WTF ? Prepping for paint

[ishnish]

Alright guys so here's the deal. I know this has probably been asked many times. I'm going through thread after thread searching on the PROPER way to prep for paint as I've never done this sort of thing before. So I basically came up on some rare sideskirts (2ga talon twisties ) and DO NOT want to mess these up when prepping for paint. The thing is, I just don't know where to begin.

Anyone wanna tell me the proper way to prep them for paint? These are precious for me (got the whole set for $90) and I don't wanna mess this up. I want to know what grits to use and the process in the right order. Everyone seems to have a different opinion and I just don't know what would be the correct route to take. Some people say sand until bare metal while others say don't! Some say use 200 grit while others say not to. I honestly don't know what to do.

The weirdest part is that on my skirts (which are a bit sanded or prepped already) the primer seems to on the original layer of paint! Idk if this is normal. It's like someone sprayed the primer on top of the original paint. I'm lost here. This is just what it appears to me so idk if I'm wrong or not. Maybe I'm mistaking it for something else but I'm pretty sure it's the original paint. It looks a little glossy so that makes me think it is. Any help would be appreciated guys!

Thanks!

 

[Quick92RS]

Scuff them down with 320 until theyre completely dull, primer, block sand with 600, paint (usually 2-3 even coats), clear (i would go 4-5 if you're new), wetsand with 1000,1500, 2000 then buff. If you have any runs in the clear, wetsand them out with 800 first.

 

[ishnish]

Scuff them down with 320 until theyre completely dull, primer, block sand with 600, paint (usually 2-3 even coats), clear (i would go 4-5 if you're new), wetsand with 1000,1500, 2000 then buff. If you have any runs in the clear, wetsand them out with 800 first.

Thanks for the response. But I've read that after primer, to actually wet sand it (idk which grit, maybe it was 600). Idk if black sand is the same thing as wet sand so maybe that's where my misunderstanding is. Also, to what level do I scuff them down to?

I've also read in another thread about using two different primers. Here's the quote
"You will then want to lay your epoxy primer, get all your body work done then maybe another coat of epoxy. Epoxy primer is what makes everything under it stick. You will have a 3 to 5 day window depending on the kind you buy. You will then want to lay your high build 2k primer"

Idk if this is unnecessary or what but like I said, I've never done this.

Thanks you btw for giving me instructions in a short, sweet, and simple answer. That's basically what I was looking for.

 

[Quaxel]

this might not be a lot of help, but if u bring it to napa, or a car shop, they will give you suprising amounts of help and instruction especially if you buy some primer or paint from them. just ask if you can ask their painter, and since he does it for a living he should be able to tell you a whole lot. i often do this before, or in addition to looking online sorry i don't know much about paint-prep, but hope this helps a little!

 

[ishnish]

this might not be a lot of help, but if u bring it to napa, or a car shop, they will give you suprising amounts of help and instruction especially if you buy some primer or paint from them. just ask if you can ask their painter, and since he does it for a living he should be able to tell you a whole lot. i often do this before, or in addition to looking online sorry i don't know much about paint-prep, but hope this helps a little!

Any response to this thread is helpful. So thank you . Idk if there is a napa here but I'll definitely take that into consideration. I want to start this tomorrow so that's why I posted this . I just got these skirts today as you can see I'm pretty excited for this .

 

[WES_393]

Sideskirts are plastic so no worries about hitting metal .

Clean with Grease and Wax remover.
Wet sand past any imperfections in the paint (fading clear coat, peeling paint, etc) with 400 or so grit. No need to get past the original paint so long as it's in good shape. Just rough up the surface good.
Clean again with grease and wax remover
Prime with high build primer, wet sand back down and repeat until all imperfections are smooth to the touch (or until your tired and don't give a sh** about rock chips)
Clean once more and let dry completely.
Spray with color/basecoat. 2 light coats first, allow to flash between coats (slightly dull surface) and then one last medium wet coat.
Allow basecoat to dry for an hour or so, then cover with 2-3 coats of clear following the same 2 light, 1 Medium-wet method as the color.
Let dry for at least 24 hours. Buff with polishing compound and enjoy!

My only tip is to use the same paint composition between primer, color, and clear. For example: Don't use Enamel primer under Urethane paint and clear. If the basecoat paint you want to use is Acrylic Enamel, get Acrylic enamel primer and clear. Different solvents don't like to play well together. Even cheaper primers won't work well with higher quality paint.

Here's a link to a great painting FAQ thread that can answer many questions on 2k primer vs Enamel, etc.

Paint FAQs - DSM Forums: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Plymouth Laser, and Eagle Talon Forum: DSMtalk.com

Also, here's a link to a site that is great for factory color paints. They even sell rattle cans if you don't have a paint gun/compressor.

Automotivetouchup.com Touch Up Paint, Aerosol Spray Paint and Touchup Paint Accessories | AutomotiveTouchup | 888-710-5192

 

[ishnish]

Sideskirts are plastic so no worries about hitting metal .

Clean with Grease and Wax remover.
Wet sand past any imperfections in the paint (fading clear coat, peeling paint, etc) with 400 or so grit. No need to get past the original paint so long as it's in good shape. Just rough up the surface good.
Clean again with grease and wax remover
Prime with high build primer, wet sand back down and repeat until all imperfections are smooth to the touch (or until your tired and don't give a sh** about rock chips)
Clean once more and let dry completely.
Spray with color/basecoat. 2 light coats first, allow to flash between coats (slightly dull surface) and then one last medium wet coat.
Allow basecoat to dry for an hour or so, then cover with 2-3 coats of clear following the same 2 light, 1 Medium-wet method as the color.
Let dry for at least 24 hours. Buff with polishing compound and enjoy!

My only tip is to use the same paint composition between primer, color, and clear. For example: Don't use Enamel primer under Urethane paint and clear. If the basecoat paint you want to use is Acrylic Enamel, get Acrylic enamel primer and clear. Different solvents don't like to play well together. Even cheaper primers won't work well with higher quality paint.

Here's a link to a great painting FAQ thread that can answer many questions on 2k primer vs Enamel, etc.

Paint FAQs - DSM Forums: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Plymouth Laser, and Eagle Talon Forum: DSMtalk.com

Also, here's a link to a site that is great for factory color paints. They even sell rattle cans if you don't have a paint gun/compressor.

Automotivetouchup.com Touch Up Paint, Aerosol Spray Paint and Touchup Paint Accessories | AutomotiveTouchup | 888-710-5192

Wow thanks for the awesome response WES!
Hehe sorry like I said I have no clue about any of this. Well like I said before, the skirts are already primered I just don't know if it's primered over the original paint or not =/. Just to give you an idea, I'm gonna take some pics in a bit and post them up on here so you could give me an opinion on what you think is needed to be done. If you don't mind that is .

Thanks for the links btw. I read that really long post like an hour ago good find. Also, if you could state which grits to sand down with, I'd really appreciate it. You only mentioned 400 grit for the first step.

Thanks!

 

[Quaxel]

Any response to this thread is helpful. So thank you . Idk if there is a napa here but I'll definitely take that into consideration. I want to start this tomorrow so that's why I posted this . I just got these skirts today as you can see I'm pretty excited for this .

i know what ya mean, leave a post telling us how it all goes, i just bought my first dsm Thursday and she needs a little touching up all over, once i get some other stuff fixed im gonna start doing some painting on my fenders, and general touch up, so id be happy to hear how this all works for ya! best of luck, post a pic when its done!

 

[ishnish]

i know what ya mean, leave a post telling us how it all goes, i just bought my first dsm Thursday and she needs a little touching up all over, once i get some other stuff fixed im gonna start doing some painting on my fenders, and general touch up, so id be happy to hear how this all works for ya! best of luck, post a pic when its done!

Oh nice man congrats!! Yup most all DSMs need a little touching up . Mine isn't too bad at all actually but these side skirts are needed to be painted. My car's paint is barely oxidizing, and although you can't really tell in pics or person, it's not until you see it next to my buddy's car who has the same color. His shade is darker than mine and glossier looking. I want to repaint it but maybe all it needs is a buff. But I will definitely keep you updated! I'll post pics along the way and I sure hope it helps you my friend

 

[WES_393]

Sure thing man, post them up and we'll be able to tell you what needs to be done. As for what grit sandpaper, I would use 400 wet sand the entire time. You want a good rough surface for the paint to "grab" onto.

 

[ishnish]

WES, would that not make the paint look a little rough though?

Pics =) just as I promised:

Skirts with fender cap and door moldings:

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I know they are a bit dirty. Idk if I should resand them or just wash them or what?

Now for the part I was worried about:

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Idk if you can tell but the primer is actually on top of that layer of paint

Also:

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Notice how just the area around the corner is primered but not the bottom? Apparently that was because no one can see the bottom of the door molding so it was left like that, I think maybe I should still primer it but I just wanted to show you guys the details.

 

[WES_393]

If you used like 100 grit instead of 400, then yes. You could even finish off with 500 if your worried about it. But the 2 lighter coats will fill the texture and the meduim wet coat will give you a smooth finish.

 

[ishnish]

If you used like 100 grit instead of 400, then yes. You could even finish off with 500 if your worried about it. But the 2 lighter coats will fill the texture and the meduim wet coat will give you a smooth finish.

Awesome sounds good. Btw, have you checked out the pics? Any advice?

 

[68442]

They may have used too fine of paper or no flex agent on the fiberglass. Pics look more like chips coming off more than anything. Wes covered it very well.

 

[ishnish]

So you don't think that is the original paint underneath the primer? Because it's the same color as the original paint..

 

[68442]

No I think it probably is, they might have did a scuff and blow, was their topcoat over that primer or did they just primer and quit?

 

[ishnish]

There was no top coat over the primer. So do you think I should sand out the primer and the coat underneath it?

 

[68442]

I'd stick the tip of a razor blade under the edge of one of those chips and see how easy more will chip off. If its coming off easy I'd remove it all. I believe you can use stripper on composite and fiberglass material but read before doing so. The other option would be soda blast or careful sanding not to gouge your rare parts. At least the parts are off the car so it'll be easier. Maybe someone else has some experience with this.

If its on good A couple of coats of high build might let you blend the chips in, maybe some poly flex filler.

 

[ishnish]

Okay so I just tried chipping it off with a knife. Had a harder time cause the point was a bit dull and don't have a blade at the moment. However, it would chip off when I used my nail fairly easy. What is stripper? I don't think sanding would gouge my skirts would it? I mean it would have to be extremely rough in order to do so. So would I just sand off the paint until I reach the fiber glass material? Or plastic? Whatever it is .

 

[68442]

Just aircraft paint stripper, but again read to make sure it is safe. Forum below they are dealing with it and appears it is. Do you have a DA sander? I have a little 3" one I bought at Harbor Freight that I would use on something like that with 180 or 220.

What is the preferred method to strip paint off fiberglass - THE H.A.M.B.

 

[ishnish]

Thanks for the link. Well if the soda blasting or aircraft paint stripper is a cheaper alternative then I could go that route. Whichever is cheaper is probably the route I'd take. I could pick up one of those Harbor Freight sanders if they sell one at the one near me. Isn't 180 or 220 a bit harsh? Everyone on here seems to say to go with 400..

 

[WES_393]

Paint stripper is a chemical that eats pretty much everything but metal. I wouldn't use stripper on plastic/fiberglass. It took 4 layers of high heat paint off of my valve cover as well as the original factory paint. It's nasty stuff.

I would definitely hit those with 400 or even 300 grit and get every bit of old primer off. Then scuff up the original paint and prime, paint, clear like I said before. Everything I have painted I used 400 or 500 grit to sand it smooth before paint. I know that sounds heavy, but it's really not especially when it's wet.

 

[ishnish]

Soda blasting seems to be really expensive btw

Paint stripper is a chemical that eats pretty much everything but metal. I wouldn't use stripper on plastic/fiberglass. It took 4 layers of high heat paint off of my valve cover as well as the original factory paint. It's nasty stuff.

I would definitely hit those with 400 or even 300 grit and get every bit of old primer off. Then scuff up the original paint and prime, paint, clear like I said before. Everything I have painted I used 400 or 500 grit to sand it smooth before paint. I know that sounds heavy, but it's really not especially when it's wet.

Thanks WES. Nice to see you're back. When you say scuff the original paint, do you mean to sand all that off as well?

 

[68442]

80, 180, 220 for stripping. 400 for solid colors and 600 for metallic when sanding primer and high build for topcoat. Pretty much standard.

 

[WES_393]

Soda blasting seems to be really expensive btw



Thanks WES. Nice to see you're back. When you say scuff the original paint, do you mean to sand all that off as well?

I wouldn't sand past the original paint, it's on there really good from the factory and will provide a nice base for the primer. Just get all that primer off and take out any flaws you see in the original paint.