[kelownacobra]

You're a brave man Scott. Gotta love how dependable some people are.

Best of luck, Jim.

 

[ShelbaToast]

Hell yeah Scotty! I love this - you're going to feel so much ownership and pride when this is all done. We used DuPont Nason for everything on mine and had the local supply place do all our custom mixing (for the stripes). It may not be the top of the line paint, but it's 'easy' to work with and forgiving.

Congrats on the enlarged cojones ;-)

 

[rponfick]

I think you will enjoy the paint process. After all your body work, why stop now? I set up a temporary visqueen paint booth in my garage when I need to paint, and I have always been well satisfied with the results.

I agree with the other guys about using a local paint supplier. I have used PPG exclusively for about the last 20 years. The advice and experience of the counter guys is invaluable. They loan me Fusor adhesive guns and other stuff, and I am a do-it-yourselfer, and not one of their pro painter. As an added enticement, they have a shapely young thing behind the counter sometime just for atmosphere. I have to go in sometimes just to pick up a single stir stick. My wife always asks why I can't get everything I need at one time.

One suggestion they made recently is use their lower line (Omni) for the epoxy primers, sealers, and stuff that goes underneath. Then go their top line stuff for base coat and clear coat applications. That's what I plan to do.

Ralph.

 

[STL-Scott]

Thanks for the big support here guys! I was feeling pretty upset this morning and my wife has been a big encouragement to just do it myself.

I got all of the attachements for the compressor, shut off valve, filter, regulator, etc. etc. I just need to hook up the wiring (will steal my shop heater wiring hook-up as it is the same as the air compressor).

I'm going to check out the local jobbers and get their feedback on paint lines.

Oddly enough, my wife set-up a lunch date today with one of her friends to meet their family - and the husband - who is now a PhD in artificial intelligence or something like that, use to have a repair shop and has done over 100 paint jobs and paint/panel repair, etc. He is willing to help me do this. YES! :clap: I guess it's been about 8 years since he has painted a car...but the technique is the same, maybe just the paint technology has changed a bit.

Well, as much as I didn't want to do any more body work myself...here we go! Guess I need to do a little more sanding than we can apply some color.

 

[Mike DeGuire]

Good luck with it Scott. I've seen a lot of shows where they paint cars and make it look so easy. I've painted a few parts recently and it is a lot harder than it looks. It will be helpful to have some there with some experience. Let me know when you are ready to do mine. : )

 

[BigLeo69]

i am right there with you Scotty like Jeff said.
or as W.C. Fields once said "there comes a time in the affairs of man, when he must grab the bull by its tail and face the situation"
plan on being on your tail-coats soon
check out my new pics in my album, the 372w is finally getting closer and its time to get back to the cobra and make some more dust
tipn a couple cold ones for ya Leo

 

[JKleiner]

Jeff,
Want to help practice on mine? Seriously?

If things stay stable so Nancy and I can both stay in Indiana I wouldn't say it is out of the realm of possibility! (Some serious family health issues have had us back and forth from Florida three times over the past month, but that situation appears to be calming down.)

Thanks to Michelle finding you a new best friend who just happens to know about painting you probably have all the help you need already :yes: See if she can locate another friend with a husband that is an experienced cut & buff guy and you'll be all set!

Talk to you later,
Jeff

 

[STL-Scott]

If things stay stable so Nancy and I can both stay in Indiana I wouldn't say it is out of the realm of possibility! (Some serious family health issues have had us back and forth from Florida three times over the past month, but that situation appears to be calming down.)

Thanks to Michelle finding you a new best friend who just happens to know about painting you probably have all the help you need already :yes: See if she can locate another friend with a husband that is an experienced cut & buff guy and you'll be all set!

Talk to you later,
Jeff

Hope things improve for you guys?! Sorry to hear about the health problem, we know how that goes.

My new friend also knows about cutting and buffing. I do think I am covered now. The helping return will be lending a hand with their kitchen remodel which he is doing alone. Like I said, small world...we have done 5-6 kitchen remodels in our past lives.

Hey, one last question - any paint gun recommendations? Don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but want some flexibility to spray the 2k sealer & the BC/CC. Been looking at the Devilbiss series of guns that come with 2 gun sets. I know most of the issues with spray is the prep, prep, and user interface with the gun (i.e. spraying technique).

Thanks,

Scott

 

[mydream]

Hey Scott
Sorry to hear about your road block.
I don't have any recommendation for paint guns, but i can tell you that i have used Omni paint in the past on spoiler kits on my previous GTI and on my current Grand Cherokee. The paint goes down well and didn't have any real issues, ( but i'm NO pro) and it's much cheaper. I must worn you the color match is TERRIBLE. If you are planning on painting the hole car then it's not a problem (the color may not be the same as picked but the car will be the same color)
I didn't learn the first time on the GTI and then when i got my Jeep i removed and painted all my skirts.... Scott, i wasn't even the same color. I went back and showed the guy, he started telling my gun wasn't at the popper psi and all these excuses.
So i went somewhere else and got PPG higher quality and the match came out 95%.
The second guy mixing my paint told me that even tho the Omni had my color code, it was impossible to get right since one of the ingredient that was needed did not even exist and needed to use an equivalent (powder) to make it work.

Jeff, hope all is well buddy.

T

 

[STL-Scott]

Thanks for the info Thierry.

Going to give the local jobber a call tomorrow, see if I can stop by their place Tuesday after I get my son at school. Try to get a price quote several ways on some different paint lines, and some recommendations on paint guns.

Still trying to figure out if I need the sealer or not. Gut tells me to do it, wallet says to fix the burn through with the extra 1/2 gallon of Slick Sand I have and go to the BC/CC. Slick Sand says it can be top coated, but someone on here made a good point that it will suck up the first few coats of the base, which cost a lot more than a decent sealer.

Scott

 

[mcondos]

Scott, you may want to stay away from HVLP guns and get RP (reduced pressure), like the Sata RP3000 etc for use with that compressor. The HVLP's will use about 15cmf at 29psi (at the gun - depending on how long your hose is you may have that compressor set at 55-60psi). RP guns typically only need about 10cmf at 29psi (at the gun). Also if you're using an air-fed respirator (which you should buy or at least borrow, for the clearcoat- extremely unhealthy), that will use another 5psi or so.
Get a gun with a 1.4 or 1.3 tip, you should be able to use that with the sealer, base and clear coats.
Regarding paint, you do get what you pay for. The pricey stuff has better adhesion, flexibility, UV protection, clarity of the clear, etc etc. If you plan on keeping your car for a while get the good stuff.
If all you're doing is this one car, medium-priced guns should be ok.
Good luck!
Mark

 

[turboguy]

ALL of my seams were ground out and filled with a West Marine product by none other than Jeff Miller himself. The photos's in this post do not look too excessive to me.

That's because you have a MKII.

The MK III and up bodies are different from the earlier MK II ones, most of which had gelcoat trapped in the seams due to poor QC. If it is not removed, it will come back to haunt you later.

 

[Stinson Pilot]

Looking good Scott. I've really been enjoying following this thread.

 

[STL-Scott]

Scott, you may want to stay away from HVLP guns and get RP (reduced pressure), like the Sata RP3000 etc for use with that compressor.

Is a LVLP similar or different from a RP gun? I read on here some guys were recommending guns that were LVLP.

 

[mcondos]

I believe LVLP is same as RP. Make sure you verify the consumption, should be 10-11cfm. My compressor is rated at 15cfm at 40psi, and it will keep up with my RP guns, but not HVLP (with respirator) on a full size car.

 

[STL-Scott]

Thanks Mark.

Well I got some great tips from one of the fabricators/painters at my work today. He gave me the name of the small parts store he uses here in Marysville, Ohio. I guess they not only sell some nice knock off guns that rival Sata (which he uses - the knock off guns), but also carry Sherwin Williams Automotive paint (which he also uses). Going to do some name dropping when I go there this week and have them help me get set-up with all my supplies.

My wife is also going to take car of our son this weekend so I can get a lot of this ready and maybe sprayed out.

Got to do some more prep to the garage tomorrow night.

Scott

 

[STL-Scott]

Update

After a week of wavering on doing the painting myself, I bit the bullet tonight and bought all of my painting supplies! Kinda exciting. The colors are getting blended up tomorrow. I'm doing a three color paint job so it will take a bit of planning but it should go smoothly (at least it is so far in my head). The store also had to order in the 2k epoxy primer from the Sherwin Williams Dimension line I am using. I decided to take a safer route and do a sealer over my Evercoat Slick Sand.

Here's a shot of some of the products I got, and the new paint gun set that was recommended to me by the guy I work with (who is a painter).

The HVLP set include a 1.4 tip gun (base/clear), 1.7 tip gun (primers) and a detail gun. They are also lower pressure guns rated a 7-9 cfm @ 27 psi at the input side of the gun (10psi at the cap). I guess they are a knock-off of Sata's or Binks. I'll let you know how they work.

Also cut in and installed the other window in my garage. Going to utilize these with 20" fans & filters to extract the overspray.

Will screen off the garage perimeter walls with plastic sheeting Fri/Sat. Do a very thorough and final cleaning of the garage with the vacuum, and wet mopping, etc. Also need to do a final detail sand with 400 on the primer, and then should be ready to start shooting the 2k epoxy and base colors on Sunday. We will see how far I get on Sunday. The base has a 7 day recoat window...so if I have any runs or issues, I can fix or wait until another day/evening to spray the clear coat.

Last thing I did to prepare tonight was to lift up the body, and cut back the wooden buck around all four wheel well, so I can get the spray gun inside the wheel well openings better. For dust protection (from the buck) I laid some plastic sheeting over the top and sides of the wood and taped it down.

I can't wait to see the colors tomorrow when I pick them up...you'll will have to wait and see what I picked. :evil:

I promise to post some pictures during the painting process...just won't gaurantee the camera won't be covered in overspray!

Scott

 

[Stinson Pilot]

Awesome Scott! Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[JKleiner]

Scott,
PLEASE! No plastic sheeting on the buck. You'll get overspray on it, then when you move on to subsequent applications the turbulance from the gun will flex the plastic and dislodge flakes of dried sealer or base which inevitably will land in what you just sprayed. For the same reason don't use the draped plastic in your "spray booth" to check the gun pattern. Better to lift the body again, pull the plastic then blow and hose off the buck.

Exciting times Man!

Jeff

 

[STL-Scott]

Okay...good to know Jeff - thanks for catching that rookie mistake! :blush:

It's easy enough to pull off, no need to lift the body again.

What's the current thinking with Urethanes & Epoxy for wetting the garage floor down? Some say do it, but I've read that the evaporating moisture from the floor gets in the paint, causing moisture issues with the curing of the Urethane, which makes a lot of sense to me.