I've got a couple paint related questions.

[TwoJ's]

Question 1: What brand/model of paint gun do you recommend? My car is pretty much ready to be painted and my friend who will be spraying thinks that we need to use a better gun than the one he's got for paint. Here is a picture of what he's got:



It says "Air Wick" on it, and also says, "Taiwan", so I'm assuming this is just a cheapo gun. He thinks that it would be fine if we were spraying white or some light color, but since the car will be schwarz we need a good gun. I told him I'd pay for the gun, so I'd like to keep it reasonable, but also I do want a quality gun. So what do you recommend?

Question 2/3: What type of paint do you recommend? And how much do I need to buy?

Isaac (backtrail69) recommended Dupont Chromasystem, but I'd like to get some more opinions. Also, we used 1 - 1 1/3 quarts of primer to cover the car the first time, but I don't know if you do as many coats or whatever.

Question 3.5: Was the factory paint base/clear? What are the disadvantages to going with a single stage paint?

Question 3.5.2: What number of tip (or whatever it is called) do you use for paint?

Thanks in advance, and forgive my ignorance.

[trashcop 80s 80s]

That gun will be fine. It you have never painted before, then you probably aren't good enough to notice a difference in an expensive gun vs. a cheap one. I have been using a Home Depot HVLP gun that I got for free, and I can make it look great, but I have lots of practice.

There are plenty of good paints available, check a local paint shop and talk to them about what they have available. Don't buy any expensive paint if you are inexperienced, it will not look any better than a cheaper alternative. I mostly use Valspar Zenith, because it is local, priced well, and looks good. I always use base/clear urethane paint, it looks better than single stage. I would add a new layer of primer if you have any scratches or uneven shading. I like to use a high fill surfacing primer and then go over everything with 400 or 600 grit paper to remove any scratches and make the finish look even.

Some factory colors were base/clear, some were single stage. I think black, red, and white were single stage. Metallic colors should always be done two-stage to make them look right. I always use two-stage paint, and I have never used single stage, so I am biased, but I have seen some single stage paint jobs. They don't have any depth. It looks like a home appliance paint job. They can look ok, but it would require wet sanding and polishing, where as a two-stage will look really good straight out of the gun, and will look like a show car if wetsanded and polished.

2.0 for primer, 1.4 for base/clear


Here are some pics of my e46 front bumper. This was one of the first things I have painted. Valspar twostage with home depot spray gun, painted outside in the driveway. No wetsanding or polishing.

[trashcop 80s 80s]

And for how much paint you will need, it depends on the reducing ratio and how many coats you apply. I would say probably two quarts of base and two quarts of clear would layer the car well.

[der affe]

if you are doing a metallic paint (base/clear). try some practice panels with some different angles or curves to them. the colour can change depending on the angle you shoot it at. it can make a big difference when you have adjoining panels.

as far as paint i have used duponte centari, sherwin williams, basf/glasurit, & ppg. all with good results. i have even had decent luck with nason.

on the gun: a new cheap gun will do you just fine. they just wear out quickly as opposed to a binks, sata, etc

[trashcop 80s 80s]

on the gun: a new cheap gun will do you just fine. they just wear out quickly as opposed to a binks, sata, etc

Make sure to clean it well after each use, and use an large filter unit, as well a disposable filter right at the gun to prevent moisture. It should last a little longer and have a more consistent spray.

[TwoJ's]

Are you talking about a water/air separator in line with the gun and compressor? We've got one of those, and even after spraying primer there was a significant amount of water in there.

[Van Westervelt]

Pictures?

[trashcop 80s 80s]

Are you talking about a water/air separator in line with the gun and compressor? We've got one of those, and even after spraying primer there was a significant amount of water in there.

I use this mini filter/separator at the compressor outlet
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=43242

and then disposable filters like this at the gun to remove condensed water in the hose
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38159

I have never had a problem with moisture using this set up, or you could get one of these
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1118
to really clean/dry the air.