Anyone ever paint their own car?? - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

jb3829 · 06-01-2009, 09:24 PM

Just trying to get some opinions here..... I've got the tools, some experience and have seen a bunch of how-to videos, but has anyone tried this in their garage? Did it come out okay?

This ad is not displayed to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on ThirdGen!

sailtexas186548 · 06-01-2009, 09:27 PM

yes, it was alot of work but very satisfying. i used to small of a tip on my hvlp gun so the clear orange peeled like a M0F0, but other than that it came out great, i saved some $$$, and im proud of myself.

#1 piece of advice - find a friend that has done it to help/drink your beer while you paint/sand, he'll keep you from messing up bigtime, my buddy saved my paint job numerous times

camarozz383 · 06-01-2009, 09:32 PM

I did mine, and it turned out great! just take the time to prep and sand it right, make sure if you got any dents to use a straight line sander, and then block sand, makes a world of difference, also feather out your edges good, cause if you don't you will see them after you paint. also use good quality primer and paint!.

camaro_boy123 · 06-01-2009, 11:03 PM

i am actually about to paint the exterior of the car now. I have already painted the engine bay and the inside of the doors. Came out better then i thought it would. Might be a good idea to rent a bay to keep the dust out of the paint. I noticed alot of dust that settled on the paint. I didn;t mind all that much because i know most of the engine bay will be covered with parts so for my final paint i will be doing it in a bay. that or have a massive air exchanger

Cheers
Douglas

EvilCartman · 06-02-2009, 03:51 PM

Done about 12 so far myself and the Camaro twice. Most of the final painting was done in a booth though, did one dune buggy outside and it came out very nice. Couldn't believe it, hardly had a spec of dust and only 1 bug landed on it in an area that was going to be covered up anyway.

picasso_88 · 06-02-2009, 07:41 PM

I painted my fiero twice in my garage and it came out nearly perfect both times. Make sure you clean the area your painting in very well. Spray some water on the floor, it helps keep dust down. If you dont have much experience using a spray gun, practice first on some old hoods or metal panels to make sure you have your air pressure and fluid volume ratio good. I like to put on alot of clearcoat that way if there are any flaws you wont have to worry about cutting through the clearcoat when you wetsand and buff. Use good paint like HOK, Dupont or the like and dont mix paint brand systems together.

jv9999 · 06-02-2009, 09:51 PM

I've painted a few in my garage. Today's BC/CC is great stuff. With enough clear, even a fairly rough and imperfect topcoat will sand and polish out. But, and it's a big but, it will only be as good as the body work under it.

steve87ta · 06-03-2009, 11:23 AM

I agree, it's allot of work. I have found to get good results in a garage put on a good amount of clear to sand all the goodies! You can make it look better than factory if you "finish it out" nice!

1986iroc350 · 06-03-2009, 11:45 AM

Yes i did as well. I painted my 86 Iroc in my garage. Had 3 Box fans pulling air out. Turned out pretty decent. Although i live out in the woods so i had a few skeeters and gnats land on it but didnt mess it up too bad. It cost me 60.00 for a gallon of paint and hardner. plus alot of time prepping. i guess for a 60.00 paint job it looks pretty good. I painted it Low gloss.Hot rod black. didnt even have to wetsand when i was finished. actually im gonna re-paint it. this time im going full gloss. probably prep it myself then take it somewhere to have them spray it in a booth. good luck

RScamaropos · 06-03-2009, 12:22 PM

I painted mine in my driveway :P It came out great...not the best at all but thats due to painters error and no water filter on our pump...but other then that it was beautiful but you gotta do it in the early morning and wet down the ground and take pre-cautions for keeping dust down and making sure the metal of the car doesn't get to hot in the sun.

NatesZ/28 · 06-03-2009, 11:04 PM

I did.

All paints by NAPA. Painted the bumpers and hood and mirrors in the garage, fenders and the shell were painted in my yard. Crossfire GM 8555 black, Crosfire 15420 clearcoat and Tec/base gold all over the epoxy primer

NT-Z · 06-04-2009, 02:48 AM

B4 u start final painting, practice on some junk doors, hood etc... to see how they come out. I always recomend to take it 2 a shop to get good quality work, but if your going to do it urself, take the time to prep the car and the work enviorment. You can buy the BEST and EXPENSIVE primer/paint in the world, but if you dont prep the body right, it'll show. Give ur garage a GOOD, GOOD CLEANING. Sweep and hose down the floor. Fill water in a spray bottle and mist your walls to trap any dust. Then paint.
But no matter wat you'll still end up with dust or things in your paint, but these steps will help reduce that.
Good luck

madhatter · 06-04-2009, 03:07 AM

jump into it, its how we all learn, heres the link to my car and the work that i have done. had a buddy also help me with it, he was my moral support

Nub383 · 06-04-2009, 04:38 AM

Yep. I have done about 60 of them in my garage. From boats, bikes, cars, trucks, to golf carts. Base/clear. Single stage. Candy Apple. Flames, Flames, Flames. I hate rusty cars though. Clean and re-clean. I use PPG exclusively because I love DBC.

NatesZ/28 · 06-05-2009, 08:51 AM

Its a small step, but invest in sticky tack-rags. use these after you wipe with solvent...to VERY LIGHTLY wipe your car. they pick up any lint and dust before your primer or basecoat. saves a LOT of grief. Invest in a good quality respirator as well and weal full clothing. no Tshirts and shorts. This stuff really truly is poison.

If you guys are painting more than a few things, I urge you to check out Southern Polyurethanes Inc. They sell the BEST primers and clearcoats in the business. There I said it. THE BEST.

I love PPG too, almost as much as RM/Glasurit but my PPG rep is a D-bag, so I use Sherwin williams high-end base and SPI epoxies and clears. My car was done on a tight budget and I get a discount at NAPA now But the Cross-fire/Finish1 is a good system. Especially their 15410/15420 clear. Its designed to air dry in 10min and it doesnt have a yellow cast to it like some cheap clears and buffs like concrete. Not bad for 100bucks a gal incl the catalyst and reducer

kevmann · 06-05-2009, 11:46 AM

You need a clean place to paint it but you need to prep it right. I have only done one car and actually I didnt spray it but the body work was good and the car turned out good. If there are any imperfections underneath, they will show up. One thing I did was buy some cheap spray paint and where there was an area that I was doing bodywork to, I would spray it to see how it looked. Its easier to see waves and imperfections with a shiny coat on it. Then I would wet sand it off and reapeat the process until it looked good.

sccavette · 06-05-2009, 12:02 PM

I paint all my stuff myself. I use to use PPG however I have started using the NAPA paint do to the cost is a lot less and it seems to produce a decent job.

TA painted with NAPA paint. Total cost of paintjob under 500 bucks

Before

After

Corvette painted with PPG paint. Total cost of paintjob around 1K

Before

After

Chezoom · 06-05-2009, 02:09 PM

yea i did, it took me 6 months but i did it at school in auto paint and body

Before

During

after

88TransAmFreak · 06-05-2009, 02:34 PM

Painted my corvette in my backyard shop..ppg torch red base w/nason clear.

I'll never pay for a "professional" to paint my cars again...this was my first time at the gun doing a whole car.

89ta_jay · 06-05-2009, 03:09 PM

I did mine! Like whats already been said... practice and practice some more before you go at it. Wet down the garage floor. Wipe car down good with a grease and wax remover. Definitely get some tack clothes and wipe it down before sealer (if used), and between coats if needed. Stay consistent and it should turn out great!

jb3829 · 06-07-2009, 10:54 PM

Thanks for all the replies! You guys did nice work on your rides......I'm thinking of going with a copper metallic (with white or silver racing stripes) that I saw on another post(calling all bronze,burnt orange camaros)......I'm gonna make a "spray booth" out of plastic drop cloths in my garage to keep the dust down. Keep posted for pics! Thanks again!

jv9999 · 06-07-2009, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jb3829

Thanks for all the replies! You guys did nice work on your rides......I'm thinking of going with a copper metallic (with white or silver racing stripes) that I saw on another post(calling all bronze,burnt orange camaros)......I'm gonna make a "spray booth" out of plastic drop cloths in my garage to keep the dust down. Keep posted for pics! Thanks again!

Solid colors are much easier to get right than metallics. Just something to consider.