Full on paint job....for idiots

T

Tates97

Tates97
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
48
Ok I had a crazy last year...and so this is where I am now. The front of the truck is original green the back section is a brand new white bed. I am broke as a stick and have a buddy who can paint well.I want to re-paint the whole truck . I am looking to prep the truck as fully as I can. I want and have started to delete the stainless body mouldings, the stainless trim over the wheelwells. Am looking to replace all stainless with black(bumpers, toolbox and accessories)So..
1. What can I do to prep the truck before painting
2.How to patch any dings or scratches?
3. WHat to look for while painting to get the best job possible?
Thanks TAte
 
I've always wondered if you could bead blast a whole car/truck?
 
You can have it "media blasted". They load up a sand blaster with plastic regrind and it will take the paint off without damaging the steel or most anything else that is under the paint.

I knew a guy about 10 years ago that would do a whole car for $300 but I have not seen a recent estimate.
 
300 would be MUCH cheaper..... I wonder how the other parts would fair?
 
If you bead blast the whole truck You will most likely be finding media for a long time in holes and seams in the body. The factory primer under the original paint is probably the best.
 
body work

To blast the truck you will have to completely strip the truck and when they are finished you will more than likely need some bodywork. Make sure you have it done properly , any bare metal needs to be covered with self etching primer or epoxy primer with a catalyst do not use laquer primer over bare metal it will peel and cause problems.
If it doesnt need any body work I would wetsand the complete truck with 600 grit paper and seal it with some name brand sealer and then paint it.
The best way is to take everything apart door handles out ,chrome trim off etc......
Hope this helps
Shane
 
are you wanting to do a full off frame paint ie restoring the whole truck to inc the frame or just looking for a good paint job,,,, if you looking for a good paint job you never want to sand blast or any other blasting unless taking care of some rust and do only small areas ,,,, has the truck been painted before ?????
 
If its the original paint and body work isn't needed/desired I personally would DA the whole truck with 180-320 grit paper, wash it (with a virgin bucket, soap and sponge and NEVER with anything that has even looked at silicones like Armor All! ) including the jambs the day before and let dry overnight. Then wash correctly with wax and grease remover and dry while the panel is wet, tack it off with a tack cloth, apply one single coat of a known QUALITY epoxy primer as a sealer (2K sealers are porous while epoxies are water and air proof), wait one hour, apply basecoat over said epoxies within stated non-sanding re-coat window then clear.



If you choose to strip it NEVER allow it to be soda blasted because the typical blaster in the auto aftermarket doesn't have a clue on how to tell you to neutralize the blasted surface before you epoxy it plus practically every paint manufacturer has said the will not guarantee their coatings over a soda blasted vehicle (yes they have become a that big of a cluster!).

If you sand blast you may epoxy right over the bare metal.

If you media blast make a quick pass over the entire vehicle with 80 grit paper on a DA.

This isn't every thing but a general idea of the process.
 
There is so much more involved in this if you want a very nice, long lasting job. To say that the truck wont need body work would only hold true if it has been in a bubble its entire life, so with that in mind, you may have the occasional door ding or a few bigger dents not a problem. IF this is the original paint you can DA your ding or dents out past the problem area and use a good filler. I like Z-Grip but there are many others such as Rage Gold ect. Once you complete all your mud work i would prime with a good 2k urethane or my favorite is Polyester / Evercoat FeatherFill G2 or equivilant as this primer will not shrink. Then as stated i would use a high quality epoxy as a sealer,personally it dont get much better than PPG DP.Then go with your base color and clear.

As for the blasting i have soda blasted alot of vehicles without a problem, however i dont think this would be a needed step in your case. On to the sand blasting, there is VERY few people who can sand blast without destroying a panel i would not recommend this at all.

The only problem i see with your whole situation is the "broke as a stick" comment. Materials have gone up so much it is nearly impossible to do a nice job on a budget anymore but i do wish you the best of luck.
 
Dezlsmkr said:
There is so much more involved in this if you want a very nice, long lasting job. To say that the truck wont need body work would only hold true if it has been in a bubble its entire life, so with that in mind, you may have the occasional door ding or a few bigger dents not a problem. IF this is the original paint you can DA your ding or dents out past the problem area and use a good filler. I like Z-Grip but there are many others such as Rage Gold ect. Once you complete all your mud work i would prime with a good 2k urethane or my favorite is Polyester / Evercoat FeatherFill G2 or equivilant as this primer will not shrink. Then as stated i would use a high quality epoxy as a sealer,personally it dont get much better than PPG DP.Then go with your base color and clear.

As for the blasting i have soda blasted alot of vehicles without a problem, however i dont think this would be a needed step in your case. On to the sand blasting, there is VERY few people who can sand blast without destroying a panel i would not recommend this at all.

The only problem i see with your whole situation is the "broke as a stick" comment. Materials have gone up so much it is nearly impossible to do a nice job on a budget anymore but i do wish you the best of luck.[/QUOTE]
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x2 got to love that polyester primer.
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i did my truck myself body and painting ,,, i used ppg stuff ,,primer to clear just the supplys cost me 900.00 ,,, good clear coat reducer and hardner will cost you about 300.00 so jimdmaxis right paint supply are costly
 
Hey guys thanks for the responses. i have been busy with the farm.
hmmm first of all I do want a good job and will roll all the quarters neccesary to get it. I have a buddy who paints vehicles for a living who is willing to do the work for free if I supply the paint. I am however new to finishes So be elementary with me...

Going back to my original question. The truck has a few dings and I would like to fill them before I take it to him. (he live 60 miles from me) I figured I would take as much stuff off as legally possible to drive to his shop.
What does DA stand for? 1.I take stuff off 2. I would like to sand the entire truck down.
3. Bondo( or equivalent,please suggest) and sand any dents?


I guess I am lost at the best way to take the original paint off. I build furniture for a guy and am learning about finishing from him. Is there a coorelation between the two? From whAT I see it is all about spraying without runs and getting good sanding inbetween coats. Thanks Tate
 
"Dual Action" its an orbital sander for prep work. I prefer Z-Grip for a filler. $.02 If you use filler you will need to block sand it depending on where you use it.
 
Take everything off you can and have a buddy haul it. It's a lot less work and you'll find your parts after it's done.
 
smoken02 said:
"Dual Action" its an orbital sander for prep work. I prefer Z-Grip for a filler. $.02 If you use filler you will need to block sand it depending on where you use it.
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And when you think your done blocking your not block it some more.
A good paint job is all in the prep.
 
you stated your kinda broke...a cheap and efficient way to paint a vehicle is Stage 1 Paint (not a brand) a type...from what I hear from my friends in the auto body business its a cheap and good way to paint a vehicle...it's a clear and color mix, meaning you dont have to layer the car with 2-3 coats of clear after the paint has been applied.

I'll try to get more info., I'll be painting a Chevy Corsica soon with this type of paint within the next couple of months.
 
OK forget the broke part please..lets call it DIY motivated.I understand the terms. Take all the accesories off and then... in laymans terms I need to sand all the paint off....? and then build up all the dings and sand and build up and sand and and build up and sand? Then haul it to my buddy? Thanks Tate
 
ya, you've got the general idea. just remember, the first 2 or 3 times you think you might be done preping.......... you're not. Keep sanding and make it perfect before you start spraying. I'm speaking from experience, good luck dude
 
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