DIY Paintjob Debate

[240zBoy]

I have been researching a lot and what it comes down to is should I do the roller method or spray. The reason I am kind of cheaping out on the paint is the fact that I am only 16 and lets face it, I do not need a $2000 paint job and the truck I drive already gets dings and scratched up at school thanks to doors and people walking between cars. A new one almost every other week I notice.

I do own a small air compressor but in WA I would have to build some sort of a booth (Rain and debris), buy a cheap gun, and have to worry about overspray. Where as the roller method would definately take more time but I could do it in my garage with a couple fans going, avoid debris in the paint, avoid overspray, touch it up pretty easily if something happens, and would be a little cheaper.

Or I could bring it to maaco and spend like $600-800, then add the cost of a trailor to get it there and still worry about overspray and stuff like that. I just feel that I could do better if I take my time and feel better about spending my money if I do it.

Let me know your opinions, personal experiences, or what you would do in my situation.

[Nismo280zEd]

Well first off you need to establish a budget.

 

Sounds like less than $2,000 is your budget?

 

Sounds like the goal is easy touch up and price over looks. (until after school)

 

Now have you thought about a timeline for painting the car? Sounds like it's your daily driver.

 

The roller method certainly hands down is the cheapest, however it has hidden cost as does any paint job. Go check out the price of painters tape for a roll. Depending on how much you thin the paint out your going to need several coats. Each of which require LONG dry times. This means multiple taping jobs to the chassis. I don't know about you but honestly I HATE taping up cars for paint. Dealing with corners and overlaps and issues with the tape, etc. It's time intensive and can be very aggravating. Also, this is going to require lots of sand paper and buffing.

 

Now the spray method, you have to buy a gun as you already know. As long as you arn't spraying waterbourne paints or expensive stuff, a cheap gun will yield excellent results. Granted you do have to create an area to paint the car. I have two walmart tent type enclosures I got for 20 bucks each a while back. They have mesh screens that zip down and a covered top. They go up with poles like a tent and are awesome for keeping out debris out of your paint. So we know this method cost more because you need the gun and an enclosure, however it has one HUGE advantage. You can be done in one day, only have to tape it once.

 

I've heard Eastwood has a pretty good house brand gun. I think it was 90? came with 3 tips I believe, heard good things about it. Was going to pick up one for primer for myself actually.

 

This leads to another issue. Either route you take, you need to prime the car and block it. This is where all the time and money is on a paint job. Without a good surface to paint on, your paint job will not last.

 

I've painted several cars and I have some expensive spray guns, but honestly... The Z rusts so damn much I refuse to spend money on topend paint again. I myself will eventually spray down a beautiful color on the Z when I get the time to get the body bead blasted. (this will be years) Until then I took my own route. I'm using boat paint epoxy based top coat paint in gloss black. Easy to spray, holds up to rock and wrenches, chemical resistant, easy to touch up. Not the cheapest, but I know it's going to last and it's something I won't have to wet sand or buff to get a shine. I got two quarts, i believe about 20/qt and when thinned both combined makes about 3qts sprayable, which is PLENTY to spray a Z.

 

Anyway... I hope this gives you some incite to your painting future.

-Ed

[Rimal310]

IF YOU DECIDED TO SPRAY.....

 

some good basic and inexpensive paint, you can Shoot it with; Rustoleum(~$50 a gallon) - youll need a reducer also$

or

ebay has paint for about $50 also, here you go;

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=gallon+automotive+paint&_sacat=See-All-Categories

or

go to a automotive paint store and ask them if they have any Oppps paint. it's paint they screwed up mixing and i've seen those go for $40 for a gallon

 

for a gun - a class mate bought a $77 dollar set from amazon and that shot like a $$$ dollar gun. it's a great deal to - touch-up, primer and top-coat for that price

take your pick

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hvlp+spray+auto&x=0&y=0

- i've heard the second set was good also.

 

as for primer, i'm not even sure you can roll it but that would be hard to smoothen and get ready for paint.

 

did you consider taking an auto body class? you can get it ready at home and then take ti to class and paint...cough cough then drop it cough cough...jsut kidding worth the money.

 

i did for 3 straight semesters which cost me about $240($90, 60(summer),90) and was able to use the booth and tools as many times as i wanted.

 

 

there are cheap ways to spray....Rolling is still cheaper though

 

 

goodluck and have fun! wish i painted my first car when i was 16. keep us updated.

[ZR8ED]

Get some plastic drop sheets and use them to protect the garage/keep dust down.

spray paint the car. You have a compressor. Buy a simple spray gun from harbor frieght etc. Pick a good primer sealer, and then choose your colour in an acrylic enamel. Its cheap durable, no clearcoat needed. Go to your local autobody supply store. TALK to the guys behind the counter. They can explain your options, and get you everything you need. Lots of directions on the net on "how to's" Including this site.

 

Roller/spray. Same prep is still required. Spray looks way better.

[Roostmonkey]

"looks way better" and is a much harder paint. Ive always thought the roller/rustoleum was a bad idea due to the durability issue. Can someone that has gone the roller route chime in and tell me how its holding up. Ive heard plenty of people say how well it turned out and how much money they saved but no long term reports.

 

Your 16 yrs old, and will most likely be in this spot again in the future. I say buy an inexpensive gun and learn how to paint. Build the sheet poly booth, strap on a resporator and give it heck.

[Nismo280zEd]

I agree with the above posts.

 

I did my first car when I was about 16. Looked awesome, spent money on quality ppg base and clear paint. Lots of money on primer and fillers. Then 2 years later I have some rust bubbles coming through and spider cracking under the clear. Enough to make you cry knowing how long it took to do.

 

Since then I have figured out to be realistic when buying paint.

 

http://www.tcpglobal.com/restorationshop/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=RSP+AU2108-KIT-M

 

Something like that would be great for you. Also if you go to any paint store and talk to the person there. They WILL help you out. Tell them what your working on, they always throw in mixing cups and stir sticks and strainers for free when you buy paint from them. You might pay a little more at your local store, but you get one on one advice and help. Alot of times they can recomend a good starter gun for you and help you set it up. I know my first job I had problem with "Zebra Stripping" the local guys told me what to adjust and look for. Plus I'm a huge fan of supporting your local economy. Just giving you ideas and options.

 

I would definatley go with a single stage for your first time. Base clear systems can be tricky without knowing how to set up the gun from spraying base color to clear. Single stage you only have to adjust it once initially.

 

Also if your anything like me... as you get older your style will change. What I thought was cool at 16 I don't care for any more at 25. I love paint and colors and a car is a great canvas. If your only spending 100 bucks on paint and reducers, it's not as painful to change your mind later and paint it another color. Plus the more you paint the better you get.

 

If you do Spray.... at the local paint store they have little bubble like filters usually up at check out on the counter. These are small line filters that help reduce moisture content from the air in the line to your gun. These are worth the money usually 2-5 dollars. Get a couple of them. I also roll out my line I'm going to use, pour some rubbing alcohol down the input side, then attach it and then spray the air till the rubbing alcohol is gone. This will take the moisture out of the line that might have been in there. Another trick if your spraying outside, hose down everything around you. Trees bushes, the ground, etc. This will reduce contamination while spraying.

 

Best of luck!

Post pics of progress!

-Ed

[Sparks280zt]

For the love of all things holy and sacred, please do not spray or roll your car with Rustoleum like listed above. It looks like crap, it doesn't last and did I mention it looks like crap? You can have real car paint for a few more $20 dollar bills.

[T-Bone028]

I say go with an inexpensive paint gun, and trying to find a deal on some paint. Here's an idea for a super cheap DIY paint booth that should probably fit in your garage. If your air compressor is there, might as well not bother moving it.

 

Go to the dollar store. Buy $1 shower curtains. as many as you need to cover the walls of your garage. Buy some duct tape while your there, and buy enough to cover the floor of your garage as well. Maybe $10-$15 total?

 

Tape your shower curtains together, and either hang them from some wall hooks or tape them to the walls themselves. Cover the floor of your garage, and hose it down with some water before you pull the car in and start spraying. I havent done this myself, but it was something I thought about a long time ago.

 

I'm sure you can get creative with a make-shift paint booth, and still get some descent results without going the rustoleum route. Good luck and hope to see some pics.

[240zBoy]

Thanks for all the information. No the z-car is not my daily driver and my time frame is until around August so no hurry. I have a couple mentors helping me out including my dad and 2 of his friends. One is really good at body work (One taught me how to weld) and taught me some pretty useful tips and I'm almost done.

Still have to block and make sure the new bumpers do not need any modification. Thanks to the info here I am probably going to the spray route since I already have the compressor and could get together a booth pretty easily. I will not be painting for awhile as I am going to finish the conversion and have it all done so I do not damage the paint during that process. Will definitely be posting pics for all you guys.

[icapture]

Good info on this page. Paint is definitely something I would LOVE to do myself, but I have a buddy who got his car sprayed locally for around $500 and the quality isnt half bad. Especially is you can take off as many panels as possible (I know doors are a bit

[19762802+2]

here's how i painted my car for about $50' date=' it's actually very easy and the results are amazing. First off, get a can of tremclad real orange (or what ever color u want) in the can, not spray, yes tremclad, it is a acrylic/enamel paint which is very durable. next prep your car as if was any other paint job, fix all the rust, ect....no need to prime the car since the tremclad allready contains elements which allow it to be painted over bare metal. next, after prepping the car get a small 4" professional FOAM rollers, it's tiny and has one end rounded off, and the other cut straight, and is a very high density foam. u also need a jug of mineral spirits to thin the paint. The thing i really like about this is that there's no mess, no tapeing the whole car, just key areas, and u can do it in your garage, since your not spraying there is virtually no dust in the air, just clean your garage first, also it does'nt really smell at all, dries overnight and it super tough paint. also it you decide to paint the car professionally later, just prep and paint, there's no need to strip the tremclad. i have done this to a few cars, and i can say it works amazing, u just have to be paitient. next u thin the paint with mineral spirits so it just about as thin as water, a little thicker. get out the roller and paint away, don't get the paint shaked when u buy it, enamel is stirred, otherwise you'll have bubbles in the paint for a week!!! after u do 2 coats, wet sand the whole car, then repeat, 2 coats, wetsand, 2 coats wetsand. i painted the charger using a can since your not spraying the car u use all the paint and not spray 50% in the air, use progressivly finer sand paper each time. it's not really that much work, cause u can stop and start any time, u can do just a door, or the hood, ect. do one panel at a time, and don't stop once you start. once your done the final coat, wetsand with about 1000 grit to a totally smooth finish, and then using a high speed polisher i use a buffing bonnet and turtle wax polishing compound. do the whole car with this, and i'm telling u, depending on the amount of time and paitence you have, the results are amazing. laugh if you want, but for $50 ($30 for paint, about $20 for rollers, sand paper, ect...) it really looks good. also you can do these steps overnight, paint one evening and by morning u can wet sand. i have personally done alot of painting, mostly single stage acrylic enamel, and i've sprayed several cars in my garage with really good professional results, just it stinks, it's a real pain to do, easy to make a mistake, messy, and expensive. The tremclad is awesome paint, the "real orange" is an amazing hemi orange, and almost looks like it has some perl in the sun, awesome color right out of the can. I used this technique on my 1974 beetle also, here are the results:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/Picture10.jpg

the car before:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/IM000475.jpg

another after pic:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC00164.jpg

here is a car i sprayed (71 beetle, midnight blue metalic):

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC00194.jpg

here is the car before (71 beetle):

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/Picture1.jpg

 

here's a few pics of the charger done:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC02764.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d13/69martin/DSC02769.jpg

 

well that's my 2 cents worth, sorry for the long post. i was borred lol

i painted the orange beetle in 1999, and it still looks like the day i painted it, the 71 blue beetle i painted in 2000, and built the car for my dad, i used the same paint on my charger, maybe one day i'll spring for a good paint job, prepping is 90% of the work, stripping the car, sanding, ect.....painting is overrated!!!

So if you have TIME, then i'd say go for it, the worst that could happen is that it does'nt turn out and your out $50, but if your paitient, and expriement with lets say just the trunk pannel and if you like it do the whole car, if not just get it done by someone else for $4000. i don't know about you guys, but i would rather spend the $4000 on other parts like getting the mechanics sorted out and new chrome, cause when u have really nice paint and crappy bumpers, door handles it just sticks out more.[/quote']

 

Found this here: http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

 

Also If your painting it metallic, don't roll it, it will look bad otherwise there are a few threads on this site about rolling, it just takes time and using a non metallic color is best.

 

It also depends if your just wanting a cheap quick solution, and if your planning on redoing it in the future, and what the purpose of your car will be for example why spend a ton of money on paint on a track car. And like you said it would be easier to touch up in case it got dinged up and you can always do a more high end paint job later.

[240zBoy]

-19752802+2

That got me interested into painting my car myself and thus this debate. It has put out some quality jobs and some pretty shatty jobs but from I heard its all about the consistency of the paint and the thinner. But 7 coats and getting that same consistency on each coat does not seem like the easiest task. Not to mention each coat takes a day to dry for best results. I think it would also be a great experience to learn how to spray cars and would definitely have its benefits. With practice on a couple panels and the time I have on my hands I feel I could get a decent paint job "Better than Maaco" either way. The main issue is I have seen about 4 of my friends cars come out of maaco with serious overspray, orange peel, and so called repaired dents that were never even touched. If someone and their business is willing to do business like that, then they do not deserve my business. Let it be note that is my local shops not neccessarily all of them.

[piston]

i would not recommend metallic paint for the first timer. try a mica color or a solid but somewhat metallic stance color. or plain old solid. do not even attempt to spray metalic with a harborfreight spray gun as you will just waste your paint. i also would not recommend a cheap spray gun, at least a decent hvlp or something you can adjust. a cheap gun will only lay out uneven pattern and uneaven mist depending on tip. i would also say for a budget, spray a single stage paint job and and wetsand/buff it out from there. you dont have to worry about runs on single stage too much since its a single stage and not have to worry about sanding down to base coat when wetsanding or taking care of slight runs. it also cuts materials in half and spray time in half using single stage. i just bought a role of 3m plastic clear mask and used it on the floor and walls and wet everything before spray. i have a post here about my DIY spray. get some ideas from it and it doesnt get cheap either, so make sure you do it right the first time or your paint and budget will double up. http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=151616&highlight=DIY+paint+job

 

good luck!!!

[DavyZ]

With practice on a couple panels and the time I have on my hands I feel I could get a decent paint job "Better than Maaco" either way. The main issue is I have seen about 4 of my friends cars come out of maaco with serious overspray, orange peel, and so called repaired dents that were never even touched. If someone and their business is willing to do business like that, then they do not deserve my business. Let it be note that is my local shops not neccessarily all of them.

 

True. I know the manager of one of the local Maaco shops around here and they do pretty good work. It's not meant to be concours quality or anything, but it's not too bad by any means and certainly worth the money. Bottom line is this: it all depends on the shop, just as you stated.

 

I personally think that if you can afford the time, spend a coupe of Franklins and invest in yourself by taking a paint & body class at a local community college. You will educate yourself and give yourself skills that will enable you to do bigger and better things. For example, I can paint the "real fire" you see on some cars after a few days of specialized training in one of those classes I took. I just need to buy an airbrush for myself now and I'll flame paint my tool boxes, the bikes, and even my neighbor's cat.

 

 

 

Davy

[_Donovan_]

This has made me excited to try on mine also. Thanks everyone for the info.

[palladin]

Single stage will last a few years and that's it. Base coat/clear coat will last years. I painted my 83 back around 93 with PPG base/clear. Other than a few scratches here and there, it still turns heads and has that wet look, no fading.

 

If you paint, I turned the garage into a paint booth by building a wooden frame and enclosing in plastic. Spray the floor down with water and I had a hose runninng to keep it wet. This kept dust or overspray from coming up. I lowered the garage door to about two feet off the goround and stuck a couple window fans blowing the overspray out. Pay attention to the direction of any wind.

 

I did not buff it out like the shops do. There will be bits of crap here or there, but they will eventually come out as you wax through the years. But not buffing is what kept that wet look thru the years. just my 2c.

[Tony D]

I painted my first car (my 1962 VW Microbus) in an adult education body shop class after school. Sprayed it with Acrylic Laquer in the driveway of the school after dark. Buffed out the overspray. That was 1981. Recently that paint has finally started to check after being parked in the sun of SoCal continuously since moving here in 1989. And then, only in places. My Imron shot car from 85 is black, and still 'wet look' as mentioned above. It was shot in the driveway as well. Fast cure time, wetsanding and compounding 5 years after I shot it took the orange peel out and made it look like glass. I finally had the time to do that when I got laid off (LOL). Otherwise I would have done it earlier!

 

I lamented California's ban on high VOC paints. BUT NOW at Autozone you can again get 'private use cans' of a quart in volume premixed Acrylic Lacquer in basic colors and some light metallics.

 

If I were you, I'd spend the money on that paint and a cheap Harbor Freight Gun, lay on the layers, wetsand your mistakes till it's smooth, and once you're all satisfied, have it Urethane Clear-Coated. Any monkey on crack can spray Lacquer. Sure, it may run, but solids sand easily enough and you jsut knock down the high spots and spray your next coat. You quickly get the hang of it, and painting with lacquer is FAST!

 

I bought a quart to try, and my son prepped the fender on his 510. How this stuff lays down with my old Harbor Freight Gun (circa 1986) will determine if he sprays the car in it's entirety, or just does the primer and prep work, and it then goes to Maaco for the topcoat. If it lays down decently, I know it will survive for a couple of decades of abuse. Lacquer chips, but you got a quart can for touch ups with a paintbrush---trust me dab dab dab, some #600, and buffing compoind and nobody knows it was ever chipped in the parking lot. I love lacquer. And oh man, talk about a "Deep Finish"---all done easily in the driveway, like they have been done for over 100 years!

 

Speaking of 'real fire' we put flames like that on our converted LOX (Oxygen) Tank on wheels when our squadron converted it to a Pig BBQ Device for picnics. Gave it a line number (BBQ001) and reflectorized it properly according to USAF regulations. When the AMU's started calling for it, we simply explained they were 'mistaken' about seeing it, and that no such number existed on our TO&E... We ended up storing it in the shop overnight to keep them from pirating it from us---they used it like it was other AGE---meaning use/abuse and leave it for us to clean up. After the BBQ, we went on to the tool boxes in the shop as well. It gets infectous! Taking the class was a definate plus---and if you're 16, usually the adult education classes are FREE till you're 21 so the local High School may be a good starting point. The local CC may hem an haw unless you have a state exit graduation exam---my son passed his in the 10th grade, and has been taking CC summer courses and evening classes now for two years. Not supposed to be able to do so, but the threat of a lawsuit for 'reverse discrimination' tends to clear up the bureaucracy when it gets thick like that.

[JSM]

Tony, I was shocked that you were spot on about Autozone.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/accessories/accProductDetails.jsp?itemIdentifier=898497_0_0_&skuDescription=Dupli-Color+/+32oz.huggerorangePaintShopfinishsystem&brandName=Dupli-Color&displayName=32oz.huggerorangePaintShopfinishsystem&skuDisplayName=Dupli-Color&categoryNValue=10099999&navValue=100400&categoryDisplayName=32oz.huggerorangePaintShopfinishsystem&parentId=00-10&itemId=400-10&productId=898497

 

I was also dissapointed about the color selection. I was hoping for silver.

 

Did you ever do your spray sample on the Fender.

 

I was curious to how the laquer would react to factory paint? Do you know what type of paint the Z's were done in?

Edited September 27, 2010 by JSM

[JSM]

So I thought Z cars were done in Enamel. So putting laquer on I would have to go to bare metal then right?

 

http://www.duplicolor.com/faq/#001

[goodoldjam]

So I thought Z cars were done in Enamel. So putting laquer on I would have to go to bare metal then right?

 

http://www.duplicolor.com/faq/#001

I would test spray a piece and see.

There are some pictures of how it looks, looks real nice.

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php/topic/54801-duplicolor-paint-shop/

You gotta figure your going to want to have a test piece anyway.

I would be more worried about spraying over lacquer, maybe it goes both ways.

Edited September 27, 2010 by goodoldjam