GOT AN 89 IROC. DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT COLOR IT IS. I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE LIGHT HITS IT. SOMETIMES RED, OR BROWN, OR DARK GOLD. IM KICKING ROUND THE IDEA OF TAKING A ELECTRIC SANDER TO THE WHOLE THING. DOESNT NEED A WHOLE LOT OF BODY WORK, BUT IN NOT SURE WHICH GRIT SANDPAPER TO USE TO GET DOWN TO BARE METAL. IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO USE SOMETHING THAT HAS HIGH COURSE GRIT.

ONCE I GET DOWN TO BARE METAL, SHOULD I USE A FINER GRIT, OR JUST CLEAN AND START PRIMER?

WHAT STEPS DO I NEED TO TAKE TO APPLY PRIMER? CAN I JUST USE ABOUT A MILLION CANS OF SPRAY PAINT PRIMER?

ONCE PRIMERED, IS THERE MORE SANDING? IF SO, WHICH GRIT?

BY NO MEANS DO I PLAN ON PAINTING THE CAR MYSELF, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DO MOST OF THE PREP WORK MYSELF.

ANY SUGGESTIONS?

 

You really don't want to take it down to the bare metal. Trust me on this. Your best bet is to use 180 grit to rough it up / remove most of the clearcoat. The factory primer is much better then just about any primer you could do yourself, plus it give the new paint somthing to bond to. If you are going to use a spray can type primer it will not hold up to the elements very well. Primer in its very nature can absorb / hold water which will cause it to rust underneath. Only when it is topcoated will it lock water out. This process is even worse with spray can type paint. It is also mush more difficult to control spray paint beings it dries so fast b/c all of the accelerant in the can. Also, note that most of your professional grade paints will not adhere to spray paint and will just have to be resanded at the shop. Auto painting is a very touchy business. I have tried the methods that you are planning and have learned my lesson. Better to save the money you would have spent and let the paint guy take care of it.

This is just my opinion, and you can take it or leave it. I am just tring to give you fair warning.

peace

 

THERE ARE A FEW ROUGH SPOTS THAT WILL REQUIRE EXTENSIVE SANDING. I WOULD MUCH RATHER SAND ENOUGH TO THE FACTORY PRIMER, RATHER THAN DOWN TO BARE METAL. THANKS FOR THE TIP. JUST KICKING ROUND A FEW IDEAS.

 

Is it ok to sand down to the bare metal if you have a peeling junk paint job from some palce like Maaco or something? I was thinking of using some paint stripper on my car to get to the metal then to prime it. Any thoughts on that?

 

I should have stated earlier it is ok if you do get to the metal (expecially trying to go for a nice smooth finish) but the new paint will stick better if you leave some old paint behind. In other words only sand out what you have too. If the paint is peeling (our cars are notorious for peeling clearcoat) or chipped bad, you will want to get past the bad stuff. I paint all of my own cars in my backyard. I,m not looking for professional results, but I still would like it to look good from a few feet away.


1989karr- unless you are doing the entire panel (fender, door, hood) I would recommend not using stripper. You are stipp going to have to smooth out the surface with paper and it is a lot easier if the paint isn't soft from strippers. I have used an electric sander (vibrating not belt type) to make my life easier until I get it close to what I want. I now have a jitterbug sander (air powered) but it requires a large air compressor. Just keep a close eye on the paper, do not use it once it gets clogged with paint. You will gouge the paint and cause more work for yourself. Body work and painting takes a lot of time and fisical labor to get good -decent quality.

I hope this helps.

Peace

 

i think you would be fine to take it down to the bare metal if you really wanted to but use etching primer first not just regular high build primer. etching primer is just for that, primering bare metal.