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When I bought my car I noticed some ground effects not fitting and lining up just right. It started out as a Formula and had ground effects swapped over from a GTA by the PO. Paint was decent other than some clear starting to peel so we repainted the hood a year or so ago then it started to peel on top of car. Well I figured it was time to get it right. Ordered some ground effects from a fellow member here "DPMALIBU" and they were excellent with all hardware included- thanks DP. My rear spoiler looked much better than most I have seen until I removed it.. it was a rusty mess underneath and immediately cracked open. So new spoiler ordered. Replacing some window sweeps and different things while at it also. Since buying the car as far as interior only the headliner needed replacing along with visors, nearly all suspension work has been redone or upgraded including adding a posi-trac rear with 3.73 gears, shocks, struts, steering box, end links, various bushings, brakes, etc..Tranny has been rebuilt with shift kit, corvette servo and s-10 converter so looking forward to an engine build later. Been very lucky to have my Dad and my 12 yr old son Drake really helping me out with this so its been nice spending time with family.So next on my agenda will be building a strong SBC 350 or 400 which we have each of sitting in the shop then maybe I will be happy with it for a while. This website has been a HUGE help and a wealth of knowledge to people like me I want to thank you guys. I will be posting some more pics as it comes along.
Man my 12yr old sanded close to 5 hr yesterday. I have 3 sons but he probably sealed the deal on inheriting it since the other two were probably on the x-box while this was going on. LOL
Looks like you have plenty of help, cant wait to see the finished product!
Thanks batman. Get up with me at cruising the coast! Id like to see some fellow members down this year. Maybe Bob can ride down in one of his "fleet" of Pontiacs! I haven't registered but I will be down cruising that week anyways.
Yeah pretty good haul. But what nice cars you have for it! Id love to take my Firebird to Gatlinburg sometime and cruise some of those winding mountain roads.Its about 10 hr trip for us. We go there in the summer but its always with the "family car".
Thanks batman. Get up with me at cruising the coast! Id like to see some fellow members down this year. Maybe Bob can ride down in one of his "fleet" of Pontiacs! I haven't registered but I will be down cruising that week anyways.
Id like to go to that event, I was hoping to make it this year but unfortunately I will be out of the country in Malaysia for the month of October for work.
Just waiting on some weather now. Hate to rush and paint in this heat and humidity we have had the last 2 wks. No need to rush and have to re-do anything.
Just waiting on some weather now. Hate to rush and paint in this heat and humidity we have had the last 2 wks. No need to rush and have to re-do anything.
Wait for a nice early morning, just after the dew dries up and try to finish before the high heat of the day.
Tacks cloths and wax and grease remover a most
But most of all a execellet gun Santa jet or devilbiss
I painted mine outside under a canopy
I'm in the desert. I have to prep everything the night before and then wake up at 4 AM and then I have at most until 11:00 to spray (latest before it usually hits 100*) and some days the cutoff is 9 AM. Can't spray after 95* really since the solvent in the droplets will evaporate before they can all meld together on the panel.
We have had heavy rain every day and 90+ temps for the last two weeks. When it does stop raining and humidity goes down a bit we will spray it one early morning in a friend of mines paint booth. Its not a daily driver so no rush. I like doing things 1 time so its gona have to wait a bit.
That's good advice, I rushed the first time and I ended up sanding and shooting again... Unfortunately the land lord had the roofers show up just after my first coat went down so there's some dust...
I'll be re-spraying again sometime soon, but this time I'll be doing the car restoration down to bare metal in sections, including paint. It's just simple gloss non-metallic black so I don't need to worry about blending.
also don't forget a good water seperator for your gun even better have one on the line and on the gun, the tiniest bit of water can give you tons of headaches
I run my general use air hose in a coil in a bucket of water to cool the air and then a good water/oil seperator and filter. I have a second pressure regulator there and then my good hose I only use for painting as it has never been used for anything but this system.
I used to put one of those bulb style filters at the gun, but discovered that even at low PSI they would blow their guts in to the paint, I no longer run them and my paint work is now cleaner.
I only use the larger air fittings and hoses, especially after the second regulator to help keep the volume up with a lower velocity.
I want to strip my car to metal, long story. I am going to use paint stripper instead of blasting.
Would be great to hear your story on what you did, etc. Can you PM me when you have a chance? Your car looks AMAZING dude!
New York is known to have Humidity and rain, if bare metal sat out in the humidity for too long it will develop surface rust and if it rains it will definitely rust. Find out if the paint is original or how many times it has been repainted so you know how many layers to sand through and then use an electric DA sander with some 80 grit to remove the paint/paint layers. That is by far the safest bet if you're working outside. Don't make more work for yourself later by trying to take a shortcut now.
New York is known to have Humidity and rain, if bare metal sat out in the humidity for too long it will develop surface rust and if it rains it will definitely rust. Find out if the paint is original or how many times it has been repainted so you know how many layers to sand through and then use an electric DA sander with some 80 grit to remove the paint/paint layers. That is by far the safest bet if you're working outside. Don't make more work for yourself later by trying to take a shortcut now.
I know the car inherently I bought it new in 1989. In that year the paint from GM was crap. Many cars had pealing clear coat. In 1994 I had it repainted gm gun metal gray. The pro took it down to the paint layer and shot it. Came out great at the time. A few years ago same problem pealing clear coat. The factory paint is the problem. I have spoken to many about it for years.
I am going to take it down panel by panel and get each one up to primer coat and not do the whole car at once. This way none of it won't sit exposed to NY weather.
What I would like to know is what you used temp garage, type of compressor, and paint products. How did you vent the garage, breathing apparatus and such. Also time of day, kind of weather. Any headaches you had etc. If ok?
I know the car inherently I bought it new in 1989. In that year the paint from GM was crap. Many cars had pealing clear coat. In 1994 I had it repainted gm gun metal gray. The pro took it down to the paint layer and shot it. Came out great at the time. A few years ago same problem pealing clear coat. The factory paint is the problem. I have spoken to many about it for years.
I am going to take it down panel by panel and get each one up to primer coat and not do the whole car at once. This way none of it won't sit exposed to NY weather.
What I would like to know is what you used temp garage, type of compressor, and paint products. How did you vent the garage, breathing apparatus and such. Also time of day, kind of weather. Any headaches you had etc. If ok?
Thanks!
Sorry you did answer time of day and weather. What time of the year I should have asked.
Not meaning not take of the OP's thread here but looking for some pointers on painting outside. Thanks.
Best time of year is late spring/early summer or the late summer, these are the times with less humidity while still having the right temps. Mid summer you really have to watch the humidity or how hot your outside booth could get while spraying. Mid summer you also need to pay attention if any heat driven weather brings up unforseen storms.
Prep the car the day before, masking, de-grease etc, have the spray area and all equipment ready to go, that way in the morning you get up early, if the weather looks good, do another de-grease, tack rag and then get spraying before the heat of the day and the winds it creates picks up.
You would have similar weather patterns as I do.
The worst thing you can do is rush your work to get laying the paint down.
Best time of year is late spring/early summer or the late summer, these are the times with less humidity while still having the right temps. Mid summer you really have to watch the humidity or how hot your outside booth could get while spraying. Mid summer you also need to pay attention if any heat driven weather brings up unforseen storms.
Prep the car the day before, masking, de-grease etc, have the spray area and all equipment ready to go, that way in the morning you get up early, if the weather looks good, do another de-grease, tack rag and then get spraying before the heat of the day and the winds it creates picks up.
You would have similar weather patterns as I do.
The worst thing you can do is rush your work to get laying the paint down.
Gotcha thanks. But did you have any thing up for walls for your canopy? With bugs and all or any slight breeze with stuff in the air. From your pic it looks like you painted with no temp walls or even screening.
That wasn't my pic.
My first attempt was in a tarp garage with a tarp floor. I had set up one wall with furnace filters and a bunch of fans on the opposite end to pull the air through... I would suggest against a negative pressure idea like that as dirt will get in from anything not sealed up. The weather didn't co-operate (wind) and then I was trying to beat the sun going down and ended up painting black paint with a tiny head lamp.
Next attempt was in the garage, made a tarp booth with filtered fans blowing air in with the garage door cracked with some filters in the gap for the air to escape, that worked much better.
I recently painted a truck cap in my driveway under a pop up shelter, used plastic drop sheets for walls, did a half **** job of sealing it all up, sprayed the driveway down with water to kill the dust and then sprayed it (I used tremclad thinned with acetone for this one) and it came out really good for the effort... It just comes with experience.
Honestly, if this is your first and only attempt at painting a car, I would do all the prep work yourself, trailer it to a maaco and have them shoot it. The job they will do will more than likely give you a better result with less headache and similar costs after you've spent the money on a large enough compressor, a good gun, a REAL mask, masking supplies etc.
You can buy a cheap primer gun at HF, a smaller compressor and just prep the car in sections, block it out yourself etc.
I have a 60gal 5hp compressor that barely cuts the mustard when doing one of these cars (I try to let it catch up between panels without losing my wet edge on the paint) and my gun was not exactly cheap.
By the time you buy a compressor (even a used one that is capable enough is a few hundred bucks), the gun, supplies to make a booth (and the time that takes) and the paint materials themselves, I would really be tempted to drop all that money and get a maaco type job.
That said, if you want to give it a go, have at it!
I'll be doing my car right down to bare, for a real restoration, what I'll be doing is take the car apart, strip to metal, epoxy prime, body work then paint the rear half, then paint the doors and bumpers off the car, then the hood/fenders etc all in stages so I can focus on the quality of the work.
I paint aircraft as part of my job, I have the equipment and have failed at enough projects myself to have a bit of wisdom behind me now.
That wasn't my pic.
My first attempt was in a tarp garage with a tarp floor. I had set up one wall with furnace filters and a bunch of fans on the opposite end to pull the air through... I would suggest against a negative pressure idea like that as dirt will get in from anything not sealed up. The weather didn't co-operate (wind) and then I was trying to beat the sun going down and ended up painting black paint with a tiny head lamp.
Next attempt was in the garage, made a tarp booth with filtered fans blowing air in with the garage door cracked with some filters in the gap for the air to escape, that worked much better.
I recently painted a truck cap in my driveway under a pop up shelter, used plastic drop sheets for walls, did a half **** job of sealing it all up, sprayed the driveway down with water to kill the dust and then sprayed it (I used tremclad thinned with acetone for this one) and it came out really good for the effort... It just comes with experience.
Honestly, if this is your first and only attempt at painting a car, I would do all the prep work yourself, trailer it to a maaco and have them shoot it. The job they will do will more than likely give you a better result with less headache and similar costs after you've spent the money on a large enough compressor, a good gun, a REAL mask, masking supplies etc.
You can buy a cheap primer gun at HF, a smaller compressor and just prep the car in sections, block it out yourself etc.
I have a 60gal 5hp compressor that barely cuts the mustard when doing one of these cars (I try to let it catch up between panels without losing my wet edge on the paint) and my gun was not exactly cheap.
By the time you buy a compressor (even a used one that is capable enough is a few hundred bucks), the gun, supplies to make a booth (and the time that takes) and the paint materials themselves, I would really be tempted to drop all that money and get a maaco type job.
That said, if you want to give it a go, have at it!
I'll be doing my car right down to bare, for a real restoration, what I'll be doing is take the car apart, strip to metal, epoxy prime, body work then paint the rear half, then paint the doors and bumpers off the car, then the hood/fenders etc all in stages so I can focus on the quality of the work.
I paint aircraft as part of my job, I have the equipment and have failed at enough projects myself to have a bit of wisdom behind me now.
Thanks for all this great info.
I have been painting fenders for my Jeep and my grand am this summer using cans in a temporary garage. I am.pleased with my efforts. Years ago I painted a CJ-5 with a fiberglass body on snow camo outside no cover or anything. It came out good I was told using PPG paint.
I have a 26 val 1.8hp compressor and was told it will work but will need to play catch up on the painting.
So that was my other thought was to prep to primer and take it to Maaco.
I will do the same, start with the front quarters, hood, doors all off the car. Then the rest. Stop one at time and bring it up to prime.
Im lucky to have my Dad. He started painting cars at my uncles body shop when he was 15. In 43 years he has probably done several hundred and at least a dozen total ground up restorations that I know of. He always done it on his time off from the oilfield. Im lucky to have him as my best friend in this world. Im lucky God blessed me with three great sons I may can pass something on to them like my father has me also. Its good to get kids involved in cars and whatever positive you can because there are lots of things in this world that can chew them up and spit them out.
Got it painted and it turned out great. Still have to paint the rear spoiler and bottom door ground effects another day. Maybe 2moro I can post a few pics but it will probably be a few weeks til I get it all together I'm so busy with work rite now. I'm very happy with it it is definitely BRIGHT red for sure.
I was going to paint mine in a temp garage next spring but my older brother just came through with a garage bay! The ironic part of this is in 1988 I had an 1986 v6 bird that was hit in an accident. It was painted in the same bay back then when it was a auto body shop. Now my bro has it for his plumbing business and the bay is clear.
He even has a huge air compressor I can use. I can't wait and hope mine looks as good as this red bird. I am taking mine back to black.
08-01-2016, 08:26 AM
