Talk to me about cheap paint jobs

[priapism]

I have a 1991 Calypsorot 325i. PO did a horrible paint job that is badly faded and flaking in areas. The overspray is painfully obvious.

What's the best / most cost effective way to restore it to factory-ish looking color? Will I be able to get factory Glasurit paint at the cheapo shops?

I like the stock color a lot. I want to keep it that color. I hoped to do a pseudo-restoration on this car.

[StereoInstaller1]

Do you have a place to work on it? Do you have another car to drive for a couple months? Do you have a big air compressor? Can you do painstaking, meticulous work for hours and hours on end? If you can answer yes to all of the above questions you might want to paint your car.

If you answer no to ANY of those questions, go find about $4500 (wait, Sherman Oaks? $6500) and pay a pro.

[priapism]

The hood, roof, and trunk are the really bad parts. The rest of the car doesn't look horrible. I was thinking about doing those myself but I figured it would probably not match quite right, what with the fading.

I have another car (or 5) and don't mind labor but I'm too busy lately for it. I'm not looking for a concourse job mind you, just something that will keep me from looking like the Jed Clampett of my cul-de-sac :D

[StereoInstaller1]

You thought about cut and buff, maybe even wetsanding first?

I have seen wondrous stuff happen...

[B-well]

prep the car very well. thats where the flaws are.
Paint kits run me on average 200 with a gallon of paint, gallon of clear, pint of hardner, strainers and stir sticks

if im not in a booth i spray with a cheapo harbor freight gun.

I can get a killer paint job out the door on one of my cars for 400 including all prep and finish materials as well as a HF gun.

[priapism]

You thought about cut and buff, maybe even wetsanding first?

I have seen wondrous stuff happen...

The paint is literally flaking off the car on the hood, any buffing would probably strip it clean off :nice:

[jett7467]

Wet sand and then single stage acrylic urethane. Summit racing has it pretty cheap. i did mine this summer. Not perfect but much better than before. I used a 5hp 10gallon compressor and a Harbor freight gun.

[N2MYE30]

Wet sand and then single stage acrylic urethane. Summit racing has it pretty cheap. i did mine this summer. Not perfect but much better than before. I used a 5hp 10gallon compressor and a Harbor freight gun.

Any pix of the finished product?

[ck_taft325is]

Get yourself some sandpaper (120-320-600-800-1000-1500-2000) at the auto parts store along with a bucket of body filler, feather filler and a few varied sizes of blocks. Go to town on ANY imperfections. Remove paint/sand paint down to smooth. Go to Maaco. Pay them ~$400.00. Talk with them, get to know the guys and have them spray your car. They spend 8+ hours a day doing this work. Who else has more practice? As long as you specify or purchase your own materials (paint) that arn't crap, you could have a VERY nice looking paint job for sub $600.00.

Good luck.

[Dozyproductions]

you think maaco would use the paint you give them? Different paints have different characteristics on laying down so that might not be such a good idea if these guys practice on only one brand or type. I know back in San Luis Obispo's Maaco they were using a really good sherwin williams brand. Used that in my painting class and it was probably right under popular brand name top shelfs.

[ck_taft325is]

you think maaco would use the paint you give them? Different paints have different characteristics on laying down so that might not be such a good idea if these guys practice on only one brand or type. I know back in San Luis Obispo's Maaco they were using a really good sherwin williams brand. Used that in my painting class and it was probably right under popular brand name top shelfs.

Good point. I know you can suggest or ask them to use a different paint that you supply, but you're right, it would be different from what they use daily.

Find a good Maaco is the biggest thing. A good Maaco wont be cheaping out on crap paint and skimping you hard core on time in the booth.