95Stealth302

<SPAN class=post><FONT size=2>I got a nice air compressor, and am finding a good sprayer head. My black beauty is looking a little shabby, so this summer my dad and I are going to repaint her the same color by ourselves. I figure it costs 2k to get a good job somewhere else, and I can get all the paint for like 200$, so why not try it? We're going to paint the 85 F150 first as a template, and start small to work out the kinks of our first painting venture. I plan to sand it down to a smooth surface, get all dents out, the spray away. Sounds easy but I know it's tough. Any paint men out there want to give some advice? Save me from the obvious, thanks.</FONT></SPAN>

five0

I also have been wanting to paint my own, lil scareed though.. shoul I be?

95Stealth302

No, hold on, I'll tell you how to do it.

First of all check with the local laws about painting, don't want the enviro cops showing up at the door.
Secondly , don't use cheap paint. $200 is cheap paint. Use a name brand like PPG, DuPont, Glasurit, Diamont. and Use acrylic Urathane.
Thirdly don't use any laquer products. Not good.
Fouthly prep work is everyting. Wash the car throughly 2 - 3 times, than hit it with was and grease remover. ONe cloth for wet and than follow with a second dry cloth, wet in left hand dry in right or vise versa, don't let it dry on the car.
Wet sand the entire car with 600 grit,. This is all doen assuming there is no body work or the body work is all done. Again when doing body work stay away from the greeen or red laquer putty. Polly putty is what you want to use for the small spots.
Assuming your dad is in his late 30's or older he'll be all about the laquer products, you absolutly must break him of that.
After wet sanding wash the car again, wax and greaase remover , than hit it with a primer/sealer fromt he same manufacture as the paint you plan to use.
See what the window is on the sealer, you usually have to top coat with paint wiht in 24 hours of applying the sealer, sometime sooner, sometimes you get more. Right befoe yo paint it hit it wiht a tac cloth.

Get the biggest compressor yo can afford, a 30 gallon 5 horse is going to be running constantly, but will work
Filter right out of the compresor and get a last chance right before the gun. Soem cheap guns actually work pretty good but I like Sharpe or devillbiss. A lot of people like Binks, I never cared for them.

Once you start paint start ot the top and make sure you leave a wet edge. Run about 35 psi at the gun, not the 70 that the manufacture recomends, too much overspray and waste.

Get some junk parts to practice on, it;s definatly a learned art/skill.

6 coats is bad, um kay. Thats a laquer thing. 2-3 coats of base color and 2-3 coats of clear. or if you using a single stage 2-3 coats. You can paint fiberglass with the same stuff. The more you take out, lights, glass, etc the better the overall paint job will be, but with careful taping not neccessary for a daily driver. Paint will cost about $500+ with the sealer, and any reducers you may need. The clear I used to use was over $400 a gallon, base coat was like $65/quart, depending on color, but that was absolute top of the line. You just have to practice technique, I can't explain the way I do it I would have to show you.

Thats is in a nut shell.

five0

is it a lot more work to paint the stang a diff color... mines white. don't really like it that much..

NeoTokyo

Just mark, measure and document where you have body damage... Chemically strip the car, then sand the excess off... Bring it down to bare metal. From there work your body filly for the small dings and dents, for larger dents remove them with a puller or use the heat expansion/retraction technique by heating the area in a cirular fassion, and it will pop out when it cools down, but be warned, this is a more perminant way to remove dents and can cause unforseen problems like melting a hole into the metal lol.

Now when using the heat technique on your 94-04 Hood to remove dents, be forewarnd, your hood is fiberglass brainiac... LOL

Thats about what I know on the body part.

NeoTokyo

oh hey, how the hell do you do a Chamelion paint job? I have a two tone Chamelion paint I want to do. Its close to the stock Ford white for my 95' but it has Cobolt blue in it for the secondary color... Is this just a single paint mixed or is there two or more layers of different paints that need to be used? I really like the idea of Chamelion white and Cobolt blue and really want to try it.... I was going to do Chamelion white with that really wonderful Redish Goldish Orange color that you get when the sun sets just right on light clouds. But too many people thought Cobolt blue would be a better secondary color, and i would have to agree.