Paint Preparation.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

The CTi is almost just a shell, every bit of rubber and plastic clip has been removed inside and out.

Is this a good idea for prepping a car for a respray to try and reduce labour costs?

 

I'm planning on leaving all the external panels untouched so he can see the all the little dents that need filling.

But the inside the cab, engine bay and the front/rear valances and grill, I planned on using thinners to clean any gunk after washing everything clean, then a grade 800 wet and dry for the paint to key in.

Rust spot I was just going to either grind /wire brush and leave it to them to treat.

 

Any advice from painters would be helpful.

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Obviously the more you do, the less hourly labour rate you are going to pay the painter. However no matter how much you do, you can guarantee the bodyshop will find more that needs doing, and that is no sleight on your ability, just most bodyshops will always want to go over most of what you will do.

 

Regarding washing, just be careful, as if you use a bucket or sponge that has had car wash and wax on, you can get silicone on the surfaces which is then nigh on impossible to get off, and difficult to paint over.

 

800 grit is a little on the fine side, you will find it takes you hours to get anywhere! I'd start with something like 320 and then work up to 600/800 before primer.

 

Another way to save some cash is to paint the inside and engine bay yourself.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Obviously the more you do, the less hourly labour rate you are going to pay the painter. However no matter how much you do, you can guarantee the bodyshop will find more that needs doing, and that is no sleight on your ability, just most bodyshops will always want to go over most of what you will do.

 

Regarding washing, just be careful, as if you use a bucket or sponge that has had car wash and wax on, you can get silicone on the surfaces which is then nigh on impossible to get off, and difficult to paint over.

 

800 grit is a little on the fine side, you will find it takes you hours to get anywhere! I'd start with something like 320 and then work up to 600/800 before primer.

 

Another way to save some cash is to paint the inside and engine bay yourself.

 

 

I don't fancy doing any painting, I'd have to buy a compressor and all the gear. space is a little tight too in my pre-fab garage.

Thanks for the tips though.

I stripped it also because I hate having anything masked up with a paint edge around it, It always looks shabby in a years time where it starts to flake away from the edge around indicators, lights etc.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

I made a start prepping! I did the front grill last night!

I can see why body shops charge a bit for a respray now!

I used 320 grade paper and it isn't as easy going as I thought, but steady.

I'm hoping this grade finish will be OK as a prep for the body shop?

I'm sanding until the shiny finish is gone and rubbing down over any chips or imperfections until its smooth.

I did plan on leaving the exterior panels for the painter to prep, so he could clearly see all the ripples and dents in the body work I want them to fill.

Would anyone in the trade let me know if I might as well prep them too or not, as I don't know if they'd spot the dents and ripples anyway even with a matt prepped finish?

 

I hate to pay for a full respray and it come back with all the dents as before!

Edited October 6, 2009 by ALEX

[willmounsey 1]

I made a start prepping! I did the front grill last night!

I can see why body shops charge a bit for a respray now!

I used 320 grade paper and it isn't as easy going as I thought, but steady.

I'm hoping this grade finish will be OK as a prep for the body shop?

I'm sanding until the shiny finish is gone and rubbing down over any chips or imperfections until its smooth.

I did plan on leaving the exterior panels for the painter to prep, so he could clearly see all the ripples and dents in the body work I want them to fill.

Would anyone in the trade let me know if I might as well prep them too or not, as I don't know if they'd spot the dents and ripples anyway even with a matt prepped finish?

 

I hate to pay for a full respray and it come back with all the dents as before!

 

I know your pain mate sanding is soo time consuming and you need patience, I tried to do most of the work myself the first time round as i've done panel beating and spraying before but not very good at it (as my mate who's job is a panel beater and sprayer found out! ) I'd missed loads of wee dents and the ones I thought i'd done were not.

 

There is a lot of work that goes into re-spraying and most of it is the prep, it took me 1 full week (with my mate at hand to guide me) just to get all straight and smooth then it took him about 4 hours to paint and laquar.

 

If you want to save money have a go yourself, its not that hard but as said time consuming, also the more light the better it makes seeing what you've done and what you have to do easyer.

 

Black will show up most if not all dents in the body work, its a bitch of a colour for it unfortunatly, even tho mine is done we missed a tiny wee dent in the roof and it kind of sticks out a bit which is annoying.

 

Will

[boombang 2]

To give you an idea, mine took 100 hours to get to a painted shell (that's not including doors, tailgate or bonnet).

 

I stripped all including underside, it needed some minor but fiddly welding.

 

Underside was acid etched, painted, undersealed.

 

Rest of car taken back to galvanised layer, etched, hi-build, rubbed back down, built back up, then painted.

 

Result, considering it was all done myself in my garage, is more than good enough for me.

[yorkshirekowboy 19 1 Cars]

To give you an idea, mine took 100 hours to get to a painted shell (that's not including doors, tailgate or bonnet).

 

I stripped all including underside, it needed some minor but fiddly welding.

 

Underside was acid etched, painted, undersealed.

 

Rest of car taken back to galvanised layer, etched, hi-build, rubbed back down, built back up, then painted.

 

Result, considering it was all done myself in my garage, is more than good enough for me.

 

 

any piccys of finish?

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

I know it's going to take a while and I'm prepared to spend time prepping as I havn't got the cash together yet for the respray anyway.

I'm hoping on a Christmas bonus or something to pay for it! , I'd be so lucky.

I made a start on the front valance last night and spent nearly 2 hours rubbing with 320 and only got half of it done.

 

Tom ^ says to work up to 800/600 grade, but 320 finish looks good enough to paint to me, but I don't much about painting.

I'd have thought now after seeing the finish of the 320 the 800 or 600 grade might be too smooth for the paint to key in?

Edited October 7, 2009 by ALEX

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Gloss paint over 320 grit and you will see the sanding marks. (I've painted a few cars in my time, so not just spouting what I've read, this is from having done it.)

[willmounsey 1]

As Tom said, 320 is ok if your using a high build primer first but best to 500-600 before it ensures a nice finish.

 

Will

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Gloss paint over 320 grit and you will see the sanding marks. (I've painted a few cars in my time, so not just spouting what I've read, this is from having done it.)

 

 

As Tom said, 320 is ok if your using a high build primer first but best to 500-600 before it ensures a nice finish.

 

Will

 

Thanks for that,

I think the body shop will be priming as it will be down to bare metal in the odd place.

But I'll go over it all again with 600 to be sure!

 

Thanks again.

[boombang 2]

any piccys of finish?

 

 

 

 

 

[floodys 4 1 Cars]

all that work and you spray it orange!!!!

[dale205mills 39 7 Cars]

another orange 205, I think I mite have to find another colour and throw away my orange 2 pac paint. If you are going to paint a 205 you mite aswell paint it in a colour thats says look at me

[SurGie 54]

Not sure why when the 205 gti does that on its own merit lol

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Any pics of it finished?

[welshpug 1,627]

nope

 

I've helped Alex a bit5 putting it together and it has come up very nice I must say, not bad at all for a beginner in a dusty garage and a tiny compressor!

 

 

 

I'm sure its about time for another curry and car fiddling weekend though

Edited October 8, 2009 by welshpug

[boombang 2]

nope

 

I've helped Alex a bit5 putting it together and it has come up very nice I must say, not bad at all for a beginner in a dusty garage and a tiny compressor!

 

 

 

I'm sure its about time for another curry and car fiddling weekend though

 

 

It's still virtually as above

 

BTW the whole orange paint thing was actually 3 years ago, I've just been very very lazy and busy!