So, I've decided to paint my own car...

[Soup DeVille]

I've begun stripping the chrome off the Caddy myself, after arrangements with another body guy fell through. I've never really tried to tackle my own body work, being content with getting my knuckles all scraped and bloody on all the greasy bits inside the sheetmetal, but I'm gonna give it a shot.

I figure I can only screw it up so bad, right?

[the Teuton]

Hopefully you know someone who knows what they're doing, so you don't orange peel the whole thing.

[280Z Turbo]

I think I started a thread a while back about painting my Z. You should look that up.

EDIT: Here it is. Take a look:

http://www.carspin.net/forums/the-garage/thinking-about-new-paint-for-the-z-taking-color-suggestions.0.html

[Raza]

Blood is so hard to get out of clothing.

[Soup DeVille]

Hopefully you know someone who knows what they're doing, so you don't orange peel the whole thing.

Nope, I mean I know several people who have painted their own race cars, but those weren't exactly the quality I'm shooting for if you know what I mean.

I'm relying heavily on how to books. I know it sounds cheezy, but I tore down my first transmission that same way as well, and that worked.

[Soup DeVille]

Blood is so hard to get out of clothing.

Vinegar works pretty well.

[the Teuton]

I have a friend who graduated from Wyotech who owes me a free paint job eventually.  I'm sure you'll be fine, but there are always details in auto detailing and painting that people forget.

[Soup DeVille]

I think I started a thread a while back about painting my Z. You should look that up.

EDIT: Here it is. Take a look:

http://www.carspin.net/forums/the-garage/thinking-about-new-paint-for-the-z-taking-color-suggestions.0.html

Thanks! Have any after pics?

[Raza]

Vinegar works pretty well.

I'll have to try that.

[Soup DeVille]

I have a friend who graduated from Wyotech who owes me a free paint job eventually.? I'm sure you'll be fine, but there are always details in auto detailing and painting that people forget.

I've tried getting hold of a few different schools like that, figuring students need project cars; but I haven't had any luck.

But, I think I'm more willing to take the chance that I'll screw the paint up and learn something rather than some student screw the paint up and learn something, you know?

[the Teuton]

Up to a point.  My Alma Mater has a kick-ass autobody program.  I'm sure you could search out a local high school if you wanted.

[280Z Turbo]

Thanks! Have any after pics?

I haven't done anything yet.

I need to secure funds first before I start chipping away at old bondo and sanding the old finish.

[Soup DeVille]

I haven't done anything yet.

I need to secure funds first before I start chipping away at old bondo and sanding the old finish.

Understandable. This car isn't my driver though, and has a nice warm spot in the garage, so it's not like I'll be dooming myself to driving a half primered wildebeast when I run out of cash.

[Soup DeVille]

Up to a point.? My Alma Mater has a kick-ass autobody program.? I'm sure you could search out a local high school if you wanted.

I did that, to no avail. Apparently, the few around here that actually have an autobody program only work on donated cars.

[Raza]

I did that, to no avail. Apparently, the few around here that actually have an autobody program only work on donated cars.

Have you tried pulling a gun?  That always seems to get me where I want to go.

[Soup DeVille]

Have you tried pulling a gun?? That always seems to get me where I want to go.

Always good advice from you, Raza.

[the Teuton]

Always good advice from you, Raza.

No shovel?

[Rupert]

Blood is so hard to get out of clothing.

I was going to say how, fortunately, blood is easy to get off a shovel, but now it seems kind of cliche.

[southdiver1]

1: Get some disposable rubber gloves. They are uncomfortable but, it is better then getting chemicals in your skin

2: Look on ebay, Craigslist, ect for a good HVLP setup. You can live with one gun if you get multiple tips for the Primer, the paint, and the clear

3: Remember the Acetone.  Clean the gun ALOT after every use. Clean it inbetween coats of paint and whatever you do, don't let the clearcoat sit in anything that you are not prepared to throw away.

4: Dixie cups and toung (sp) depressers are great for mixing. Those are the big popsicle stick looking things)

5: Get some kind af a sealable container to dump waste product in. You don't want to dump paint/clear down the drain.

6: As I am sure you have heard, a good paint job is 90% prep work. I will go further by saying it is 99% prep work. Laying paint and clear is actually pretty easy but with a crap surface, it will be a crap job no matter how good you are.

[Soup DeVille]

1: Get some disposable rubber gloves. They are uncomfortable but, it is better then getting chemicals in your skin

2: Look on ebay, Craigslist, ect for a good HVLP setup. You can live with one gun if you get multiple tips for the Primer, the paint, and the clear

3: Remember the Acetone.? Clean the gun ALOT after every use. Clean it inbetween coats of paint and whatever you do, don't let the clearcoat sit in anything that you are not prepared to throw away.

4: Dixie cups and toung (sp) depressers are great for mixing. Those are the big popsicle stick looking things)

5: Get some kind af a sealable container to dump waste product in. You don't want to dump paint/clear down the drain.

6: As I am sure you have heard, a good paint job is 90% prep work. I will go further by saying it is 99% prep work. Laying paint and clear is actually pretty easy but with a crap surface, it will be a crap job no matter how good you are.

Good advice, but I'm still trying to get the prep work underway. I've been heaering diffferent things about what grit the car should be blocked in before primer is laid down.

[SaltyDog]

I'm a fan of rattlecan jobs(though I've never actually done one) but it sounds like you can do better.

[Soup DeVille]

I'm a fan of rattlecan jobs(though I've never actually done one) but it sounds like you can do better.

It remains to be seen whether or not I can, but I sure hope so!

[ChrisV]

Prep is everything to getting a good paint job (I had my own shop doing it for a decade, and have done all my paint jobs myself). here's a thread where i answered about prep work to get a good job at home or at Maaco:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=154272

[ChrisV]

Oh, and don't worry about orange peel. It's easier to deal with than runs and sags or dirt. Most new(er) cars have a bit of orange peel right from the factory, it's part of how paint is applied. In order to eliminate it, you HAVE to put on more paint and then wet sand the orange peel out and buff it.

Spraying paint is a matter of having a good eye and understanding the material you're working with. Always start woth the roof and work your way down and around (roof, hood, decklid, rear fender to front fender, then around front fender to rear. Start with one light "mist coat" and let that tack up. then spray 2-3 medium wet coats, going for coverage not gloss. then get a wetter coat going for gloss, but not so much you get sags. Let it be a bit orange peely, as you will take care of that later.

if you are doing a base coat/clear coat process, do NOT go for gloss with the color. Just go for even coverage. Metallics are even more critical with this, as you want the metallic to lay down evenly and not stripe or mottle, which it WILL do if laid down wet. let the clear bring out the gloss, and spar it as I said above (light mist coat to get tacky, then 2-3 medium wet coats for build, along with a wet coat for gloss. let it get tacky in between coats. When it's tacky, it's less likely to run and sag)

You can do it. It's not rocket science, but it does require a good eye and care in prep and spraying.

[The Pirate]

That looks awesome Chris! 


How is the Bimmer treating you as well?  Had any opportunities for road trips yet?

[ChrisV]

That looks awesome Chris! 

Thanks!

How is the Bimmer treating you as well?  Had any opportunities for road trips yet?

It's gone nowhere in the snow/ice. In fact, it's locked into the driveway right now due to the snow having frozen around it, and can't really even be dug out (at least not with a snow shovel). I'm using the Range Rover right now. Can't wait till things melt around here.

[southdiver1]

Good advice, but I'm still trying to get the prep work underway. I've been heaering diffferent things about what grit the car should be blocked in before primer is laid down.

I use 600 before the primer and 1000 on the primer itself. As Chris mentioned, use multiple coats of paint instead of one or two really heavy coats.  Drips in the paint are a pain to get out but several "dustings" are way better then a single "blob".
If you can swing it, maybe you can get a junkyard hood or a fender to practice on with the primer, paint, and clear before hitting your own car?

[Soup DeVille]

Thanks guys, here's another question for you then. The car cam with the normal side trim and chrome trim around the wheel wells, which I plan on removing. The problem is that these aren't glued on, so I'll have to be filling in holes. I keep hearing different opinions, whether I have to get someone to weld them in or not.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Are you saying the chrome trim is rivited on? In that case, yes, the best thing you can do is weld the holes. Bondo would probably fall out of holes after a while.


On a side not, I heard Maaco has an $89.99 special going on 

[Soup DeVille]

Are you saying the chrome trim is rivited on? In that case, yes, the best thing you can do is weld the holes. Bondo would probably fall out of holes after a while.


On a side not, I heard Maaco has an $89.99 special going on?

Actually, I've just gotten the trim of, and its welded studs- I don't see any problem with grinding them flush and then bondo-ing it just a little to smooth things out.