Ghetto paint job - tips and tricks

[De-lux]

Hey team,

So I'm going to give my BJ40 a new paint job. Currently it is faded, scratched and beaten baby poo yellow (see pic).

I'll be doing this on the cheap, using (most likely) supercheap auto Aussie Export rattle cans.

This is what I'll be doing:
* sand back existing panels (with flap disc and/or hand sandpaper)
* wipe down with cloth to remove dirt particles
* spray undercoat / primer all over
* spray colour paint (satain black)
* Second coat color
* final coat clear

Keep in mind this is only a cheap dodgy paint job, I don't really care how it turns out as the existing paint is terrible (my motto for this car is "anything is better than the current condition"). Can anyone offer any advice - what to do and what not to do?

Mick

[MrGrim]

biigest tip i can give you is keep every thing clean

a tag rag to your budget is a good option to keep dust down
and some prepsol to remove wax n grease

and if you are doing it all with pressure paks ..leave the cans in the sun warm them up or place in warm water round 45c then shake and do again till it feels warm
a warm can will spray better and maintain its pressure and pattern
it also stops the paint commin out thick and in blobs rather than a fine mist

hope that helps

[0401blakos]

my advise would be to upgrade ur paint to "squirts"by white knight u buy it from bunnings and it about $7 a can its a bit dearer but will give u better results and stick heaps better

[TWISTY]

Your going to need a sh!tload of cans!

Rattle canned all the barwork on my 40 recently that brooksy done and I would have used 5 cans of primer, then 10 or so cans of colour, and some bits could have done with more coats.

Might be worth sussing out if your better off buying a couple litres of paint and using a gun/compressor.

[MrGrim]

TWISTY makes a good point

have a look into machinery enamel its Fn cheap around $50 4ltr dries fast hold real well and easy to work with

[chimpboy]

If you're trying to do it on the cheap... the rattle cans are going to cost more than a tin of paint imho. You may avoid a need for primer if you can paint over the existing paint after you've given it a light sand. Get a tube of knife putty (spot filler) and use it to fix any little chips etc in the existing paint, then sand the paint/spot filler all together. You will probably only need to sand by hand. This is if the existing paint looks shitty but isn't flaking off etc. If it's flaking off and basically not stuck to the panels then you need to get rid of it.

Number of coats of colour purely depends on getting good coverage ie it all looks the right colour, if this is one coat or ten it doesn't matter. You want several coats of clear if you plan to polish it but if not then just do as many coats as your cans of clear allow

Just some suggestions, I am not a painter.

You could also make your life easier by doing it in yellow again but I guess you are sick of that colour

[deano86]

use an orbital sander and just rub the existing paint back a bit you wont have to go to bare metal and then you may not have to use as much primer and a flappy will give you alot more variations in the surface making it look worse

[De-lux]

I have a compressor, so I could go down that path, but to be honest I was kind of planning on keeping it simple. The existing paint isn't flaking off, it is just scratched and faded in several spots... Perhaps this will give me a good base to stick the new paint to.

Tip noted about warming up the spray cans too..


So from what you all are telling me, I'll do the following:

* ditch the flap disc in favor of light hand sanding / polishing
* might substitue Aussie Export for something a little nicer - white knight or similar

[mickyd555]

4L of chassis black (satin) will only be $40, a spray gun from super crap $50, go sick with the paint then throw the gun out (saves buying thinners )

$90 paint job

[HUSSLN]

Looks tip top in that pic. Leave it alone cos rattle cans will make it even worse. Especially black, its not a good colour to go cheap on. Dont prime just scuff back the paint and paint it yellow again with solid 2k. Won't need clear over base an itll will come up trumps for little money and effort.

[chimpboy]

I have a compressor, so I could go down that path, but to be honest I was kind of planning on keeping it simple.

I know you won't believe it and using a spraygun seems like a pain, but you will seriously not be sorry if you go with tins of paint instead of rattle cans. It isn't actually harder or more stuffing around, in some ways it is a lot easier because you get a lot more paint on in a shorter time.

But get a paint that comes both ways - rattle cans and tins. Then you can just do little bits with the rattle cans when you want to.

You need to be aware of the possibility of reactions, this depends on both the old paint and the new paint. If you are going over the top with enamel that should be pretty safe though. Not that I recommend enamel but it is probably the right paint for your ghetto price/effort plan.

[MrGrim]

if the paint is in good nick just faded ...DONT sand it just use a scotch pad and rub it down thats all i do when respraying as it cleans up the surface for a good adhesion and leaves little or no marks to cover ..bear metal in a NO NO this will cause you nothing but greif ie lots of work and wont last long at all with p pak job

[De-lux]

I'm pretty keen to paint it for a few reasons - i hate the yellow being the main reason.

ok, so I might consider canned paint and using my compressor then... Damn you OL smart people ruining my pressurepak fun!

[phippsy]

I'll have a look in the paint shed tomorrow, might be able to throw some undercoat & black your way! We have 80, 120, 180 & 320 sanding discs for orbital sanders as well, not velcro though, stik-it discs. If I can get a couple of litres of primer & paint I'll let you know.

Jase

[De-lux]

Jason my man!!

Whatever you got mate, I got your poison!

[Bluefreak]

I'm pretty keen to paint it for a few reasons - i hate the yellow being the main reason.

ok, so I might consider canned paint and using my compressor then... Damn you OL smart people ruining my pressurepak fun!

Rattle cans = both index fingers falling off after can 5, it's a real shit because you'll likely only have sprayed a front guard and door at that point...

[tehekho]

Seems you've started to see the light and go the Spray gun route but thought I'd throw in, regarding pressure packs that I used to just leave mine sit in a bucket full of boiled water from the kettle. Made spray a hell of a lot smoother, zero splatter. None of the cans exploded ever....

[mud4b]

4L of chassis black (satin) will only be $40, a spray gun from super crap $50, go sick with the paint then throw the gun out (saves buying thinners )

$90 paint job

Bang on the mark (go the white night though its better than killrust).... dont worry about sanding, use a scotch bright pad.. You will be amazed at what it comes out like, most of this stuff uses mineral turps to clean / thin, way cheaper than thinners.

cheers mark.

[phippsy]

Mick, forgot to sort something out today... not back at work till Thursday so if you can wait I can sort something out. What do you need? Prep sol, primer, top coat & thinners?

[De-lux]

Mick, forgot to sort something out today... not back at work till Thursday so if you can wait I can sort something out. What do you need? Prep sol, primer, top coat & thinners?

Mate it looks like paint day will either be next weekend or ekka wednesday, so I'm not in a massive rush. Anything you got would be epic - I don't have much hahaha

[purplebus]

drop into the local SMALL panel shop with a 6 pack and ask the painters for some scotch pads. they will have a 50mt roll there. grab yourself a few beers and the hose on low and just scotchy the whole car lightly. you dont need to take the paint off you just need to make the surface a little rougher so the paint sticks. definatly use a cheap gun and tin paint as pressure packs will give a sh1t finish and will realisticly cost more. enjoy the experience as well. have fun and good luck.

[phippsy]

Yeah Mick, we got those scotch rolls pbus is talking about, so I'll grab some off of the roll as well. What colour are you wanting to do it in, or did I miss it in the thread somewhere?

I saw western star red's, satin black, gloss black, dhl truck yellow and I think we have a grey and white primer.

I don't know much about painting, but I think the stuf we have is one coat only and doesn't need a clear coat. I'll talk to our painter, he may even do it, or help for a carton.

[De-lux]

Yeah Mick, we got those scotch rolls pbus is talking about, so I'll grab some off of the roll as well. What colour are you wanting to do it in, or did I miss it in the thread somewhere?

I saw western star red's, satin black, gloss black, dhl truck yellow and I think we have a grey and white primer.

I don't know much about painting, but I think the stuf we have is one coat only and doesn't need a clear coat. I'll talk to our painter, he may even do it, or help for a carton.

Sweet as mate... I was thinking Satin Black