[67FB400-4SPD]

I am about to start sanding down to the bare metal in the next couple weeks. Before starting, I was hoping to get some feedback on what names of some quality products to use? Do I just buy anything DuPont or 3M for the following:

epoxy primer?
body filler?
2k primer?

From what I understand...after I sand the 2k primer and maybe a guide coat for finish sanding, is this where I would need to stop and get it to the paint shop for them to finish up with the sealer, base coat, and clear coat?

sorry for all the questions...just want to plan ahead and do it right the first time no matter how long it takes me. thanks, Jason.

[RLEbird]

I would consult with whatever painter you use before you buy anything. It's best to stay with the same brand from primer to clearcoat to insure compatability. As far as brands of paint go, if you ask ten different painters, you'll get ten different opinions on what's the best.

[67FB400-4SPD]

Soooo...do I need to find the color code first to find who offers it since I am to be paying for the paint anyway or do I need to talk to the guy painting my car to find out what he has available to him. I wanted to keep the car original in color and that was a regimental red...are there that many makers of this one color?

[78 GHOST]

IMHO, taking a body to bare metal is asking for problems, unless there is a good reason to do so. Talk to your painter on this.

I'd treat your existing topcoat as a layer of the substrate, or primer if you will. Leaving it on and working from there will provide protection against moisture getting into the pores of the metal. The only problem with leaving it on, is if you have a number of repaints, thus diminishing the sharpness of the body lines.

There is a good article in this months' Car Craft about inexpensive painting.

Additionally, if you're going to be doing all the hard work, why aren't you going to squirt the paint? Applying the paint is not rocket science, and if you're planning a BC/CC (Base Coat/Clear Coat) process, you can produce excellent results at home.

After a very bad experience with a shoddy paint shop, I will not ever farm out another paint job.

[67FB400-4SPD]

I assumed it was a good idea since I have some small spots where the paint was cracking and other areas where the rust has started to come through a bit. If I leave it on as you say, is there anything I need to watch for or do different? thanks, Jason

[JDHolmes]

I took my 55 wagon to bare metal due to a lot of surface rust and some metal repair that was needed.

Use 80 grit discs on a variable speed sander/polisher (makita is my preference). Keep the speed down as high speed = heat = bent/buckled metal.

Clean the surface very very very well with degreaser/cleaner.

Epoxy primer ( I use PPG Shopline).
do metal/body work/bondo work if you are using it.
2k primer - use the same brand as you used for epoxy and should be the same brand you intend to use as paint line.
Sand and sand and sand
epoxy primer (same as above) thinned as a sealer.
base coat
clear coat
cut and buff

for excellent opinions on paint lines and other excellent info, go to www.autobodystore.com and check out the forums. Tell Len JD referred you...he'll get a kick out of that

[PaulatFast]

Originally Posted by 78 GHOST

IMHO, taking a body to bare metal is asking for problems, unless there is a good reason to do so. Talk to your painter on this.

After a very bad experience with a shoddy paint shop, I will not ever farm out another paint job.

Well... IMHO, NOT taking a body to bare metal is asking for problems!

Judging every shop off of one bad experience is like not dating girls because one was ugly! More research should have been done before choosing that shop!

[mrrat1]

Glad I took mine to metal, would never have found the bondo they used to fill the rust under the vinyl top, where some pockets had rusted under the bondo, and the burlap stuffed under the bondo in the panel between the rear glass & trunk, the rear 1/4 had bondo from bumper to door. It pays to go the distance before you paint, and then find out later. Dave K.

[78 GHOST]

Originally Posted by PaulatFast

Judging every shop off of one bad experience is like not dating girls because one was ugly! More research should have been done before choosing that shop!

Considering our local club had a "hosted" event at this shop, where I closely examined a member's car for shortcuts, and stayed involved from square one, Yeah I guess I really didn't do my due dilligence.



My point is this: If 9 out of 10 shops are flaky, as I discovered; why would I volunteer for another experience like that when painting is not rocket science.

For a hobbyist, finding a shop to provide good results at a fair price is VERY QUESTIONABLE. Almost every shop I examined is a production facility which assured me they would work on my car in between insurance jobs!

The truth is, every shop is only as good as their last paint job. Past quality work is only one indicator of future performance. As it stands, I have to correct a few serious flaws in the work done by my shop. The contracted standard of completion was "show quality" which apparently doesn't involve completion in anything less than one year, or good quality work. Keep in mind I performed all metal repairs prior to giving it to the shop.

Paul, I can judge from your postings that you take pride in your work and probably produce a beautiful finished product. The real problem is that people like you are VERY hard to find. In Houston, I looked for about a year before settling on one shop, with a recommendation from several club members.

My point is simple, considering what I paid (not what was quoted) to get my car out of paint jail, I could have painted at least 4 cars in my garage with similar results. Unfortunately, I don't judge from just one experience, let's just say the bad far outweighs the good. I'd suggest to anyone they consider watching Kevin Tetz's series of CDs entitled "Paintucation." Or call Kevin. He's very helpful and overly generous with his time.

[Mr. Unbelieveable]

So how do you prep the metal where you sand through around the filler repair? It seems some people prefer to put the filler directly on the metal. If you sand off the epoxy to fill an area, should you just epoxy right onto the bare metal surrounding the fill with no metal conditioner like PPG DX579, DX520?