We are about to restore a 65 Mustang for a full restoration of what will also be a daily driver, but we are at an important decision.
I was hoping we could strip the car of all paint and take it down to the bare metal, and then prime it with Etching Primer and Activator and then 2K Primer with Activator.

Here is my problem. I was told at the parts house yesterday that the only compressor I can do this with will cost $1,200. I was hoping to spend around $250 to $400 at the most.

I understand that a compressor builds air and the volume is what continues to push the paint through the gun.

Please give me your advice. Can this be done affordably? If not, we will not buy a compressor, we will just spend that money for a body shop to prime it, but we have not priced that out yet either.

Thanks,
Dan of Troy

 

My compressor was about $400, i think,but what you want to look for a bigger tank so it wont cycle as much or run continuously. Mine is a Sears 3.5 HP/35 gallon tank i think. Its fine for air tools but grinders, it will run non stop to keep the tak full.

 

I paint with my 35 gallon tank all the time with out any issues unless my wife sneaks out and turns it off because it is noisy. It is also a Sears 3.5 horsepower. I have even run two guns off of it at 25 psi per gun, it ran the whole time but it kept the pressure up.

 

http://www.eatoncompressor.com/catal...47/8750640.htm

Spend wisely....

A GOOD 3 HP will probably run a spray gun well, and do a decent job with a d/a sander. A POS 3 HP wont do either.

Look specifically at the CFM capacity and at WHAT PRESSURE it is rated. If you can't afford the Eaton unit, compare it's specifications to others before buying.

IMO, the oil-less pumps suck, and the high speed pumps suck, buy a nice "big bore" slow turning compressor.

My point is that you can get more for your money outside of the big box stores and the "parts stores".

Buy smart.

 

probably the one i have. not exactly made for a late night wrenching.

 

also take into account, if you go with what JMD suggest, you will need to run 220 to your garage, add that into your expense.

 

If he's doing a full resto he'll need 220v to run a decent welder anyway.

Don't look at your tools as an investment for this car, look at them as an investment for you entire life. Some of my better tools have been with my for 30 years, the crappy ones have been replaced with better ones. You will see a difference between the good and bad tools. If you need power in your garage, bite the bullet and put in a sub-panel, sooner or later you'll need additional power for something else.

JMDs advice is spot on, although you can also check craigslist, there are some good deals on "commercial" units that are designed to have a 100% duty cycle.

 

Not true.Ive done 2 full restos and didnt use a welder once till i recently.Most people dont weld or want to.

 

We used 2 air compressors (110volts and 7cfm @ 50psi) on DIFFERENT electrical circuits to get the 10 CFM of air volume the spray gun needed. The compressor regulators were set to 90psi and they were T'eed into the air dryer with 25 foot hoses which helped cool the air and allow the water to condense.

The air dryer regulator was set to 50 PSI (wall pressure). The gun was set for about 10psi at the nozzle. We never ran out of air pressure even on long shoots.

Also consider using epoxy primer instead of etch. SPI sells a very good product for a reasonable price. Hotrodders paint forum is a great resource for painting. Lots of pros there that like helping others.

 

My point is consider what you'll be doing in your garage beyond this first project. Bite the bullet once instead of nickle and diming yourself to death trying to cut every corner possible each time. If you're taking on a project like this and its your first one chances are you'll be doing more. An investment in your garage and tools stay with you forever. Personally, its much more enjoyable to work on something using the right tools instead of trying to make a poor tool work. I bought my first welder after almost 20 years of doing without, I kick myself every day for not doing it sooner.

chris66dad, very ingenious setup not only for getting the cfm you need but also getting the air cool before the dryer. Nicely done.