Hi all.

Now that it is slowly starting to get milder here I am going to get out in the garage.

I've attached a couple of pics of the worse part of the original paint on the T/A, along with what looks like an attempted respray of the bonnet.

I don't want to take the paint back to metal, but I do want to take it back to the original primer. So what sandpaper should I use (400?) and i am guessing I'll have to take it back past the crows feet etc?

If I do take it back to the original primer, what do I then have to lay on top of that? I'm not doing the actual painting myself, but would like to save on $$ by doing the prep work myself.

Cheers all.

Jonno.

Rear fender

Bonnet / Hood pic

 

220 on the DA should do it. Goign from the way that paint looks its probably been that way for awhile. Once you get down to the primer you will notice UV burned through the cracks and into the primer. Since there is no UV resist in primer you will probably need to take that down as well. Just something to keep in mind, you may be fine though.

Once you have it down to where you like it you will have to do your body work/filler ect. Then metal etch prime over any bare metal surfaces larger than 1sq inch. Then you can apply your high build primer, then block, then reprime, then guidecoat, then reblock, recoat and check your work. Depending on the type of high build you use your gonna have to seal.

 

Everytime I have dealt with bad checking in the paint I have had to go down to bare metal to get all the checking out. If you can see any signs of it after sanding it will come back. Take your time and be sure it is gone. I just did the top of a door with very very bad checking and it had to go to bare metal, no choice.

 

Usually if you take it down far enough and use a thick enough surfacer like featherfill g2 or slick sand they wont come back but there are no guarentees. A standard 2k primer will not cut it.

 

80grit to bare metal, 220 will take years. Epoxy prime, polyester prime(if necessary), block, urethane prime, block, paint. Only use the G2 over etch prime. Sealing isn't necessary if you haven't broken through the primer.

 

Like I said again...etch primer over any metal surfaces larger than 1 square inch. G2 or slick sand are fine and do not need to be applied over etching primers. Actually if it is applied over etching primer it can add up to 7 hours to its time to cure enough before you can sand. Sealing is necessary if you go by the book depending on the paint you are using, and wether or not your primer states it does not need sealer over it.

If you go with g2 you can skip sealer as its a poly and does not require a seal coat, as long as you are using the proper base color to go with your base coat. Yes you can tint it darker or lighter as well.

220 will take a hell of awhile to get to bare metal but..like you asked originally 220 should take you down to primer with no problems as long as you are careful. 80 will burn right through.

 

+1. do it once and do it right. sealing wont be nessecary if you use a 600 grit or finer to final sand the primer- i would still seal it regardless because than you can finish it with 320-400 and the sealer will help bring it to full coverage faster. long story short paint isnt cheap

 

Hi I just wanna get the car ready to be painted (not by me), how many of the above steps should I do?

 

Remove everything that might be in the painters way. Taillights, weatherstrip, windshield, hatch, etc. Strip the car to metal with 80 grit paper then take it to him. The steps that follow can be tricky if you don't have any experience...not to mention expensive.

 

Hmmmm.... I have no issues with stripping it back, in fact I reckon that would be a good challenge. But say I only wanted to take it back to the factory primer. I guess that would mean the way blackbmagic explained. I'd like to do the primer part, or at least attempt it, myself, but I know I could end up stuffing it up and stripping back to metal anyway.

Cheers.

 

If you intend to take it to factory primer it won't take much longer to get it to metal, and overall, it'd be better. Paint is no better than it's foundation. Why would you want to put new paint over a 28 year old foundation. Epoxy primer is about $100US. Up to you, but if you fail its a waste of a few dollars and more time to repair it.

 

If I take it back to metal, how long between doing that and priming do you reckon is the longest it should be left? Obviously rust would play apart, but with summer on it's way down here, thats not so much of a problem.

 

It can begin to surface rust pretty quick. Few days max.

 

do it in sections...strip the front clip on a saturday and epoxy it, then work your way back... even if you suck at spraying primer the shop you take it to can buzz it down and make it work for a minimal cost so i wouldnt be too worried about that, and to be clear i wouldnt worry about stripping the jambs... if there is rust or loose paint then yes, otherwise a scuff and paint should suffice, because those areas are not prone to uv damage usually they hold up much better... and the farther you break the car apart and the less masking they have to do the better the job turns out. the less places dirt can hide and clear coat can bridge the better. if they have to mask around lock cylinders and door handles those are places for easy runs and clear to peel eventually, and a good shop would insist on removing that stuff any way

 

Hi all.

Well I started today and this is where I am at. Parts seemed to sand easily straight through to the metal (not what I really wanted to do), other bits just took me to the primer. So based on this bit, how do you think I should proceed? I can't find 220 grit over here, so what you see here is a bit of a mixture of 180 and 120.

Any advice would be appreciated before I go any further.

Cheers.

 

80grit to bare metal. Epoxy prime, polyester prime(if necessary), block, urethane prime, block, paint.

 

I agree if you paint you dont prime and block that you will see it, and if you gonna prime and block you might as well strip it bare

 

Hmmm. I was hoping I wouldn't have to take it back to bare metal, but I might not have a choice and I guess it will have to be the whole car. So if I do, I don't want to leave the metal exposed for any great length of time. So I guess doing a panel one at once would be ok? Sand to metal, epoxy and that should protect the metal yeah?

Thanks all again.

Jonno.

 

THIS.


Started with this, its not a good as it looks :



I used aircraft stripper to bare metal then sanded it with 220:



Currently here, one coat epoxy promer, 2 coats filler so far, not done yet with prep:

 

No need to do one panel at a time. My first day of stripping paint I did the hood, to bare metal. I thought it would be a good idea to hose the floor when I cleaned up. I came in the next day to a rusty hood. The surface rust sanded right off. I got it done to bare metal and it sat a few days, no problems as long as you keep your shop dry.

 

Hi all.
Well, I thought I would ask a few places here in Adelaide how much a bare metal respray would cost if I have already taken it back to the bare metal..... The quote came back at $15-$20K!!!! As the Aussie and American dollar are pretty much even, that is also $15-$20K American!!!

Surely this price is over the top?

Jonno.

 

Who's your painter,Michelangelo,he's painting a car, not the Sistine Chapel.With your car being all prepped and ready for paint,$2000 tops.

 

HA! Nice one Mantaguy :-)

Yeah thats what I was thinking. It was a quote from a classic car resto place, so maybe thats why.

 

That's out of control. I was quoted 8-10k to drive the car in untouched and pick it up done. Stripped to bare metal. I opted to do it myself and should have about $2500 in supplies and A LOT of my own time.

 

I agree with everyone else. strip and paint the car 1 panel at a time. it's not hard, just a lot of effort.