Slow2.8

well i went with krylon 'can' primer. I know... my question is so i don't ruin what i have is can i sand this down (what grit im not sure) and then apply a primer sealer out of the professional quart or so and call it aces????

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

well yes you can sand down the primer sealer (you should always make sure you read the can too though to make sure its 'sandable') and you can put professional stuff over it, but one thing to remember is that if the first coat of paint is crap, then it doesnt matter how good the rest of the paint is cuz i can peel up

i havnet had a problem with 'can primer' with my car at all (not yet atleast knock on wood lol) but if you dont want to risk it, i would say just go with the professional stuff and wait for a bit

Slow2.8

what was the exact route you went with your rattle prime job and how long has it lasted? I plan on throwing some enamel paint as the top coat and just need it to last 3-4 years because then i know i'll want another paint job by then.

88camaroluvr

enamel paint is great because it's resistant to chips and scratches and is a real easy touch up if you do a one stage paint. if you wanted you could even use rustoleum (that comes in a can) and thin it out and spray it. i have even done house doors like that.

also, make sure you dont leave just the primer on by itself for very long. get it painted as soon as you can after the primer cures and it gets sanded. leaving it by itself will affect how well the base adheres to it. if its going to be a while then you will need to re-do the primer. just to be safe. peeling is frustrating and makes u pull ur hair out!

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

well i painted my car last year and the primer and such is holding up well it seems...i do agree though, paint over the primer as soon as you can, i left my primer out for almost the whole summer (daily driver and doing as much work as i could afford to do at a time) and the paint did chip fairly easily from the primered spots...but it was also my first paint job and the paint that i got was fairly cheap too (supposed to be $225 a quart and i got the same color mixed with cheaper ingredients for $50 a quart)

Sonymaster20

iTrader: (3)

SO if we use so good spray can paint, stuff thats pretty good I Guess, We can just shoot the real primer over it after we get it straight?

racerx520

iTrader: (1)

well like i said, the weakest part of the paint will be the primer if you use crappy stuff....and the weakest part being underneath means it'll be prone to peeling....mine has been good for about a year, but thats all i got so far

Kevman

Be careful when using rattle can primer bombs. I was fixing up a lawn mower for the girlfriends parents (I know, I know) and I had a problem with the paint being too hot, and melting the primer causing fish eyes. If you're gonna use a spray bomb to repaint, than the rattle primer is good, but if you want to paint a urethane, or acrylic enamel, used the spray gun stuff.

88camaroluvr

Rattle can primer is good for small spots. Doing the whole car may not be a good idea. If I shave door handles, then rattle can is ok. But for the whole drivers side... spray gun. Try getting the cans of "Rustoleum" paint from like home depot and just thin it out and use a spray gun. Rattle can has a problem with being consistant. I have even read in Hot Rod about using a roller.... Too much work I think. Good luck.

Slow2.8

well im guessing the krylon primer cans is good??? It will be out in the elements for hopefully no more than 3 - 4 weeks. This is going to be without primer sealer. I will re prime it the right way if the general consensus is that the paint won't last 4 years without chipping/peeling

1piece@atime

iTrader: (1)

If you really must, use spray can primer and put some paint over it to protect it while you need it. But when it's time to do it right, wet sand it all off and start fresh. Spray can lacquer or enamel is no match for the catalyzed good stuff and compatibility issues can quickly ruin a good paint job. Doing it right isn't any harder ... just slightly more expensive.

Gumby

If your limited on equipment, just visit an auto paint store, they can put any type of paint you want in a rattle can for you.

If you got qeuipment and can't afford $50 a quart paint hit Ebay.
There are good deal on paint for about $35-50 a gallon.
Still very good paint just not new and fancy but hotrods have used it for years.

Look at pics of 50s hotrods and say that type of 1 shot paint is junk.
They still sanded, cleared n flaked it out trick.

Slow2.8

I would assume I have good paint for the final coat. It is a gallon of enamel automovtive paint I purchased about a year ago off ebay for about 70$(which should be still good and what I plan on using). I also purchased two containers of white/silver metallic flake to go with the pure white enamel paint. I'm pretty sure everyone here is going to say to re prime it the right way before putting the enamel on. 1piece@atime, what should I wet sand it with before I prime it the right way?

1piece@atime

iTrader: (1)

I reread this thread and I hope I have all the facts ... but I think I may be confusing you with another guy... I hope not! Either way it's the same answer. If I remember right you had stripped all the paint off your 1/4 panels and needed to set the car outside for a few weeks. And you wanted to get by without spending a lot of money right now. If thats the case, use spray can primer and put a coat of spray paint over it, to temporarily protect it from the elements. You have to put paint over the primer because primer alone will allow water to penetrate and get to the base metal. But when it comes time to repaint and you want to do a more permanent and better looking job sand all the old spray can paint and primer off and start from scratch with higher quality materials. There are lots of variables when it comes to sanding and what grits to use. It depends on what you are sanding and what you are spraying over it. If you are sanding the paint and primer completely off and getting ready to reprime you can use a coarse paper (120 grit or so) on an orbital sander, if you have one. If you are sanding paint thats in good shape to get it ready to repaint and you are putting enamel over it id wet sand it by hand with 500 grit wet or dry paper. Wrap your paper around a rigid foam pad and put a little soap in the water. If you need to prime some small areas and you want to use a spray can, go to an autobody supply store and get some U-POL brand primer. They can help you figure out which one you need for the job you're doing. So ... now I hope you aren't as confused as I am!

Slow2.8

well I am not the same person you are thinking of. I did put the enamel (.94 cans at walmart) all over all of the primer so it will last until I do get my paint job done. I will probably wetsand with 600 in a week or two to make it look decent until I can afford a goooood one. I'll post pics to so others can see what it will look like although I highly discourage doing this since to me I feel like I'm just wasting my money. When real paint time comes should i sand it all down to metal? There is bondo on a decent amount of small dents that have held up for 5 years now. How about the plastic parts? I have shaved the emblem on the nose off.

1piece@atime

iTrader: (1)

In some cases it's a good thing to strip all the old paint off and start fresh especially if it's been painted once or twice before. You don't necessarily need to do the whole car if only a few panels have been repaired previously. For the most part, if the old finish is still in good shape then you can just do spot repairs and sand it, to prep it before you refinish. As for the spray can paint and primer I would wet sand it all off when you are ready to do a nice job. Same goes for the plastic pieces. If the paint is in good shape just clean them good and wet sand them. If it's cracked, peeling or shows poor previous repairs it's time to start stripping.

Sonymaster20

iTrader: (3)

just bought some rustoleum automotive primer and plan on using it to grind/pull some dents out tommrow. Any thoughts? I'm gonna use it to cover it up for now..

1piece@atime

iTrader: (1)

The same goes. You need to put some paint over any primer to make it weather proof. I don't know why rustoleum would be different. If you want the primer look, put more primer over the paint. And then try and use higher quality materials for the finished product.

Sonymaster20

iTrader: (3)

lol no man I just bought some shaky can primer. lol. its just rustoleum. I'll just use it to get it straight and sand it off later.

Slow2.8

alright well the spray can job will stay on the car for probably 6 months since i've already put so much work into it. if it is in good condition all over than i should just be able to wetsand it with 320 then re prime it and paint it the right way, right? Sorry for all of the questions but i'm trying to do this all by myself as a newbie. Honestly after painting 99 percent of the car with spray cans I feel that I can do it myself with a gun.

88camaroluvr

well you would probably do better to sand most of the old primer of with a DA (dual-action) sander and then put new primer on. Wet sand with 600 then 800. then paint.

I also have to say that rattle can is nothing like the air gun. With the air gun, when you come to the edges you lift and stop the flow of paint but keep the air going through the nozzle. This is done by letting the trigger out to about half. It just takes practice and read up on some books. Anybody can do body work on their own, you just need PATIENCE! Money is less of the equation. If you spend two weeks blocking and sanding, it will show. If you spend ten minutes, then everybody will know. But good luck.

Slow2.8

Well here is the concept of what I want my car to pretty much look like with real paint but done with spray cans since it was relatively cheap (.94 walmart flat white enamel) to get me through till next spring. The hood is slightly moddified (82 smc) to try and slope where the louvers were once at to flow more with the hood. Still needs some work to get that perfect curve and it will look gorgeous... let me know what u think.