For those of us on a budget...

[dannyboi]

Originally Posted by DrtyRat

Hope this is the right section for this, and I hope its not a repost but just saw this on FA and sounds like a good idea. http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthre...b=5&o=&fpart=1
I went through the thread on club4ag.com... http://forums.club4ag.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=133867 ... and it seems like it might be worth a try....what do you experienced body work ppl think? Is it worth it?
edit...it gives details on how to do a $50 paint job

+1 for the find. I am gonna do it to my corolla.

[phastalon]

I'm trying it on my hood tonight. Hopefully I'll finish it up tomarrow. If it turns out good, I'll post some pics up. I'm doing mine in gloss red.

[Lost_DriFter]

ok i went out searching for the required equipment that i needed and neither homedepot or loews had the royal blue only in the small cans kinda sucked everyother color they had except blue wtf is that....does anyone know if theyre home depot or loews has the royal blue?? sorry about the stupid questions...i basically red the main part of the article but my question about the dents i knew the paint wouldnt cover that i meant to ask what do i use to fix them??
this is my first time with any type of body work but i want to learn how to do it anyways just to know.....

[DrtyRat]

read through the thread on the mopar site...I got about 7 pgs in and he mentioned using bondo w/a very fine grit. I don't know anything about body work and may have used the wrong term for that but take your time. The most important part to getting this right seems to be paying attention to details, so do yourself a favor and really read the thread cuz the one from club4ag doesn't go into it as much...gl

[240shorty]

Originally Posted by phreze

Shit I'm gonna try it, what do I have to loose?

Only $50 and your dignity...

Wow, lots of interest in this topic... Tremclad Group Buy!!?!!

Just kidding.

Someone do it and post it already. Stop being sheep! Someone grab a crook and be the shepherd.

[Maeda]

I fucking love it.

Doing this tomarrow if its sunny and I can find 50$

[Jonnie Fraz]

Originally Posted by Lost_DriFter

ok sorry about the stupid questions...i basically red the main part of the article but my question about the dents i knew the paint wouldnt cover that i meant to ask what do i use to fix them??
this is my first time with any type of body work but i want to learn how to do it anyways just to know.....

Small dents you might look into "Painless Dent Removal" or whatever they call it in your area. As for bodywork it is an art form. Search bodywork forums and such or try metalmeet.com. metalmeet is an advanced metalworking forum, these guys are unreal.
Good luck with your project, put up some pics.

[phreze]

Originally Posted by 240shorty

Only $50 and your dignity...

My car is already all sanded down and was ready to be painted, black or white paint has to look more dignified then sanded maroon paint :P

[phastalon]

my hood so far...i've done the first coat and wetsanded w/400 grit and this is the second coat drying. this coat will be wetsanded w/800 grit tonight and then the third coat will go on and will be wetsanded w/1000 grit tomarrow . then it will be polished up. the paint is so thin, you can still see through it right now, but i can see how this could end up being a "decent" paint job for $50.

[Xandy Boosts]

is that "safety red"?

that's what I bought, planning to do it over spring break, its better than the fading paint crap i have on my car now

[dannyboi]

Originally Posted by phastalon

my hood so far...i've done the first coat and wetsanded w/400 grit and this is the second coat drying. this coat will be wetsanded w/800 grit tonight and then the third coat will go on and will be wetsanded w/1000 grit tomarrow . then it will be polished up. the paint is so thin, you can still see through it right now, but i can see how this could end up being a "decent" paint job for $50.

Did you just paint over your original paint? I think you have to do like 5 coats to make it look pretty good.

I looked at the mopar thread and the canadian who introduced this idea showed his charger and two beetles, all 3 which looked good (especially the dark colored beetle). Also the guy who painted his civic looked pretty good.

You just need to wetsand some more and polish and it should look as good. Also, you made sure the mix of spirits and paint was really thin? From what i've read, it looks like ass if its too thick.

I think i'll just practice on my spare trunk first.

[ronin207]

Hey peeps good thread. Theareticly with the roller job you can use ANY paint. The thing with the roller cover, is the glue that keeps the cover on,It can dissinertgrate becuase of the solvents used in the thining process. IE foam cover left stuck to your hood!!!!!!!
If you guys are going to try, pay attention to what is called for on the can or msds info for the thining agent!!!!!!OG thread says mineral spirits.(Can you say oil based paints) USE WHAT IS RECOMENDED as as thinning agent.
Best way to figure out the parts, is one part paint,fill quart can 1/4 of the way. take a stir stick mark where the paint is then mark 1/4 increments till you have a whole,( IE 1 part paint to three parts make a whole). I used too use this method with acrillic polly. which used 1/4 part of catylist to kick the paint( half gallon of paint with catylist = 3/4 gallon .SO in theary a quart should make a gallon of paint, using the three part method. if I remeber correctley car paints are 1 to four parts. Sorry used to be a sign painter.
ALSO 3M, PPG, DUPONT make great car wash stuff that gets rid of oils,tar, and other contaminents that you should use prior to paint.dont forget your sweatty ass leaning on the car, well because everyone loves fish eye!!!!!!!!
Also the finer grit you use for the wet sand the better the finish. Just like using a laquer finish, something the folks in cali cant get, unless you know the right people or know where to git it, laquer that is.
I've lived in kuntfucky to long. so yulll have to exuse the improper engrish grammar. peace ronin207. P.S I dont turn left.

[phastalon]

My car is primered right now, so I'm sanding it down pretty good and painting over that. Yes, it's the "safety red." I'm getting ready to do the second wetsand right now so I'll get more pics up soon.

[Silverbullet]

result of a quick $50 paint job

He didn't really buff it or anything. not bad eh?

[SoSideways]

Originally Posted by Silverbullet

Wow, JDMU meet pic?

Anywho, is that $50 paint the same kinda paint that was mentioned in this thread? Or is it actual automotive paint that he got, just got them mad cheap?

[Silverbullet]

same thing. I got it off of the $50 dollar paint job thread on Honda-Tech.com lol.

[SoSideways]

Damn, looks good then.

[REDSH!FT]

If you want to see similar effects, go out and buy a $5 can of rustoleum...then spraypaint somethign with it and when it dries...wetsand it a little bit


It's not as nice as it seems...and certainly not easy to do, especially w/ the thinning+roller method...it's just cheap.

I had my car rustoleum'd before...not even close to properly done automotive paint IMO

[ThatGuy]

Shine is for showcars. Just rattlecan your shit with some matte finish paint. Hides blemishes, and easy touch-up.


I'm kidding. I wouldn't mind my car being glossy one of these days. My current paint job was the result of my Father being in town for a visit and our boredom. I'm happy with it for now, and it'll last until paint is higher on my priority list.

[Silverbullet]

Originally Posted by REDSH!FT

I had my car rustoleum'd before...not even close to properly done automotive paint IMO

cuz u did a shitty job lol

didn't u and mike rush it half way cuz it started raining?

[kingmoochr]

if you really want to know the FACTS about this, read the ORIGINAL thread on the mopar forum. the guy has links to closeups of his car. looks better than the earls discount.

[phreze]

Bought everything I needed today but I'm not sure on my color choice I may go back and get a different one or have them order it for me. I got gloss navy blue and gloss black for the roof. Thinking of doing the whole car gloss black or gloss white.

But then again the gloss smoke gray looked nice... I was sitting in the aisle for a good half hour before I threw the blue in my cart and left.

[phastalon]

Yeah, I think I may change to the gloss black. The red is taking more coats to cover up the black primer than I thought. I'll probably end up with close to 10 coats of the red for it to look even.

[axiomatik]

You really should go through and read the entire moparts thread before attempting this, because it really sounds as if the technique is the most important part of it, and every post the guy makes he explains a little more of it. He suggested doing 2 coats between wetsanding. First do 2 coats, then 400 grit, do another 2 coats, then 800 grit, then another 2 coats, and 1000 grit. If you sand between every coat it will take forever since the coats are so thin. It probably won't become opaque until about 5-6 coats. Also, he said that the mixture is probably about 80% paint, 20% thinner, though the actual percentages vary depending on temperature and humidity.

[projekt_s13]

Here is a step by step that was posted on the mopar forum

$30 rustolum paint
$7 mineral spirit
$2 pan
$2 roller
$4 superfine foam
$5 220/800/100 sandpaper
$1 2 foam stick thing
$2 polish compound

Body prep

next prep your car as if was any other paint job, fix all the rust, ect....
no need to prime the car since the tremclad allready contains elements which allow
it to be painted over bare metal.




mixing paint

next u thin the paint with mineral spirits so it just about as thin as water, a little thicker.
theres no ratio that i could come up with because once you open the can and pour some out the next day the paint will be a bit thicker.
if i had to guess i would say about 20% thinner or so? just thin enough that it does'nt run,
but not too thick. keep in mind that you can allways add more paint to the mix if you go too thin.
and the coats go on really really thin, that is the key, like i said before you don't really have a true non transparent base until the 3rd or 4th coat.




Painting
I also load the roller up quite heavily, then work it until the roller does'nt have so much paint in it
and do the detail work after. once you spread the paint wait a minute or so and then just really gently
run the roller using only the weight of the roller, on the sides just use very very light pressure as if
it were the weight of it. How you thin the paint is critical, i have not had one paint run on any of the cars
i've painted. To give you an idea, you really only start to have full coverage to where u can't see any body work
or underlying color thru the paint until the 3rd coat
after u do 2 coats, wet sand the whole car, then repeat, 2 coats, wetsand, 2 coats wetsand
The trick is in how you thin the paint, get it as thin as possible without running,
and the paint "self levels" it comes out like glass,
wet sanding just makes it better,'
when the paint is thinned your barley putting on any paint with each coat, so you really need to do about
6 coats to get enough of a base so you can wet sand and polish
You only cover up the bodywork, underlying color until after the 4th coat, keep in mind that there is wet sanding in between each 2 coats.
if you get bubbles when your painting your pushing down on the roller too hard, lighten it up a bit,
let the paint sit for 1 minute after you've spread it out nice, then just run the roller over the area VERY gently using only the weight of the roller,
then turn around, have a smoke after you've done the pannel, and when your done your smoke, turn around and you'll see it has "self leveled"
before your eyes


Painting Hard to get areas

do the hood, doors, front fenders, and the trunk, that's easy.
then i do the whole roof and sail pannels in one shot working fast, there's enough time to do it before the paint tacks up if u rush it,
not the time to have a coffee or smoke. i stopped at the rear quarter just below the sail pannels and top quarter pannel where there is a edge to stop at.
then continue from there on each side meeting in the back rear valance. the trick there is to not leave and raised paint lines,
and smooth it out gradually as u approach the point where u stop, then run to the other side and do the other half of the roof and overlap the strokes.
wetsanding does the rest, but u try to make it as smooth as possible, the paint is very thin on each coat. it's really hard to describe,
that's where all the expirementing comes in to play.



Sanding

do one panel at a time, and don't stop once you start. once your done the final coat,
wetsand with about 1000 grit to a totally smooth finish, and then using a high speed polisher
i use a buffing bonnet and turtle wax polishing compound. do the whole car with this, and i'm telling u,
depending on the amount of time and paitence you have, the results are amazing
use a spray bottle and keep the paper really wet, finish with a 1000 grit or so and then buff with a random
orbit polisher using turtle wax POLISHING compound, NOT the rubbing compound, its' to harsh.
it is critical to use the proper roller, it's about 4" wide and about 1 1/2" thick,
and really high density white foam. it really works and is much tougher paint than todays single stage or base clear,
very hard to scratch
did not block sand the car just wetsand progressivly finer paper by HAND, no machine, no block nothing.
using any "block" to sand i found the paper got dirty fast and got all plugged up,
so do it by hand and keep it really wet, using a spray bottle in one hand and a clean bucket of water and a shammy
(dollar store!!!)to clean it off to see how it looks. i prepped the car with 80, then 100, then 200,
finished with a 400, did all my body work, and painted. after 2 coats (about 4hrs work for the whole car)
i wetsanded with a 600, then did 2 more coats, wetsand with 800, 2 more coats and sand with a 1000-1500 and polish,
followed by wax, done......
one more pointer, when u wet sand the final coat, the paint looks flat, like velvet,
if you take a rag soaked with mineral spirits and whipe a spot down that you just sanded,
that's what it will look like buffed. if you buff and decide to paint again clean the area with
mineral spirts so that and residue from the polishing compound is removed or the paint won't stick.
do another coat, try to put it on really light, i hope u prepped the fender a little before you started painting.
when u wet sand try using a 600-800 grit, and lightly wet sand the fender with light pressure and ALOT of water.
Spraying it on should maybe work better but its messy, stinky, and a pain. when u first start to wet sand you'll notice
the paper just kinda glides over the paint and it does'nt really feel like your sanding anything, keep going, soon the water will stop
beeding off the paint and it will start to turn yellow. after wetsanding it looks like crap, this is where the polishing come in, brings it to glass.
i haven't tried soap and water, i see no real advantage, i just use straight water and keep the area really wet, using a spray bottle and spray it down alot,
after wetsanding for a bit i have a bucket of water and a shammy i whipe down the surface with while it's still wet, that way it's much eaiser
to clean before it dries. and as for the mineral spirits on a wet rag and just whiping it down, yes, that's what it looks like polished, even better,
just gives you an idea of what it will look like when finished, that's about the first time you really see the results.




buffing
polishing compound, not rubbing compound
the rubbing compound could be used if you really want to, i just found it much better to wetsand with 1000 grit and then go straight to polishing,
that's what worked for me. the rubbing compound seemed to ball up under the polisher and make a mess and make some scratches when it balled up,
i used the polishing compound on a regular bonnet on a 10" elecrtic random orbit polisher, it's only after polishing that it looks like glass,
and i kept it wet with water from a spray bottle on the bonnet, forgot to mention that, but keeping it quite wet worked great.

like i mentioned before after wetsanding use a random orbit polisher and the cheapest
POLISHING COMPOUND made by turtle wax, it comes in a paste in a small round flat container and it's white,
allmost looks like hand cream and smells good too!!!



Random tips

as a hint if you try it first you paint the surface, and then really lightly "skim" the surface with the weight of the roller
only to remove any lines bubbles ect, then just leave it for a minute or two and you'll see it just "self levels"
totally flat to glass. then wetsand it really fine
Oh and i strip the car of all chrome, bumpers, rubber, door handles, trim, ect...nothing looks cheaper than a car that's just taped!!!
have a shelf full of polishing compounds, mothers, mequires, ect....know what works the best?
the cheapest one!!! turtle wax polishing compound in the white paste, $3,
polish ANY enamel with a electric random orbit polisher and you'll be impressed......... and just a tip if you try it keep the buffing bonnet WET,
have a spray bottle full of water and spray it on the bonnet each time u load up the polish paste, be very generous with both.
there's still bubbles in the paint when u mixed it really well then get some paper towel and "skim" the surface to get rid of the bubbles.
if you get bubbles when your painting your pushing down on the roller too hard, lighten it up a bit, let the paint sit for 1 minute,
after you've spread it out nice, then just run the roller over the area VERY gently using only the weight of the roller,
then turn around, have a smoke after you've done the pannel, and when your done your smoke, turn around and you'll see it has "self leveled"
before your eyes. if your doing a vertical section just apply a tiny amount of pressure as if it were the weight alone of the roller.
it's really tricky to do, i could lay it down perfectly level but i have done it alot, you have to "read" the paint, listen carefully,
it will tell you what to to . hope this helps.
DON'T use water!!! (to clean the roller, or paper towels)

[Realchaos1]

im considering attempting this, using my hood as the test dummy...

[Maeda]

Just few tips from me as my whole car is undergoing this process as we speak.

USE RUSTOLEUM. I tried other chit thats supposed to be the same/similar and it didn't level like good ole' rusty. Peel city.

PREP! Prep the car just as you would for a REAL paint job. I tried 3 panels. One sanded down from 200->400, one prepped and primed, and one unpreped. The unpreped one looks like ass. The primed one doesn't look too much better. The 200->400 one looks best. I sanded down ALL the clear.

NO SHINY SPOTS before you paint. Sand with a block. Yes you need to get a block unless you like sanding holes in things or really like whirlpools in your paint.

GO SLOW. If the bottom coat does not dry then you can push, scratch, nick, etc. the paint for days to come.

LET IT DRY. I'm letting my car dry minium 12 hours before even attempting to wetsand.

THIN = GOOD. The best consistancy of paint is like water (just like the thread states) and its much thinner then you'd think.

CHEAP = LABOR INTENSIVE. The money you'll save goes into man hours. It takes a LONG time to do this even decently. It's cheap, but you'll bust your ass getting a result better then spray paint, and bust your ass even more to get it like one-day.

Lastly,
DON'T LET DOUSAN NEAR IT. Self explanitory.

[sticky240]

dot folder so I can find it later.

be sure you guys post up pics, this might be the thing I need to get me working on my 240 again

[DrtyRat]

Originally Posted by Maeda

CHEAP = LABOR INTENSIVE. The money you'll save goes into man hours. It takes a LONG time to do this even decently. It's cheap, but you'll bust your ass getting a result better then spray paint, and bust your ass even more to get it like one-day.

If those of you interested in this decide to do it pay attention to this part. Every time I here about paint/body work those in the know stress the point of proper prep and being patient or else you will screw up something...your definetly going to trade labor cost for your own sweat but your sweat is def. more abundant than money....there's a reason I won't be doing this until summer , so that I can afford to take the time neccessary to do it right(I'll have my other car then)...Oh yeah READ THE MOPAR THREAD!!! he's goes step by step as to how to get it right

[Silverbullet]

Originally Posted by Maeda

Sand with a block. Yes you need to get a block unless you like sanding holes in things or really like whirlpools in your paint.

for curved areas, are you supposed to use a soft kinda sponge like sanding block?