rear valance. The are from Kevin Foust in Ohio.

[KevinM]

Nice looking truck Kevin, looks good with those combat rims. Will your truck be at the Rally? If so and you have an hour to spare I can paint your tailgate lettering while I'm out there if you want. Let me know and I'll bring some black lettering enamal on the trip out. Kevin in Rehoboth

[Kevin Mienke]

Nice looking truck Kevin, looks good with those combat rims. Will your truck be at the Rally? If so and you have an hour to spare I can paint your tailgate lettering while I'm out there if you want. Let me know and I'll bring some black lettering enamal on the trip out. Kevin in Rehoboth

Kevin, I'll be there on Thursday and Friday, arriving sometime around noon. I would appreciate your help. Thank You and see you at the rally.

[Tom Petroff]

A year after calling the restoration of Fenway complete, I've got Fenway's tailgate painted and hung. I had planned to paint the raised letters in black but my stencil guy didn't come through. Masking it would be nearly impossible for a novice like myself, so green it is. With some orange peel, it truly isn't my best work, but it's not going to Barrett-Jackson either. One other notable is the arrow turn signals mounted on the bottom of the rear valance. The are from Kevin Foust in Ohio.

Hi Kevin,
Truck looks Great!
Hope to se ya again Soon!
I'm hopeing to be there Sometime Friday, after Marty get's by here Thursday to pick up his truck.
Looks like Kevin M can handle the lettering with No Problem.
Nice job/truck Kevin M. too!
See Ya
TGP

[KevinM]

Kevin, I'll be there on Thursday and Friday, arriving sometime around noon. I would appreciate your help. Thank You and see you at the rally.

Kevin, I'll be arriving late on Thurs and will be there thru Sun . am. If the weather cooperates we can do it Fri morning . As a Sign painter by trade tailgates are a nice change from my normal signwork...happy to help another PW fan. Kevin in Rehoboth

[MoparNorm]

She's a beauty Kevin (Both of you!)!!!

[Doc Dave]

For both Kevins

Kevin,
Later this summer I will be painting my 2nd series tail gate. I bought it seperately from the truck and it had had white paint on the Dodge script.
I have blasted and straightened the tail gate.
Can you share some of your technique tips with us? Unfortunately I won't be making the rally this year, went last year.
Also, is there a stock color for the Dodge tailgate script?

[MoparNorm]

Doc!
Just pretend that you are giving yourself a vasectomy and hold the brush real steady.....= )

[Kevin Mienke]

Kevin,
Later this summer I will be painting my 2nd series tail gate. I bought it seperately from the truck and it had had white paint on the Dodge script.
I have blasted and straightened the tail gate.
Can you share some of your technique tips with us? Unfortunately I won't be making the rally this year, went last year.
Also, is there a stock color for the Dodge tailgate script?

Well, let me start by saying that you probably know more about painting than I do. Before Fenway, my experience was limited to Allis Chalmers orange. I restored and painted several tractors as this was my hobby and 2nd income. Painting the tractors allowed me to get comfortable with the gun and compressor, and I must say, I put out some fine looking WD's, but painting the truck was a much different beast.
There was much trial and error, but I followed some basic principles and in the end was very satisfied. Here is kind of an overview, I hope it is of some help.
After spraying your primer coat and before sanding, mist the entire surface with black enamel. After reasonable drying time you can sand. Any imperfections in the bodywork will be obvious. Fix these areas and sand again making sure all of the enamel is gone. You may want to repeat this process. This is where time should be spent if you want a really nice job.
Now is where my experience is limited as my tractors were all enamel and my truck is urethane. When I began work on Fenway I was ignorant to urethane products and relied on the recommendations of the guy who had always mixed my A/C paint. His advice....practice on something other than your truck.
What I found, and what I would offer for advice on the color coat would be to spray color only until the surface is covered. Do this in light coats, usually 3-4 coats and get ready to spray clear. Don't try to make your paint beautiful with the color coat or even the first 2 coats of clear. The shine will start to happen on the 3rd coat of clear.
Remember, this is the first truck that I've ever painted, so anything I say should be confirmed by a real paint guy. On the main body of the truck, which I painted over a year ago, I had some orange peel that I was able to sand and buff away. On the tailgate, it was more severe and I'm not sure exactly why.
I had literally hundreds of hours in my paint job. Lots of hours in prep and lots of hours color sanding, buffing and hand rubbing. The time spent probably could have been cut in third if done by a professional, but it's hard to find a professional who takes pride in his work.
If I were to do it all again(and I'm sure I will)I would not go for the shiny showroom look as it is so difficult for the novice to acheive good results. In fact, I think there are techniques for making new paint looked aged which would be super nice on a Power Wagon.
I'll have Kevin do my tailgate script in black, but, with the exception of Kevin's red, I think white is all I've ever seen.

[KevinM]

Kevin,
Later this summer I will be painting my 2nd series tail gate. I bought it seperately from the truck and it had had white paint on the Dodge script.
I have blasted and straightened the tail gate.
Can you share some of your technique tips with us? Unfortunately I won't be making the rally this year, went last year.
Also, is there a stock color for the Dodge tailgate script?

Dave, As far as the lettering is concerned I use "One Shot" lettering enamal which is available at some paint shops and art supply stores and online. It flows nicely and usually covers in one coat. As Kevin mentioned most of the Dodge scripts are done in white with the exception of white trucks that I've seen done with black lettering. For the application I do it freehand, you can mask but its tough with all the subtle curves in the embossing of the letters. The key is to get a good lettering brush with squirrel hair being the best . Long steady stroke are the key to a good looking job and paint down along the sides of each letter to where the embossing meets the flat of the tailgate face. I've seen some where only the flat tops of the letters were done and it doesn't look right ,you need to do the sloped sides to get the 2 dimentional effect. Practice on something first till you feel comfortable, it really isn't all that hard, just remember to breathe...it helps to steady the hand and don't rush it...put on some favorite music and your good to go! Kevin in Rehoboth

[Kevin Mienke]

Kevin, My truck is named after the famous Massachusetts landmark, Fenway Park. It's appropriate that a resident of Red Sox nation would help in her restoration. Thanks again and I'll see you in Fairfield. Best wishes on a safe trip.

[Doc Dave]

For Kevin Mienke, thanks, good information on painting. For the 52, I am leaning toward using single stage urethane as I am thinking the bc/cc might be too shiney?
For Kevin M, thanks for the info on lettering. So, if I understand you correctly, after the tail gate is sprayed with the urethane, and it is dried well enough to not be tacky, then do you go with the lettering enamel over urethane for the letters?
For both of you guys, I am sorry that I can't make it this year to Iowa. I was there last year and '02 and had fun both times.