Hey guys. I am going to be doing this to my car...very soon. I just spent the past 2 hours reading this thread form the beggining. I got to about page 15. lol. I just want to double check to make sure I am doing every thing right. I drive a 1988 honda accord 4 dr btw...just for reference.

The beggining is what I am most unsure of. I don't know what I should remove, and what or even if I am supposed to tape anything off. I know I am going to sand from 80 grit finishing at 150 grit. But what type of sander should i use, or should i do it by hand? After I figure that out, i know mostly what to do.

1- mix mineral spirits with TremClad until just over the consistancy of water.

2- apply 2 coats, no less than 8 hours apart

3- wetsand with 600 grit- no less than 10 hours after last coat

4- apply 2 more coats

5. wetsand with 800 grit

6. two more coats

7. wetsand with 1000-1500 grit, then polish.

I guess that is it. I know that I am supposed to go over painted areas 1 min after lightly with the roller to remove bubbles. but thats it. please give me suggestions, and the proper procedure if this is wrong. I will be happy to post all pics...before, during, and after each coat, but i need to know for sure if i am doing this properly. Also, I looked on the canadian tire website, and they have Tremclad Rust Paint, and Tremclad Alkyd Tint Base, Masstone Gloss. I'm thinking the first one, but who knows. Link here, just search tremclad. Thanks alot people.

One of the problems with a thread this long is that the same questions come up over and over. Kind of like an entire forum contained within a thread..

150 is not a good grit to end prep. with, I wouldn't go under 220-240 for a final sand.

Exit, I see exactly what your saying. Is it possible to place a stickied at the top of each page that says something like "First time visitors read this first it will save you alot of reading.!" Outline the entire painting process to minimize repeat questions.
Even a FAQ might help.
Example
Q: does this process work with metal flake paint?
A: Definetly an experimental paint job that may not yield satisfactory results.

Q: Can I get a "show car" paint job with the roller process?
A: Great results are achievable with a huge, huge investment in time. Satisfactory "factory paint" results that will bring new life to a old beater are worth the effort.


But, on the upside what this forum has possibly created the largest amount of DIY auto painters in the history of the automobile.

that is wet sanded at an angle. but if i polish it this is as far as i can get it

ive used turtle and 3m products

Which Turtle and 3M products did you use?
Did you use either a cutting compound or a swirl remover from either brand?
How did you apply the products?
By hand? With a rotary/RO (and if you did then what buffing pad did you use)?

Thought I would show some progress. here is my corvair with the top half in black. Im on about the 9th coat with alot of sanding in between so probably as thick as 6 layers. The sanding isnt because of the paint, its because the car wasnt as flat as I thought when I started- My Fault. I plan on 2 more layers, final sand with 2000 grit and then lay the last coat on. then use the clay bar and polish it.... then in a few months, polish it a little better. In the picture, the car is dry and I just went over it with a clay bar to remove the garbage sitting on top of the paint..

The paint is layign down VERY smooth. Im very happy with it.

3m i used a rubbing compound on orange foam pad spritzed with water. this is what we use at work. then i tried turtles rubbing and polish compounds. i think i didnt let it dry long enough. im used to 2 part urethanes and bc/cc's

Looking really good.

Radio Joe,

What ratio of spirits to paint are you using?

Can you detail your process-

Your paint is looking really good. I am working with some of the safety red but it does not quite look that good.

Thanks,

Nathan

I have used penetrol & mineral spirits as a thinner. When I got the paint too thin, I got a duller shine, I applied it the next day as a second coat & got the good shine back. Too much thinning looks bad in a single coat. the second thin coat looked good to me.

this is my first 2 coats...i have alot of orange peel...should i can't seem to find any sand paper that is finer than 600 grit..is 600 good enough?

here is a before, i am not even close to being finished, just thought i'd show my progress as i go.

85, you're in So Cal. you should be able to find higher grits somewhere, pep boys, kragen, walmart, etc.

Great tips. I use a liner in mypaint tray- just get some heavy duty aluminum foil to line your paint tray! Very easy to clean up. Has anyone tried the scotchbright type pads to sand? The different colors represent different grits and they seem to follow coutours real nice. The dirt specks are a real pain for me right now.

i dont think the paint was dry enough. thats wet sanded w/ 2000. i said screw it and got me a $2 can of orange high gloss spray paint. looks good. its only a speaker box. i was testing on that before i go and mess with my car.

I'm going to buy paint tomorrow. I have read about 50 pages of this thread, but I am still unsure about the paint to buy. I have 2 links from Canadian Tire.

This One

Or This One

Which one??? Please help me out as I need to buy it tomorrow and that will be my only chance to go all week. I will be testing on a hood tomorrow, and if it works out, I will be doing my whole car. I am completly willing to post all pictures as I progress, but I really need to know which paint to go for before I start. Thanks alot people!