Easy Paint

[Blown&Injected]

I have been stripping down my GN and am ready to buy the painting equipment and paint.

As this will be my first paint job I am not attempting to get fancy - just want easy to apply paint.

I have been told (not by a pro painter) that lacquer is easy because it dries fast and is just one stage.

Also, I just have a basic filter/water separator on my compressor. Seems like a good filter is a must??? Maybe even a second filter on or near the gun too???

I searched and looked back for over a year at the threads here but did not find any guides or ideas on easy paint. Is it just a BAD IDEA to try to do this in my small garage? I have not ruled out having it towed to a paint shop after I am done stripping it and fixing a couple of dings

My car has had a Loooong hard life and I am not looking for a show winner; it will never be on Pebble Beach, and that is one of the three reasons I am considering doing it myself. The FIRST reason is that I enjoy doing the build as much as driving it - It's A Hot Rod Thing the last reason is what drives most decision making....$'s.

Thanks,

 

[mach.80]

Subscribed.

I'm at the same crossroad your at. Next month I''l start the painfull process.

I think I'll do the body work as best as I can. Then take it to a pro for the rest.

 

[Project TNX]

No such thing as "easy paint." And single stage is not any easier than base/clear, matter of fact I would say there is less room for error on single stage. I will say a solid color is a heck of a lot easier than a metallic because you can spot repair a lot easier.

Plastic everything off, get one kick ass respirator, don't open the door until it's hard enough that bugs won't set in it. Have a good test panel, kick your gun down until it takes 3 full passes to get the wet look, once you get that down step the flow up as best you can. Go light on the tack coat, never rush the other coats. If you see a problem occuring, relax, a lot of the times they will work themselves out, just give it some time. Patience and a soft touch are a must.

 

[turbonut85]

No such thing as "easy paint." And single stage is not any easier than base/clear, matter of fact I would say there is less room for error on single stage. I will say a solid color is a heck of a lot easier than a metallic because you can spot repair a lot easier.

Plastic everything off, get one kick ass respirator, don't open the door until it's hard enough that bugs won't set in it. Have a good test panel, kick your gun down until it takes 3 full passes to get the wet look, once you get that down step the flow up as best you can. Go light on the tack coat, never rush the other coats. If you see a problem occuring, relax, a lot of the times they will work themselves out, just give it some time. Patience and a soft touch are a must.

x2. And get ready for the sticker shock for the primer, catylist, sealer, catylist, color, catylist, clear, catylist and so on. They nickle and dime you with all the supporting materials!! A paint's finish is 90% in the prep work...so get ready to sand, sand, sand!!! Good luck and post some before, during, and after pics!!

 

[jdpolzin]

I personally will never spray my own car. If you know someone who does it on the side, just take your time prepping the car as best as you can and then have them spray it. In all reality, it's not that hard to get the car looking fantastic as long as you take the time to prep it properly and block and primer the piss out every little spot you can find. I would not go with a single stage paint. I did it on an older Monte I had and ended up clearing it becuase the painter had a hell of a time making it look good. Base/clear is the best way to go. I'm going to paint my next project myslef start to finish but it's only going to be a daily driver base Regal. I'm going to try my very very best but it wont hurt my feelings if it's not perfect. Just like you said, it's a Hot Rod thing!

 

[mach.80]

At what cost?

x2. And get ready for the sticker shock for the primer, catylist, sealer, catylist, color, catylist, clear, catylist and so on. They nickle and dime you with all the supporting materials!! A paint's finish is 90% in the prep work...so get ready to sand, sand, sand!!! Good luck and post some before, during, and after pics!!

What would you estimate that would end up costing? Do you think you can get it done under a grand?

 

[turbonut85]

What would you estimate that would end up costing? Do you think you can get it done under a grand?

Depends on the brand/quality you are looking for. To give you an example, I just bought 1 gallon of DuPont clear and the catylist for my GN, and It was over $300!! And that's just the clear!!! A gallon is only enough to paint it once...with no resprays!!! Then you have the primer, sealer, base coat, masking paper, tape, and don't get me started on the sandpaper!!! Did I scare you out of doing it yourself? I hope not! There is nothing like painting it yourself and having someone ask how much you paid to have it done!

 

[charlief1]

Duplacolor has a "new" system and I've seen some of the jobs that have been done. They don't look half bad but aren't show quality. It's either laqure or enamal based and it's not expensive. There's even a clear coat you can get to finish it with. If I reber right it's called pait shop color but I may be wrong.

 

[mach.80]

Did I scare you out of doing it yourself? I hope not!

If anything you absolutley confirmed I'll be doing all the body work. I have to keep as many $'s in my pocket as I can.

As for the duplicolor. I used it on my last car for the hood. When I was finished it looked great. However, the durability was extreemely poor. If a bird attacked your car you were wet sanding and buffing. Its too much work to put a cheap paint on. IMO.

 

[charlief1]

How many coats did you use and did you use the clear coat?

 

[mach.80]

How many coats did you use and did you use the clear coat?

Three coats base three coats clear. The finish looked deep and remarkable.
It just didn't last.

You really need a system that has a hardener. (Unless they have new stuff I don't know about.)

By the way I wet sanded in between each coat. I used a high-speed bufffer and finished off by hand. Looked great. Just didn't last. It scratched easy, bird poop really dug in deep and, the shine didn't last.

I just couldn't see doing all that work and not having a paint job that was briliant.

Like I said I plan to do as much bodywork and as perfect as I possibly can. Then take it to a pro for final touch-ups and spray.

I reserve the right to change my mind though. I have been known to get a wild hair up my butt and do things in the name of DIY hotrod.