Well guys, since my IROC is down for a while and we had some good weather here today, I started working on the front end a little. Here are the pics I took of the progress so far. I don't know if I am gonna try and paint it myself or if I'm just gonna take the parts to get painted. I'll be sure to read up on painting the bumper and if I think I can do it, I'll probably give it a shot. I took a basic auto body class in high school where we did some painting, and I have a cheap gun that came with my compressor (I don't know how well it will work though). Anyone have any advice for me?





Bad pic... I was trying to get all the parts in but it just seems like I was taking a picture of my beautiful extension cord

 

don't use a cheap paint gun

cheap gun = **** paint job.

if you saw my fender that i redid w a krap paint gun, you'd agree i'm sure.

 

i disagree, it depends on how u use it and your skills, i've seen some great work done with a cheap gun, you just have to have the know how to do it

 

hmm 4 pics?

 

hmm, noticed they are remotely hosted too.

What kind of paint do you have in mind for using MC ? Even a crappy paint application can be turned nice looking with a little sanding/buffing effort.
I used Kirker enamel, Lazer basecoat stabilizer (converts enamel to a basecoat) and PPG concept 2021 on my friends truck. The clear had the standard amount of orange peel (and a slight run/sag here & there). After a pass of 1500, Blue Ribbon microcut2000, and 3m PerfectIt glaze, it turned out pretty smoothe..

 

i see alot of mentions of flex additive for the nose and bumber parts. how is that done is it in the paint for the entire car or do you have to mix just for the flexable parts?

 

I know how to use a spray gun. Its pretty much the same gun we had at school and my stuff there turned out fine. I'm not expecting to lay down a show quality job my first time, but it'll be better than the cracks and better than spray cans.

deadbird- I have no idea what kind of paint I'm gonna use, I haven't even looked into that cause I gotta sand the bumper down first.

Speaking of which, what grit should I start with to remove the paint?

Jeff- Flex additive is for the flexable parts like bumpers and ground effects.

Also, one more question. Can I buy just the stripe sticker that goes on the nose or do I have to buy the whole sticker kit? Where can I get it? Thanks

 

I agree, I have a cheap import version of a Binks. I loved using it and it was $49.95 at Wal Mart. I used it to paint my Motorcycle, and I am going to paint my T/A with it too.

The bike turned out great! I expect the car to look great too. Its a Campel-Housfield.

PS. Just for laughs, back in the 50's My Grandfather took a car he painted to a friend that was a body man, the body guy said the car looked great. My grandpa told him that he used a constant vilocity flit sprayer (old fashoned bug sprayer) to paint the car! The old guy SH#t a brick!

 

omg im so jealous.....i had a little accident and have to take off the nose and replace it....there was like 40 bolts holding just the gfx on it was discouraging how long did it take you to get everything taken apart?

 

to remove paint? 80 grit to knock off all the paint.

 

It took me about 2 hours to take it all apart and then put the headlights and air induction stuff back on again. Its not hard, just make sure you take your time and get all the bolts and keep them organized so you can put it all back together again.

 

I'm not sure if you can get the sticker for just the nose from a retail place, but I see odds and ends like that pop up on ebay all the time. I agree with error404 on the grit, especially on the urethane. If you start with anything less, it will cut to deep and leave scratches that you'll have to fill.

Matt

 

yea, and watch out for all the sharp angles on the nose, that 80 grit can dig deap if your using an electric/air sander!!

 

I'm doin it all by hand, I have time

 

yep, I did most of my stuff by hand... I'm in an appartment, and don't have much tools :lala:

Good luck with it!

 

You could put the flex agent in all of the paint, but at $28 /pt that would be expensive. Remove all of the plastic parts and shoot them seperately. you add flexablizer to the primer and clearcoat, not to the pigment (unless you are doing a single coat paint)

 

Wet sand it real good with 360 wet till u get all the scrathes out and remember to clean it real good first. Then seal it with a flexible primer from SEM and wet sand that with 400. Also use a flex additive in the clear the base doesnt need anything. Also i dunno why but with the lights in there an no bumper it kinda remind me of a delorian.

 

I'm planning on doing mine too,eventually,I was wondering about how you do the headlight pockets?Do you paint them first , then mask them off?
Is it a semi-gloss black?
And do you have to take it all the way down to the "rubber" ?

thanks

 

I just got done painting my car a few weeks ago. I sanded the whole thing with an electric D/A sander and 180 grit paper which took it down to the factory primer in most places rather quickly.
For the headlights I shot the whole front piece with primer (flex agent in it) then I shot the pockets with black base coat and allowed it to der a couple hours. I masked off the headlight wells and shot the rest of the nose with my pigment, removed the masking from the wells and shot the whole thing with clear (flex agent in the clear too) This made the headlight wells gloss black, which i like better than the semi-gloss that the factory did.

 

jeff

u mix it in yur paint when u mix in the reducer and spray it on the car.

it is designed for flexible parts but my dad when he done his old t/a he used the mixed up apint w/ flex hardner stuff all over his car.

 

220 on a da will work great.

may use more of it but 80 will leave circlular scratches. and swirls trust me

i used some 80 on dad to take out the sticker remains on my dads s10 left tons or scratches and primer didnt help.

can substitue something close like 180 or 200 or finer.

definatly primer over it good tho to take out any rishk of swirls.

i done my whole front and rear bumpers w/ 220 dad paper because of paint flakin no probs at all.

ALSO>>>>

sanding it by hand w/ 80 will leave alot of bad scratches to be filled esp if u put presure on paper like me.
and 220 will even leave scratches i think doin it by hand because i done my louvers the other day by hand and 220 paper and when i got done and primered i had sand scratches that wasnt there before.


and no dont have sand all way down unles its had cheap spray paint sprayed on it.

like dollar store or maybe rustoleum n junk.
because thinned air gun primers and paints wont mix w/ em they'll crack my hood did had sand all cheap **** off.

just take it down til smooth and yull be fine.

i sanded my whole rear bumper down to the yellowish rubber plastic stuff due to bad flaking paint.
it was the only way to do it.
and done most of the front down to black rubber due to the same thing bad scratches n stuff.
but not all of it just most.

i made it smooth then layed down primer.
i didnt use any flex in my primer and bumped a wall it only knocked paint of were bumped it didnt all crack n chip off.

but i am goin to use it on my paint.
i am goin w/ one stage acrylic enamel on my car.

 

Get a DA, some 180 and some 220 pads, 180 most of the paint off the bumper, then go over it with 220 and then clean up and shoot primer over it, sand the primer down with 320 grit, and clean up and paint. Dont even think of using 80 grit, that will leave scrathes and once the paint settles in, it will look bad.

 

I'm sure you've already thought of this, but since it's off the car already, and its black (so it shows everything) wouldn't it make more sense to have it painted professionally for $150-200. I mean, the rest of your car looks great, I would hate to have the nose look all crappy for you.

 

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead ,but my nose needs a new paint job.Anyways,I was wondering if you have any after pics