Well i know there is another post going on now about the price of paint jobs, While talking to my cousin who lives over on the western part of washington he told me i could get my car painted by a retired pro for 1,600 about rought estament.But thats just color it doesnt include blocking filling and getting the car ready for paint. After visiting a paint supply store they encouraged me to try it , i told them i have edp primer on most of my new parts . they said it didnt matter and that i could sand it down with 80grit shoot expoxy primer over it then use a guide coat sand it off and fill all the low spots with body filler and repeat this process until it was smooth and straight and finish my primer with 320 grit sand blocks. will this work alright? i mean if i take my time and make sure i have a clean surface.?

 

Sound's good, IMO if you are just taking the ecoat off, 80 grit is a little aggressive. A DA with 180 grit will take it off plenty fast and won't leave scratches your primer can't fill. Make sure before you use body filler,you get the surface clean with warm soapy water and wipe it down with a solvent cleaner. Apply the body filler even, not to leave any heavy edges. Just more sanding. A long board is best to eliminate any waves [don't use your hand with sandpaper]. Once you think you have it, get a cheap can of dark spray paint and lightly fog the area. Take some 220 on a block and go over it. Any areas that show the paint are still to low. Before you spray primer, make sure it is free from dirt and grease. Depending on the primer, there is a limited time to put top coat on it, before you have to scuff it again to open up the primer for adhesion of the topcoat. The paint I use won't cover anything over 400 grit sand marks and 600 is better, but more work. It depends on the manufacturers spec, but the smoother it is, the better it will be! Don't spray the primer too thick and let it flash inbetween coats or you will get solvent trapped. If you can find a old fender, practice gun control and pressure setting on the gun. The more orange peel you have, the more you have to sand.

 

ditto on the 180 but be sure and go over each panel you work on with a good wax & grease remover such as "prepsol". After filling in any low spots with a light coat of filler (mixed as directed) sand it flush with a long board or short board ddepending on the size of the repair. reclean the panel once again then shoot your 2K primer over it. I usually start out with two coats then you can actually buy "guide coat black" in a spray can to fog lightly over the panel. Go back to your 180 long paper and sand until there are no low spots shown by small areas of black. If you can't get it flat then apply another coat of primer thenlet dry and then reguide and sand
This part is tedious but well worth it in the long run. When you're sure it's flatI would go over all of the finish with a wet/dry 600. Then it needs to be sealed and shot. The painter should seal it before paint or you should ask if he will be doing that. Sealer makes sure whatever is under the primer doesn't come through the paint later. Good Luck

 

Yes i was aware i practiced a single stage on a toyata fender it turned out very nice too we sandblasted the fender used simple green a non toxic natural cleaner and a sponge with water to clean the metal first then let it dry and shot self etching primer in a can over it then we wetsanded it with simple green and repeated then used a guide coat of black spray paint and we were lucky the fender was already striaght but we finished sanding the primer with 600 grit sand paper then shot a single stage paint and damn it turned out good. BUt its not that easy with a whole car lol. Like i said i have a damn good idea of what im doing i just wanna make sure i take the proper steps to ensure all the labor i put into the paint job is there like a website with a little info i can read up on?

 

Sorry, I didn't know you had done this before. Sometimes the people that sell paint have never painted. Sounds crazy, I know. I paint mine in pieces, fenders , hood, doors, deck lid, front and rear valances off the body. When you shoot the body, you have easy access to the jambs. You also have more time to get around the car with less area to cover. There is a article on the Mustang Monthly website about painting a 66 mustang. That might help.