lester Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Need some suggestions on which route to go here. I am about to start the sanding process of my 78 z, and hopefully get it into flat black primer by the end of summer. It has a few spots of surface rust on various parts of the car, which i have already sanded to bare metal and sprayed primer over these spots earlier this year. The z also has a couple holes in the rear quarters that i am planning on taking to a friend to get fixed. I am debating whether to sand down to bare metal, or just sand the current paint on it till it is dull and flat then paint over it. The current paint that is on it is super thick, and i feel like it will take me forever to get it sanded to bare metal even using a sander ran off of an air compressor. A plus is that i have brand new fiberglass front fenders and a fiberglass hood that are already in primer. How should i tackle the rest of the body? What grit of sandpaper should i use, and what kind of primer do you guys suggest? Thanks for the help in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ33 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 is the paint thick or clear coat thick? either way, i would not suggest sanding to bare metal. I would use 600 grit first, and dont forget a sanding block. how OCD are you going to be about the body? making everything straight and show worthy or just good enough for now type of thing? if you are dedicated to this, you can have it in primer in less than a month... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dexter72 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Since your in Ohio I would suggest using a good rust inhibitor product on the surface rust and bare metal sanded down areas. So sand the primer off, spray the rust inhibitor, or roll it on the bare metal areas, then primer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 I think its the paint that is super thick. Im not OCD at all about the body, im a 19 year old college kid who is just tired of getting made fun of for having a car thats green/black primer dots/rust colored. Just hoping to have it good enough for now. And for the rust spots i have been using this stuff my dad brought home from work on it, i cant remember what it is called, but its what his company uses for their semis before they repaint them that keeps rust from coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Personally, I wouldn't do anything other than taking it down to bare metal. Depending on the current state of your car, consider using a chemical stripper to get the most of it off. It's a different kind of messy as opposed to sanding, but a lot less labor intensive when used with a pressure washer. You don't know what kind of previous repairs have been done that are hiding under that paint. Going to bare metal gives me a lout of peace of mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 I've started sanding a few of the smaller pieces(Cowl and fender doors) and decided to go with 80 grit. I have gone all the way down to the primer and bare metal where the rust was. This seems to be working out pretty well, and i'll probably end up doing the rest of the body the same way. Where and what kind of primer should i buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ33 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 automotive primer... not just any spray can stuff... if you are going to take it down to bare metal it will be a lot of work... yes, it might give you peace of mind but mine was (from how you describe it) the same as mine and going down to the metal would just be too much... its up to you in the end haha i did the good enough paint job about 3 months ago only because i knew i would be painting it soon ( now haha) you get out whatever you put in, the more time you put in, the better it will be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deja Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Because my car had been previously painted I was concerned about too much paint build up. I took it to bare metal by hand sanding using 60 grit, followed by 220 grit in preparation for the primer. Hand sanding is a PITA for sure but the Z body is very thin metal and I was worried about warping from heat using a sander, yeah I know, too paranoid. On parts that I could remove, cowl, hood, hatch, headlight buckets I used a chemical stripper. I am no painting expert but my buddy who is recommended using a quality urethane primer from TCPGlobal Urethane Primer. It is great for bare metal as well as fiberglass if you are using any body kit parts. You get what you pay for and how much attention to detail you take in the prep work. After I did all the prep and primer work my buddy came in and followed with a PPG base/clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott_M67 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 To prepare your car for primer, either use stripper or sand the car with 80 grit. Most epoxy primers require 80-120 grit for best adhesion and will fill 80 grit scratches just fine. Spray can primer more than likely will have to come off before you apply a real automotive primer to it or you may have solvent compatibility issues. The same goes for the rust preventer you are applying, not all epoxies or primers will play well with it. Its tough trying to do this job well and still drive the car since any primer you are now applying will be contaminated with road grime and need to come off before shooting the entire car, and primers are not UV resistant like the top coats are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lester Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Yeah, the 80 grit is actually working really well and stripping it down fast. I have the rest of summer to do this so time really isn't a problem. Also i have a backup car so the z can just sit and be worked on and not driven. I'll have to look around for some primers. I plan om leaving it in primer for a year so probably will look for the best. Thanks for all the help guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott_M67 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 I would use Southern Polyurethanes Epoxy primer, best deal on the market. Now with primer you have a "X" day window to top coat, typcially 3-7 days depending upon manufacturer, if you go beyond that 7 days you will need to scuff the car down with red scotch brite pads, re-shoot primer and then topcoat. Yeah, the 80 grit is actually working really well and stripping it down fast. I have the rest of summer to do this so time really isn't a problem. Also i have a backup car so the z can just sit and be worked on and not driven. I'll have to look around for some primers. I plan om leaving it in primer for a year so probably will look for the best. Thanks for all the help guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgsheen Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yeah, the 80 grit is actually working really well and stripping it down fast. I have the rest of summer to do this so time really isn't a problem. Also i have a backup car so the z can just sit and be worked on and not driven. I'll have to look around for some primers. I plan om leaving it in primer for a year so probably will look for the best. Thanks for all the help guys. If you leave it for a year in primer, you'll probably have to take it down again and re-prime before you topcoat (more than just a scuffing)... Primer - even the good stuff can soak up a lot of crud (contaminants, oils, chemicals, all kinds of crap) that may adversely affect how your topcoat goes on and how well it sticks over it's lifespan. Better to be safe than sorry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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