Perfecting the Metal and Bodywork
Getting the now-bare metal shell back from the blasters revealed a few more spots that needed attention. We finished any remaining welding and fabrication on the clean metal before finally diving into the bodywork. Our goal was to align all the panels to tolerances even better than the factory ever achieved.
We used thin layers of body filler to smooth out any imperfections, ensuring the lines were crisp and straight. The car was then primed in a high-build polyester primer and block sanded. This revealed a few minor body waves, which we addressed with further precision work, ultimately making the body arrow straight.
The original color for this Corsa was Madeira Maroon, a deep, rich red. Matching this color proved to be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. I performed countless spray outs to dial it in, but the real breakthrough came thanks to Bruce: he located a guy in the Bay Area (SFBA member Mike Chamorro) with an original Madeira Maroon car who kindly drove it down to the shop. Being able to inspect that original finish in person allowed us to finalize the color mix for a perfect match.
Tomorrow, you can read about the final stage of this restoration and see the car in its finished form.
Many thanks to Gabe Lopez at Sterling Restorations for providing us with the story and the photos to share with you all. If you are ready to pull the trigger on restoring that Corvair or other classic car in your collection, contact Gabe for a consult. You can also learn more about Sterling Restorations by clicking on their logo below.
SFBA CORSA 
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