Getting ready

crvc · Post by **crvc** » Sun May 13, 2007 1:08 pm

I have a 1967 type 1 that will need body work. The body is separated from the frame and hanging in my garage now. I've recently had new pan-halves welded in.

Once the rest of the bodywork is done I'd like to paint. Probably 80% of the body has decent original paint. Why strip it all off if I can put a fresh coat over the existing paint? I'd rather trust that if VW paint has held up for 40 years, I wouldn't want to screw with it.

What's the best way of preparing the body for new paint?

TIA,

Kevin

64bug · Post by **64bug** » Mon May 14, 2007 10:43 pm

It all depends how long you want it to last... Are you going the keep the car forever??? Or sell it when its done??? If you plan on keeping it, do it right the first time. Strip it down to bare metal so you can really see what going on under there. All it takes is one tiny rust bubble to show its face right after you paint it to really put you in a bad mood. If you dont really care... then sand it down with 320grit on a DA sander and red scotch brite the hard to get places and call it good. Think about it, 40 year old paint is like a 40 year old person... Looks decent now... but give it a few years... and watch out!(no offense if 40 or older

) And also you cant body work over paint anyways (properly) so why not strip it all?

One last thing, ask any painter. Prep work is 90% of a paint job, Spraying is the easy part...

crvc · Post by **crvc** » Tue May 15, 2007 10:21 am

Hmmm, I had a 1971 Porsche 914 that I stripped down to bare metal then primed and towed to a garage for a paint job. By the time I sold it two years later I noticed it had begun to show bubbles under the paint.

I remember when I was stripping the 914 it was murder to get the old primer off. That stuff was tough! That's what made me think I should leave to VW paint alone. I imagine the VW was primed and painted similar to the 914 (also known as the volksporsche).

I hadn't thought whether I would keep this VW or sell it. I have to replace the heater channels and luggage tray so I've got time to make up my mind. Probably depends on how shitty a welding job I do.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Tue May 15, 2007 12:17 pm

REmember with paint.. it's not the act of painting.. it's the right technique and materials.

Because it bubbled 2 eyars later makes us think you had a faulty job done.

T.

crvc · Post by **crvc** » Tue May 15, 2007 1:40 pm

That could be the case. I paid $1000 for the paint job but I hadn't finished priming the doors. Seeing the runs and drips the professionals had left, I borrowed a paint gun from my neighbor and painted the doors myself. They still looked great when I sold the car.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:00 pm

Professionals?

crvc · Post by **crvc** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:16 pm

I live in a small town with only one body shop. They charged me like professionals would.

64bug · Post by **64bug** » Tue May 15, 2007 5:26 pm

In my mind/field of work paint jobs start at 5-6k and go up to 15ish depending on the condition of the car. Im doing mine right now and have spent way more then $1000 on just supplies and havent even painted yet (and thats through my shop at cost) For instance, The primer i use (ppg271/275) is over $200 my cost (more like $300 to the public) I've spent over $350 on sand paper... Why? cuz its good $hit.

So its really up to you...

Do it nice and use good products,

Do it cheap and watch it bubble in 2 years.

crvc · Post by **crvc** » Wed May 16, 2007 10:16 am

http://www.my67bug.com/

I plan to follow what this guy did. His '67 was in a similar condition to mine. As I mentioned, if I can do a decent welding job I may opt to do a quality paint job myself. I noticed he did his own painting in his garage. I always thought painting should be done inside a dust-free structure. The place that painted my 914 had such a room. I live in the desert so I wouldn't be able to paint in my garage without some dust ending up in the paint.

64bug · Post by **64bug** » Wed May 16, 2007 12:19 pm

Im doing all mine but exterior paint in the garage. It take proper filteration systems to do nice.

heres my build.

http://www.franklinsvwwerks.com/phpbb/v ... hp?t=10511

RomanBug · Post by **RomanBug** » Wed May 23, 2007 1:16 pm

64bug wrote:In my mind/field of work paint jobs start at 5-6k and go up to 15ish depending on the condition of the car.

I work at one of the busiest body shops in my area. My boss tends to cut his friends deals on allovers and sends them straight to the paint shop. I have had to strip, epoxy, fix all of the dings, prime, block, reprime and prep for paint on some of these buddy jobs and have seen as few as 20 hours on my check at 19 an hour after the split with the painter. Not to mention they have to be completely flat sanded and buffed to a show car shine by whoever preps it.

Sorry, just had to rant.

RomanBug · Post by **RomanBug** » Wed May 23, 2007 1:19 pm

just checked out the 64. That thing is sweet. How many hours you guess?

64bug · Post by **64bug** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:54 am

How many hours have a worked on the body? 100's.