Paint prep work questions. big ones.

e30ryan///m3 · 02-19-2007, 08:39 PM

Sand the hood down with an 80 grit sand paper and then a 150-250 grit sandpaper and then a 500 or so grit sand paper. It all depends on how nice you want it to turn out. If the rest of your car is riddled with dings and dents and your not planning on fixing them I wouldn't go all out on the hood, but if you want it to be perfect then fill any low spots with a good filler. The best laying filler I have used is called Icing and you should be able to get it at any local CarQuest or NAPA. once all the filler has been applyed then you can block sand the hood (ask at the auto parts store for a block sander) they are fairly cheap and they keep you from making more low spots. This is were you should really go over the hood a few times starting with a low grit sandpaper and working your way to a very fine(high grit) sandpaper. After you have sanded and filled and sanded more, you can prime the hood. If you went all the way to bare metal you will need to use a self-etching primer, but if you just scuffed the original paint you can use regular surface primer. Once the hood is all primed and you have done a few coats you should wet sand it. This will involve taking wet/dry sandpaper (very fine grit) and soaking it in warm/hot water and sanding the hood. you should use a spray bottle to wet the entire hood (the water will bead up like you just waxed it) then take your bucket of hot water and your wet/dry sandpaper and sand the hood, you don't need to go crazy here just enough to make it smooth and when you spray water on it it won't bead up anymore. That is it, now bring it to a body shop for paint or have someone you know with a paint gun paint it. You can even get your factory paint at the CarQuest store or NAPA, just give them you vin number or paint code. I hope this helps.

Ryan

xLibelle · 02-19-2007, 08:24 PM

it depends on what kind of a paint job youre looking for.
changing the color entirely?
getting a fresh coat of the same color?

in any case, i dont recommend stripping original paint entirely. it stuck for 20 some odd years, let it stay and be the base coat.

if you want it done right, lose the trim. almost every bit needs to be removed. this includes lights, bumpers, wipers, etc. again, it depends on how nice you want the details - the more attention to getting trim away form paint.

as for the rest, talk to the shops. they can help you and in helping you, they help themselves from you fucking it up. some places insist that they see the car and choose to do a light sand, THEIR primer, and then final coat work.

but i'm interested in those who have had experiences as well. i'm about to start preping my car for a top coat and clear.

Paint prep work questions. big ones.

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