I've got a '67 Plymouth Fury III convertible that I've owned for about 20 years and it's looking pretty rough. This would never be a show car - the #'s don't match and that's not a project I want to undertake. The frame is still pretty solid and aside from some lifter noise, the engine runs well. I was thinking that painting it myself would be a good project for my 15 y/o son and me. I've got a compressor and was thinking of picking up a jitterbug and an HVLP gun. Is this way too much to undertake as a first project? I was planning on practicing on some other stuff like the underside of my brother and my mower decks. Any tips, cautions or recommendations appreciated.
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Anyone paint their car?
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Junkman
Extra Super Moderator
Painting a car when you have never done one before can be a difficult task. I suggest that you go to the local bone yard and get a car hood and practice on that first. Then after you have painted it, and are satisfied that you have the talent and patience to do the job, move forward with painting one panel at a time. If you like the way it comes out, fine, if not, you can keep practicing until you like what you see. If the car has a metallic paint, then it needs to be painted all at once. Colors like white can be done easily one panel at a time...
Often you can take the "night school" autobody course at the local tech college. These are normally run as an "open shop" type of class with little timein the classroom. I did this a couple of semesters. This gives you the instructor to ask questions of and all the equipment (snaders, booth, ect.) to use.
A DA sander (not a jitterbug, two different things) uses ALOT of air. You'd need a pretty big compressor to run one. So does a HVLP setup.
A DA sander (not a jitterbug, two different things) uses ALOT of air. You'd need a pretty big compressor to run one. So does a HVLP setup.
Junkman
Extra Super Moderator
Color matching is always a problem. In the old days, the hobbyist would paint with lacquer, which dried fast and was very workable. Today, with the new paints, they require a clean environment, and lots of know how to get the proper results. Paint itself is very expensive, so you might want to rethink this as a family project. I have painted in the past, but I wouldn't even consider it today with the modern finishes. Too much prep and clean up work, for too little results. Now, I leave the painting to the professionals. A gallon of paint can cost $300, and you haven't purchased the first ounce of thinners!!!!! Get some prices for materials before you do much more, and then see if you still want to go through with the project. Don't forget masking paper. Newspaper isn't going to be effective for masking because the thinners pass right through the paper to the area that you are trying to protect. Not all paper is created equal..... Junk...
Av8r3400 said:
That is very good advice that Av8r3400 gave . We have local college classes here also on painting. If not then get a good "How To" book on painting . Have acess to a clean garage or shop with a concrete floor . Dust will kill a nice paint job faster than anything I know .Take your time and practice your spray pattern style . Unless your planning on getting into more of this type of hobby work ,I think you may be better off to take it to a discount paint shop like Matco or Earl Schibe . It is not as easy as it looks and it took me years to learn to do body work and painting .
Big Al
I've probably done a few dozen or so. To get even what I'd consider a "reasonable" finish, you'll have to spend a few thousand on equipment. Also, you need to be able to create a completely dust and insect free painting environment. One speck of dust will cause a nice pimple on a paint job. One fly or mosquito will always manage to land squarely in the center of a hood and find the strength to crawl about 2 feet across your wet paint before succumbing and becoming part of your finish.
On the dust thing, it's hard to imagine how hard it is to get all dust out. Remember, when you are spraying, you are using compressed air. That will recirculate any dust on anything in your paint area that may be seemingly out of the way. I used to use a garden hose and lightly wet everything in my "spray booth" to make sure that all dust was stuck down before I painted. With the new high quality enamel paint, too much humidity in your spray booth will give you a milky looking finish. I like Sherman Williams for both the base coat and clear coat. With that, as well as with all other such paints, you must get your hardener, fish eye eliminater etc. mixed properly and precisely with each batch in your spray gun.
If you buy a cheap spray gun, you will get a paint job that looks somewhat like a zebra; with stripes in the color. If you paint with too much air pressure, you will get orange peel look. Too little pressure, you get runs. With your painting motions you need to make sure that you don't cross any one area too often or you will get runs or will have the paint too thick and it may crack once dried. If you don't properly wipe off the car with a goot tack cloth before you paint, there is always the possiblity that the paint may not stick any place that someone touched with their fingers. Fingers have oils on them, paint does not stick well to oil. If you don't use the correct primer, and even color of primer, the primer may bleed through after a month or your sand marks will show. This doesn't even mention the fine art (and I do mean that it's an art) of doing quality body work. Even if you are good at the artistic part, if proper procedures are not used you will see your hard work bubble up and fall off later because of rust on the underlying metal. I've seen more 'short cuts' to doing body work than I've seen quality work. It's far easier to take the short cuts that will give you a decent looking end result...for a short while.
Basically, if you want to spend the money for the equipment, I'd still practice on "junk" cars numerous times before I'd attempt to paint something you want to be reasonably presentable. I've seen way too many do it yourself paint jobs that actually decreased the value of the vehicle because of the expense that will be involved to 'undo' what was done.
On the dust thing, it's hard to imagine how hard it is to get all dust out. Remember, when you are spraying, you are using compressed air. That will recirculate any dust on anything in your paint area that may be seemingly out of the way. I used to use a garden hose and lightly wet everything in my "spray booth" to make sure that all dust was stuck down before I painted. With the new high quality enamel paint, too much humidity in your spray booth will give you a milky looking finish. I like Sherman Williams for both the base coat and clear coat. With that, as well as with all other such paints, you must get your hardener, fish eye eliminater etc. mixed properly and precisely with each batch in your spray gun.
If you buy a cheap spray gun, you will get a paint job that looks somewhat like a zebra; with stripes in the color. If you paint with too much air pressure, you will get orange peel look. Too little pressure, you get runs. With your painting motions you need to make sure that you don't cross any one area too often or you will get runs or will have the paint too thick and it may crack once dried. If you don't properly wipe off the car with a goot tack cloth before you paint, there is always the possiblity that the paint may not stick any place that someone touched with their fingers. Fingers have oils on them, paint does not stick well to oil. If you don't use the correct primer, and even color of primer, the primer may bleed through after a month or your sand marks will show. This doesn't even mention the fine art (and I do mean that it's an art) of doing quality body work. Even if you are good at the artistic part, if proper procedures are not used you will see your hard work bubble up and fall off later because of rust on the underlying metal. I've seen more 'short cuts' to doing body work than I've seen quality work. It's far easier to take the short cuts that will give you a decent looking end result...for a short while.
Basically, if you want to spend the money for the equipment, I'd still practice on "junk" cars numerous times before I'd attempt to paint something you want to be reasonably presentable. I've seen way too many do it yourself paint jobs that actually decreased the value of the vehicle because of the expense that will be involved to 'undo' what was done.
Just lower your expectations! A case of Rustoleum Spray paint will work wonders! 
There's always Maaco or one of those cheapo places that does a quick blast of paint for $300. In college, I had my VW Type III done at one of those places and while it was a rough paint job it stuck on and looked OK for the year or two that I had the thing. If you took all the trim off yourself, and spent the time sanding and priming the car yourself you could probably take it to one of those places and get some pretty good results. They don't do any prep work. All they do is mask off the windows and trim and then lay down a coat or two of paint.
Just another option from the low-rent side of the crowd!
There's always Maaco or one of those cheapo places that does a quick blast of paint for $300. In college, I had my VW Type III done at one of those places and while it was a rough paint job it stuck on and looked OK for the year or two that I had the thing. If you took all the trim off yourself, and spent the time sanding and priming the car yourself you could probably take it to one of those places and get some pretty good results. They don't do any prep work. All they do is mask off the windows and trim and then lay down a coat or two of paint.
Just another option from the low-rent side of the crowd!
Yes Painting a car is a pretty big project as has already been mentioned. I have painted a few jeeps but it does take alot of effort of prep work. Then you have to be patient when you spray. Practice before can only make you better. Dust is a big issue along with good dry air at the correct gun pressure from your compressor. I know I have alot invested in equipment and I do not even have expensive stuff either. I have acheived fair results but never a perfect job.
I made a 'booth' with plastic sheeting. I covered the floor too to keep the overspray off the concret. wetting the floor can work too but you will still get color left on the floor.
If you do decide to paint make sure you wear an air mask. (Maybe some others will help with advise here?)
Also keep the kids and pets out of that area until it is well ventelated. They like to come and watch!
But it is a good idea to have someone around the house to check on you from time to time to make sure you are having any reactions to the chemicals. It can happen!
Another thought is maybe you can find an older body man that paints on the side or is retired. Ask around at the parts store etc. They are often times less expensive than a regular shop and may be willing to work with you. Meaning you can sand the car. Dissaemble trim etc. Do the body work and maybe even shoot primer on it. Then let him handle the final coat. But keep in mind that if they let you do this, that part of the job is on you! And the final coat adhesion does relie on the quality of work to an extent.
Good luck Have fun and be Safe!
I made a 'booth' with plastic sheeting. I covered the floor too to keep the overspray off the concret. wetting the floor can work too but you will still get color left on the floor.
If you do decide to paint make sure you wear an air mask. (Maybe some others will help with advise here?)
Also keep the kids and pets out of that area until it is well ventelated. They like to come and watch!
But it is a good idea to have someone around the house to check on you from time to time to make sure you are having any reactions to the chemicals. It can happen!
Another thought is maybe you can find an older body man that paints on the side or is retired. Ask around at the parts store etc. They are often times less expensive than a regular shop and may be willing to work with you. Meaning you can sand the car. Dissaemble trim etc. Do the body work and maybe even shoot primer on it. Then let him handle the final coat. But keep in mind that if they let you do this, that part of the job is on you! And the final coat adhesion does relie on the quality of work to an extent.
Good luck Have fun and be Safe!
JimR
Charter Member
It's no picnic and not cheap. Be thankful your using blue and not red. Red is the most $$$$ color paint made. You will need a quality mask. Do not go cheap or you will suffer the consequences. Use a hardner in the paint if you use enamel. It makes the paint dry faster and you can recoat if neccessary the following day should you run a panel. Fish Eye additive will cure any spots that didn't get completely cleaned. You can very easily build a paint booth out of 2"x4"s, plastic, hot air furnace filters and a brushless house fan. Make the fan pull the air out on one end of the booth. The filters go at the other end all across the bottom taped on to the plastic. Have someone seal you in the booth once you get ready to do the painting. Have a watch as you need to let the paint sit between coats. This will give you time to mix and refill your gun. Go easy on the paint and you will not have runs. Overlap each pass slightly. As mentioned, a few old hoods are fun to practice on. Peel the tape off the car an hour after you shoot it and before the paint hardens up too much. Be very careful and do not wear loose clothing. Long sleeves ar bad for me because I am short. Have a bench available on each side to do the roof, unless you are 6'6" tall. I start with the hood, right front fender, roof, right door's, right rear quarter, trunk and rear section, left quarter, left door's, left front fender. Three coats is normal for enamel. Epoxy two part paints, I usually use 3 coats base color and 2-3 coats of clearcoat. There is also a great epoxy sealer that you can use to seal in the old finish just before painting. It requires no sanding after spraying. You do need to shoot the car within an hour of spraying the epoxy sealer or wait 24 hours and lightly sand it.