Anybody resprayed their chod?

[Bren]

Has anybody resprayed their car at home?

 

 

I am picking the brains of other like minded individuals as I am considering painting the SD1 myself.

 

Members of the SD1 forum said "Don't do it!" however I hav'nt exactly got £1500 going spare to hand to a bodyshop, although their work will undoubtedly be better than mine.

 

I have been looking at compressors, obviously bigger is better however a 150L item takes up a fair old bit of room, plus it won't fit in the back of my vectra.

 

I have a 20ft x 10ft garage that will have to do, I have painted before using a pot gun.

 

Anybody any experience they would like to share? What's the smallest compressor that you could get away with? I would have loved something that could drive a sander but like I said room is a factor - the garage house the SD1, my Gixer, and all my tools.

 

I am mindful that the finished effort may look like the bastard child of beelzebub but I figure if you don't try you'll never know.

[cort16]

It's all in the prep really. You just have to fill sand, push it outside and look for imperfections then repeat until you've lost the will to live the do it a couple of more times. The pro's can do this bit a lot faster than you or me.

Post paint is the same. You're likely to get a few runs and some orange peel but if the paints on in a fair enough thickness you can just spend time wet sanding it and buffing it up to a level you're happy with.

 

You could skip the compressor by getting a good HVLP electic gun and an electric DA sander. The HVLP's have their disadvantages but they're also not likely to run out of puff like a little compressor either.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I say do it, but proceed with caution. I used an electric HVLP sprayer, which I had no complaints about, but I'd underestimated how strong the smell of the paint and thinners would be. I wouldn't attempt to spray in a garage again unless it was a fair distance from houses. 

 

The finish of my attempt was terrible, but that was my fault for poor prep. I knew about wet sanding the paint, but I didn't know you were supposed to sand the primer coat, so my final coat ended up covered with tiny white dots. Plus mega orange peel in spots where I'd gone too thick. Also I did it in sub zero temperatures, so there was blooming too.  

[Wilko220]

If you do the prep yourself, you should find it possible to get the actual respray done professionally for far less than £1500...

[cobblers]

I know people say do your own prep but honestly, there's more skill in doing the prep properly than wanging some paint over it, if you are expecting a fairly good finish. If you are happy with it all in the same colour and "shiny but wobbly" then go for it.

 

A backstreet painter type mate of mine is wanging over my van for £200 plus the cost of paint, sounds nothing but I'm literally going to push it into his garage, wipe the flies and dust off and he will walk round it a few times squirting basecoat and lacquer at it, but I've probably spent ten days on the prep of the bits that were "fine" to start with, not to mention the bits that needed work.

[warren t claim]

What health and safety equipment will be needed if you're spraying in a 10' x 20' garage?

[cort16]

Cobboloblers is right most of the works in the prep and it's frustratingly difficult to know when it at an acceptable level because once the paint goes on it's too late. I've taken to pre-painting panels with paint I've got lieing around that's shiny so I can see the lumps before putting on the expensive stuff.

I did the prep on my SD1 and there's a couple of bits I missed really annoy me every time I look at it.

 

Any of the 2k stuff is horrible but a good 3m mask with the proper filter and body suit so the cyanide doesn't get absorbed through your hair is probably good enough. Even if you use water based paint the laquer will be 2k. Cellulose is probably the least likely to kill you.

[vulgalour]

Isn't your SD1 metallic blue?  If so, pay someone else to do it because metallics are a shit to get right at the best of times.

[SambaS]

 

[SambaS]

Halfords sunburst red is different to Ford's sunburst red, and my passenger door is a different colour to both. Front valance is now rusty, as is wing top.

 

Verdict.

 

Should have used more paint. And a stone guard on valance.

 

Fizz tin and halogen lamp lock up job.

 

Got a few grinder marks in a few places, used Halfords paint and rust remover to take off paint. Pretty good tool but definitely overkill if you're not careful.

[SambaS]

12 months later:

 

[purplebargeken]

HVLP is good, Appollo do a nifty little set up for not huge amounts of money. Prep is everything.

[cort16]

Sambas, did you lacquer it after you painted it? There's no way it should do that but the paints porous so you need to lacquer it to seal it.

[Bren]

TBH I have questioned the wisdom of investing £400 - 600 on tools and materials only to not do a very good job.

 

Plus, my garage is right next door to my neighbours house.

 

I have done mucho work to the car, it would be a shame to top it off with a shit paint job.

 

So I have started saving.

[M'coli]

I did my Avenger back in 2008/2009.  Admittedly it was helped by the fantastic 1970s paint, which for a metallic was shiny straight from the gun, could be flatted back and T-cut to a good shine too.

The original thread's over on the blue forum here. Here's some bits I wrote for the R-R thread:

 

 

Since I first got me Avenger on the road way back in 2004, the idea has been to re-paint it.  I paid a lot for modern colour coat and clear coat, then went to a show and found a stall selling 1970s paint to the exact code of my car, at a fiver a litre - so I bought 2 tins!  It's shiny straight out of the gun, no need for a clear coat.  Also, if I mucked it up, it was only £10, rather than a lot more...

Here's a look at the work in progress:-


A new self fabbed rear corner was made:

Then on to masking




Now to get her sorted for MOT.  Yes, it is a she, Mrs Peel to be exact...it's an Avenger thing.  : :

 

 

 

 

Thanks!
Check the anacronysm from the "masking" photo to the other one from behind - the hedge is green in the first one.  I'll admit it - it was primered back in September and then I ran out of time for the top-coat, mostly because the primer sank into skims of filler.  Arse!!

So last week, I saw the way the weather was going, and started to prepare it again.  The top surface of the primer was wet'n'dryed off while washing off the bird shit, the car dryed and the low humidity got the last of the water out on Thursday.

Friday morning, another coat of primer - using a 5-inch paint roller.  They're great!!  Little or no masking, lots of paint on quickly using high-build, and even though the finish is a bit dimply, there's enough on to flat back really well!  Paint was flatted Saturday morning, and I've used zinc-based paint for the new wings - I'd really prefer these not to rust again!!!

Tack-ragged, panel wiped and masked up, I popped next door to throw a cover over their car to prevent any loose spray getting on it.

By this time I was feeling really apprehensive, but it went ok - the sprayer's an Earlex similar to this one
[img src="
and it worked best when not cracked right open, it gets a bit blobby - turned right down, it took more time, but also gave a better finish.

Every time I see it, there's a smile across my face! ;D ;D ;D

 

[trigger]

12 months later:

 

 

 

Did you just spray top coat straight over the bare metal?! You're meant to etch prime it, then grey primer, then flat back it back before applying your top coat, you don't need to lacquer on non metallic colours Cort16.

[garethj]

I used Rustoleum over a nicely done undercoat and it was great with foam brushes and rollers.  The best thing is there's so little mess, no overspray cos it's not sprayed and there's no fumes.  The cost is very low too, but it does take longer, I think I put about 5 thin coats on (thin coates were a doddle to flat back) and probably 7 coats would have been about right.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I used Rustoleum over a nicely done undercoat and it was great with foam brushes and rollers.  The best thing is there's so little mess, no overspray cos it's not sprayed and there's no fumes.  The cost is very low too, but it does take longer, I think I put about 5 thin coats on (thin coates were a doddle to flat back) and probably 7 coats would have been about right.

 

I don't think it's right for the finish Bren's after, but I did this too. Except it was straight over bare metal, old paint and filler. Plenty of people on the internet have achieved spray like finishes with effort, but it's a lot of wet sanding and polishing. I haven't done that yet but it still looks pretty good from a couple paces back. 

 

before:

 

after:

(I gave the sills another couple of coats after this)

 

Cost to paint the whole car was about £40 including paint, rollers and white spirit. Definitely worth considering for anyone wanting to perk up a tired old car on a budget. 

[hauserplenty]

It's worth considering that you might also need a ventilation system for your shed to remove not only the fumes, but also the stipple. Stipple will settle back onto the topcoat and you'll end up with an unevenly textured finish. In my part of the world, we can rent spray booths, usually on a BYO paint/spray gun basis, which usually have these systems and a compressor already installed. Of course it never rains in SoCal, so sometimes outdoor spray booths/tents are an option for us. Cost prohibitive, I'd say. Shop around for a better price--$2750 USD for a paint job is outrageous! An Earl Scheib paint job might start at around $500, and top out around $1500. I remember when he used to say on TV: "I'll paint any car, any color, for just 99.95!"

[trocse]

Buy an air-fed mask, it is an expense, but its the best money you will spend! Last time i painted a car i ended up in my bed for about a week due to not using a decent mask, 

 

 Also as previously mentioned, preparation take the time but it also makes the job, also dont use cheep paint, plenty of youtube videos etc on techniques and what not

[jonny69]

I sprayed mine in 2k out in the parking space in front of my old garage. I had an ancient compressor that you'd get pumped up to 120psi in the tank and then regulate to 40psi on the air line, so it had plenty of reserve air while the pump worked flat out. I could just about do either my flipfront or the main shell before it strted running out of air, which was useable, but not ideal.

 

2k doesn't need anywhere near as much prep as celly because it goes on so thick and levels itself out before quickly gelling. To this day I utterly regret using cheap paint. Don't use Jawell or any of those other cheap paints off eBay unless you're happy with paint that doesn't adhere very well, takes ages to fully cure and won't hold its shine as well as the more expensive stuff. More expensive paints go on a lot easier, they gel a lot quicker so you can spray it on thicker and they cure much faster, which is desirable if you want to get on and buff it up.

 

For PPE I used a 3M 4251 mask, disposable Tyvec overalls, goggles and disposable nitrile gloves (latex ones quickly dissolve in thinners). You'll be fine using that setup if you're spraying outside, but I'd seriously think about an airfed mask if you're spraying inside the garage and some kind of fume extraction.

[SambaS]

Halfords red primer then flat, then sunburst red. No lacquer no.

[FredTransit]

the last roller paint job I did was poundland spray primer and pink/cream coach enamel!

[Pillock]

I've done panels and had an OK finish but never one you'd mistake for a paid job. I find metallics easier as you can keep feathering light coats, go over it again and again and the lacquer sort of makes it just about OK. I did a Saxo bonnet in metallic piss yellow which was passable (although I was quite amused by the word TWAT scraped into the bonnet, the GF wasn't) and a Mondeo door in juice green which was OK too, the motor factors got the paint mix a bit wrong but the finish was alright. Oh, and Havana Brown on a Scirocco which came out looking almost factory.

 

Never done a whole car, my big issue is always with the environment (dust, flies etc) so I'd probably get quite frustrated. Knowing my luck I'd lay on a coat of paint just a locust plague was about to hit.

[Barry Cade]

My 14th X1/9 was painted by me in a mates garage in basecoat and 2k laqquuer- nice day and garage door kept open, all done in a weekend.Body was pretty good but needed a little filling to straighten out car park dings etc- decided not to go 2 tone again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

190D was done outside in 2k using an airbrush and a 25 litre compressor- not a full respray but 2 sides.

 

 

My Rf900 was painted in a single car lock up with 2 pack  with a 25 ;itre compressor- turned out well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So... easily done, and the gear to do a fairly decent job shouldn't be much more than £200, paint and materials not much more than £100, and a knowledge that it hasn't just been blown over and will look as bad if not worse in 6 months. Stonechip is your friend- use it like primer over any repairs, then flat down with 600 wet and dry- fills all the little pock marks and scratches and sticks to anything.

[Junkman]

Painting a car is an art, like plastering a wall, or the stuff Michelangelo did. You are either born with the ability, or not. There is nothing to learn, and what others do or are able to do is of no significance whatsoever, neither is money. You either can do it, or not, end of story.

[gary_davidson]

I've only done a whole car once but was lucky to have access to a spray booth. If you end up doing it yourself then spend an hour or two cleaning where you will paint - move everything out that you don't want over spray on and also wash the floor to get rid of as much dust as possible. Remember to take your time as well, there is no point in rushing it. 

[Tonka]

Getting a decent finish is all about preperation, preperation, preperation........... not just the finished bodywork you are about to paint, but where you are painting it and what you use to put the paint on!

 

My garage is cramped so I can only ever do one end and one side at a time, it's not exactly clean either but with a bit of forward planning and effort moving stuff out of the way, cleaning up and making sure the spray gun is stripped, cleaned and spotless people are amazed at the finish I can get, you just need patience. I bury the repaired areas in 3 good coats of 2K Hi-build primer, cover it with a dark guide coat, leave it for a couple of days then wet flat before putting on 3 coats of gloss which I then leave for a couple of days before flatting with 1000/1500/2000 as required and buffing,.

 

It might be the wrong way of doing things "technically" but it works for me and has done for years...........

 

After getting frustrated whilst trying to paint a body shell and waiting for my compressor to re-fill/keep up  I treated myself to a much bigger compressor 3 years ago so I could buy a blasting cabinet and power almost any air tool I'll ever need how ironic then that today I have dropped off some alloys to be stripped that won't fit in it because I haven't got room for a big cabinet.............!

[Station]

I've had good jobs and bad jobs, sprayed with 2K and cellulose.

The best was spraying cellulose with Flame Red mixed by a professional paint shop. I also did my mk1 300ZX with rattle can done by a pro, and the colour match was perfect and it took about 1 hour prepping and spraying.

The worst was recently when I touched up the arches on my Fuego - the paint was mixed at Halfords, and put into a rattle can. The can was spraying black, then silver, then the right colour, then black, etc. It's a cliche, but Halfords really are useless when it comes to doing things like this.

 

I haven't found an ideal temperature or location, inside or out to spray a car, I hate doing metallics.

[DodgyBastard]

I recently sprayed my polo black with 14 cans of poundland spray cans in a derelict barn.

 

Before that I went about sorting the rust out...

 

 

 

 

Then off to the abandoned farm for painting,

 

 

Removed handles, lights and rear bumper and masked off windows.

 

 

 

Sanded original paint and sanded rust adding Kurust to particularly bad areas then added £4 worth of poundland primer.

 

 

 

 

Poundland only seem to stock matt black, grey primer and gloss white so matt black was chosen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fitted some 13" BBS Mahles to complete the look.

 

 

 

 

 

It's not perfect but will do for now, Plans are to leave the car as is.