Any bodywork/sanding tips?

[ikkitousen]

I just got my first compressor; Craftsman, 6.5hp, 33g, 15scfm @40psi 10.5scfm @ 90psi = $200 from CL
My first two pneumatic sanders, 1 Campbell Hausfeld DA TL1004 $20 and a Central Pneumatic 280 inline also $20 both from some pawn shop off of CL.
Picking up a couple different soft blocks and a shit'ton of 3M autobody sand paper in all grits. Also a new respirator and eye protection of course.

So I still need a couple lengths of hose, couplers, a 2nd inline regulator, a water trap/filter and a new 6" sanding pad for the TL1004.
I basically want to start on my 86 eta - Alpinewhite; take it down fill a couple dents in the front fender get it ready to re-paint. Gonna stick with the stock color as I love the Alpine.

Reason for re-paint is that the PO had an uncle that ran a detail shop and they cut the damn top coat so many times they actually burned off the paint in a couple creases on the rear trunk and the front corners of both fenders. Also the myriad of chips and scratches won’t buff out. Couple small surface rust spots from chips as well now.
We will be sanding this outside in my driveway. As for painting, we are building a car shed/paint booth on the side of my Moms house with all the trimmings. Still working on those plans: filters, fans, flooring, accessibility, etc. Probably start with a OSH style pre-fab car port of some sort... Like I said, haven't figured that one out yet.

Here is the car as she sits now:

Hole and paint chips from the former ricer tail that I have to fill. Not sure if I want to paint the spoiler white or leave it black. Either way its going to get resprayed cuz its not in "fantastic" shape, and cracking a bit.


Scratch (key mark) and over buffed, burned crease.


Nice and strait body /door panels, just need to hit those side moldings. Think I'm gonna keep the chrome trim though... I know everyone is going to say shadowline it but I kinda want to be different.


Dented pannel, partially pulled out already, and more buffer burned creases.


Extremely pitted front grill trim. Desperately in need of a euro grill and/or respray SEM Black.


Not bad for a $500 car off of CL huh? Nice and strait!





Minor dent in the centerline of the hood crease... Should be easy to push out since its not ON the crease itself. Rusting chip mark.


Used DA and Inline sander. Just need some TLC and some oil and should be GTG. Tested on my bro-in-laws compressor and they are solid!

So this will most likely end up as my worklog thread after I get some feedback on whats what. btw I have NEVER done this before so any and all advice is welcome. I have been reading and reading and reading and read some more. Youtube is kinda nice as well. Lots of mis-information though. Lots of conflicting advice on shit. Either way I have a good idea or whats right and whats wrong. ONly way to learn is to do it! I have an old red trunk lid that I will be using a test bed so I dont fcuk up my beautiful (read: soon to be) E30! OOOOooooooh I'm sooo excited! Can't wait!

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DAMN THIS LOOKS LIKE WORK!!!

[whiltebeitel]

Car Craft has done a ton of articles on do-it-yourself painting, if you want even more to read, but it sounds like you have a pretty decent handle on it!

[der affe]

watch your front fin gers on that inline sander, it will smash the crap out of them if you let them get down too low.

if you have any specific questions ask away or pm me as i am icar paltinum cert and have been doing it longer than i care to.

[ikkitousen]

Okay der affe, just make sure your inbox is open and empty cuz I may be BLOWING IT UP! HEHE JK, TY for the heads up on that sander.

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DAMN WHERES THE ADVIL!!!

[nando]

One thing I learned was not to sand back and forth. You want to kind of go in circles and change directions often. Back and forth in the same direction will create ripples all over the place.

[MDryVur]

watch your front fin gers on that inline sander, it will smash the crap out of them if you let them get down too low.

if you have any specific questions ask away or pm me as i am icar paltinum cert and have been doing it longer than i care to.

yeah that fucking hurts... i almost cryed...:(

[ikkitousen]

Updates: 07/09/09

Okay so I ran down to "Ned's" to pick up my bodywork supplies and I gotta say the guy behind the counter Justin really helped me out with what I needed.
I spent just under $100 (probably more then I should have, since its all retail pricing), but at least I have a good start.
So basically I picked up everything I think I will need to cut the existing paint that’s on there, grind down the paint on the dents, fill them and hopefully fill those holes on the trunk lid. Shit I forgot the fiberglass and resin for the underside of the holes. Oh well one more trip tomorrow. I needed buy dust masks and cleaning supplies anyway.

Here’s what I got today:


Sitting on my test bed, if you will. I will redoing this trunk lid FIRST. No point in eff’ing up my car first when I can eff up a trunk I don’t need.
Self etching primer: cuz I don't feel confident enough to NOT grind too much paint off when I go to bondo those dents/holes.
Flexi primer: for the bumpers and valence
Red disc roll 600 grit: to cut the existing paint for spraying. Since the body is so strait and I am keeping the same color I figured I wouldn't have to do much to respray. I'm not looking for a show car my first time out.
Evercoat Light weight filler: I have three dents none bigger then a golf ball.
Orange Disc 80/240grit: To take down to bare metal and to get those bumpers and valence chips out of the paint.
Trim tape, spreaders, and a nice semi-soft hand block.

Am I missing anything? I still need to pick up a bit of sand paper for my inline. And I still need a new DA 6" wheel which I will be getting from Sears tomorrow. Ned's didn't have the wheel for my DA, I was short on funds anyway. Do you think I need to pick up a hand long block too? I figured I would be doing most of the work with the DA and block.
Question: Am I going to need to lay a sealer down after I cut the stock paint and before I spray the Base Coat white?




So I really lucked out with the compressor. OTHER then the fact that it was only $200, I scored a Gas Dryer from the brother-in-law which freed up that 240v plug/circuit. I slapped a new 20amp receptacle on there, got an air conditioning 9' extension cord and I am in business. Now we will just have to wait and see if I burn the house down tomorrow after letting the pump run for a few hours with that DA! (Pray for me! /me keeps fingers crossed.) :firehop:


On another note, a little foresight came into play today, and I got a Utility sink for the garage so I can clean everything! I found a guy on CL that was bartering a full sink, legs, pipes, and faucet, as long as I took the rest of his trash to the dump! Fuckin SCORE! I was able to stuff all that crap into the back of my 89 Honda Accord "Work Truck" (LOLz) and tossed it all into a dumpster at my restaurant! Only cost me the Gas to get out there.
Now I just need to spend some time tomorrow and route some plumbing, tap into the washer hot and cold lines, and I will be good to go.

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DAMN IT IS WHAT IT IS!!!

[ikkitousen]

Shit ummm dont mind the sour mash in the back gournd... Move along! Nothing to see here!

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DAMN STORAGE SPACE!!!

[der affe]

get a fan for that compressor. it is too small to run air tools and so is the tank, a fan will keep it alive longer. you will see what i mean when you start to use the air tools with it.

you are also going to need some "metal glaze" skim coat for before you prime the bondo work.

that sanding block is too flexible except for blocking and wet sanding the paint. for the bodyfiller work, you are going to want to get a foam block kit. they will know what you mean at the paint supply store.

use a primer/sealer and you will be ok.

if you are going to use the fiberglass to fill the holes in the rear deck, don't!
it will crack and seperate over time and will do i tieven quicker on something that gets opened and slammed shut.
weld and grind the holes, then skim coat it.

[ikkitousen]

Awwwwww Look what I found! Isn't that Special!?!?!?!

Pulled the diving boards off and had to move the battery from the tray and it didn't look right!


After invesitgating further....








Looks like I am going to have to invest a bit into some welding.
Now question is should I just go take a class at the local JC and learn to do it myself for the future? Its only $20/unit I think...

Or have someone do it right the first time?

P.S. Is rust really like ant/termites/cockroaches? If you see one, is 10,000 others you don't?

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DAMN OPTIONS!!!

[delfin]

Ouch ^^

[Naplm00]

ive got rust in the exact same spot, it a bummer

im not welding tho, ill be using Panel bonder

its easier and just as strong

EDIT:

also, i was informed that you need asd low as 80 grit discs for the surface to be prepped for filler...


are you going to use the DA on the whole car? then spray the entire car with sealer/primer?

[ikkitousen]

EDIT:

also, i was informed that you need asd low as 80 grit discs for the surface to be prepped for filler...

are you going to use the DA on the whole car? then spray the entire car with sealer/primer?

That was the plan for the dents. Sand with 80grit, to bare metal, bondo, sand, self etching primer, sand, sealer.
The paint is just getting knocked down with 600 on the DA for the most part, and hit other areas with a block and elbow grease, and going from there.

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DAMN WELDING!!!

[der affe]

you need to GRIND it with 80 or 36 grit grinding discs. 80 grit DA paper will work 50% of the time, so don't chance it.

when you fill it, then block it and feather it with the block from 80 to 120, then get a foam backer for your DA and run over it with that and 220 paper, THEN prime it and block it ETC.

as far as the rust repair, talk to the local JC welding teacher, see of he will letr you repair it in class. he might even help you out in making the repair patch for it. a decent welder is probably out of your budget right now, that isn't a bad repair to do.

[der affe]

One thing I learned was not to sand back and forth. You want to kind of go in circles and change directions often. Back and forth in the same direction will create ripples all over the place.

yes and no, it depends on what you are doing. you will find out when it will work and wont work once you get into the bodywork