How to get the look? seam sealer

[cboss70]

I've seen numerous interior trunk pictures of original 67/68 cars and where the inner wheel meets the trunk floor and across the back where the tail panel meets the rear floor cross member I see very thick sealer that is painted over with body color.  How are you guys reproducing that factory look?  It looks way to thick to be spray undercoat I've used and looks way to sprayed on to be any kind of caulk/seam sealer.   It would be kind of neat to try an reproduce the look

[Kent]

Thats the easiest job to do buy seam sealer and a good seam sealer air gun with some nozzles and then you need to try out what comes closest. I needed 2 hours for that and now my seam sealer gun is perfectly adjusted for that look.

[roddster]

  How about the brand of the "seam sealer air gun", and what sealer did you use?

[Kent]

german stuff we have a seam sealer here that is verified for bodywork on porsche etc. and the gun is a 650$ toy. But it can do whatever you want from a bead of seam sealer to very fine spraying for undercoat.

[J_Speegle]

Not sure what plants the cars you have been looking at were built at. There can be allot of difference in sealants used (location, style of application, product ...) so don't try and lump them all together.

Challenge that is found today with all the regulations is that most current products don't allow a heavy build up so they textures can be difficult to reproduce and the thickness can be difficult to replicate. Sometimes cooling the product before you apply it can help but it takes some experimenting and finding the best product that works for you.

For the heavy, thick textured applications I've been using a two part product that sets up and though some spray it on I've practiced and found I'm successful in using a brush application as a first step to get the thickness, texture and even runs or curtains where I want them. I then over coat it with a spray to get the edges and fine texture.  Texture was not typically uniform across a panel or a seam and you can often see the spray pattern (heavier along one edge and thinner on another for example) in the finished produce  so you don't want a machine applied look to the finished product IMHO.

The product is Spectrum Sludge - a product made for acoustical insulation. Others have been successful with products like Lord Fusion and similar spray on products Pick one and practice on a few cardboard models that replicate the surfaces and angles you will be using the product on. Checked today and it looks like a gallon cost a little more than $80. Come down 20% since the last time I purchased some.

Hope this helps




Used for a rear wheel well






Original wheel well sound deadener for comparison




Original that has been rattle canned black over the surface by a past owner

[cboss70]

Thank you for the info- I think that will work for most of the areas on my projects. The heavy bead in-between the inner wheel well to trunk floor  that I started the post out with does look more like it was applied with a "frosting bag" so not sure how a spray could produce that look but like you said maybe I just need to play.

[J_Speegle]

If you don't have to don't disturb the original coatings. You can use the product above to repair sections and blend them  in for an acceptable or invisible look with a little practice. If you use a brush (large or small and if helps if you cut off much of the length of the bristles you can dip the brush into the surface of the applied product (I use a paint stick or similar tool to scoop and get it onto the panel) then lift the brush and move it towards the direction the spray was applied. Sort of like cake frosting. This will cause the tips to rise and then fall back towards the surface creating those large lumps and bumpers commonly found on the surface 

[cboss70]

Thanks again- let the experimenting begin!

[Kent]

thats way off from what my gun is doing, I would say if I do seam sealer you will not see that its done by me, it looks to 99,9% like factory did it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SEM-PRODUCTS-29442-Sprayable-1K-Seam-Sealer-Applicator-Gun/302907511168?epid=657514510&hash=item4686b1d180:g:wPMAAOSwBNtbB~24:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

I would give this gun a try, looks pretty close to what I use, the gun I use is for coachbuilders and big bodyshops who have to do it like factory standard and german car factory requirements

[Hockeylife]

thats way off from what my gun is doing, I would say if I do seam sealer you will not see that its done by me, it looks to 99,9% like factory did it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SEM-PRODUCTS-29442-Sprayable-1K-Seam-Sealer-Applicator-Gun/302907511168?epid=657514510&hash=item4686b1d180:g:wPMAAOSwBNtbB~24:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

I would give this gun a try, looks pretty close to what I use, the gun I use is for coachbuilders and big bodyshops who have to do it like factory standard and german car factory requirements

Do you have pics of your results to share? Thanks

[Kent]

not yet, I can do some, but the cars I did are restos I did 10 years ago I will do some pics