1968 - Painting at home in my garage questions

Bradford68 · 02-23-2009, 11:59 AM

Hello,
It has been a couple of months since I have visited this site. I now have my car back from the body shop where it has been for quite a while. (Longer then I will ever admit to anybody.) My baby, that I have owned since 1983, is now safe at home in my garage. My car is primed and ready to be prepped for paint so I am looking for advice from somebody that has painted their classic car at home. After getting several quotes I have decided that I am not going to be taking my car to a paint shop due to the cost (my second child is due this summer). I figured I will research what is needed, buy the tools, and do the work myself. So I am looking for advice from some of you mustang experts.

Questions
1) Looking for some advice on what I will need in terms of paint and HPLC air guns. I may buy used off online auction house or rent these tools.

2) I would like advice on painting the black interior and engine bay sections by hand with an after market paint can. Is using an HPLC air gun paint set up to paint these sections better then cans of paint purchased a local Mustang parts store? Are there any differences in quality and the longevity of paint between these to methods. Should a clear coat of something be put on after I paint the interior and engine bay sections?

3) Should I look into some sort of heat lamps to use to bake the paint?

I have looking on line for tips and recently purchased a 247 page book on painting your car to learn the basics. I know I can do this and that dust is probably the major problem with this so will build home painting booth with piping and plastic sheeting.

If you a curious pictures of my car our posted under my album.

Thanks,
Bradford 68
Atlanta, GA

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chris66dad · 02-24-2009, 10:49 AM

I painted the 66 in an outdoor spray booth we built and used a HVLP spray gun (Finex 3000 about $100) and shot Basecoat Clearcoat.
booth: http://chris66dad.tripod.com/id24.html
primer: http://chris66dad.tripod.com/id22.html
BC/CC: http://chris66dad.tripod.com/id23.html
Used 2 air compressors with the lines Y into a the water trap (Harbor freight $29). Using 2 compressors allowed me to get the 9 CFM of air the gun needs to work.
For our interior and engine compartment I used 4 coats of semi gloss black gloss RustOleum. Good thing about Rattle Cans are you can touch up areas easily.
Pictures: http://chris66dad.tripod.com/id7.html

Best to paint when the temp is between 65 to 90 and match the temps to the reducers you add to the paint or clear

zmetalmilitia · 02-24-2009, 11:43 AM

Since you live in GA, I would make a tent type of booth out of plastic to completely seal the area off from dust and in your case, bugs. You don't want anything landing in your fresh paint. Take some strips of wood, roll it up in the ends of the plastic and screw it to the ceiling and walls in your garage. Tape the floors off.

I would use a single stage paint on the engine bay, much easier and a base/clear isn't really needed there unless your making a show car. I would look into a base/clear on the exterior and around the interior area to match the exterior. I think the doors have a different, duller finish that a base/clear, almost satin-same as the interior panels.

Main thing is to keep the area clean, hose down the floor before you paint and wipe the car down several times to remove all dust, etc. Research what you want, types of paints to use, and the method to apply the paint, and it will come out great. Post pics of your progress, I think it will be cool to see. Good Luck.

Don't think you'll have to bake the paint, just be sure it is at the recommended temp outside.

stangtjk · 02-24-2009, 12:49 PM

I'm no painter but I've read that spraying down the floor before you paint is a bad idea because the moisture will be drawn into the paint. I've painted a few old trucks with the floors wet down and didn't notice any problem but they were higher off the ground and they weren't show quality by any means. Just a thought, you may want to look it up for more info. The article I read recommended just cleaning the floor as best you can because the dust was less of a problem than the moisture.

JMD · 02-24-2009, 11:35 PM

If you are painting in a garage, don't worry much about crap getting in the paint cause it will. Go base/clear, put on plenty of clear so you can buff the dirt and stuff out.

And get it done before the bugs come out if it is not too lat already. I did the plastic hanging from the roof thing because I did not want overspray on everything in my garage. I used 4 mil plastic and carpet tack strips to hook it to the roof. I also "built in" a fan to suck the paint out of the air.. you will still need a mask, make no mistake about that.

It was cool when I painted last so I used DuPont "SNAP Clearcoat", it dried very, very quick to cut down on the stuff that will settle ito the paint. If you usr this stuff for a complete it has to be cool and you have to move fast...

I agree that single stage in the jambs and under the hood is easier, and a catylized paint is ALWAYS better than a spray bomb, but in most cases under the hood a spray can is good enough.

This is a car my sons and I painted a couple of weeks ago, first garage job I have done in a few years, ...

Bradford68 · 08-13-2009, 10:34 PM

Awesome feedback guys. Thanks!

THUMPIN455 · 08-14-2009, 01:11 AM

Brad you are a ball of fire man... How much have you gotten done since February? Im working on my second paint job this summer. Links in my sig take you to the Fords, and you can see the 79 Trans Am and the 79 Formula drag toy at these two. This one will take you to thread on the TA build and the Cougar build here if you want more info.

They were all painted in my shop without a paint booth, but also in colder weather with few or no bugs. It is a huge mess, but if yours is primed and the body work done you would only need to scuff it and spray some high build on it before you put the base down. You need to make sure the paint you use is compatible with what the body shop put on it or you will get weird stuff happening like the paint cracking, peeling, or flaking off.

All the above advice will benefit you. Use a respirator and dont paint it in an attached garage, your family wont like the fumes that seem to persist for weeks or months. Also I would go with an HVLP gun, they work much nicer and you get more paint on the car, the high pressure guns put more in the air than on the car. Here is an HLVP gun set that will let you spray primer and paint decently, its not a $400 gun so it isnt the best one, but it will function well enough.