I just finished repairing all the rot under my windshield and on the rear valance and am ready for prep and paint in those areas. What is recommended for spraying the dash-cowl areas and the package tray-valance areas? I would like to shoot it a black of some type because I have not yet completely chosen what flavor orange the exterior will be so black is a universal interior match. My car's interior is bare and the exterior will be repainted as well later, so overspray is not an issue. I need help figuring what type of painting equipment I can use to do the job right and on a budget in my workshop. I have a pretty decent compressor but no paint guns yet. Thanks.....

anybody?

What "valance" are you talking about? You mean that little "moulding" that runs along the back of the window on the inside?

If that is what you are refering too then, yes you do the top of the dash and that the same.

I like to paint the whole window channel as well as those areas at the same time. The channel is most likly going to be stripped to bare metal. The dash and that moulding do not need to just a good sanding with 320 will do it. But if your dash is stripped of all parts, then striping of the paint is no big deal and you might as well do it.

I use an etching primer called "vinyl wash" it is very thin and offers a vinyl coating. Any "wash" style primer will do similar (like PPG's DX1791). It has the acid in the reducer and does the same job as the metal prep, only the acid flashes off and you don't have to worry about it. Then after the vinyl wash, a few coats of epoxy primer. This is the authorized way you do it on late model cars where the glass is an integral part of the unibody structure. I also don't believe in using ANY filler in the channel of ANY kind. There is no reason too, it will never be seen, right? The bottom surface where the butyl tape actually lays needs to be as smooth as possible, that is right. But I avoid using any filler at all costs, even there. I take a little angle grinder with a 3" 50 grit disc on it to cut some of the high spots off the area and leave it more even. NO, don't grind the metal thin, just run the grinder over the area holding it nice and flat a few times. You will not overly thin the metal.

After the "etch" primer and black epoxy primer then a couple of coats of a satin black SS urethane or enamel and it is all done. You can install the windows before painting if you want or just cover the area when you paint the outside. I like to paint these channels all at once. Etch or "Wash" primer (this is a sprayable primer not some metal "treatment" you wipe in and wipe off) then the epoxy then the top coat. This is done as the tech sheets discribe without any sanding between products. I feel that is the best way to protect this area being that you can't sand very well around the moulding clip studs. So if it is sand blasted in that area (I usually spot blast at the very least every stud) and then with the "wash" primer for the added protection and the epoxy right after that and the top coat without any sanding, I have done the best I can. If you prime it and sand and paint later, well then you need to REALLY work at sanding around those studs again, I don't like work that much.

graemlins/waving.gif

Thank you very much. That is exactly that answer I was hoping for. graemlins/thumbsup.gif