My car is in this current state(I've had no bloody car of my own since june, this was meant to be ready by then ):-

(sorry night mobile photos)

Done various smoothing and rust treatment and as u can see it really needs the whole dam thing resprayed.

Anyway can't afford that and would like to check for rust coming through before a proper respray next summer.I also might do a bit more body welding/inner arch trimming to accept something wider(i'll run standard steels for winter)

The colour is not a popular red (LA3E dunkelrot)and i've had a few rattle cans made up which cost £10 each .

It's had etch primer on bare metal then two layers of high build primer on a keyed surface(I masked it off to control the overspray) I know I can't mask like that again because it will look like a game of tetris.

At this stage do I wet sand the primer before doing the colour and what grades of paper do I use?. I've been all over

google looking for a tried and tested way of rattle can spraying and feathering the colourmatch.I've got t-cut and turtle wax colour restorer but at which point/or not do I use them to revive the old paint into the new? Any tried and tested methods?

I've even thought of keying the whole f%^king car and spraying it with an off the shelf red(far cheaper)maybe even do that patina paint thing that some of the aircooled folks have done by rubbing the paint exposing other colour below?

Oh and I'm not doing the satin thing either, I want to have a shiney car :-)

I've been learning as I go for almost a year now and I'm loosing faith and now it's just a case of I NEED A BLOODY CAR

I'm not even going to get into the carb problems

Any suggestions or crit would be great.

Cheers Dunc

Edited 24 October, 200718 yr by MacColl

As long as you take the shine out of the old coat and clean it, then you can spray it with spray cans. if your worried about rust then you should just spray the whole panel in Primer? but dont forget to smooth the primer right down as i made that mistake. If you are using spray cans then i suggest you buy the 500ml ones as they work out cheaper.

how did you get your door handle off btw?

As long as you take the shine out of the old coat and clean it, then you can spray it with spray cans. if your worried about rust then you should just spray the whole panel in Primer? but dont forget to smooth the primer right down as i made that mistake. If you are using spray cans then i suggest you buy the 500ml ones as they work out cheaper.

how did you get your door handle off btw?

Pop the floppy bit on the outside of the door handle off ..

Best way i could describe it tbh ..

Yhe thin bit that runs along the outside of the door handle ..

Cpl of screws then i think from what i can remember ...

Similar removal as interior door card things ..

Edited 23 October, 200718 yr by StevieDavison

As long as you take the shine out of the old coat and clean it, then you can spray it with spray cans. if your worried about rust then you should just spray the whole panel in Primer? but dont forget to smooth the primer right down as i made that mistake. If you are using spray cans then i suggest you buy the 500ml ones as they work out cheaper.

how did you get your door handle off btw?

Pop the floppy bit on the outside of the door handle off ..

Best way i could describe it tbh ..

Yhe thin bit that runs along the outside of the door handle ..

Cpl of screws then i think from what i can remember ...

Similar removal as interior door card things ..

i tried to pull it off lol wouldnt come lose ? cant see what I'm doing inside the door panel. an the one door panel has a sheet of glass in there?!

Door handles are easy to take out, just pop of the metal cover on front where theres a screw plus a screw on the inner end of the door.

Glass is a fiddle but comes out with 2 bolts from what i remember, just a bit of patience not to scratch or break.

I've been using kurust but I don't trust it so i went onto a product called deox-gel (made by bilt hamber) which I'm hoping will have drawn out all the rust.It's amazing stuff, just hope i used it enough.

Anyway thanks but does anyone have more specific methods like grades of paper/using t-cut or colour restorer to blend paint.

All you body shop folk :-)?

I know it'll never be perfect just want to do best poss.

Cheers Dunc

Edited 24 October, 200718 yr by MacColl

I use 1000 or 1200 wet n dry paper to key paint before spraying. I blend new paint to old with T cut after a week or 2 when the paint has hardened

Thanks :) going by what i've read and heard that would make sense.

If anyone else has anything or opinions to add then please do, i'm sure it would come in handy for other folk too.

Cheers.

Bump

If I put a scaffolding pole in my car or bodge band steel my wheels will I get more of a response(sorry not in a good mood :( )

Edited 23 October, 200718 yr by MacColl

Forget blending new paint with old,you'll never get it matched right with rattle cans,even matched. Its not even the same type of paint,let alone the same colour.

Find a shade of red you like,that is similar to your current,but at standard price. Ideally,get them all from the same batch (batch number on underside of the can).

Flat wherever needs filler-primer with circa 300 grit paper. Re-flat the filler primer,and anywhere that needs normal priming,with circa 500 wet paper and prime it with red primer. Then flat the entire car with circa 900 wet paper. The whole car should now be matt red - a mixture of red primer and red paint. Now paint the entire car. Its best to remove all windows and trim for this,make sure its all masked up at the seams.

In all cases,take it easy,take your time,dont spray too heavily - you wanna get a few thin coats on. Leave it two weeks before polishing it up with compound and polish.

If you want it glass-smooth instead of orange-peel,flat the whole car after two weeks with no less than 1500 wet paper. You'll have needed a few coats for this. Then cut it smooth with a compound or Tcut. Careful along edges,or you'll go straight through.

Polish,wax.

good advice,could also treat yaself/hire or rent a compressor cellulose paint is around 20 quid a litre couple of litres and ull be sorted mate.

Thanks for that no messing about answer :-)

I think I was setting myself up for dissapointment after putting quite a lot of work into car.

I do have a compressor with spray gun (you know the clark bandit one from machine mart) but it's only 6ltr really meant for nail gun.Would it be any use if I sprayed 1 panel at a time or do I need 25,50+ltrs to give the gun constant pressure?

Much appreciated, hope this has given others some faith too :-)

Tornado red here I come (or one of the others.........)

I sprayed my engine bay using one of those crappy little "nail gun" compressors. It worked OK but you literally get about 3 seconds of spraying and then have to wait 20 seconds for it to build up pressure again. You're unlikely to get a good finish with one. It's worth going on ebay or something and picking up a bigger compressor that's good enough to do the job. If you're painting the whole car you'll probably be able to buy a 2nd hand compressor which is good enough and the paint for a similar price you'd have paid for enough rattle cans to paint an entire car anyway!

Thanks :-) , I kind of thought that I'd be stretching the wee compressors limit.

I'll hire or get a lend of a bigger one but now the dilemma is with what paint to use.

My car paint shop will sell me 2pack or enamel(think thats what he said? 3L for £32) but not cellulose.

I'm not getting into 2pack, too dangerous no airfed masks/booth etc. so what do I do?

I see cellulose paint on the web, is that different or for trade only?

thanks again Dunc

nowt wrong with 2pac mate - you just use one of these

as long as you dont inhale it - your fine.

and it looks like you have a garage or barn - so throw a car cover on the floor (stop dust) and spray it.

someone you know will have a compressor.

other then that - pay someone.

oh and if you do prevail with the rattle can - spray the whole panel! or you'll be chasing it up the car anyway to blend it in.

Nice one thanks

Good info on this thread, looks like I've got a bit of work ahead of me, hopefully I'll pull it off.

It's the sort of job that gives u massive satisfaction, along with all the welding etc.

I could always go to a fetish club with that mask on