woohoo, forced body work

[Gollum]

Ok, i'm gonna HAVE to start learning body work becuase my car was hit and I don't have cash for a $300 fender repair & paint. (gonna get an estimate tomarrow, 3 previous shops wouldn't take me because of the car's age) So... I was thinking I'd just go buy a hammer and dolly to start straightening the fender out. I'm gonna ask about local regulations for spraying when I make a trip out to ned's out in concord (been told they're good).

 

So, IF I can somehow manage spraying epoxy primer, how long will the color last? I don't need it to last a year, but I don't want it fade so often I'm repriming every couple of months. And some epoxy primers also act as sealers correct? I don't think I have any rust on the fender, but I have rust in other areas that worry me. So here's a shopping list off the top of my head.

 

Sanding blocks

Various Grit wed/dry sand paper (recomendations?)

Plastic body filler ( i know, DON'T overuse)

Hammer

Dolly

Rattle can primer OR

Epoxy primer & gun kit

 

Now, what kinda compresser can I get away with? I've got a 2 gallon 1 hp and I was thinking it MIGHT work for just the fender. Anyone tried working with such a crappy compresser? Or would I be reduced to using a touch up gun? (laughs at the mental image)

 

I know there was a recomenations recently on a body filler that didn't pinhole. I'll look for it but anyone who feels like it can chime in 8)

 

So for the interested, here's what happened.

 

My car was parked in front of my house. Sometime in the middle of the night an idiot turned around in front of my house (cross street) and was probly a little drunk and didn't realise they weren't gonna make it... crunch. Too bad it didn't wake me up. They obviously didn't leave any info, so I'm screwed. I don't have comprehensive insurance coverage. They hit the fender just in front of the door and pinched the door shut, so i've been crawling into my car from the passanger side. Lucky me the fender was the ONLY thing hit. The fender already had a little bit of damage so at least it wasn't my good fender that was it. My bumber had been hit before so it's tweaked a bit... I was thinking... maybe while I'm at it I'll try my hand at some fiberglass... Just eliminate the front bumber and make a FG one. Set in the blinkers and I should be set. Just an idea.

 

I have a friend with 2 years of auto body repair schooling, but he doesn't have tons of time on his hands to help me out, and also has no place for me to work on the car. So he's only good for advice at the moment. He doesn't have alot of expertise with FG to my knowledge so I'd just be going from stuff i've heard explained and seen done. Never touched it myself.

[MusPuppis]

Now, what kinda compresser can I get away with? I've got a 2 gallon 1 hp and I was thinking it MIGHT work for just the fender. Anyone tried working with such a crappy compresser? Or would I be reduced to using a touch up gun? (laughs at the mental image)

 

 

I cant speak with any real authority, but I dont know if your compressor would be able to run much of any gun. I have a 3.5hp, 7 peak, 60 gallon that pushs 13.3 CFM @ 90 psi and when I start to spray it pops the compressor on pretty quick. It keeps up pretty well though.

 

If your only doing a small amount of spraying and go really slow, maybe it could handle it.. But I dunno.

 

You mention it being a 300$ repair.. Really, you could run pretty close to that doing it yourself. Cheapy two part primer will run you about 30$ (at the very low end..). The DP90 stuff is around 40$ a quart + 22$ for the catalyst, sand paper and blocks is another 20$, paint gun (if you go that route) is 25-30$ for a low end one, etc. It'll be cheaper definatly, but it'll still cost a bit.

 

Various Grit wed/dry sand paper (recomendations?)

 

What I've been using, with great success is 3m Sandblaster sand paper. You can pick it up at Lowes, Home Depo or Wal-Mart and its great stuff in my opinion. The pack I've been using is a 3 pack of the large sheets, 60 grit, 120, 320. The 60 cuts down the shine quick and you can get through the paint pretty easily, then I go over it the 120 to smooth it all and shape any body filler I've used, then use the 320 to smooth all the scratchs down and feather the edges of any filler you've used.

 

I'm sure those more experienced with body work can give better suggestions, but thats what Ive been doing on my car it seems to be going very well.

Rattle can primer

 

If you go this route *do not* just use rattle can primer. Its not designed to seal out moisture or anything. A week or two will go by and you'll start to see rust forming on the surface. I would go to Lowes and grab a few cans of Rustoleom's automotive primer and their automotive top coat stuff. The top coat will seal out moisture and protect the panel alot better than just the primer. Its like 3.50$ a can or something.

 

And some epoxy primers also act as sealers correct?

 

It is my understanding that two-part epoxy primers do act as sealers. A primer called DP90LF would fit the bill. It comes *highly* recommended by some folks here on Hybrid. It seems to run about 40$ a quart + 22$ for the catalyst (approx. anyway, Im sure prices fluctuate some with location). Its a PPG product. I will be using it to primer my entire car when the time comes.

 

Hope this helps.

[innerware]

No need to seal a twp part primer. The stuff is real hard and impenetrable when cured. But expensive. For a filler that is pin hole free use pretty much anything from Evercoat. They have a great line of products and most of them won't absorb moisture from the air. Bondo WILL absorb moisture from the air. Evercoat can be had at autobody shops as well as some Ace hardware stores. I like going to San Leandro Color for this stuff as well as paint. These guys are nice and will answer questions. And can't you just find another fender and paint it to match? There has got to be someone parting out a fender for your year car around. Check Craigslist. What is the year car anyway?

[Gollum]

It's an 81 ZX. I've considered getting a used fender, but I'd still have to paint it and such unless I could find a black one. Rudypoochris mentioned a JY with lots of Zs, I might check that out.

 

I understand if I end up spraying 2part epoxy prime I could get close to the $300 to have it done, BUT I think I'd end up with more knowledge and many of the tools I'll need to do the rest of the car (wich would cost 10k according to the quotes i've gotten). Even if it's more expensive in the short term, it'll be a good start on the cheeper long run methinks.

 

I also understand if I go rattle car primer I need to use a sealer, that why I was asking about epoxy primers being a sealer as well. I'm not TOO dumb....

 

But right now the only reason I'd buy a fender from another car would be to save myself the headache of getting it straight. If I can find one that's black (corssing fingers) I could go around the whole thing entirely and be on my way.

[mikeatrpi]

DO NOT use Rustoleum products on the exterior of your car if you plan to topcoat it later with real automotive paint. I used Rustoleum rattle can primer on some parts of my car, and then when I tried to spray PPG Epoxy over it, the epoxy lifted everywhere they was rustoleum. I had to sand the entire car down again.

 

You can either use lacquer, or I've seen expensive rattle cans at paint stores that would probably be compatible. Though, I'm not speaking from experience.

 

What side fender do you need?

[Gollum]

Left, got a black ZX one around that you know about?

 

I email some shops today that had fenders listen in ther inventory online. Most of them didn't mention color though.

 

Yea, if I do a rattle can job i'd expect to have to sand it all off if I did a real paint job later. Right now, since I'm broke (i've got $30 on me) I'm thinking of just getting the cheepest left fender that's straight that I can find, then just deal with mismatch for a while. I feel so ghetto.

[mikeatrpi]

No, sorry. I have a right side fender... doesn't help, sorry. Good luck.

[b__sosick]

This may or may not be what you want to hear, but I'd be willing to bet that you could find a decent fender like that in a local junkyard.

I've seen several in the few junkyards here.

Take a few minutes and poke around. It'd be cheeeeeeeap and would work just as well.

[innerware]

Question for RacerX? IF all fillers are porous then Evercoat saying it isn't is a lie? I do imagine that they would be a bit. But do you really have to worry a ton about it? Also I imagine that you don't want it left unpainted outside. But inside? Is that a problem for a while? And how is it that catalized paints are porous? Two part epoxy, urethane, etc paints seem really impervious once sprayed. I respect your experience and am not challenging anything but am asking why you think/know what you know so I can better know more myself.

 

Thanks

[Gollum]

yea bsosick, i'm still hunting junkyards. I'm waiting for a responce from the nissan yard out by sacramento, but no word today (jerks... not really, i just want a fender NOW). It would be alot cheeper in the end.