A CJ-3B Named Spud,
Part 2

Spud was in good shape, but needed about a day of sanding with dry machine paper.

Paper and tape, with the blue sharp-edge clean-release tape, prior to spraying a premium primer.

Primer is the key to a good long lasting job. Now the detail sanding starts.

The primer is smoked with black paint. This tells them where they have sanded. It also gives them a depth gauge.

First light coat of bedliner. The sanding crew at the body shop was way behind, and we opted to let the other crew go ahead and do the bedliner.

Second liner coat for texture. We are very opinionated with liners. The two-part polyurethane is the only way to go -- very easy to apply and repair. It can be retopped if worn, and repaired. Most of the hard liners cannot be repaired easily.

Side steps, tailgate and roll bar first coat. The polyurethane liners can also be painted over with the new paints that stick to plastics. Great selection on eBay, and reasonably priced. Can be sprayed or rolled.

Hand wet sanding took 1/2 day (3 men). The sanding crew finally caught up, and it did not hurt the bedliner by then. They just washed it out, dust and all.

A low rider. Driving over to the paint booth, without seat.

Light grey is the proper primer for the Gecko Green. No additional primer after the wet sanding unless a boo-boo shows up.

After being wet sanded with a fine paper, the front grille can be painted over the original paint (enamel) with clear coat. It will stick like a tick, as we say here in Texas. If the grille had needed any body work or filler at all, then it would require primer and more sanding.

Tape tape tape. This shop is Extreme Collision. The way to decide which shop to use, is to look at the work that is parked in their parking lot. The actual guy that paints is the key. Look at the recent work that they do, as painters come and go in the paint world. Many times the quality of the job moves with the spray guy.

Gecko Green base. Clear coat is 2 layers -- a paint color layer, and then a clear tough layer. The clear also allows for spot repair. Single stage enamel requires a complete panel repaint.

Hood, windshield and tailgate. With two coats, the spraying/drying, spraying/drying process takes about half a day.

Johnny pulling tape. A good tape man will only slightly mash the edge of the tape where it meets the paint line. Also, if you use a premium grade of tape, you avoid cheap tape problems. Tape cost is not a place to scrimp on money.

The paper on the dash/cowl is a second layer of paper that allows the painters and the bedliner guys to make a perfect match line of the paint and the bedlined dash.

Ready to head home to reload all of the stuff.

Nice no-ramp spot for unloading Will's farm trailer

Gradually filling up the holes. Round Bluetooth radio and player, marine grade. Small black cover is for a USB thumb drive. Gauge over the hand brake is a small tach.

Grab bars give a wind wing look, and the curve matches the windshield curve. We doubled the hood latches to keep the back of the hood from rattling.

Seats back in (with the original tan covers) and fender flares added. We built the side steps -- they work great. The Willys name on the hood was done with pinstripe tape.

Spud's new seat covers were the most beautiful green tweed top material, and expensive. In the sun they were Gecko Green, but in certain shadows and especially in photos they shimmered blue.

So we sent the seats back to the upholstery shop, and went with a matching Naugahyde. Here is Spud with his new seats at a car show.

Notice the 2,000-pound Gold's handcrank winch on the ground -- one of the items we plan to have in a future display for car shows.

New wild indoor/outdoor mats for Spud at car shows. The wilder the better at shows.

We will snap it in when we arrive at a show. It looks to be easy to clean and is indoor/outdoor. I will never put my feet on it.