Tips And Techniques On How To Paint Your Car

We're going to paint one of our project cars in the next year. We're going to do it by hand, in the Car Craft shop, from car wash to final color-sand and buff, all while you watch. Though we've painted a few cars in the past, there has always been a shop or professional gun at work at some point in the project that has kept us from proclaiming 100 percent ownership of the work, good or bad.

If you've had the same idea, you're going to need to know all the little details about picking the right paint, sandpaper, reducers, and a list of other items that conspire to bog you down. You're also going to want to start your first job in an out-of-the-way place, like under the hood or in the trunk, in case you make a couple of mistakes, like we did. Trunks also don't require color-sanding and buffing to look right, so they're a great place to get some practice on good prep work and spraying techniques

The CC/Rambler had some surface rust in the trunk and some areas where the seam sealer had retreated and the original paint had started to bubble. All that was required was some simple sanding and application of some primer to get the area paint ready. That allowed us to spend more time on paint mixing and experimenting with paint flow, air pressure, and spray pattern before we tackled anything like an entire car. Try it

Regulators
Because we don't have a wall-mounted pressure regulator, the pressure at the inlet regulator is well over 100 psi. We had to pull the trigger halfway to relieve the initial pressure spike on each stroke then pull it all the way to get the paint to flow. A wall mount is next on the grocery list. A cheater valve regulates by restricting airflow. Think of it as kinking a hose to temporarily stop water flow. Straighten the hose, and water blasts out. A proper wall-mount regulator vents off excess pressure, therefore holding steady at whatever pressure you set it to.

SUPPLIES
DESCRIPTION	PRICE
31/44-inch masking tape	$1.75
3M 320-grit wet or dry sandpaper, 100 pack	35.29
Acetone	8.84
DuPont V-4904S primer/filler, 1 gal.	123.00
DuPont V-4975S activator, 1 qt.	61.00
Nason basecoat, 11/42 gal.	40.00
Nason activator, 1 qt.	28.40
DuPont HC2300S clear, 1 gal.	151.79
DuPont HC2305S activator, 1 qt.	47.69
Inline air filter	47.00
Overspray sheeting	27.63
Respirator	17.67
Sharpe air regulator	27.00
Evercoat brushable seam sealer, 1 qt.	14.37
SEM self-etching primer, 1 can	11.03
Quart pails, 6	2.94
Total:	$645.40

The Rambler trunk was perfect for a practice spray. We needed to remove the old seam sealer (arrow) and the rust before spraying any new paint. All we needed to do was scuff the existing paint rather than take the trunk down to metal. Topcoats will stick better to original paint than to sheetmetal.
The Rambler trunk was perfect for a practice spray. We needed to remove the old seam seale
There was some rust where the car had been damaged and repaired; the stock paint had been cracked when somebody beat it back into shape. We used a 36-grit Rol Loc on an angle grinder to get rid of all the rust.
There was some rust where the car had been damaged and repaired; the stock paint had been

We also chipped off most of the old seam sealer from the joints between the wheeltubs and the trunk floor and anywhere else it was missing. After the big chunks were removed, we sanded the area smooth with the Rol Loc.
We also chipped off most of the old seam sealer from the joints between the wheeltubs and
For the cracks between the tubs and the floorpan and between the rear valance and the rear of the trunk floor, we used Evercoat brushable seam sealer. We applied it using a 1-inch brush from a bargain bin in the paint store. The sealer can be painted over in about an hour, is flexible, and leaves brush marks just like the factory did (if you are into that sort of thing).
For the cracks between the tubs and the floorpan and between the rear valance and the rear

We taped off the taillights and and filler neck. The only advice we have here is that you can use the cheap, yellow masking tape instead of the blue or green. Works the same.
We taped off the taillights and and filler neck. The only advice we have here is that you
Using a rubber sanding block and 150-grit, we sanded the paint and rust from between the ribs of the trunk floorpan and to feather the edges of the areas where we used the 36-grit and the angle grinder. We used dry paper instead of wet for this job. The rule of thumb is to use dry paper for feathering edges, taking down filler, or sanding primer. Use wet paper for jobs that require grit over 320 like when you are prepping for paint. When using water, the finer grits are less likely to clog, and any debris that might scratch the finish is washed away.
Using a rubber sanding block and 150-grit, we sanded the paint and rust from between the r
After blowing the grit out of the trunk with compressed air and cleaning the surfaces with wax and adhesive remover (Eastwood PRE or lacquer thinner will also work), we sprayed any areas that were sanded to bare metal with SEM self-etching primer.
After blowing the grit out of the trunk with compressed air and cleaning the surfaces with

There were a few holes between the wheeltub and the trunk floor that looked a little larger than the seam sealer would bridge, so we welded them up with the MIG and ground them down with the 36.
There were a few holes between the wheeltub and the trunk floor that looked a little large
For the big jobs, we used a Matco pneumatic DA sander with a 220 pad and sanded everything within reach just enough to just take the shine off. You want a dull, even surface for the primer to stick to. If you find any crack larger than normal paint checking, sand until you start to see the primer underneath the paint (assuming it is factory) or until the crack is gone in the case of body filler.
For the big jobs, we used a Matco pneumatic DA sander with a 220 pad and sanded everything
On the mixing pail, the measurements are marked on the lefthand side of the cup and the ratios are marked at the top. After you determine how much primer you are going to mix, you must find out how many parts primer need to be mixed with how many parts activator. It is marked on the paint can. Ours called for 3:1, meaning three parts primer to one part activator. So we filled the pail with primer to the first line marked with a three (see the Car Craft finger) then added the activator to the next line marked with a three. Simple.
On the mixing pail, the measurements are marked on the lefthand side of the cup and the ra

Proper mixing of all materials is crucial or funny things will happen to your paint job over time. Follow the directions on the can closely, or better yet, follow the procedures on the product's technical data sheet if you have access to it. DuPont's 2840S sealer is a two-part urethane that must be mixed with an activator at a 2:1 ratio. Be sure to stir the mixture thoroughly and strain as you pour it into the paint cup.
Proper mixing of all materials is crucial or funny things will happen to your paint job ov
Some primers intended to be used with topcoats don't stick to bare metal, and that's why you should use an etching primer. But you don't want to just spray everything because sometimes etching primer will not stick to basecoats, primer, filler, or even the seam sealer.
Some primers intended to be used with topcoats don't stick to bare metal, and that's why y
The difference between a good two-stage primer and a rattle can is metal protection. If you are going to leave the car in primer for a long period of time, the two-stage resists moisture and won't chalk or flake off in the sun. It is similar to a topcoat in terms of protection, and of course it is easier to lay down a lot of paint with a gun. Your spray-can finger doesn't get tired.
The difference between a good two-stage primer and a rattle can is metal protection. If yo

Tape off stuff you don't want paint to stick to. Did we have to tell you that? In this case, we blew compressed air into the nooks and crannies to get all the dirt out. If you don't do it now, the paint gun will do it for you and sprinkle crap into your paint job.
Tape off stuff you don't want paint to stick to. Did we have to tell you that? In this cas
Mixing paint with a mixing pail is easy. The paint cup on the gun will have hash marks that indicate how much paint it will hold in ounces. For small jobs, we tend to use the gun with the cup about half full, it makes it lighter and easier to handle. Big jobs will require a full cup. We decided on 12 ounces of primer for this shoot.
Mixing paint with a mixing pail is easy. The paint cup on the gun will have hash marks tha
We used the larger of the two DeVilbiss Finish Line HVLP paint guns from the Eastwood starter kit to shoot the primer and the topcoat. The ideal would be to use a dedicated primer gun like the Craftsman Heavy Duty Performance HVLP gun with a 1.8-2.0 fluid tip, then use a smaller tip for the finish work, but it is also OK to do both jobs with one gun and two different needles and tips. The inlet pressure should be 27 psi with 6-8 at the fluid-tip cap per the primer tech sheet. Try to let go of the trigger before the end of each stroke.
We used the larger of the two DeVilbiss Finish Line HVLP paint guns from the Eastwood star

Between the primer and the topcoat, we cleaned the gun with acetone and switched the needle and fluid tip to 1.3 mm.
Between the primer and the topcoat, we cleaned the gun with acetone and switched the needl
We used a "cheater valve," which is a pressure regulator that attaches at the inlet of the gun. We set the regulator at 27 psi, which should be about 7-8 psi at the fluid-tip cap.
We used a "cheater valve," which is a pressure regulator that attaches at the inlet of the
The top knob on the gun controls the fan shape. Turning it all the way clockwise narrows the pattern and turning it counterclockwise widens the pattern.
The top knob on the gun controls the fan shape. Turning it all the way clockwise narrows t

The primer flashes in 5-8 minutes between coats and can be topcoated in one hour. If you are going to let the primer sit for more than one hour and you are adding extra coats of primer, you will have to sand the primer with 600-grit paper. The shortcut is to not let it dry for more than one hour between primer coats. You don't have to sand before the topcoat is applied, it will just add scratch marks to the finish.
The primer flashes in 5-8 minutes between coats and can be topcoated in one hour. If you a
The topcoat was the same Barbados Blue we used to paint the engine compartment on the CC/ Rambler. It is mixed 8:11/42 activator then four parts reducer and was mixed with a bit of metallic as the hippies preferred in the '60s.
The topcoat was the same Barbados Blue we used to paint the engine compartment on the CC/
We cleaned the gun again and sprayed two coats of clear with 3-5 minutes between each coat. It uses a 4:1 ratio with an activator. We allowed the basecoat to dry for 15-30 minutes before we applied the clear. We didn't sand the basecoat, but you can if you get some dirt or dead flies in it. Use 1,200 or finer sandpaper, and wipe it with adhesive remover and a tack cloth before adding the clear. We've also heard of guys color-sanding between clearcoats for show cars, but we don't really do that stuff here.
We cleaned the gun again and sprayed two coats of clear with 3-5 minutes between each coat

This shows the correct shape of the fan, and if you are using the correct 50 percent overlap, you are always painting using the widest portion of the pattern.
This shows the correct shape of the fan, and if you are using the correct 50 percent overl
Since we are using a metallic paint, DuPont recommends a mist coat. That means spraying a light coat over the final coat to get an even pattern and eliminate any patterns that might appear during the paint job.
Since we are using a metallic paint, DuPont recommends a mist coat. That means spraying a

SOURCES
Eastwood 263 Shoemaker Road Pottstown PA 19464 1-800-345-1178 www.eastwoodco.com	Sears/Craftsman
Powerbuilt Tools/Alltrade Long Beach CA alltradetools.com