Optimus Prime - The '68 Coupe
01-10-2011, 11:51 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
Optimus Prime - The '68 Coupe
In this post I would like to share with you the process I will go through to prime (or primer) I don't even know which one is proper, my 1968 Mustang coupe.
Why primer the car?
Well it looks like crap, and in order to get motivated to turn a wrench on it I can't have it look so depressing. Also I want to protect it from rust and prep it for a paint job.
I am doing this post for two reasons.
1. To ensure I stay motivate and committed to get this done.
2. To solicit your help and advice along the way.
A little background about myself. I am a computer nerd by trade. I have never primed and or painted a car before. I did however wet sand, primer, and paint a motorcycle before, and boy that was a lot of work. I swore never to do it again.
I don't have the money to have this professionally done and even if I did I would still attempt it myself to learn and enjoy the process and the results. My budget is to spend $100 per month on the car to bring her back to a daily driver condition.
Now to set our expectations. I am not going for A results, B is good enough for me. Now that is not saying I will put in half @ss effort into this, I will work my butt off, but A being the work of a professional with years of experience and all the proper tools, my B is going to be the best an amateur can expect. Also I allow myself to make mistakes and roll with the punches.
So sit back pop open a cold one or pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and don't hold back those "otta boys!" LOL
Why primer the car?
Well it looks like crap, and in order to get motivated to turn a wrench on it I can't have it look so depressing. Also I want to protect it from rust and prep it for a paint job.
I am doing this post for two reasons.
1. To ensure I stay motivate and committed to get this done.
2. To solicit your help and advice along the way.
A little background about myself. I am a computer nerd by trade. I have never primed and or painted a car before. I did however wet sand, primer, and paint a motorcycle before, and boy that was a lot of work. I swore never to do it again.
I don't have the money to have this professionally done and even if I did I would still attempt it myself to learn and enjoy the process and the results. My budget is to spend $100 per month on the car to bring her back to a daily driver condition.
Now to set our expectations. I am not going for A results, B is good enough for me. Now that is not saying I will put in half @ss effort into this, I will work my butt off, but A being the work of a professional with years of experience and all the proper tools, my B is going to be the best an amateur can expect. Also I allow myself to make mistakes and roll with the punches.
So sit back pop open a cold one or pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and don't hold back those "otta boys!" LOL
Last edited by Gregski; 01-11-2011 at 10:32 PM.
01-11-2011, 12:07 AM
#2
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
A blank canvas.... well sorta.
Ok, so first thing's first. What are we up against here? Let's see the canvas if you will. Well here it is, the way she looked the day I bought her. Some of you may have seen it already when I bragged about landing this beauty for a mere $800 bucks and a firm hand shake, others may have been spared till now.
01-11-2011, 12:20 AM
#3
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: utah
Posts: 11
ya know, that reminds me of the one i recently bought for two grand, its a 65 but my paint is in better condition. its body looks like its in a hell of a lot better condition though. good luck with it and throw up some pics while your in the process. im thinking of doing mine on my own and pics help a lot!
01-11-2011, 10:23 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
Plan B
so I have to be honest with you, the original plan was simple, buy the car, run by the local AutoZone and pick up 10 cans of gray primer for $1.99 each, put on some Lynyrd Skynyrd and hopefully by the time the last track of Nuthin' Fancy plays I would have a rattle canned gray car... BUT [and for those of you who have ever taken on a project car, you'll agree there's always a but] then I decided to learn how to properly remove surface rust from the roof and more importantly keep it from coming back. I also learned that not all primer was created equal. So Plan A quickly turned to Plan B.
PLAN B
Phase 1 - The Rusted Roof
Phase 2 - The Trunk and Rear End
Phase 3 - The Doors and Door Jams
Phase 4 - The Front End
I decided to break up the project into 4 phases for the following reasons. First I knew I could only work on the car on Fridays, and there's no way I could strip, prep, and prime the entire car in 1 day, [not even if Chip Foose and the crew of Overhaulin' did return my phone calls, but they didn't] I also did not want to strip a section to bare metal, like the roof for example and have it sit naked for weeks if not months until I was ready to prime it. Also working on a section of a car would keep me focused and give me a sense of accomplishment, [we do live in the age of instant gratification after all]. So just like my daddy would say if he was into cars, we start at the top and move our way from front to back, well sorta. We start at the top and move our way from back to front, since we don't have a hood, in hopes that we acquire one by the time it's time to do the front, LOL.
However priming a car in phases does have it's downsides. I would have to clean up after each phase, not only the car, but my work area ie the garage, but also the spray gun, etc. rather than just once at the end. I would need to run to the store for primer 4 times, (I like a fresh small can of primer, that they wiggle for me that day, rather than a large can I open and try and reseal and then sits on a shelf in my garage for weeks and settles).
More on the types of primer and my choice later...
PLAN B
Phase 1 - The Rusted Roof
Phase 2 - The Trunk and Rear End
Phase 3 - The Doors and Door Jams
Phase 4 - The Front End
I decided to break up the project into 4 phases for the following reasons. First I knew I could only work on the car on Fridays, and there's no way I could strip, prep, and prime the entire car in 1 day, [not even if Chip Foose and the crew of Overhaulin' did return my phone calls, but they didn't] I also did not want to strip a section to bare metal, like the roof for example and have it sit naked for weeks if not months until I was ready to prime it. Also working on a section of a car would keep me focused and give me a sense of accomplishment, [we do live in the age of instant gratification after all]. So just like my daddy would say if he was into cars, we start at the top and move our way from front to back, well sorta. We start at the top and move our way from back to front, since we don't have a hood, in hopes that we acquire one by the time it's time to do the front, LOL.
However priming a car in phases does have it's downsides. I would have to clean up after each phase, not only the car, but my work area ie the garage, but also the spray gun, etc. rather than just once at the end. I would need to run to the store for primer 4 times, (I like a fresh small can of primer, that they wiggle for me that day, rather than a large can I open and try and reseal and then sits on a shelf in my garage for weeks and settles).
More on the types of primer and my choice later...
01-12-2011, 12:11 PM
#7
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,027
so I have to be honest with you, the original plan was simple, buy the car, run by the local AutoZone and pick up 10 cans of gray primer for $1.99 each, put on some Lynyrd Skynyrd and hopefully by the time the last track of Nuthin' Fancy plays I would have a rattle canned gray car... BUT [and for those of you who have ever taken on a project car, you'll agree there's always a but] then I decided to learn how to properly remove surface rust from the roof and more importantly keep it from coming back. I also learned that not all primer was created equal. So Plan A quickly turned to Plan B.
PLAN B
Phase 1 - The Rusted Roof
Phase 2 - The Trunk and Rear End
Phase 3 - The Doors and Door Jams
Phase 4 - The Front End
I decided to break up the project into 4 phases for the following reasons. First I knew I could only work on the car on Fridays, and there's no way I could strip, prep, and prime the entire car in 1 day, [not even if Chip Foose and the crew of Overhaulin' did return my phone calls, but they didn't] I also did not want to strip a section to bare metal, like the roof for example and have it sit naked for weeks if not months until I was ready to prime it. Also working on a section of a car would keep me focused and give me a sense of accomplishment, [we do live in the age of instant gratification after all]. So just like my daddy would say if he was into cars, we start at the top and move our way from front to back, well sorta. We start at the top and move our way from back to front, since we don't have a hood, in hopes that we acquire one by the time it's time to do the front, LOL.
However priming a car in phases does have it's downsides. I would have to clean up after each phase, not only the car, but my work area ie the garage, but also the spray gun, etc. rather than just once at the end. I would need to run to the store for primer 4 times, (I like a fresh small can of primer, that they wiggle for me that day, rather than a large can I open and try and reseal and then sits on a shelf in my garage for weeks and settles).
More on the types of primer and my choice later...
PLAN B
Phase 1 - The Rusted Roof
Phase 2 - The Trunk and Rear End
Phase 3 - The Doors and Door Jams
Phase 4 - The Front End
I decided to break up the project into 4 phases for the following reasons. First I knew I could only work on the car on Fridays, and there's no way I could strip, prep, and prime the entire car in 1 day, [not even if Chip Foose and the crew of Overhaulin' did return my phone calls, but they didn't] I also did not want to strip a section to bare metal, like the roof for example and have it sit naked for weeks if not months until I was ready to prime it. Also working on a section of a car would keep me focused and give me a sense of accomplishment, [we do live in the age of instant gratification after all]. So just like my daddy would say if he was into cars, we start at the top and move our way from front to back, well sorta. We start at the top and move our way from back to front, since we don't have a hood, in hopes that we acquire one by the time it's time to do the front, LOL.
However priming a car in phases does have it's downsides. I would have to clean up after each phase, not only the car, but my work area ie the garage, but also the spray gun, etc. rather than just once at the end. I would need to run to the store for primer 4 times, (I like a fresh small can of primer, that they wiggle for me that day, rather than a large can I open and try and reseal and then sits on a shelf in my garage for weeks and settles).
More on the types of primer and my choice later...
01-12-2011, 09:00 PM
#8
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
I understand the cleanup but the gun should be 5 minutes or less. 3M PPS is worth every penny
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...beNC52BPFRXCgl
01-13-2011, 07:52 AM
#9
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,027
I like that you mix right in the cup, the strainer is built into the lid. Also, you can turn the gun upside down, pull the trigger and it will suck all the air out. You can then spray with the gun in any position.
They are however a little on the pricey side, there are deals out there but they do cost. Haven't figured out cost of the cups vs cost of thinner cleaning the gun. I went to them for ease of use only.
They are however a little on the pricey side, there are deals out there but they do cost. Haven't figured out cost of the cups vs cost of thinner cleaning the gun. I went to them for ease of use only.
01-15-2011, 12:20 AM
#10
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California
Posts: 611
Weapons of Choice.
Introducing the starting line up.
1. 5 Inch Random Orbital Electric Sander - Harbor Freight $20 bucks
2. 4 Inch Angle Grinder - Harbor Freight $15 bucks
3. Eye Protection - too old to remember where I got them
4. Air Mask - Home Depot $40 bucks
If our 5 inch work horse orbital sander is the Running Back, then that makes the 4 inch angle grinder our Full Back. So just as you rely on the RB to get you the easy 6 yards on a first and 10 ie strip off a coat of paint, you need the FB to get you that tough yard on third and 1, ie grind the rust off of those stubborn places.
Under the Safety First Column, we have the eye goggles, a must when using the wire wheel on the angle grinder, loose wires fly all over the place, and for those fans of oxygen, the air mask.
These four tools are a must, I will add the optional nice to have tools in the next post.
1. 5 Inch Random Orbital Electric Sander - Harbor Freight $20 bucks
2. 4 Inch Angle Grinder - Harbor Freight $15 bucks
3. Eye Protection - too old to remember where I got them
4. Air Mask - Home Depot $40 bucks
If our 5 inch work horse orbital sander is the Running Back, then that makes the 4 inch angle grinder our Full Back. So just as you rely on the RB to get you the easy 6 yards on a first and 10 ie strip off a coat of paint, you need the FB to get you that tough yard on third and 1, ie grind the rust off of those stubborn places.
Under the Safety First Column, we have the eye goggles, a must when using the wire wheel on the angle grinder, loose wires fly all over the place, and for those fans of oxygen, the air mask.
These four tools are a must, I will add the optional nice to have tools in the next post.
Last edited by Gregski; 01-15-2011 at 08:05 AM.