Hey guys-

Here's my situation: I need to paint my 87 IROC. I got all the bodywork done finally, but it took longer than planned and I ran into cold weather. My plan is to turn the garage into a temporary spray booth, and just use some rustoleum semigloss black thinned out and used in a spray gun. Then, when I graduate and get a good paying job I'll fork over the big money to get everything done to show quality. I just don't want to drive around with a 7+ color sanded car. I might be a hillbilly at heart, but everyone doesn't need to know it

Here's the question: Is there any kind of paint that can be sprayed in 50 deg and below tempurature, or can I get a catalyst to add to the paint to allow it to cure properly in the cold weather? I was hoping to take care of this now instead of waiting until spring.

If this turns out, I have my multicolored beater 91 ranger that's also in bad need of a paintjob

Thanks for whatever help you can offer up

Matt

 

ok i am by far no expert on this but i did take a class in autobody. From what i understand there is nothing of the sort. You can still paint in cold weather it just takes a really long time to dry. There is nothing to speed up the drying. Although somone else correct me if i am wrong.

 

id personally wait till spring. who cares what other people think of your multicolored car.

 

I really don't care what they think to much, but it owuld be alot easier on my eyes if I could just paint it and be done with it. Not a big deal I guess, I'll be parking it for the winter within a couple weeks anyways.

Here's a pic of it



That's roughly 250 hours of straight labor your looking at

 

Reducers are what generally determine how fast a paint will 'dry' (flash). I like PPG and the coldest reducer locally offered is 65°.
While painting in cold weather can be done, the flash time will lengthen (introducing dirt) and the paint will not harden quite as well (will not be a durable).
If you're appaled with the color, get a low temp laquer primer and shoot a light coat over the car. As long as the bare metal spots have been treated properly (i.e. etching, epoxy or sealer primer) you should be able to withstand the winter months to give a good prep and paint come spring.

 

I tried to leave at least the basecoat where I could, and all the areas that I had to take down to the metal got sandable primer followed by rustoleum rattle can paint. I know it's not the best, but I think it will at least be weatherproof for a few months until the white stuff is gone...

Deadbird, Just out of curiosity, if I were to attempt it at say, 35 deg., how long would it take to dry?

 

hey dont worry about how that looks ITS A THIRDGEN! and soon it will look great, dont worry about other people these are old cars and will need work, my personal opinion though, if your parking the car, dont waste your time rattle canning it, do you have a garage? if not buy a good waterproof cover, and cover it, when early spring comes, look over the whole body once again and fix whatever then spray it with good paint, or have painted, your looking at only more work/money if you spray it "temporarily"

 

laquer surfacer/primer with a fast dry thinner... I couldn't tell you but, it won't be the 3-5 min flash during regular temps. As a guess only, I suppose if you put it on light enough to just cover the ugliness, probably 20-40mins. Humidity, and how much the primer is reduced also plays a part in the drying time. At 50-55° it takes about 10mins, give or take, to flash last time I used primer below ambient temps. Results may vary...

 

Why don't you just buy a portable heater and turn it off when you are painting? My neighbor has two of those oil-filled heaters and they heat up his three-car garage in a matter of minutes.

 

We already have a gas unit mounted on the wall, but by the time the elements cooled enough to paint, alot of the heat would probably have defused out. It's a good idea though. I think I'll just play it safe and wait until spring. That way I could even make a wooden frame out of 2x2's and line it with plastic on all 6 sides. Stick a couple box fans in there with furnace filters infront of them, and I'm good to go. It's a slightly modified version of something I read in hotrod a few years ago

Thanks for all the help guys

 

When you do, would you send me instructions on how to build that thing? I've got to do something... it's HIDEOUS!