Paint job question for Mr. Mike...

[nrengle]

Mike

It appears I'm gonna have to reshoot some panels on my car due to some severe pitting/scratching that polishing just can't take care of. So while I was finishing with the last coat of Fuzion today (on top of 2 coats of DGPS), I had a brain storm.

Strip the car down pretty much to primer/metal, re prime, and repaint factory color (Nighthawk Black Pearl from Honda), but instead of their typical soft clear, changing it to maybe a cerami-clear or another super hard clear instead.

Do you think this would be ok, or do you forsee issues? This won't be happening for quite a while, but it's something that's on my mind...

[Mike Phillips]

Mike

It appears I'm gonna have to re-shoot some panels on my car due to some severe pitting/scratching that polishing just can't take care of. So while I was finishing with the last coat of Fuzion today (on top of 2 coats of DGPS), I had a brain storm.

Strip the car down pretty much to primer/metal, re prime, and repaint factory color (Nighthawk Black Pearl from Honda), but instead of their typical soft clear, changing it to maybe a cerami-clear or another super hard clear instead.

Do you think this would be ok, or do you forsee issues? This won't be happening for quite a while, but it's something that's on my mind...

Best thing to do would be to check with the paint mixer at your local PBE store or a PPG Rep and see if they know of any compatibility issues.

I haven't painted a car in 15 years but have just ordered some new DVD's on this topic and hope to be doing some new paint jobs this spring.

Note, generally speaking the best finish is the factory finish as everything from the metal up is processed in a very controlled regimen.

Another factor to consider is cost of materials and the job in total as compared to how long to you plan on keeping the car?

[PAR Detailing]

I started to dabble in painting and I reshot a bumper and half of a door pannel. They told me to only take it down to the base coat and then reprime and then base and then clear. They told me to use the 3m or scotchbrite brillow pads to do it... its alot faster than sandpaper. For a first time painting we did a kick a** job. It looked great. We also did a lip addon to my roommates car and it looked perfect. we did 2 coats of primer, 2 base, and 3 clear. I would now say that I would do 2 primer, 3 base, and atleast 4 clear and the last being a dropcoat where you spray it on a littleheavier. Some painters here might just laugh at me and say im an idiot and doing it all wrong but it worked for me and I was happy with the outcome.
just my .02c
Best of luck
Jon

[LincolnZephyr2006]

I started to dabble in painting and I reshot a bumper and half of a door pannel. They told me to only take it down to the base coat and then reprime and then base and then clear. They told me to use the 3m or scotchbrite brillow pads to do it... its alot faster than sandpaper. For a first time painting we did a kick a** job. It looked great. We also did a lip addon to my roommates car and it looked perfect. we did 2 coats of primer, 2 base, and 3 clear. I would now say that I would do 2 primer, 3 base, and atleast 4 clear and the last being a dropcoat where you spray it on a littleheavier. Some painters here might just laugh at me and say im an idiot and doing it all wrong but it worked for me and I was happy with the outcome.
just my .02c
Best of luck
Jon

LOL! JK Big JON!

[nrengle]

Mike,

I plan on keeping the car for quite a while actually. I've always loved the EP3 style Civic SI, so I'll probably have it till the frame falls off LOL.

As for the work / price involved, I'd basically just have to buy the paint and clear, and maybe reducer or hardener. My father in-law used to own a paint shop, and still has it but it's no longer open to the public so I have a booth, guns, and all materials I need (tape, plastic, sand paper, body filler (shouldn't need), flex agent for bumpers, etc). I'd have to do the sanding myself, and then him helping me with the prep, and him doing the shooting itself. The car has had the hood, the right rear quarter, both bumpers, driver door, driver fender repainted due to a break in, and a semi clipping my car taking a turn too wide, and hitting my car while in it's parking spot on the street (along with 2 other cars). So I'm not too concerned about the factory finish since there's not much left really.