Green on top

The paint on the roof of my Green Machine has suffered from a common sunny-state  ailment: California sunburn. The clear has been desintegrated by UV rays. Plus some idiot has tried to waterproof the sunroof and vent using silicone sealant. He hadn't done a very neat job and although almost nobody can see the top of my van, I can. And I didn't like what I saw.

So, out with the sanding and stripping tools...

I resealed the sunroof with a proper sealant which can be painted over. I also removed the roofrack. It's a really nice vintage piece in super condition but I'm trying to achieve a clean, lean look and it wasn't helping. So, off it came and it's now for sale. If you're ineterested, send me an email. It was made by Topline MFG from aluminium and has little Chrysler logos cut out of the mounts, neat! Would look cool on any Mopar custom van.

I closed the holes left by the roofrack and sanded the roof down for primer. Next I had to prepare the paintbooth for the van.

I had to build some kind of scaffolding to be able to reach the entire roof with the paint gun.

Now it's primer time(r).

I mixed a dark metallic green for a base kolor and sprayed two light coats of a lighter, yellowish green, mixed with some pearl over that. The result doesn't really show in the pictures but it has a nice kolor shift to it.

Seen from the side, the darker roof kolor makes the van look even longer and lower.

I'm really pleased with the result. All the roof needs now is a new vent cover. It's a Jensen 14x 14 inch. I have found some US companies that still supply them (NOS?) but they seem reluctant to ship to the Netherlands for some reason. I'd really like a brown-kolored bubble shape, like the sunroof. Let me know if you know where to find one.

Next week I'll put on my company logo on the sides in period 70's lettering. Watch out!