I want to prep my 65 bug for a paint job and was wondering if spray can primer will cause any problems when I take it in to be painted? Never done any body work before but figure I can sand and prime it myself. Any suggestions?
~Dwight
Spray can primer ok?
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Sharpe
Primer
I just had my Porsche painted this afternoon after having done the prep work myself. I can tell you that using a good, high build primer is very important to ending up with anything that looks good.
If your 65 is anything like my 74, it's had a couple paint jobs on it that you're now going to sand off. In so doing, you'll create rough places and scratches (especially if you're lazy and use coarse sandpaper, like me), and uncover Bondo work you might have to re-do. Rattle-can primer is so thin that it won't fill in those scratches. A good, high build primer (I used Valspar) will fill in those small imperfections, so that after you wet sand the primer you'll have a really smooth surface to be painted.
My two bits of (kinda) wisdom after literally weeks of work:
1) Once the paint is on you'll kick yourself for taking any shortcuts (because you'll see every one of them)
2) webs1302s is absolutely right: it's way, way more work than it looks like, or than anyone will admit to it being. Way, way, way more. And more expensive, too. Every time someone told me something would take one day, it took three or four.
My suggestion: pay someone to do it.
If your 65 is anything like my 74, it's had a couple paint jobs on it that you're now going to sand off. In so doing, you'll create rough places and scratches (especially if you're lazy and use coarse sandpaper, like me), and uncover Bondo work you might have to re-do. Rattle-can primer is so thin that it won't fill in those scratches. A good, high build primer (I used Valspar) will fill in those small imperfections, so that after you wet sand the primer you'll have a really smooth surface to be painted.
My two bits of (kinda) wisdom after literally weeks of work:
1) Once the paint is on you'll kick yourself for taking any shortcuts (because you'll see every one of them)
2) webs1302s is absolutely right: it's way, way more work than it looks like, or than anyone will admit to it being. Way, way, way more. And more expensive, too. Every time someone told me something would take one day, it took three or four.
My suggestion: pay someone to do it.
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jus'buggin
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2000 12:01 am
Dont use the spaycan primer. Your car will look like one of those early 90's dodges runnin around with the paint peeling off of it.
Take the time and do it right the first time.
As for having someone else do it...Well I have more time than money. And probally more experience than most of the people that do the work around here. (My dad used me as slave labor growing up
) I trust what I know and if I dont I ask. Just remember that no one cares about your car as much as you do. It is just a paycheck for someone else.
jus my opinion
Take the time and do it right the first time.
As for having someone else do it...Well I have more time than money. And probally more experience than most of the people that do the work around here. (My dad used me as slave labor growing up
) I trust what I know and if I dont I ask. Just remember that no one cares about your car as much as you do. It is just a paycheck for someone else. jus my opinion
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Marvelicious
- Posts: 125
- Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2003 12:01 am
There is a rattle-can self-etching primer that is good for smaller areas of bare metal made by SEM. It works very well for spot repair, and SEM says it is fine for comlete paint jobs as well, but I'm not sure I'd trust it. Regardless, to get any kind of a decent finished product you will need to use a good primer-surfacer as well, and I have never seen one in rattle-can form.
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Chillkoot
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:32 am
Have used SEM when workin in production dealship. Ok.. I only used on areas where it didn't need the good stuff... Ie inside doors when we did door skins and such...Marvelicious wrote:There is a rattle-can self-etching primer that is good for smaller areas of bare metal made by SEM. It works very well for spot repair, and SEM says it is fine for comlete paint jobs as well, but I'm not sure I'd trust it. Regardless, to get any kind of a decent finished product you will need to use a good primer-surfacer as well, and I have never seen one in rattle-can form.
Also ,, Alot of the spray kans are a 1k product some a laquer.. BAD STUFF if you want a good paint job.. Laquer causes lifting.. laquer never actually doesn't Dry.. you can take an old laquer job and put a rag with laqer thinner on it and leave for a half an hour.. come back and you paint will be runnin down the side of the car... So when you paint over the solvents, not laquer , but they still "melt" the laquer. while the paint you have sprayed is dry the laquer under it hasnt in fact it is expanding crack..(the right term is lifting. but cracking is a better description) wasted..Base coat.. or even worse clear coat... $$$$
So.. no I wouldn't use spray can paint...
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MH
rattle can primers are not all created equal
I have had 4 vehicles painted professionally over the last 10 years after doing my own prep work. I've never had an issue with spray primers. Preparing the surface and using a good primer are key. I swear by "ZeroRust" brand primer. It comes in quarts or rattle cans (with a great fan spray nozzle). I've found spray cans very convenient. I work on an area then apply 2 coats of primer from a spray can. It's easy and doesn't require spraying equipment. You can work on a project a little at a time and protect your hard work immediately. The ZeroRust brand is both a primer and sealer. If the project vehicle takes 6 or 8 months to complete you don't have to worry about rust starting under your primer. Most automotive primers don't contain a sealer and are meant to be applied just prior to painting, not 3 or 4 months before. If you're not going to paint immediately after priming the ZeroRust spray cans are a good way to go.
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Marvelicious
- Posts: 125
- Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2003 12:01 am
MH, I think you actually missed the point in sealers... I have never seen rust start under PPG k36 (good stuff) no matter how long the project took, and it requires a sealer before painting. Then again, I don't leave 'em sitting outside either. I can see the rattle can thing if you are going area by area doing heavy body work over a long period of time, but I would still block sand most of it off and have a complete spray with a GOOD primer-surfacer then RE-block (preferably with a long board wherever possible to help smooth out any wobbles) and then seal and spray. I'm picky though!
The other thing is as Chillkoot said AVOID LAQUER!!!! This includes body fillers as well. Go to a real automotive paint supplier and ask them what will work with modern finishing techniques. They will at least steer you clear of the laquer reactivity problem.
The key is it's your dime, if you do it half-a$$ed, you might get lucky and have it look good for a year or so, but if you do the prep-work right, modern base-clear will look good for a long time.
The other thing is as Chillkoot said AVOID LAQUER!!!! This includes body fillers as well. Go to a real automotive paint supplier and ask them what will work with modern finishing techniques. They will at least steer you clear of the laquer reactivity problem.
The key is it's your dime, if you do it half-a$$ed, you might get lucky and have it look good for a year or so, but if you do the prep-work right, modern base-clear will look good for a long time.