Respray tips

[Shifty]

Okay, I've got a car that I want to respray. I'm not that worried about having a great end result - the main aim is to get any rust out & to stop it spreading, and then to have it all the one colour at the end. I am also not being ambitious with the colour, just a normal gloss white suits me fine.

There is very little on the various forums I visit, and everything I have found varies a huge amount. Therefore, I'm seeking opinions from people who have actually done it and achieved a reasonable result. No offence to the well-meaning majority who have no more idea than I do, but please go post-whoring somewhere else

Anyway, I will be removing all trims, hanging panels and all of the interior. The shell has already had some work done to it so I'm not sure just how much rust and/or bog there is, but I'm going to do my best to get the majority of it out.

Any advice regarding:

1. what I will need to buy (want to get it all/most of it in one shot) and what tools I should have on hand
2. recommended mask (I am asthmatic so this is VERY important)
3. the best method for stripping the car back
4. the best method of preparation
5. best method for removing windscreens
6. the best paint choice
7. compressor & gun settings
8. the best painting method
9. misc tips regarding the environment, what to do and what not to do

Would be very much appreciated.

[mrshin]

I can answer a couple of these points, but I'm surely no expert on painting! Anyway:
2. Don't be tight about the mask, most panelbeaters seem to take pretty poor care of themselves, but that doesn't mean you should! A decent paint shop should be able to provide you with a fairly good replaceable cartridge type mask that'll keep the dust away pretty well

3. What's the car like at the moment? If most of it's fairly sound, then plenty of sanding and a bit of scotchbrite should make it alright, obviously you'll need more in the repair patches

5. One of those blade-on-a-handle-with-a-string tools that a windscreen guy uses. If you're not confident about doing it yourself, a windscreen place shouldn't charge you much just to take it out. However, with glued-in type screens, you don't have to remove it if there's no rust around the edge. Remove the trims and you'll see what I mean

6. Always a reasonable quality 2 pack - HOWEVER if you don't have proper breathing gear and a car oven that kind of ruins this option! Acrylic is really the only option for a home job if you're not looking at inhaling methylisocyanate, which I know sure doesn't agree with me too well!

[LeeRoy]

1. what I will need to buy (want to get it all/most of it in one shot) and what tools I should have on hand
Sanding block and sandpaper - get a block with the ends that pivot/lock for interchangable sandpaper that u can tear from a roll, wet rubber sanding block dollys and hammers, file - one like a plane but with a file surface, if your fixing rust then a welder and some panels - even old ones are good for curves, bog(body filler), primer or hi-fill, black paint, whatever paint you want the car to be, clear, general dismantling tools, spray gun and air compressor, tape and brown paper or newspaper, heat lamps, spare time...lots.

2. recommended mask
As stated since u will prob be confined with shit ventilation get a good one but its better to be enclosed as there will be no wind and little dust - for this you'll prob need ventilation with filters or you'll get as high as a kite

3. the best method for stripping the car back
A coarse strip disc will make that short work or you could use paint stripper or sand it using a whizzer/ electric sander. Keep in mind door jams provided they are rust free can be painted after just wet rubbing or scotch brite. Either this or get it blasted but this also means you have to seam seal all the joins.

Also paint stripper works better if you scratch the paint with a screwdriver or something but be careful not to ding your metal

4. the best method of preparation
You either want no paint or all surfaces ready for paint to be either wet rubbed or scotch brited, remembering that a good finish is 90% prep work.

If you run the block with paper over the car or look at it and mark the dings first your life will be easier and they show up 10 times better on a car with gloss than an unpainted shell. If you go to metal a file will show up dings and so on and can also be used to take out high spots.

For bog to stick you will need to go to metal. If you smash dings out use hi-fill - about 2-3 coats and don't worry about runs so much here as you sand it back. This helps even out little imperfections.

Here, Sand car, hi-fill, then spray with black mist to show u what u havent sanded or have sanded in the next step. Now sand the hi-fill down with 360-400 using the block preferably as hands leave dips and stuff cause theyre not flat, Sand this till all black is gone. mist the hi-fill with black again. Now get some 800 wet paper and using either a lightly running hose or a bucket and soaked rag sand till black is gone keeping the sanding area wet all the time. You might need a small rubber sanding block for this and sand till no black. Then let dry and then go over with some prep solvent. Your now ready for paint.

Paint all door jams, door edges, window holes first, even before u sand the hi-fill off the outside of car. and you wont need to mask much as you'll be sanding everything that gets hit with overspray anyways.

When spraying outside of car leave a soft edge on the door jams and windows which can be done by folding the edge of the masking tape about 1/4 over itself so then only about half of it will stick - this will let only a little bit of piant in the bit ur masking and allow the paint to blend on a good level not leaving it uneven. Other than that take ur time masking as it will pay off


5. best method for removing windscreens
pay someone like a mobile windscreen mob - mine cost me $50 for front and rear

6. the best paint choice
De Beer is good, most paint shops will have a good selection and will give u advice there

7. compressor & gun settings
Not too sure here but you'll know if your compressor is too weak as the paint will come out dry and you'll see it, this will depend how fast you paint but.

8. the best painting method
Not too cluey on paints and amount of thinners but a paint shop can tell u how much thinnners to use. Spray around 30cm from panel keeping in same direction and paint all door jams, door edges, window holes first, even before u sand the hi-fill off the outside of car. Someone will know more than me here plus i'm tired now

And u might want some heat lamps.

9. misc tips regarding the environment, what to do and what not to do
How enviro friendly are you?

All the best - LeeRoy

[oldcorollas]

there was a great post by a painter, but i can't remember if it was this forum or the last... and i can't remember his name off the top of my head

have a look for it as it was well worth reading!!!

[oldcorollas]

http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.p...t=0#msg_745537

http://forums.toymods.org.au/index.p...t=0#msg_746352

[Invid]

2) I picked up a mask from Bunnings, that fitted the interchangable filters. You can get particle filters (good for sanding) and most importantly Gas/vapour filters that will block the fumes from the paint. They can be a little hard to breath through when they get clogged with paint. I found the dust filters can be cleared usiong a bit of compressed air.

7) I used an Arlec compresser that I bought from Kmart. Also buy a water trap, these stop condensation building from the pressurised air getting into your paint and causing humidity blisters. Unfortunately I don't quite know what setting I had the gun on, but try doing a test spray on a spare car body part or cardboard, or what ever you have lying around. I found it useful to practice on a bonnet I had lying around. Good painting is about gun technique, so the more practice you do the better the results.

[rob]

with the respirators consider buying pre filters, the paint particles will clog your filter easily and you'd be suprised how much a prefilter catches before your main filter

they are like little bags of tissue material with elastic and they just fit over your filters like a tissue condom, they will prolong the life of your main filters

i actually ran out of pre-filters and improvised with tissues and a rubber band it saved me from having to keep buying filters

[rob]

also $2 plastic drop sheets from bunnings are your friend

they are cheap, HUGE and so handy to cover everything from dust

also hooks to suspend your air hose (or ask a mate to hold it) so they dont drop onto a prepped area while your doing a roof or bonnet

[smokem1]

Environment? Me and a mate want to paint our rides, we have no enclosed area to do it, so we are thinking of chippin in and buy one of those erectable carport shade thingys from supercheap bout $200, pitch it in the backyard, and hang black placky down the sides, protect against wind, dust.

[willwal98]

removing windscreens is most definitly not hard. I see in your footer that you have an RT142 corona listed. If that is the car you want to pull the screens from then it should have rope in seals and do this for front and rear. If it's glue in call someone.

1. Remove the chrome trim.

2. If the rubber is hard, get a stanley knife and cut around the screen or you will most likely break the glass, if the rubber is soft then don't bother and you can reuse the seal.

3.Now get someone in the car with their feet on the windscreen, one foot in the center of each half about 1/4 of the way from the top (i'll draw you a pic if you don't get me) and apply even pressure.

4.The screen should come out, good idea to have someone on the outside to catch it.

NOTE: if the screen is cracked and you still want to use it (not a good idea, probably won't pass road-worthy) cut the rubber or you might break it. If the seal is good i'd prefer to keep it than a cracked screen.

Installing isn't too bad either,
1. Clean the rubber, glass and the car where the glass goes with turps. Make sure it's really clean.
2. Put the rubber on the glass
3. Get some 1/4 inch cord (not nylon) and sit it around the outside of the seal. with the ends coming out around the middle at the bottom.
4. Sit the screen in place on the car, good idea to have someone around to help.
5. Put some pressure on the glass and pull the cord, you might have to help guide the rubber over the lip (you'll understand when you get the screen out). Keep going until you are all the way around. You might want to bump the glass around abit if it's not sitting properly, carfeul not to break it and not right on the edge or you will break it.
6. Get some windscreen sealant and a plastic blade or a screwdriver if you are careful with the paint. Lever the rubber up and squirt in some sealant. if it comes out just a little bit when the rubber sits on it this is good. Go all around the screen both on the glass side and the metal side of the seal, paying attention to the metal side at the top and the glass side at the bottom.

Job done. Clean up the sealant with turps and keep it out of the weather for 24hours and you should be right to go.

Just a little tip, when you are putting your roof liner in, just tuck it under the rubber a little bit, not right through, this will help to stop leaks especially if you have a cloth liner because it soaks up any moisture that gets through the seal.

Hope this helps for number 5.

Now for paint choice,
Lacquer is a lot of work, not shiney of the gun.
Enamel is partly shiney off the gun, less work but the result isn't really great.
2-pac is very shiney off the gun, but poisenous, and best if done in a booth.

I have painted cars in enamel and it doesn't look too bad but doesn't seem to last very well especially if it's in the sun. If all you want is to clean up the rust and have the car look reasonable i'd go with it because it's easy and pretty safe.

[EldarO]

1. what I will need to buy (want to get it all/most of it in one shot) and what tools I should have on hand

good quality bog (no supashit jobbie) paint, spray equipment (hire or borrow an option too, just make sure its in good nick) clearcoat, primer, metal to weld in, spatulas for bog, bog board, mixing stuff etc etc. no definitive list im afraid... hammer, dollies etc.

2. recommended mask (I am asthmatic so this is VERY important)

i have a mask made by a german company called sundstrom, ive never used anything better... its even scented... lol

3. the best method for stripping the car back

if you dont care about any bog underneath being damaged, paint stripper/sand blasting is a good bet, other than that, scraping/sanding will be the way to go.

4. the best method of preparation

sand, sand, sand, then rust convert. repair with metal if needed, bog, sand, spray putty (removes pin holes), sand , then primer.

5. best method for removing windscreens

piano wire FTW, fishing line, ive been told works. ive used a razor blade to just cut through the rubber, done it twice, first time it came out in one peice, second time, no such luck.

6. the best paint choice

you get what you pay for.

7. compressor & gun settings

wouldnt have a blardy clue.

8. the best painting method

how vauge can you get?

9. misc tips regarding the environment, what to do and what not to do

2pac isnt as dangerous as people make it out to be, that said, it doesnt take much exposure to make you feel like shit, takes a fair bit more for lasting effects/death. so avoid it if you can, and definatley, DEFINATLEY NEVER use it in a confined space, in any amount, unless you have a ventilated mask.

Acrylic can come out just as good, just takes a bit more effort/work/finesse.

one more thing/10 char length limit.

going to bare metal can open up a huge can of worms, just make sure your equipped/financed enough, and have enough spare time to handle the worst case scenario.

Eldar.O.

[LeeRoy]

As said by eldar, if you go right back be ready for suprises as you'll prob find rust in spots you didn't think it would be.

I just remembered a story i heard about some dude in the same situation as you with wanting to paint his own car - mind you i don't think he was the sharpest of shed tools.

Anyways this guy out at doonside or blacktown was painting his car in his garage which he had made into a makeshift spray booth. So this dude got himself some heaters and heat lamps and he had some extraction fans as well. In the end the guy was painting his car and his shed was full of fumes and one of the fans or heat lamps had coils to heat the air and it lit the whole shed up and it exploded and killed the guy.

So just be wary of dangers of painting

- LeeRoy

[willwal98]

although that story has a good point, it sounds a little far fetched, maybe we should send it in to the myth busters

[LeeRoy]

Well it's what i 'heard'. It doesnt seem odd that paints flamable...and if there's something to light it then who knows...

[skiddz]

also if spraying standard 2-pack, get a plastic paint suit and wear gloves if you can, cos the iso-blah blah soaks into your skin, if its iso free 2 pack good ventilation and a good mask is all you will need