Keepn it OG Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I'm currently removing my old paint on my 71 s30. The front end of the vehicle had really bad paint. So i used a 100 grit sander and i sand it down to the metal. Am i using the right grit ? I'm new at this and i'm just going what i know and winging it. I want to primer the whole vehicle and whenever i have extra money i want to paint my car black. Should i use black primer or grey primer ? Special tips would be greatfully appriciated. I'm located in Carmel Mountain in San Diego. Seeing someone local would be great since i'm new here. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erins.ZCar Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 If I strip by hand I start off with 80 grit and sometime 26 grit when dealing with rusted areas. By the time I put in the effort, time, and money for supplies, media blasting is my preferred method for paint removal. In the midwest I'll pay as much as $800-1000 for media blasting an entire car. I imagine with the number of metal shops in your area the price might be more reasonable. Search this forum and you'll find lots of help regarding this subject already and maybe even some local suggestions for media blasters. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdenno Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 For stripping all the paint from a car, I only have experience with using a chemical stripper - works OK, but messy. As for the primer color, you may want to use two contrasting colors so that you can block sand the car and highlight any low spots in the sheet metal by sanding down the top color. Fill low spots, sand and repeat. Good luck with the project! Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam280Z Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I've seen a razor blade scraper used with fast effective results. The paint comes off in sheets. This was followed by 180 grit sanding with a DA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgsheen Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 another thing to think about with primer: If you use light gray primer and black over the top, paint chips are very likely to show the primer... Might be better to go with a dark gray primer and guide coat it with light gray or white. Personally I'd seal it after it's primed. Primer is soft and it'll pick up / soak up greases, oils, and contaminants that will probably cause paint reactions when you get around to spraying it. It you leave it uncovered for long you'll need to sand much of the primer off (maybe even reprime) before you paint - besides cleaning it with a good surface prep product. If you seal it 2K, you should be able to scuff it, clean it with surface prep, and be ready to spray... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keepn it OG Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 If I strip by hand I start off with 80 grit and sometime 26 grit when dealing with rusted areas. By the time I put in the effort, time, and money for supplies, media blasting is my preferred method for paint removal. In the midwest I'll pay as much as $800-1000 for media blasting an entire car. I imagine with the number of metal shops in your area the price might be more reasonable. Search this forum and you'll find lots of help regarding this subject already and maybe even some local suggestions for media blasters. Good luck! im half way done with stripping the paint. I think the only time i'll use the body shops is when i want to fix all my dents and to paint. I just want to prep the car for painting to save money. I was thinking about maybe bringing the whole front end piece by piece to get painted. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keepn it OG Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 For stripping all the paint from a car, I only have experience with using a chemical stripper - works OK, but messy. As for the primer color, you may want to use two contrasting colors so that you can block sand the car and highlight any low spots in the sheet metal by sanding down the top color. Fill low spots, sand and repeat. Good luck with the project! Dennis I don't think i'll be doing the whole chemical stripping thing. That's a pretty smart way of doing two different layers just to mark where you are at. Thanks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keepn it OG Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 I've seen a razor blade scraper used with fast effective results. The paint comes off in sheets. This was followed by 180 grit sanding with a DA. ouch ! razor blade ? Wouldn't it give it deep cuts into the metal ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keepn it OG Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 another thing to think about with primer: If you use light gray primer and black over the top, paint chips are very likely to show the primer... Might be better to go with a dark gray primer and guide coat it with light gray or white. Personally I'd seal it after it's primed. Primer is soft and it'll pick up / soak up greases, oils, and contaminants that will probably cause paint reactions when you get around to spraying it. It you leave it uncovered for long you'll need to sand much of the primer off (maybe even reprime) before you paint - besides cleaning it with a good surface prep product. If you seal it 2K, you should be able to scuff it, clean it with surface prep, and be ready to spray... Thanks ! i'll be sure to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keepn it OG Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 What about wet sanding ? What's the process of wet sanding the car ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam280Z Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 ouch ! razor blade ? Wouldn't it give it deep cuts into the metal ? Nope. None at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgsheen Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I'm going to have to try that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erins.ZCar Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 What about wet sanding ? What's the process of wet sanding the car ? 125 Steps to Perfect Paint The only use I have for wet sanding is in the final finish after painting or between basecoat and clear stages. This is used to remove any contaniments and orange peel effect before clear coating and after clear coating. I would never use wet sanding to strip paint my self. As far as primer color, most auto paint has "Visibility(VS) I think it is called" rating which can help determine what color primer to use before basecoat. Different colors of primers will effect the final color or your paint. Always have your painter shoot a test card with the VS Rated Primer Colors first and your paint color and after it dries completely take it out into bright sunlight to decide what test strip is the color and shade you are desiring. Most paints are somewhat transparent and will change shades of your basecoat. Work with your professional painter closely! Using a sealer is a good idea if you want a showroom finish but not neccassary for a daily driver. The first time I tried to save money by prepping my car for paint first by doing all the sanding, priming, and blocking first ended up being a complete waste of time on my part. The painter had to re-sand the entire vehicle, re-primer, and block out again because I used the wrong rated primer for my two stage paint. If you are wanting a daily driver paint job consider and use all the good advice in this thread. If you want a showroom finish, stick to the basics we are describing here, body and steel work with basic primer, but let the professionals provide the final blocking and paint work. Good luck and can't wait see your ride! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Duncan Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 (edited) 100 grit is okay to sand down old paint, you could also go rougher like 80. The best thing to do regarding colors and types of primers is to decide on who is going to paint it and ask for their recommendation on everything, then follow it without deviation. They usually have a preference and can do a better job when the products they know are used. Black hides other colors pretty well there shouldn't be a problem but there are definitely problems with some of the other colors regarding hiding of the primer color. As has been said it's good to change the colors on the primer layers so you can see what's being sanded down. The final primer sealer should hide well under the final color coat. There's two types of primer. Primer filler for "blocking", sanding to get the surface flat, and primer sealer to seal everything underneath from the top coat. Wet sanding is to keep the sandpaper from clogging. Especially when you are blocking the primer filler. You are using 320 to 400 and it clogs up quick when sanding the primer filler. It is also done to quickly clear the sanding residue when you are color sanding the top color coat before the final clear coat if you are color sanding and buffing. It's easy to get in trouble quick and sometimes problems don't show themselves until the final paint is done, and then it's too late. For instance I once used some catalyst spot putty on top of non-catalyst primer filler. It came out nice and flat and for the first couple months the final top color coat looked nice. But then the spot putty absorbed the primer filler and there was little blisters everywhere there was spot putty. Get the painter's recommendations and follow them exactly. I would also let the painter shoot the primer sealer coat. That makes it easier for them as they get a practice run, that's easier to sand down if there's a problem, before shooting the color coat. It's hard to find a good painter at least here in Washington. The industry is strictly regulated emissions-wise and most painters do not paint complete cars. Word of mouth is probably the best way. Find a nice paint job that you know isn't stock and ask them where they had it done. It can also get crazy expensive so you have to shop. One other opinion. If you are doing a restore and are going to be doing a fair amount of other work on the car, save the painting for last. That way you don't have to worry about scratching while you are for instance taking the motor in and out. Edited May 13, 2013 by Chris Duncan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estrada42 Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Nope. None at all. It looks like it's taking the top coat off pretty well, but has anyone tried this for getting too bare metal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duragg Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I just stripped my TC Box areas and some frame rail stuff with "Aircraft Stripper" aerosol can and was pleased with the result. Only thing I don't like about mechanical removal like sandpaper is that it leaves virtually invisible witness marks, until the final paint is on and they they stand out like a christmas tree. I soda blasted my old S30 with good results. But I saw another example which completely ruined the roof. Messy either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miky_ Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Aircraft Stripper. Look it up. Pour, let it sink in for 5 mins and then scrape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snailed Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 The razor blade technique is a good suggestion to get the bulk of the paint and primer off. Cheap, fast, easy clean up and no chemicals to neutralize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcurtis Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Ive used a combination of a DA and this. It works great. http://www.eastwood.com/bristle-disc-white-120-grit-4-5.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estrada42 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 So I tried the razor method in the video and got nowhere. Then I used a chemical stripper and tried again, and it's amazing. I just have one problem (that's probably my own fault). The left I did with a grinder and a stripping disc. Did both of the quarter panels that way too before I got sick of the dust in the air. The right is a stripper/scraper. I'm worried that the difference in appearance is a sign that the right side isn't as bare metal as the left, if that makes sense. Do I need to go over the scrapper'd sections with a stripping disc to match, or am I good to primer after some thorough cleaning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.