Neglected 95 Eclipse GSX nostalgia build

[Capt Obvious]

I'm no paint and bodywork expert, but I have enough friends who are and have been around cars for long enough to know one thing: the key to a good paint job is in the prep. If the prep isn't absolutely perfect, the paint job never will be. You can't make up for bad prep with good paint.

 

[jesse12345]

Everything I've watched and read has said that exact same thing, so I'm going to spend a significant amount of time making sure it's prepped to a T. I can do bodywork like welding in panels but I'm starting at level 0 for painting. I'm going to practice on my old bumper and just feel it out first. The paint was not cheap so I can't get to crazy.

 

[DreamChaser7]

Good paint is definitely not cheap. I’m reading and teaching myself as well with the paint on my build. I’m. It expert but I will say this, I used a single stage underneath my car and PPG Shopline in the engine bay and interior so far. Night and day difference. Had I known just how much better the two part was going to look I never would’ve bought the single stage even though it was under the car. Just my experience so far, maybe whatever product you’re using won’t be the same case and look great! I also threw some 2K clear on the underside and using PPG European show high gloss clear coat everywhere else, so there’s that too. .
And yes prep is key! I have hundreds of hours in prep so far and haven’t even gotten to the exterior panels and body work touch ups.

 

[jesse12345]

I'm a little nervous because I don't want it to be total crap but it doesn't have to be the best. But me being a total noob that's kind of why I went with the single stage. I just really don't want to mess up I'm still learning like flash times and what not, I hope they list them on the can. Unless you think there's a better option.

 

[DreamChaser7]

I got the cut sheets from the local paint shop to go with each different product and asked them to explain it to me and asked any questions I wasn’t sure of. They highlighted the important stuff for me.

 

[pauleyman]

Some friends once suggested to me to ask the paint shop for some scrap paint, mess ups etc in the type you're using. Then get a scrap fender or hood from the scrap yard and practice.

 

[jesse12345]

I do have a parts car I could practice on. I'm going to for sure practice a few times so I can get the hang of it. Id like to at least try it out. I already setup a mini paint booth type of deal in my garage. Every eclipse I purchase usually needs a paint job so it wouldn't be a bad thing to learn. Thanks for all the answers and advice so far it's definitely making me less nervous and more excited.

 

[DreamChaser7]

I have sprayed many things before given my profession just never anything auto. My game plan was start on the underneath and work my way out and by the time I get to the exterior panels hopefully have a good hang of it. Working out ok so far.

 

[jesse12345]

Honestly I should have done that also but I'm not even close to having the knowledge or professional tools you have. Maybe one day if I actually get the hang of it. I'm actually super pumped to try it out though.

 

[jesse12345]

So I got the trim around the doors off along with the mirrors and door handles. It's been awhile since I've messed with the door handles on these cars, is it just me or are they an absolute pain to deal with. I really have no clue how I'm going to get it all back together, most of it was by feel.

 

[jesse12345]

Tonight I got some of the roof and door sanded. The windshield is getting replaced so I ripped the moulding out which didn't take much effort. After it's all completely sanded and ready for primer I'll blow all the dust and re wrap everything just to keep it all as clean as possible. I'm trying to keep the dust at a minimum.

 

[jesse12345]

Alright so I need some advice, I got the car completely sanded to near perfection. That said it took many many hours to get through 3 layers of paint since the car was repainted. I'm not rich by any means so wasting paint is not what i want to do. I can always try to practice painting spare parts or I have my dads buddy that does this for a living to do it with what I have. I'm not afraid of trying, I just do not want to mess up because my hand and arm are literally dead from sanding and getting it perfect, started with 60 then 220 and final 600. There's not a single scratch you can see on this car, but I don't want to have to do it again. I spent my whole week off getting it this good and honestly I don't want to do it again, maybe I just need some opinions to see what you guys would do. I've been reading and watching videos but that means nothing to me without hands on experience. I could go by what everyone says and then still mess up so I'm just being very cautious.

 

[DreamChaser7]

After reading a book or two I watched some how to videos on Eastwood. They will give you a good grasps of the next steps. Clean, “Pre”, 70% isopropyl would be my next steps.

 

[jesse12345]

I still don't get flash times on the primer and or when I need to to put base on. I'd like to put a couple coats on but it says on the primer will go on smooth so does that mean I don't have to wet sand it? When I put the base coat on what are the usual flash times to put another coat on 5 to 7 minutes? I'm just trying to do this right the first time. Thanks for the reply.

 

[DreamChaser7]

I would suggest obtaining the cut sheets for the products you are using. I think my primer you have to base coat before 72 hrs or sand again. Base coats were 15-30 to re coat. Clear was about the same. In my weather here basically as fast as I could spray and clean up I was spraying again. Depends on the speed of your reducers too. I used slow cuz of the humidity/temps here

 

[jesse12345]

It's an epoxy primer and it says 30 to 60 minutes then I can apply any added primers or topcoat. It also says flash point is 20 degrees tcc. Which I'm not real sure what that means. It says allow 15 minute flash times between coats to build up desired film build.

 

[DreamChaser7]

Good explanation here:

Flash Point Defined

Here is a quick down to earth description of the Tag Closed-Cup flash point test and what it means.

www.itwprobrands.com

 

[jesse12345]

A little update on the car it's been completely sanded and taped up ready for primer. My dads buddy said he would come over and spray it for me. He's going to shoot the body and I'll probably do the bumpers and sideskirts. I just absolutely do not want to sand the body again. As fun as it was to sand through 4 layers, I do not want to do it again, I went through 1 whole layer alone with 220 which took forever. It's not going to be show quality but I'm hoping for the best.

 

[jesse12345]

I finally got tired and bored of waiting so i decided to give it a shot myself. I fully expected to sand some of this primer down from imperfections, but I think I got my gun dialed in. There are some runs from me just hammering it in one spot because it doesn't go on thick, and I'm still learning. I ran out of primer so this was a test run and I'm not real scared anymore, I just have to learn to keep my hand moving and to make one straight full pass before letting off. Now I just wait for the right amount of primer and I'll do some light sanding on the car in the mean time.

 

[KiloFilo88]

Looks like It will come out good man, we finally gave it a shot on my sons and once we got the gun down and wet sanded the final result was decent.

 

[jesse12345]

Wow you guys picked a great color. I'm just hoping to have the car in one color that looks decent by this weekend. I already sanded the runs and whatever junk got in the primer. I just need to hit the rest with primer and then paint and then it's done finally.

 

[KiloFilo88]

Thanks it was quite a process to get all the coats done. Took about a week and it was cold here so keeping the garage the right temp for the reducers and activators was a pain. Are you going to clear coat it or are you using a single stage paint?

 

[jesse12345]

For some reason at 70 degrees in my garage it took like a full solid 2 days for the primer to fully dry. I didn't use reducer though which my paint didn't require, it was pretty thin as is. I'm trying to keep it simple with a single stage so it probably won't come out as shiny as yours did. I'm also trying to keep my expectations pretty low since it's my first time and I know for a fact it won't be perfect.

 

[DreamChaser7]

Practice makes well, not perfect but better than before? .
Hardest thing I have found so far is not letting my wrist go back and forth and keeping everything straight during the strokes back and forth while paying attention to everything else going on.

 

[jesse12345]

I agree! I sprayed primer last night and my biggest issues were either holding the gun to far or to close, and then stopping at an absolute dumb spot that I shouldn't have stopped at in the first place. I'll just have to sand down a few more runs and then lay a few coats on and be patient that's my biggest problem. I'm just trying to lay it on thick the first time just to be done. Another huge problem is there's just way to much crap floating in the air, I've got 2 puller fans with filters and one pushing in front of my furnace also with a filter. I also swept and put water on the floor multiple times. It doesnt help my saint bernard sheds crazy amounts of hair just to add that to the mix. So I think for the base coat I may end up bringing it to my buddies place for that. I'd just like the primer to come out decent at the very least. It definitely frustrated me last night. I just decided to let it dry because worst case scenario, I sand down the imperfections.