anybody on here tried to repaint there trucks? im lookin at learning how to do it. i know need a compressor, spray gun, and paint...but what size compressor? what paint gun, what kind of paint? any info or any links to sites with this info would be great. i dont need a huge compressor as it will only be used to power the spray gun. just need enough to power the gun

 

im going to say your going to need a 60+ gallon compressor to use a DA. unless you plan on sanding the truck down by hand[sm=badidea.gif]. or if your paint is in perfect condition, you can get away with just ruffing the clear with scotch brite and painting over it. MAKE SURE TO BUY A WATER TRAP. as for a paint gun, its not really gonna matter if you get the best out there, seeing as how youve never done this before, a high end gun will do nothing for you. just dont buy a cheap ebay one, id say if you can find one for around the $100 range your good. make sure you get a decent tip size too. Popular paint brands like PPG are nice and fairly cheap.

 

newbie to the forum but veteran to paint...solid advice above but your gun will use more cfm than thesander.You will need at least an 80 gallon minimum 2-stagecompressor for spraying and that's workin it hard for sure on a truck and you may see some air flow fluctuation even with that...prep it at home and rent a booth on Sat.from a local shopfor optimum climate control and proper air...you will spend more money on getting your garage set up for paint than paying somebody to just do it...unless of course you plan on painting more in the future...then you will need to look at heaters, fans, filters,lighting and so on

 

sounds like im not gonna be doing this...thanks for the info/advice fellas

 

go to amazon and buy this book..... "How to Paint Your Car on a Budget." By Pat Ganahl. I bought this from a local book store bc im wanting to do exactily what u are. This book has been very helpful and complete. I was going to go the same route as you but changed my mind. Theres a section in the book were the one day wonder paint job are covered, the long and short of it is Im going to prep the truck first and take it to Maacco and have a full paint job with all the body work finished by me, and pay 200 bucks for a full repaint with a good catalized paint.

 

I had mine done at a Earl Schieb and it actually turned out really nice for the 650 that it cost me. Nobody else could paint it for lessthan 2500. The way they save money is they do not remove any body parts they only mask them. With that I did have a little over spray in a couple places like the wheel wells, but the paint looks good. They said they shot it with 3 coats of paint and I think 2 coats of clear coat. I get compliments on it all the time.

 

earl schieb and macco etc.. is a hit or miss kinda deal, you either get a good painter, or a guy just starting out.

 

the key to a good paint job is prep work.. 90% prep 10% actual paint/ing

i use/used a craftsman HVLP gun, a husky 60gallon single stage oiled, water/oil seperator, pregun air filter, and ive actually built a booth out of PVC and clear tarp, cutting to holes, one for a fan and the other for a HEPA filter,, wetted down the inside of the booth, and hung 3 "large" (cant remember the wattage,, they are trashed now) heat lamps to get the temps nice and warm....

this has worked very well for me for "backyard mechanic" paint jobs,, did both my bikes,, and some parts for a buddies dropped C1500,,,

its fun learning what works and what doesnt... i also have used NAPA brand paint,, crossfire i think its called,,, and im thinking of using it for my rollpan and maybe my (future) new hood,,, it comes prematched to the color code so it should be pretty close,,

the other suggestion is when you mix your primer/paint/clear follow the manufacturers recomendations for mixtures for their catylsyts and hardners..