Project Novakane - Paint and Body - 2004 GMC Sierra

Project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body Front Angle

As you have undoubtedly read, when we last left off with Project Novakane (Throwdown Thrash, Volume 37, No. 10, page 92) it was painted and in the capable hands of Chassis by Aaron Iha for the final stages of the trucks performance transformation. All the paint and bodywork completed before that fateful trip were barely mentioned as the focus of the story was on the incredible fabrication and truncated time schedule necessitated to get Novakane running and competitive for Truckin’s 2011 THROWDOWN.

Take a step backward with us as we recant the tale of L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California, and how the crew there managed to bang, weld, fill, grind, sand, and paint over the abused skin of our 2004 GMC Sierra. With nary a straight panel in sight and many of the stock items being ruined beyond repair, it was necessary to gather a few items to prepare for this mission. LMC Truck sent enough parts and accessories to make us feel like giddy children on Christmas. Included in the build was a paintable front bumper, valance, projector headlights with dual halo rings, grille shell, paintable door handles, roll pan, and all necessary hardware to mount the entire nose. Smoked LED taillights from Recon and LED turn signals from ANZO finished up the lighting array. Inside the LMC grille shell went a T-Rex grille insert, while out back the tailgate received a smooth Sir Michael’s skin with a handle flip kit from Street Scene keeping the gate’s functionality. The final piece of the custom bodywork was the through-the-body exhaust tip from Stylin’ Trucks.

Project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body Rendering

We are well aware that the satin finishes and “murdered-out” theme have been running their course in the industry, but the sinister look achieved was too much to pass up for Novakane. In keeping with the newer laws in California and wanting to do what we could, even if only in small part, we sourced Auto Body Color and Supply in Nashville, Tennessee, for PPG’s latest and greatest water-born paints to get the dark and flat coloring necessary to finalize the GMC’s rendered look. Follow along as L&G breaks down the steps necessary to bring this desert beaten body to the arrow straightness required for our dark horse as it prepares to ride.

1. Stripped of its ancillary parts, Novakane looked to be in sad shape. We were not kidding when we stated that a straight panel was impossible to find on this truck. In the capable hands of L&G’s team, the original finish was sanded down to find some workable material. In the process, many of the low spots including chips, scratches, and door dings were filled.
1. Stripped of its ancillary parts, Novakane looked to be in sad shape. We were not kiddin
2. It had already been decided that a fuel cell was going in the bed so the GM fuel door was no longer necessary. With all the internal parts including the spring and bumpers removed from the inside, the metal door was leveled to the rest of the bedside and carefully welded forever closed.
2. It had already been decided that a fuel cell was going in the bed so the GM fuel door w
3. On the passenger side of the bed, it was apparent that something quite large and heavy did not make it all the way into the bed on the first try. A large dent had been smacked into the thin sheetmetal and it crossed through the upper bed curve and body line. A slide hammer was used in multiple places to pull the stretched skin into submission.
3. On the passenger side of the bed, it was apparent that something quite large and heavy

4. Thanks to the judicious use of the slide hammer, the offending damage was nearly straightened. The smaller low spots left behind were easily filled before being sanded to the correct body contour and readied for primer.
4. Thanks to the judicious use of the slide hammer, the offending damage was nearly straig
5. Whoever owned this GMC previously made sure L&G was stocked with work. It was far easier to cut the tailgate’s original skin off and replace it with a smooth skin from Sir Michaels than it was to attempt to straighten the banged up sheetmetal and just run a handle flip kit filler. Here, the sheetmetal has already been removed and the Sir Michaels part was being test fit.
5. Whoever owned this GMC previously made sure L&G was stocked with work. It was far easie
6. Welding up the skin required moving around the panel and forming tack welds to keep the metal cool and prevent damaging the new skin. More damage equals more work so slow and steady won the race here.
6. Welding up the skin required moving around the panel and forming tack welds to keep the

7. The bed was nearing completion of the bodywork phase and the final piece to the puzzle was LMC Truck’s roll pan. We chose to weld it on for a smooth final appearance. It may surprise you to know LMC Trucks carries a full line of custom body panels in addition to their replacement parts, including roll pans, custom grilles, and lights.
7. The bed was nearing completion of the bodywork phase and the final piece to the puzzle
8. For trucks seeing towing use, a hole is included to access the receiver. Needless to say, what Novakane will be hauling doesn't require a hitch.
8. For trucks seeing towing use, a hole is included to access the receiver. Needless to s
9. Finally in the paint booth, the truck had been given the green light for a healthy coating of urethane primer to seal up all the filler spots and give L&G a fresh coating of material to guarantee the truck’s trueness. With one color on the truck, it was appearing that light was indeed at the end of the tunnel
9. Finally in the paint booth, the truck had been given the green light for a healthy coat

10. Back out of the booth and coated with a dark guide coat, the laborious task of sanding continued. As long as the guide coat sands off revealing the primer underneath, the body is straight. Should any of the guide coat get left behind, a low spot exists that will require further attention.
10. Back out of the booth and coated with a dark guide coat, the laborious task of sanding
11. One more panel still needed to be addressed and that was our new (used) HD hood we sourced from a former cover truck (thanks Justin!). Liquid paint stripper was used to break through the top layer of clear and color to make sanding the panel a little easier.
11. One more panel still needed to be addressed and that was our new (used) HD hood we sou
12. It’s as if the sanding just never ends. After sitting under plastic to retain the stripper’s moisture, the layers that bubbled up were scraped away. To get the panel finished off, a heavy-duty sander was employed to get the hood completely to bare metal. We’ll explain why shortly.
12. It’s as if the sanding just never ends. After sitting under plastic to retain the stri

13. Brian Smith, at Auto Body Color and Supply, set up L&G with everything they wanted from PPG to ensure the best possible finish on Novakane. Thanks to law changes in California and several other states, PPG made sure to supply all the color, thinners, and modifiers in environment friendly water-base.
13. Brian Smith, at Auto Body Color and Supply, set up L&G with everything they wanted fro
14. All the truck’s panels were cleared of the guide coat, meaning the sheetmetal was finally straight again. A batch of sealer was mixed and sprayed over the truck to lock in the fresh bodywork and give the Envirobase color something to adhere to.
14. All the truck’s panels were cleared of the guide coat, meaning the sheetmetal was fina
15. Proper ratios are always necessary when it comes to mixing paint. One wrong move can kill a paintjob. The professionals at L&G are properly trained for waterborne paints and have all the correct booth settings and spray equipment to ensure the PPG Envirobase comes out as it was designed.
15. Proper ratios are always necessary when it comes to mixing paint. One wrong move can k

Project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body Cab Painting

16. Now we’re getting somewhere! We waved adios to the pewter metallic and said hello to basic black. Every inch of the truck not getting painted was covered in paper and tape ensuring a tidy finish and no overspray.

16. Now we’re getting somewhere! We waved adios to the pewter metallic and said hello to b

From The Driver Seat

A fresh new look has given us renewed desire to drive Project Novakane again. Before the paint and bodywork, our GMC suffered from its damaged exterior and gave off the impression that the truck was a pile of junk. Nobody would have known that underneath all those bumps and bruises was a solid suspension backed by a playful engine combination that could really get the heart rate up. Now the murdered-out satin finish turns heads almost as fast as the raging exhaust note of the LSX and Magnuson. The bare metal stripes look perfect against the dark sheetmetal and match up quite nicely to the machined and black coating supplied on our BMF Novakane wheels. We couldn’t be happier with the way the vision came together. Great job L&G.

Project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body Bed Sanding

17. Normal clearcoat was layered over the black to lock the color down tight. Another session of sanding was necessary to provide the flattened clear with a base to stick to. A number of additional modifications are going to get handled before the inner bed is finished and ready for coating, so it was left untouched as you can see here.

17. Normal clearcoat was layered over the black to lock the color down tight. Another sess

Your Questions Answered
Time Spent Working:	3 weeks
Degree of Difficulty:	advanced
Tools Needed: Multiple grades of grinding discs, multiple grades of sandpaper, body filler, spray equipment, paint booth, the list is a long one. Additionally, standard and Phillips screwdrivers, an assortment of metric and standard wrenches and sockets, and wiring tools and accessories will be necessary.

Parts Used
Anzo
LED Turn Signals 511073	$217.50

LMC Truck
LH Door Handle 34-649	$24.94
RH Door Handle 34-6493	$24.94
Front Bumper 39-5224-T	$249.95
Bumper Bolt Kit 31-0053	$37.44
Bumper Valance 39-7413	$124.95
Valance Hardware Kit 31-0099	$24.94
Air Deflector 39-7432	$74.94
Grille Shell 39-4187	$162.44
LH Fog Light 37-4464	$74.94
RH Fog Light 37-4465	$74.94
Projector Headlights 37-4533	$312.44
LED 3rd Brake Light 37-4570	$62.44
Roll Pan 37-7867	$124.94

Recon
LED Taillights 264173RBK	$299.95

Sir Michaels
Tailgate Skin 2276117	$125.00

Street Scene
Tailgate Handle Flip Kit 950-61130	$104.84
LED Turn Signal Mirrors 950-11910	$160.49

Stylin' Trucks
Twin Tube Exhaust Tip ST2814	$156.66

T-Rex
X-Metal Grille 6712001	$495.00

Total:	$2,933.68
(Prices are MSRP and do not include the cost of paint, tax, shipping, or installation)

18. A quartet of the crew set the freshly painted and prepped bed back onto the frame. Our abused pickup was now looking like something of the custom truck we were aiming for.
18. A quartet of the crew set the freshly painted and prepped bed back onto the frame. Our
19. Remember how much sanding is involved when you ask your painter why the costs are so high to do custom paintwork. The labor is simply nonstop.
19. Remember how much sanding is involved when you ask your painter why the costs are so h
20. Theresa Contreras got in on the action by laying out the stripe treatment to both the hood and tailgate. We promised to let you in on the need for a perfectly bare hood and here’s why. Those stripes she laid out are going to stay bare metal for an industrial contrast against the all black exterior.
20. Theresa Contreras got in on the action by laying out the stripe treatment to both the

21. Sealer and black were sprayed on first.
22. Then Theresa pulled the tape and paper revealing the grinded metal stripes.
23. High gloss clear was then squirted over the hood to seal in the color and block the environment from rusting the metal stripes.
23. High gloss clear was then squirted over the hood to seal in the color and block the en

24. Wet-sanding with a high grit paper and a bit of water levels the clear, giving it that smooth as glass finish.
24. Wet-sanding with a high grit paper and a bit of water levels the clear, giving it that
25. Once all the sanding scratches were polished out, those bare metal stripes were dancing in the light. Our excitement was truly bursting by this point.
25. Once all the sanding scratches were polished out, those bare metal stripes were dancin
26. Re-taped and masked, all the sanding contaminants were wiped clean and the truck was readied for the final coating of material.
26. Re-taped and masked, all the sanding contaminants were wiped clean and the truck was r

27. In the mixing room, PPG flattening agent was measured and added to regular clear to give it a dull finish in preparation for the satin.
27. In the mixing room, PPG flattening agent was measured and added to regular clear to gi
28. Multiple light coats of the flattened clear were carefully sprayed onto Novakane before the plug was pulled and the truck was allowed to completely dry overnight. Although shiny in appearance while wet, the true nature of the flattening agent can be seen by referring back to the opening image of the final product.
28. Multiple light coats of the flattened clear were carefully sprayed onto Novakane befor
29. With the front end assembled, the look is equal parts mean and fast. Thanks to LMC Truck, our ’04 GMC Sierra features a new grille shell, bumper, valance, foglights that L&G smoked, and sinister dual-halo projector headlights. The LMC parts fit great and gave Project Novakane that all-important extra attitude. The grille is from T-Rex and the LED turn signals came from ANZO.
29. With the front end assembled, the look is equal parts mean and fast. Thanks to LMC Tru

SOURCE
T-Rex Grilles 2365 Rail Road Corona CA 92880 800-287-5900 www.trexbillet.com	Auto Body Color & Supply 321 Wilhagen Road Nashville TN 37217 615-726-0361 www.autobodycolor.com
L&G Enterprises 882 W. Cienega Ave. San Dimas CA 91773 909-599-2203 www.landgenterprises.com	Stylin' Trucks 7820 East Pleasant Valley Road Independence OH 44131 800-586-9713 www.stylintrucks.com
Street Scene Equipment 365 McCormick Avenue Costa Mesa CA 92626 714-426-0590 www.streetsceneeq.com	Sir Michaels 1550 Mahalo Place Rancho Dominguez CA 90220 800-900-4944 www.sirmichaels.com
Recon 5050 N. Hiatus Road Sunrise FL 33351 877-377-3266 www.gorecon.com	ANZO USA 5150 Eucalyptus Avenue Unit A Chino CA 91710 888-360-3696 www.anzousa.com
LMC Truck 15450 W. 108th Street Lenexa KS 66219 800-562-8782 www.lmctruck.com