DIY paint job. Anyone here ever tried it?

[Eric]

I am thinking about taking the plunge on this with my 1994 Mustang GT. The car is originally from Chicago and while it has been well maintained mechanically and in the interior, the paint is definitely showing it's age. I would like to repaint it, but lack the funds to have it done so I may go the DIY route and I'm looking for guidance.

For the record, the car has it's factory white paint job and I would be using the same color.

[BobbyG]

I learned how to apply automotive pain by reading and experimenting but that was about 1970... you know, before Al Gore invented the Internet! :laughing:

There's allot online and this link is just one of them.

Watch Discover How To Paint A Car At LearnAutoPainting.com Online - VideoSurf Video Search (http://www.videosurf.com/video/discover-how-to-paint-a-car-at-learnautopainting-com-71713975?vlt=ffext&vlt_position=inline)

[Y2KSVT]

I highly recommend you purchase the DVD off of this website. It's only $10 and you get the DVD, as well as downloadable videos and guides. I bought it two years ago and was able to paint the bumper on my sister's Acura with great results.

Easy How To Paint A Car PRO Your Self Home (http://www.easypaintyourcar.com/)

Basically, the guy who made the DVD was in your shoes. He wanted his car repainted but couldn't afford to have it done professionally, so he did a lot of research with high end painters and then tried it out for himself. Watching the DVD will give you a lot of confidence that you can go out and get great results by doing it yourself. It's $10 very well spent.

Mark

[MrHandWash]

Hey Y2K, what was your total budget after acquiring the supplies to paint that bumper?

I'm already going mobile soon, and would love to experiment around on my project car. That site mentions around $400-500 total and that's it. Seems like a good deal, just curious. I already am good on an air compressor, which helps.

Just trying to gauge whether or not it's something I should look into. I actually work at a dealership that has a paint booth that I could work in for free on Sundays ^.^ but they'll charge me $2000 to paint my car :( not thrilled about that part. I'd rather just do it myself.

*ponders, maybe I can just borrow one of the paint booth specialists for a sunday.

[AndrewBall]

it can be very expensive and its not as easy as you think. you need a clean garage with ventilation. it will be very messy and take a long time. I do all my own body work. we have a 250gallon air compressor and all the guns and other equipment we might need. without all that i wouldnt even try it.

if you dont do this in a clean environment you will get stuff in the paint, plus you could have runs and then sand them out and then have the color lift it around the sanding area and then you could have fogging in the clear coat if its too humid out. There are alot of factors.

if you are up for it, go for it. it can be fun and rewarding. But it is alot of work it will likely take you a week or so.

[OCDetails]

I've painted smaller things like motorcycles at home. It definitely takes some time and there can be a significant learning curve depending on your equipment. The first bike I painted was used with rattle cans and it took 3 months to get it all painted properly and put back together, but it looked freaking awesome when it was all said and done. The number of hours I put into it probably cost me more than just taking it to a shop, but at least I could say I did it myself and with pretty inferior tools. Just don't be in a rush and make sure you are comfortable with the process before you get started and you should be fine. If you think it is going to get painted in a weekend and then you'll be back on the road, think again. ;)


edit: oh, and regardless of what color it is now, definitely take the time to prep it right. it is good that areas like the engine bay won't be mismatched, but sand that paint down and do the job right or else it will always look like a cheap $300 MAACO paint job.

[MrHandWash]

Well it's a 1991 rx7 Convertible that I am planning on rebuilding from the ground up in the near future. It already has an immaculate red paint job (OEM) but I'd like it to be all black to match the top. Only reason I want to paint it is because I'm planning on putting some carbon fiber coated body pieces on it which will mend well with the black color. Also it has a few scrathes (none inflicted by me ^.^) previous owner apparently had some grudges against shrubs or something.

Black 91's in a convertible are almost impossible to find, and if they are they're at least 150k plus miles, and ready to blow their seals. Mine still runs like a champ.

What's the lowest advised compressor to run with. I already have to get a compressor, but not sure what size I would need to have enough Gal. in my tank to do panel-by-panel. I'm not really worried about time. I think doing this project would take me at least a month or two. I'd only have 1-2 days to work on it each week.

[Y2KSVT]

Hey Y2K, what was your total budget after acquiring the supplies to paint that bumper?

I'm already going mobile soon, and would love to experiment around on my project car. That site mentions around $400-500 total and that's it. Seems like a good deal, just curious. I already am good on an air compressor, which helps.

Just trying to gauge whether or not it's something I should look into. I actually work at a dealership that has a paint booth that I could work in for free on Sundays ^.^ but they'll charge me $2000 to paint my car :( not thrilled about that part. I'd rather just do it myself.

*ponders, maybe I can just borrow one of the paint booth specialists for a sunday.

I think I paid ~$110 for two Devilbiss HVLP guns on ebay. I ended up only using the one, but the smaller gun would be nice for touchups. I already have a 30 gallon air compressor which was more than sufficient for a bumper. I bought quite a few tools which weren't completely necessary, but what guy doesn't want more tools? I bought a random orbital sander for ~$50 and some extra sanding disks for it. I bought a respirator from Harbor Freight for ~$20, and then I think my sister paid about $120 for the paint supplies, which included a can of adhesivep promoter for plastics, a quart of primer, two quarts of base coat (in case I messed up), a quart of clear, and some tack cloths for whiping down.

I didn't mind paying for these tools as I'll be able to use them for a long time. So the next time I have a painting project, I'll only have to pay for the painting materials.

Mark

[Mike Phillips]

I've painted a few cars DIY style, one was back in my home town where at the time there was a place where you could rent a paint booth, that was pretty cool. I got lucky in that one of the local custom car painters just happened to stop by and showed me how to mix my paints, dial in my spray guns and then spray the paint.

I've also done a little Rustoleum brush on work, let it dry for a week and then sanded and buffed to a high gloss and this was actually pretty easy.


:)

[MrHandWash]

Ah, I see. Maybe (not sure if I'm breaking forum rules) I could get a hold of you some time Y2K... because I am in Cincinnati and I drive up to Fort Waye sometimes for work. Just a thought :xyxthumbs:

I am currently looking at these in conjuntion: Generator (http://www.lowes.com/pd_106885-87012-40026_4294857298+5003701_4294937087_?productId=321 8343&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity _sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_200%2B400_4294857298%2B5003701_42 94937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C% 7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1) & Air Compressor (http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=171129-43657-HU351000DI&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3159341&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=sim&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1). These will be part of my mobile arsenal eventually. I'd look at other places, but my more expensive items I can get on a lowes card and finance interest free for 6 months. As well as get a 10% discount on every item :drool: cause the Mrs. still works there. Assuming a 20 Gallon would be a ok granted I do the car in sections.

[Y2KSVT]

The bigger the tank, the better. If you get that DVD I recommended, the guy said he does a lot with a little pancake compressor, but you have to realize that it's going to be running constantly, and you may drop pressure on larger panels.

Keep in mind that changing colors is going to be a whole lot more work. You're looking at removing all of the door seals, trunk lid seals, etc., to make sure you can paint all of the door jams. If you're pulling the motor already, now's the time to paint the engine bay. Good luck with the painting!

Mark

[Eric]

Thanks guys. :)

[Blackthorn One]

As others have said, you will need a clean place to paint, where there is no dust floating about. You could rent a spray booth that would take care of that, although that would drive up your costs. I highly recommend you get a respirator, or at least rent one, if it's possible. I really like Urethane paint, because it is glossier and much more durable than all other paints, although it is deadly to breathe in the spray, so then a respirator is mandatory. I would try painting the car in sections if possible, in order to minimize that dry overspray onto other panels you already did while you are doing another. Plus, you only have so much time anyway. Spraying paint is an art. I suggest you get some practice on other things first, just to get the hang of it, so if you mess up, you wont have a big mess you NEED to clean up and redo because it's your car. The trick is once the gun is dialed in right, to hold the gun at just the right distance to the panel, and to master how fast you can move the gun while spraying the paint under whatever conditions you are in. Move too fast, and the finish looks matte and you will have to sand it smooth. Move too slow and you will get it too wet, and it will cause a run you will need to sand out. Runs are a worse pain than sanding it if it's a little dry, so it's always better to lean in that direction if there is any doubt. Different temperature and humidity will affect how the paint sprays, so all of these factors will affect the quality of your finish in addition to getting the gun set up right, and making sure the paint is thoroughly mixed before painting. May sound basic, but when I had my car painted at the body shop beige, when they got to the bottom of the can they realized that there was an excessive amount of brown pigment down there, and so the WHOLE car wasn't really the right color, which meant that the correct touch up paint, properly mixed, wouldn't match. They had to repaint one of the fenders, and THAT paint was properly mixed, and you could see the difference.

Fortunately, you will be spraying an extremely forgiving color, white.
Incidentally,a lot of the time, panels aren't stamped perfect at the factory, and they may have waves in them. Again, this won't show up much on white, but if you want it perfect, you will have to consider whether you want to do any minor bodywork, like using a little filler to get things absolutely straight. To do that you will need an extra long sanding block, like 2 feet long, to ensure straightness. When you really want to know if something is straight, you spray a light coat of a different color on the car, and then sand it down to see if there are any hills and valleys. Typically a car will be in primer and then painted a light coat of black to reveal the low spots.

[I Shine]

I have painted a few cars but I'm no expert. The bigest factor to a quality paint job is the prep. Remove as much of the trim and anything else that does not get painted. Take your time to make sure the ENTIRE surface to be painted is completly cleaned and sanded.

[MrHandWash]

Been doing some reading, Eric. Just so you know, most people recommend using an air fed respirator to avoid Isocyanates (paint hardeners) which go right through a standard isolation mask. Read into this before you start anything. Just thought it would be a good heads up. Air fed respirators are expensive, but worth it.