Grandmaster

Hey guys and girls,

I have dedided to go ahead and get my car painted. I would like to do most of the body work myself. The car is in great shape overall. The front bumber has some paint chips which i will need to sand down. The passenger side front fender is loose, which i will try to take off and fix. After that my car had sticker pin stripes which i will need to remove.

My questions are as follows.
1. What do I need to buy to get started on this job? Sand paper, what grit?
2. My front fender is loose, have any of you taken it off before, if so can I get an idea of were bolts might be that it is missing?
3. Should I take off the wing and the hood to have them painted seperatly? Also, should i take out my headlights so it will be less time to have them mask it?
4. What liquids do i need to remove tar and bugs? What can i use to get rid of the pin striping?

sickspeedgt

no you don't need to take off the the wing and hood to get it painted.
i remember seeing some liquid called tar remover at walmart......... also theres some bug remover there too.
id start with really fine grit to start off with like 200 and if that doesn't work just work your way up.
don't know about fender question
hope it helps

birdman076

First off you want to use a "metal prep" or some type of cleaner that removes wax, oil, dirt, and any other residue from the paint, if you don't you might as well not bother. Reason being is when you sand not only are you removing paint but your grinding whatever is on the paint into it, and if anything is but paint is there then it will be contaminated. After you remove contaminents you want to scuff the existing paint with 220 (this only applies if your existing paint is in ok shape meaning no checks, cracking, or peeling). If you are missing paint due to chipping, peeling, or anything else then you will have to fill, sand the whole panel down to the same level as the chip or crack, or blend that area for it to look proper without waves. You should use a D/A sander to do this as well, and there is somewhat of an art to properly sanding a car. Depending on the color you choose, the darker the color the more imperfections will show up. There is a reason white is sometimes called "body shop white" lol, it hides most imperfections. To get everything perfect, after scuffing the paint mist primer on 1 panel at a time and sand it back off this will show you any high or low spots ( dents and dings) that need to be addressed. All you need is a light "guide" coat to do this effectively. To follow up prep work, take of anything that can be easily unbolted or removed, the more you have to tape the more chance of paint coming up. Every edge you create with the tape is another area the paint can get moisture under and lift. If you want to do it right pull everything, headlights, weather strip, molding, door handles, door panels, the spoiler, etc etc.


As far as technique:

1. always hold the sander flat against the surface you are sanding

2. don't use pressure let the sander do the work

3. do the edges of the body lines by hand (with a sanding block of course)

4. Take your time

5. keep the sander moving at all times ( it can and will burn/melt the paint )

6. find someone local with experience to lend a hand, or at the very least go to a local body shop and apply as a sander/prep person they will give you the training but the pay sucks lol. They are always looking for prepers because its a chit job that no one likes to do.


Hope this helps

Black Snake

Your in for alot of work buddy trust me I know, I preped and painted my car myself.

This is what I was told to do.

1. Get sandpaper start from course then to real fine prolly to 350 grit to about 1000 or even 800 will work.
2. Dont sand by hand use a sanding block.
3. Its easier to sand if you use a D/A with a compressor if ya got one.
4. Use your bare hand to feel for imperfections or rough spots.
5. Ive been yold that you dont have to use primer when painting over old paint but I did anyway, dont by cheap can primer go to a paint shop and get the right primer.
6. After Primer you will need to start sanding again, repeat step 1-4
7. Tape up everything you dont want over spray on, remember the best paint job comes from the prep work.

You dont need to take hood off to paint it, but if you want you can take off the wing just in case you want to use an after market wing down the line, also make sure to also prep and sand the door jams to get it ready for paint, theres nothing worse than seeing a different paint on the inside of car.