Help in knowing how to paint your car

[frankiejr]

I have a 95 Eclipse RS and it was a salvage vehicle and I just got it fixed up from the exterior but now I need to paint the car and I dont want to spend $2000 for a really good paint job so I was wondering if somebody can please tell me the steps of painting a car. I am willing to do it myself and I know it'll take alot of time but I'm ready for it. Please somebody help me....or do you recommend me taking it to a professional shop instead?

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I would search the site I know there have been a lot of posts talking about this. There will probably be more in depth explnations since I am not the all knowing on this subject but here are the basics.
1. The more power tools you have the less you will hate the project. To do a really nice job you will probably at least want to get an autobody book, especially if it needs much body work.
2. You will need a spray gun to do it right. I am only really familliar with the HLVP High velocity low pressure pnumatic spray gun. I picked one up from Harbor freight for 40 bucks, however for this you also need a compressor.
3. Now you want to sand off the old paint.
4. Find all imperfections, then you want to pound, bend, beat as smooth as possible.
5. Fill all imperfections with Bondo, then sand down. Once you paint it is amazing what small imperfections stand out so get it as prefect as possible.
6. Now the fun part. Mask off the windows, trim, tires, everything that doesn't get painted. This is another important place to spend the time to make it right.
7. prime
8. Paint
9. Some paints are designed to be used with a clear coat, a good idea but more work.
10. If you are doing a high end job you would wet sand to get rid of the oarnge peel, then buff to make it really shine.

 

[jrivard]

Painting a car is a lot of hard work. Some basic tools you'll need are: DA Sander, Air compressor with a large tank, Paint Gun (don't get a cheapo), air gun, sanding block, various sanding discs (80grit/240grit), masking tape, masking paper, etc etc

Basic idea is to grind off all the old paint to the factory primer with 80 grit. THen smooth over it lightly with the 240 to blend any body work you did in. Blow all the dust off the car and mask everything off you don't want paint to get on. Wipe the car down with a paint surface prep to get rid of any grease of oils. Lay 2 - 3 coats of high build epoxy primer on the car and let cure. Block the entire car down with 320 grit / 400 grit paper and your sanding block to make sure everything is leveled...repeat process if needed with the primer. After everything is blocked, wash the car down to get rid of all the dust. Re-mask the car and lay 3 - 4 coats of you base coat color...wait 10-15 minuts for flash time between coats. Lay a light clear on the car...let cure Now wet sand the car with 1500 grit paper to remove orange peel...wipe car clean with water. Lay two more coats of clear...let cure...wet sand car with 2000 grit paper...idea is to make it smooth..then polish and buff with a buffer and course and then fine rubbing compound.

I make the process sound easy but it'll take you a week for a REALLY good job. Or course if you want to change the color of the car and make it look good, you'll need to paint the door jams and doors first before you paint the entire car.

 

[nickrule99]

jrivard-

about how much would it cost to do it yourself, the right way, having none of the correct stuff going into it.

-Nick

 

[devlish]

Try Maaco or something similar in your area. expect around $400 - $800 depending on how many dents you have.

you'll get an *OK* paint job there. however, probably better than if you did it yourself having never done it before and not having any of the proper tools.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

you'll get an *OK* paint job there. however, probably better than if you did it yourself having never done it before and not having any of the proper tools.

i dont know...iv seen some pretty bad paint jobs come out of there.

 

[EVIL X]

To start, there is a "right" way and a "wrong" way i am personally a custom painter for CPS-polk city ia. i specialize in harleys and mini trucks you can check out some of my work at www.cpspaint.com.

lets start out like this- basics for painting

tools- must have compressor 30gal or BIGGER, a basic set of body tools (hammers,dolleys blocks, razor blades etc.) and that is bare basic...air tools speed up process alot but you can always use blocks to sand with.

paint gun.................
if you are only planning on doing this for a 1 time deal, dont go buy a gun that costs a fortune, i do it for a living so i have several guns ment for diff. things that are very very expensive, but for the first timer go to your local harbor freight and get the purple HVLP gravity fed paint gun, they work good and is affordable ($40 on sale????)

sand papers..............
i only use about 4 grits of paper 80 (putty/filler) 320 (finer putty-filler/some rough primer) 600 (primer) and 1500/2000 (color sand) if you do not know, papers are very expensive and you go through alot- so dont go wild on all the odd ball grits.

prep/body work............
depending on if you got used parts or new parts will depend on prep. if you have used parts that are in good cond. just sand with 320 or 600 to ruff up paint. if there is dents dings in your used parts 80 grit ONLY the area were putty will be applied, and sand rest of panel with 320/600 and prime spots that were puttied and block to get straight. if you have new oem or aftermarket parts that are perfect, scuff with a scotch pad and just simply seal with a good 2k sealer. the good thing about sealers, you can apply them and 1hr later (depending on make) you can start to apply the base w/o having to sand everything again unlike primer that you have to let dry for a while then sand everywhere you sanded prior this is a very touchy subject- it all depends on how bad your parts are...that is why it is tough to decribe every right way or every wrong way to do a project every project is different period....

after sealer/primer sanded masked wax and grease remover applied...................

i personally apply base and then let flash by spec.....then apply a light tack coat of good clear then spray two med/wet coats and let dry. if you get to much on, it will solvent pop and all your hard work will be thrown out like trash. after about 1 hr/2hrs depending on hand slick time which will soley depend on brand of product, un-mask, you dont want to wait untill fully cured because if you have any tape over lap, it will rip up clear from parts you dont want it too (edges, by molding etc...)

unmasked...
depending how good/bad it looks and how much of a perfectionist you are, some color sanding. you then take a sanding block w/ 1500, 2000 grit paper which ever you prefere and sand all the nibs/ runs/ imperfections out if you get any of the above w/o a booth it is almost imposilbe to keep dirt,bugs crap out of it. then get a buffer and use a cutting compound to get all sanding scratches out and follow up with a polish......

the biggest thing to keep in mind is make sure everything is prepped right, kept and remains clean and use common sence when doing everything from step A to step Z

 

[jrivard]

jrivard-

about how much would it cost to do it yourself, the right way, having none of the correct stuff going into it.

-Nick

I'm fortunate that i have a friend who had his own autobody business and still has all of his tools. My car is in the shop right now and I work on it when I can. It cost me $750 in paint (I went with House of Kolor products which tends to cost a small fortune but absolutely worth the money) and about $200 in shop supplies (body filler, icing, sand paper, guide coat, etc). I'm hoping to get it all back together by September so I can drive it for a couple months before it snows. I gutted the interior and glassed it and still need to build a sub enclosure and amp wrack and mold that in to the interior...it keeps me out of trouble and eats all my social life.

Where abouts in Greenfield you live? I'm moving up there in the near future.

 

[1fast97gsx]

I'm actually having maako spray my talon esi ( new daily driver ) and I'm doing the prep work on it. They told me just to sand it with 320 grit paper and get all the dents out and scratches and they'll do the rest. Any tips for sanding? Wet or dry? Anything else I should pay attention to or do before I take it there?

 

[devlish]

i'd take it to at least 400 grit.

dry will be very dusty, wet won't be so bad. make sure you do everything as even as possible and clean up nicely when your done!