It`ll cover a good chunk of my motor work. Then comes the windshield, paint and body, and whatever else I`ve forgot.

 

How much does it cost you to get a paint job?

 

I got a job in a body shop for a while so I could learn to do it myself. Greeny is sprayed with acrylic enamel,with a hardener in it. The stripes/hood are gloss black with a flattening agent mixed in. Materials cost about $500. It's not that hard to do,just takes time and patience. Lots of priming/block sanding to level the surface. Lots of thin coats on the finish,keeping the surface wet, reduce the last couple of coats a little,laying on slightly heavier. The extra reducer gives the paint time to flow out. If you get orange peel,wet sand and buff. Acrylic is a good paint to learn with.
You can get acheap paint job for about $1000 I'd guess,if the body work's not to extensive. Body work takes time,time is $$$. If you've never done it ,get you a gallon of bondo,some body tools,and give it a shot. The more you can do yourself,the more you save. Might get out cheaper if you do all the prep work. Metal prep is important,get the panels as straight as possible before any bondo.
I've sprayed 8-10 of my own now, and a few for my family. Need to shoot the Dakota, and maybe 'Ol Bumpy.Maybe you wouldn't feel so bad about gettin' pulled backerds all over hell's half acre if Bumpy didn't look like a wreckin' yard reject. [sm=headbang.gif]

 

i have a lot of trouble with orange peel using that type of paint. I cant ever get it to lay flat unless I thin it and put it on heavy, but then i end getting drips. always with the sanding adn buffing...

 

I may know a guy whose dad does some custom paint stuff in his shop, but I think I can do the bodywork myself. Is it hard to put a windshield in? I wouldn`t mind doing that myself. And you might drag me all over hell, but only if you shoot my a few times first and drop it into neutral.................

 

i bet that for the cost of havinga windshield installed it isnt worth doing it yourself. I mean it takes these guys about half an hour's labour...im going to try painting a car with tremclad. my old rambler isnt worth anything, and if it turn out horrible ill sand it down and spray it.

 

Nah, the windsheild is easy. If the gskt is dry rotted or hard get a new one. The gasket has an insert in middle. Remove the insert, Lay a piece of 1/4' rope in the groove around the outside of the gskt, about 2' from each btm corner all around the top. You don't want the rope in the btm side. Put a little urethane sealer on the outside of the bottom flange first,don't get it on the rope area. It's hard to get to after the glass is in. I seal 'em with a little urethane as added ins. against leaks.
Set the gskt and windsheild over the btm flange,start the corners, using a plastic stick. Lube the gskt with soapy water and use the rope to pull the gskt over the flange inside while pushing gently on the outside. Once you get it started just pull the rope around the flange,this rolls the gskt lip over the flange as you pull. The plastic stick can be used to help do this. Once it's in, pull the outside lip out and squirt alittle bead of urethane sealer around the gskt. When you get the gskt sealed install the insert in the gskt,clean off any sealer before it sets and your done. If my hamfisted ol Dad can do it, anybody can.

 

Getting the paintreduced right is the trick,andpanels cool to the touch.Needs to be almost the consistency of water. Dip a paint stick in the mix, the paint should make a stream and 6-8 drops. Mix enough to get the vehicle covered at one time. You'll mix the final coat later.Set the air about 35 psi.
The first coat you just want to get some on it,let it tack slightly,then add another coat. Working fairly quickly,keep adding coats till you get it covered,then wait about 5min for it to get tacky while you mix your final paint. Add a little touchmore reducer to the mix on this batch,open the fan and volume just a touch on the gun,raise the air to about 40 psi.
Lay a good wet coat,holding the gun a couple inches farther away.[About 16'] and let it tack slightly,add another,tack, then shoot two wet coats withslight pause between. All together,and depending on how well the paint covers, I lay on about10-12 coats. Reds take more. Keep it wet,just not too wet.

The extra reducer slows the dry time, letting the paint flow out. I like to shoot paint when it's about 75-80 degrees even if I have to wait till 3 am. High humidity will cause the paint to blush or dull. If it's hot,your more likely to get orange peel as the paint dries before it flows out. If your shooting metallics,more air pressure/fan adj. brings the metallic out in the paint. This is with an ol school siphon type gun,I've never shot with an hvlp gun, and everybody has their own method. Mix/procedure will depend on the weather. But that's how I was taught.

 

hmm....i tihnk i was jhust doing it a way that just doesnt work. I tried several different thicknesses - starting from what it said on the side of the can and the going thicker and thinner. But I spray back and forth on an area untill it is covered and then move on to the next quarter panel, or door or hood. Two coats like that. I either get it to thick and she goes orange peely, or I think it too much and lay it on to thick and it runs. grr...i guess wha ti need to do is more light coats from what your saying?

 

I shoot the whole car one light coat at a time,overlapping each pass of the gun by half. Lite coat the top, hood andtrunk, shoot the sides,then back to the top. I also blow a little along the bottom door sills, and inner fender lips first. Paint mix,reducer flash time,temp, and a feel for when it's gonna run or not takes a little practice. Gun settings have a lot to do with it too. The pattern should be about 10-12' wide 10-12' from the gun, the flow is set according to how fast you move the gun across the surface. Everybody's a little different.You want the panel wet,just not so much paint at once. The reducer's job is to slow the dry time and let the paint droplets flow. I like a slow to medium reducer @ 75-80 degrees. The hardener makes the paint into a urethane,seems to make it less runny.