How To: DIY Paint and Body work

[denian_cellphone]

Definitely subscribed to this thread, thanks alot guys!

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by Jersthecool

So what would my steps be when it comes to plastic pieces? I picked up some oem side skirts and they're red and looks like they sprayed primer over the paint and it's flaking off a bunch. What kind of grit should I sand it down with and do I have to use an "adhesion promoter" before the primer because it's plastic not metal? Do you have any advice on how to match the paint to my car because you can tell the car has obviously been painted before so I'm not sure the current color it is or if it's just been resprayed the same color so I don't want it to come out a different color.

Sanding plastic sucks, i normally use 320 grit to remove paint anything courser than that will cause the plastic to get fuzzy looking. Alright the proper way to deal with plastic goes like this: scuff sanded plastic gets wiped with a anti static solution, then a flexible primer gets sprayed onto it, then base coat and clear. Most of the time i just use primer surfacer and hit it will a coat of sealer before base coat because thr flexible primer is not cheap. From my exp i havnt had problems not using the flex primer. As far as color matching, its not ever going to be a perfect match because of the difference in substraights even if you paint the whole car together the plastic will have a slightly different shade than the metals.

[spooled240]

what if you used a dark primer color? I used white primer for my bumpers and they came out noticeably lighter than the rest of the car

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by spooled240

what if you used a dark primer color? I used white primer for my bumpers and they came out noticeably lighter than the rest of the car

Your best bet if your unsure which primer color to use is ask the paint shop what primer the company calls for to get the desired color. Most of the time you cant go wrong with the standard light gray.

[silviaks2nr]

Use a primer sealer over everything so you get a uniform color to base over. Black is good for darker colors obviously as it's easier to cover. For something like a bright red or yellow you would definitely want to use a white primer sealer. For stripping bumpers I almost always use a chemical stripper, but do a test first. ALWAYS wipe bumpers with a waterborne plastic prep before priming!

[tapdeznutz]

Originally Posted by spooled240

what if you used a dark primer color? I used white primer for my bumpers and they came out noticeably lighter than the rest of the car

Depending on your base coat color, is what will help determine the primer color. For example if you are doing silver base coast you will want a light gray primer. But yes, your standard light gray primer can not go wrong.

[Gizmo_S13]

Awesome thread!

[Arsenal240sx]

At work we carry the Valspar line of paint products. We dont have any urethane based primers but have a ton of DTM 2K primers. Does it really matter the type of primer I use? According the label it can be used as a high/medium build filler and as a sealer depending on the amount of reducer I guess. If I stick to one brand of paint/primer I should be fine right?

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by Arsenal240sx

At work we carry the Valspar line of paint products. We dont have any urethane based primers but have a ton of DTM 2K primers. Does it really matter the type of primer I use? According the label it can be used as a high/medium build filler and as a sealer depending on the amount of reducer I guess. If I stick to one brand of paint/primer I should be fine right?

If its a 2k primer( 2k means it has two parts a base and a hardner) its a urethane or epoxy product. If your looking to have a smooth surface use a primer surfacer and sand it smooth, then hit it with a sealer prior to basecoat. If the primer can be used as both a surfacer and sealer its probably not a high quality product. But that doesnt mean not to use it, i personally buy primers and sealers seperate. I dont have any exp spraying valspar... I thought they only make house paint... Which ever brand you use its normally best to stick with the same systems primer thru clear coat

[Trinidrift3]

any tips or steps on how to straighten a dented metal fender/quarter panel? both are easily accessible.

[tsahlin489]

Originally Posted by Trinidrift3

any tips or steps on how to straighten a dented metal fender/quarter panel? both are easily accessible.

Was just about to ask this myself: I have a pretty fair sized dent mid-passenger quarter panel. Doesn't need to be perfect as it's a drift car, but i'd love to at least get it shaped back out somewhat. I have heard it can be as simple as putting a deflated basketball up there and inflating it to pop it out, but I assume there has to be a better way. Tips?

[s14croom]

can you get access to the inside of the quarter panel where it is dented? Usually the only dents that just "pop out" does not have a crease or body line running threw it. If it has been dented pretty bad and been pushed in awhile theres a good chance the metal has streched. I will try and gets some pics tommorow at work to help with this thread about straighting metal, i am a certified Painter and autobody tech so any questions that may not get answered i will do my best to help

[Hoonigan19]

very nice forum !

[s14croom]

Sorry guys, i didnt get into any metal straightning yesterday, was fixing a new aftermarket hood for a charger, made by extreme dimensions, wow that thing was a basket case

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by Trinidrift3

any tips or steps on how to straighten a dented metal fender/quarter panel? both are easily accessible.

Pictures would help... Hammer and dolly usually is the best way to metal finish dents if you can get access. If its a dent in a quarter panel without access to the backside, a weld on stud gun is your best choice. It welds a small stud to the surface and you attach a small slide hammer to it.

[di-devol]

Got any tips on bringing a carbon hood back to life? Really faded, no shine whatsoever. Should I just wet sand and re clear?

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by di-devol

Got any tips on bringing a carbon hood back to life? Really faded, no shine whatsoever. Should I just wet sand and re clear?

Yeah you could wet sand with 1200 grit and spray a few coats of clear on it

[di-devol]

Originally Posted by buentellomma

Yeah you could wet sand with 1200 grit and spray a few coats of clear on it

Got it, I'll do before and after pics for fun.

[Terd40sx]

Thanks man this is going to help me tons

[ManoNegra]

Update:

Originally Posted by ManoNegra

yeah, I get what you are saying and I probably will regret it
but at the same time it's already taking way longer than I intended to
it was meant to be a quick job to get the track car to be one color
next thing I know I'm removing mirrors, trim, weatherstripping, etc....

I think I jinxed myself when I said that...

to follow up (I hate it when people don't post follow ups of stuff they said they're going to do):

I painted the car in the garage
and sure enough it wasn't perfect job
but for a first time diy garage job it wasn't a total disaster either
just the typical dust and bugs in the paint, orange peel, etc

but

I wasn't satisfied

small items like valences, fenders and sideskirts came out pretty good

but for something larger like the car body
I really NEED a better compressor (more cfm) and a moisture removal system to do an adequate job in the garage

the worse part was that I didn't remove masking tape within 30 mins after painting as you're supposed to (found that out later)
so that when I pulled the tape (a couple of days later) it pulled some paint from edges










so I got annoyed and walked away from the car for a bit
eventually I decided that, fuck it,
I'll remove the quarter windows, wing, etc
and strip/prep the car again and have it sprayed in a booth

In midst of this I found out a friend runs a paint and body shop near me
so I sent the car his way to get a cheap 2 stage paint job

I should be getting the car back this weekend

So in conclusion I think that a garage diy paint job is a very duable proposition
pending you have the RIGHT tools at your disposal

it also depends on your expectations
I'm sure that job I did would have been fine in the eyes of many people
specially since this will be a track/weekend car and the main goal was to get it all in one color

I don't think I would try it again (messy and time consuming)
I think that stripping and prepping the car to have sprayed in a booth is way to go

[silviaks2nr]

Sorry you were left with a bad taste in your mouth after your first experience You definitely want to take out all the trim if you ever try again. It's good to take out the quarter windows too but it's a PITA. If you want it to look like a $4000 job though, you need to.



I have a really cool small painting project (vintage motorcycle) that I took a lot of photos of and I'll post in a few days after I finish up with some tips.

[Irresistible]

Not sure if mentioned anywhere in the thread, but what fillers are good to use for what purposes? I'm about to start doing my own bodywork and paint, as well as some work on a few friends' cars. Would like to know which fillers to use for what. From what I keep hearing/reading, regular red Bondo isn't all that great.

Also, when actually painting how many coats of everything do I need/want to get a nice finish?

-Primer
-Primer Sealer
-Base Coat
-Clear Coat

[ManoNegra]

Originally Posted by silviaks2nr

Sorry you were left with a bad taste in your mouth after your first experience You definitely want to take out all the trim if you ever try again. It's good to take out the quarter windows too but it's a PITA. If you want it to look like a $4000 job though, you need to.

I did learn quite bit so I don't consider it a bad experience
frustration if anything at knowing that my compressor at home wasn't up to the task
especially knowing I could have done it at work where we have industrial air with AC units and water traps

[navans14]

Originally Posted by ManoNegra

I did learn quite bit so I don't consider it a bad experience
frustration if anything at knowing that my compressor at home wasn't up to the task
especially knowing I could have done it at work where we have industrial air with AC units and water traps

what size is your compressor?, if you don't mind me asking.
as i'm about to start doing body work and painting my car as well and want to know if my 25gal, 4hp compressor will do the job or if i should borrow my buddies comp.

[240Cali]

my cars at the shop currently getting an engine rebuild and ive decided in the mean time I wanna prep the car buy the paint and jst pay a shop to do spray it... simple first question do you just buy fiberglass primer and spray it on top of F.G fenders hood kit? or do you put a layer of body filler on it?? what Grit should i start sanding the regular paint? thanks for your time..

[ManoNegra]

Originally Posted by navans14

what size is your compressor?, if you don't mind me asking.
as i'm about to start doing body work and painting my car as well and want to know if my 25gal, 4hp compressor will do the job or if i should borrow my buddies comp.

I have the basic Craftsman 30 gallon 1.5hp compressor in the garage
you need to check the cfm requirements of your gun and that of your compressor

~20 cfm is typically what's required and is what most 5hp compressors can do
so your 4hp could be up to the task
the tank size might be an issues since your compressor would need to constantly run to supply air generating heat and moisture in the line


I would want to upgrade to a 5hp dual stage compressor with a 60 gallon tank (or a couple of 30 gallon tanks in line)
and a moisture trap system - copper or steel 3/4" or 1" piping with moisture traps and filters if I were to attempt painting a car again
something like this:

[s14croom]

5hp 60 gallon compressor is the smallest i would try to go with, hvlp gun will do ok with that, a 4 hp 30 gallo, would do spot jobs, but at an all over paint job it would work itself to hard and creat alot of moisture. Get a good water trap, cheapos dont collect all the moisture.

[s14croom]

still trying to figure out how to post pics, i have some info on sheetmetal work and the stud puller for dents that was talked about

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by s14croom

5hp 60 gallon compressor is the smallest i would try to go with, hvlp gun will do ok with that, a 4 hp 30 gallo, would do spot jobs, but at an all over paint job it would work itself to hard and creat alot of moisture. Get a good water trap, cheapos dont collect all the moisture.

Not true, every bit of the work i have posted on this thread has been done with a craftsman 33 gal 1.5 hp all in my garage. However a 60gal would be the best choice if i had the extra cash. As far as moisture control i use a inline filter attached to the hvlp gun. Super cheap like a dollar or so and works good. A full out inline filter system cost way too much for the average diy user on here. To paint with the smaller compressors you need a decent hvlp and keep the psi leaving the tank between 40-60 psi and then adjust your air pressure at the gun with a regulator

[buentellomma]

Originally Posted by ManoNegra

Update:

two things went wrong here: 1. Your air pressure and fluid ratio was off( too high or not enough) thats why it looks textured 2. your masking was too close to the painted surface so when you pulled tape it pulled the paint up. I dont demask under the clear is somewhat cured.

Originally Posted by Irresistible

Not sure if mentioned anywhere in the thread, but what fillers are good to use for what purposes? I'm about to start doing my own bodywork and paint, as well as some work on a few friends' cars. Would like to know which fillers to use for what. From what I keep hearing/reading, regular red Bondo isn't all that great.

Also, when actually painting how many coats of everything do I need/want to get a nice finish?

-Primer
-Primer Sealer
-Base Coat
-Clear Coat

Body fillers: what i like to use is Rage Gold filler( $50ish a gal) or Platium filler ($50ish gal).... these are my personal choice
-Primer -2 medium wet coats over a surface prepped with 180grit or finer
-Primer Sealer- normal one coat over a surface prepped with 320grit or finer
-Base Coat- 2-3 coats depending on the color
-Clear Coat - 2-3 coats

Originally Posted by 240Cali

my cars at the shop currently getting an engine rebuild and ive decided in the mean time I wanna prep the car buy the paint and jst pay a shop to do spray it... simple first question do you just buy fiberglass primer and spray it on top of F.G fenders hood kit? or do you put a layer of body filler on it?? what Grit should i start sanding the regular paint? thanks for your time..

if your not worried about the waves in the fiberglass showing through, primer surfacer and block sand with 320 grit ready for base coat. If your looking for show room look, block sand the fiberglass with 180grit, find the low spots, apply body filler, block sand smooth then spray primer surfacer and block sand again... repeat if still not to your standards