Starting the prepping process, few ?

[95fwdtsi18psi]

Hey guys, I'm going to be doing my first paint job on my Talon this summer, and the prepping process is going to begin tomorrow hopefully, I just have a few questions. What grit sandpaper should I start with, I have tons and tons of 150 laying around the house for some reason. Is that to rough for a first sand? I was hoping to hit it with 320-400 after the first initial sand then maybe a final wet sand before the primer and paint goes on. So what do you guys think? The paint isn't terrible but it's definitely not the best. Thanks in advance.

 

[jdodds]

Sounds like youre good to go on this. Make sure you get rid of all the clear and get into the base coat a bit. You might wanna pick up a cheap can of white spray paint and just give it a light coat when youre all done sanding. This is gonna show all your low spots when you sand the white chaser coat off before you get ready to paint. I did this on an integra that I thought had a pretty straight body until I found all the little low spots. it all depends on how much you wanna get into it. its not hard, just time consuming.

 

[2GturboTALON]

How to custom#paint a car | Wonder How To


good little video for you to watch. let us know how it turns out. There is multiple parts to it 1-..........

 

[afsdsm]

You can use the 150 grit to feather out all the bad clear coat spots, but u will have to prime EVERYWHERE that the 150 scratches are. Anywhere you will NOT be spraying primer, you should use 600 grit or a grey scotchbrite pad (basecoat clearcoat). Also finish your primer in 600, or the scratches WILL show. Also if you want to find low spots in the primer spray a very light coat of BLACK (since primer is most likely grey), and use a block to sand the black off, any dark spots are low spots.

 

[RoninEclipse2G]

looks like the pretty typical not-washed-and-waxed-enough-cancer that you've got there.

like others have said, you can use the 150 in the really nasty areas but you'll need a good filler primer to fill the deep scratches.

Personally I would remove all the clearcoat in the nasty areas to make sure that you don't have flaking issues in a few years.

sand everything down with 400 to 600 grit and prime the car with some good quality stuff. if you're going with black or another very dark color make sure to hit the primer with a guide coat of cheap black spray paint, just give it a dusting so that you can see low spots as you sand. make sure to use a semi solid sanding block so that you don't get low spots from your finger pressure.

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

I did start the process, and I found quickly that 150 was to rough, it was leaving some pretty big scratches. We started using a 320grit and it is working good. We have almost the whole car sanded now with the initial first sand. We are going to hit it with a final wet 600 and then move her to the paint booth for primer. Thanks guys!

 

[toofast82]

How about "scothbrite" pads? That will leave the surface pretty smooth. My friend is a body guy and say they use those a lot if they're not going down to bare metal. But i'm no body man. I will be attempting to paint my camaro later this summer and sanded it down with the sb pads and it came out smooth and almost looks ready to paint

Obviously areas where its bad will need a little more attention

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

You did it by hand? I have been using a orbital sander and it's still taking forever. How long did that take with a SB pad and how many did you need, and what color. Sorry for all the questions I'm new to this!

 

[afsdsm]

The scotchbrite pad is only for scuffing the good paint surfaces, where primer is not needed. Also if you are going to prime the hole car you will not need to sand it with 600 first. Any primer will fill 320 grit scrathes. Then wet sand all the primer in 600 before basecoat. Oh and the 150 is NOT too rough if your going to prime over the scratches. Use a good 2K (urethane primer), or epoxy (3 coats). Wet sand with the 600 till smooth like a babys a$$. Get a spray can of self etching primer and hit all spots showing metal.

 

[vanilla gorilla]

Since you are going to primer it, you will not need to go any finer than 320 grit. 320 on a DA, the whole car being sure to pay special attention to the spots where the clear is coming off. Then prime it. Then you can sand that with 400-600, and apply your base.

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

So there is no need for a 600 wet sand before primer? I plan on only going with 2 coats of urethane grey primer I got from Paintforcars.com I just bought the whole kit, as it was recommended. The whole car is pretty much sanded down to the very first base coat right now. I don't think I should go all the way down to primer should I? I'm hopefully going to have primer on by this Sunday. We have been working non stop on it and it's been going pretty good, except for the roof.

 

[afsdsm]

No 600 is too fine for primer it needs a deeper scratch to grab the suface, I like to finish in 220 for primer.

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

No 600 is too fine for primer it needs a deeper scratch to grab the suface, I like to finish in 220 for primer.

I am new to painting, but I saw my friend paint my Camaro for me and he wet sanded 600 before primer? Will the primer not stick unless there are scratches? My Camaro looks pretty good for what he did. At least I think he did it like that.

 

[afsdsm]

Yes the primer WILL stick better to a deeper scratch. Plus sanding in 600 before primer is just a waste of time since primer will fill you're 320 scrathes no problem.

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

Yes the primer WILL stick better to a deeper scratch. Plus sanding in 600 before primer is just a waste of time since primer will fill you're 320 scrathes no problem.

Ok thanks, I'm going to null the 600 wet sand then. Looks like primer is going on tomorrow. Hopefully!

 

[afsdsm]

OK let us know how it goes.

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

OK let us know how it goes.

Nice car! Did you paint it yourself? I can only dream my car would turn out like that with me painting

 

[afsdsm]

Yes i did, and thanks alot for the compliment. Its a custum mixed (by me)HOK chammelion. There is not another car in the world the same color.

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

Yes i did, and thanks alot for the compliment. Its a custum mixed (by me)HOK chammelion. There is not another car in the world the same color.

It looks really good, you should come paint my car!

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

Here's a small update on our process. Today was my graduation so I haven't had much time to work on it til now. Did we sand to deep on these areas? Where the yellow is surrounded by primer. Should we have just scuffed off the clear coat instead of going all the way to primer?

 

[afsdsm]

No that is fine, just remeber to use that spray can of self etching primer anywhere metal spots are showing(before final prime). Also i can see in the picture on the right (on top of quater panel) you did not feather it out well enough. The general rule of thumb is if you can feel it before paint, then you will see it after paint.

 

[Trav83]

Are you doing your front, back bumper, and side skirts?

 

[95fwdtsi18psi]

Sweet thanks guys. I have it all figured out. A guy here on Tuners is going to be helping me out, he has some pretty good experience.