I wanna do it all myself, what are the steps?

D

Doitmyselfer

What are the steps to final painting? Starting from bare steel to clear.

Major bodywork first (panel replacement, patch panels, etc.), 80grit to bare metal, wax grease remover, 2 coats of epoxy, Rage for straightening minor repairs, right? Hit the filler with 100 grit first with longest board that fits the application? Glaze over filler then hit the glaze with 120-150? Once body is relatively straight hit the entire vehicle with 180grit with (how many) 1 coat or 2 coats of epoxy primer full strength or reduced? After epoxy is shot over vehicle (obviously out of the window time) high build 2k, right? Then powder guide coat, hit car with 220grit, another coat of high build? Guide coat, the 320grit, high build, and over and over until you reach 500? Or do you not have to apply high build between each sand grit? It seems the later because that would be a lot of primer. Or is it basically sanding the guid coat off without breaking through and then moving up to the next grit? Once you've reached 500 shoot epoxy as a sealer at 50%. A couple of coats of base, wet sand car with 800, another shot of base, wet sand with 1000, another base, all the way up to 1500, then clear a couple of coats. Wet sand clear with highest grit possible shoot another couple of coats of clear, cut and buff?!

I know it long for a first thread and please "cut, chop, rebuild" (see what I did there) the order so that I can begin my materials research.

Thanks in advance!
 
What stage are you on now? Is it going to require a complete strip? What car?
 
Bob, I've had a chance to read a number of your post and thanks.original color still on cab. E coated front fenders, both doors, and both quarters. Tailgate (el camino) off donor car with original paint. Fiberglass hood (not using) and choo choo customs front fascia. I saw that someone (I think it was Bob) who said that the e coated panels should only be scuffed due to the fact that they can protect the underlying metal from the gate than a home body shop.

Not sure if the base needs to be sanded between coats as tomsteve eluded to. Dissect the original thread and help me get on the right track.
 
Best thing to do, is study the perfect paint job as that will give you the general basics, now that does not mean you have to follow it to do normal repairs but it will give you a heads up on what is what and why.
After that it will be easy for the guys on here to get you through the job.
 
If the replacement parts have E-coat you can just scuff them good and shoot some epoxy for a good foundation. I don't know what year ElCamino but GM quite building them in the 80's so regardless that paint is old and should be stripped off if you want the best long term results, Sand the bare metal with 80 grit, any tight areas that can't be accessed with sandpaper can be sandblasted, clean well, then shoot two-three good coats of epoxy. That would be a good start. Depending on how bad the body is-how much damage needs to be corrected, the steps from there can vary. E-coated NOS (old) parts will sometimes have corrosion issues and it's best to strip the E-coat off in that situation. Some aftermarket new parts have what appears to be E-coat but is actually just a 1K primer-check your parts by doing a solvent wash and verify if the coating wipes off or is actual E-coat. Stripping cars usually reveals unexpected repair areas that will need attention, you're best off not over thinking the whole process and just strip some panels, evaluate the condition and map out the procedures that will work best for your project, epoxy first is one of the keys for best long term results.
 
Bob Hollinshead;23635 said:
. . . Stripping cars usually reveals unexpected repair areas that will need attention . . . epoxy first is one of the keys for best long term results.
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Great advice right there as usual. Get the metal stripped, clean and sealed in epoxy and this car will out live you no problems.
 
THanks Bob, I do have some of those problem areas that you guys have spoke of. ITs a '79 G-body with 700hp w/the 100 shot and I want it to look as good as it'll run. I am in the beginning stages and to simplfy things should I do the major hammering (in some of the areas) first, sand the car completely down with 80 and shoot the epoxy and come back for more questions? I've seen it in another thread but can I shoot the epoxy in my garage (attached)? I do have my furnace in there with me but I was going to go garage door open door to home taped around its seams and of course pilot out and fuse off. Bel-Aire 80gal 2 stage and just about every tool I can go broke buying. Ive shot a frame in a garage (when I was renting) and it stunk up the house (walls were not sheetrocked), my new home is competely sealed other than my door to the lower floor. I can send the family away for a night or two whenever.
 
Bob Hollinshead;23635 said:
If the replacement parts have E-coat you can just scuff them good and shoot some epoxy for a good foundation. I don't know what year ElCamino but GM quite building them in the 80's so regardless that paint is old and should be stripped off if you want the best long term results, Sand the bare metal with 80 grit, any tight areas that can't be accessed with sandpaper can be sandblasted, clean well, then shoot two-three good coats of epoxy. That would be a good start. Depending on how bad the body is-how much damage needs to be corrected, the steps from there can vary. E-coated NOS (old) parts will sometimes have corrosion issues and it's best to strip the E-coat off in that situation. Some aftermarket new parts have what appears to be E-coat but is actually just a 1K primer-check your parts by doing a solvent wash and verify if the coating wipes off or is actual E-coat. Stripping cars usually reveals unexpected repair areas that will need attention, you're best off not over thinking the whole process and just strip some panels, evaluate the condition and map out the procedures that will work best for your project, epoxy first is one of the keys for best long term results.
Click to expand...

Hey Bob?

I just read in another thread about prepping freshly blasted surfaces for epoxy. I live in San Francisco (snobville USA) and we dont have access to sandblasting companies (hell they've outlawed plastic bags at grocery stores). I have to travel across the bay to get it done in Oakland, Ca. There are a number of companies that offer and Ive been by a few of them to check out their work and am leaning towards one in particular. Lets say it 20-25 miles at the most. Do I need to basically have it ready to epoxy immediately after getting it home? Do I need to hit the surface with 80g on a DA, w&g remover (wait 60), and spray? Or is something else needed? Average temp. over here is 55-65 in San Francisco, and 65-75 in Oakland. Im sure the body temp of the metal will be pretty cool once it gets back to my garage. Garage temp.s usually 68-71*. Sealed garage with a BIG MAXX heater that I can leave on for whatever length of time to get the body warmer. Then disconnect/extinguish all flames.

Let me know what you think.
 
FWIW, I am in a very similar climate to you two miles from the ocean and as long as the truck stays in my garage with similar heat as you, I can keep things bare for a week or more with no flash showing as long as it is dried after I strip and wash it off.
So I'll bet you can get it home from the strippers and clean it all up then dry it good with a shop vac and start prepping. You may have to hit things with a scuff pad a little but I think you'll be surprised. This would also be a good time to just roll a coat on and move on to the next piece till it's all covered then take all the time you need. It's worked great for me.
 
NoobDude;23675 said:
FWIW, I am in a very similar climate to you two miles from the ocean and as long as the truck stays in my garage with similar heat as you, I can keep things bare for a week or more with no flash showing as long as it is dried after I strip and wash it off.
So I'll bet you can get it home from the strippers and clean it all up then dry it good with a shop vac and start prepping. You may have to hit things with a scuff pad a little but I think you'll be surprised. This would also be a good time to just roll a coat on and move on to the next piece till it's all covered then take all the time you need. It's worked great for me.
Click to expand...

I'm planing on using SPI EPOXY, just a standard roller after following the mixing instructions. Resand and properly apply with paint gun since work will be done out side the window?
 
If the blaster leaves enough texture there will be no need for any sanding, 80ish grit blasting media is preferred and will provide the BEST texture. If the temps stay around 60-65* you won't have any problems. Make sure the blasters know what they are doing or they'll warp panels.
 
Bob,
I'm lookinging only to get the inner cab, bottom, firewall, and bed done. I've already pulled both quarters off and would like to hit the inner quarters. Found some rust inside the saiil panel that went all the way through one one side. I figure it'll be easiest to get it blasted, epoxy everything then install the quarters. That way the inner structures won't come back to bite me and I decrease the chance for the blaster to mess up the new quarters (unintentionally of course). As suggested earlier is it just a simple home depot roller to brush the epoxy on for temp. rust prevention or a bristle brush?
 
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