The time has come to paint my 74 442. I've decided to tackle the job myself this time. The car needs more than I can give it right now, but I'm tired of my investment in a new engine and transmission just sitting because the car's so dang ugly. I'm not looking for the ultimate paint job, just something nice that can get me on the road, and by for a few years until I'm in a position to do the ultimate, and generate a few "hey, nice car"'s in the meantime.

Here's the plan as it stands now. Sand to metal all over. Grind, POR, fiberglass, fill over mess from vinyl top (already to the fiberglass stage). Ditto for other areas as needed. Clean thoroughly with Sher-Will Clean solvent cleaner. Prime with Western Refinisher's Select RS 1000 Etching primer filler. Paint with Sherwin-Williams Second Dimension 5.0 VOC Acrylic Enamel.

For the job, I've acquired a Harbor Freight purple HVLP gun with a 1.4 tip. For air, I'm planning on "piggybacking" a couple of craftsman type compressors through a 3rd tank and into a single hose. My "paint booth" will be my carport enclosed with sheet plastic over 1x4's. I'm considering a box fan or 2 for exhaust and framing in a couple of of the better home air filters for air intake.

I've read diligently through the basics of basics and feel like I'm ready to get going. OK, I know my plan's not the greatest, but my next alternative is to prime and take it to Maaco. I think I can do better myself.

I'm named this effort Project 1000. Goal is to paint, weatherstrip, and recarpet for under a grand. (My last effort was a 64 El Camino where I used spray can primer and took it to Maaco. I now understand the mistakes I made.)

So how can I maximize my results within the above parameters? And what should I expect as far as quality with what I'm proposing? I'm particularly interested in tips for setting up my gun and using the acrylic, as this will be my first time to paint. Also need input on how to buff and what I'll need.

Thanks in advance..

[This message has been edited by Jack Cummings (edited 10-19-2002).]

do a search on "Martinsr" and start reading.. EVERYTHING you asked about has been eloquently stated step by step from gun setup to final buffing by martinsr. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif Your plan sounds about as perfect as DIY plans go! The only thing I am not sure about is the AIR solution you proposed (but it might work) Just remember you need a filter on your air system to remove water... And as we are nearing winter, how are you going to keep the area warm? Good Luck!

Just saw your from TX.. nevermind the warm part http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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X-Ray View of my Chevelle http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif (http://www.normieschevelle.com/sideview.jpg)
Getting Closer (http://www.normieschevelle.com/passfull.jpg)
my baby in primer (http://www.normieschevelle.com/prime/primerdrv.jpg)

[This message has been edited by normie (edited 10-19-2002).]

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I'll have to experiment with the air to see how it works. I've also got a little 3/4 horse tankless compressor I may plug into the mix as a booster.

I've been poring through MARTINSR's info for a week or so and his stuff is EXCELLENT! I'm doing some more searches now.

I'm still a little unsure on the gun set-up even after reading the stuff out there. My gun has 3 knobs - air at the bottom, trigger travel adj on the back, and one on the side that I assume is paint flow. Any suggestions on initial settings for these 3? Total travel on the side knob is 1.5 full circles.

I'll keep looking for buffing equipment and techniques too.

MARTINSR - I'd love it if you'd chime in.

i just painted my car in my garrage like your wanting to do,except for the air part.i first used the house a/c filters on one end and box fan on other.i got alot more of trash on the front were the filters were.i went to the paint store and bought paint booth filters,they are sticky,paid about 20 bucks well worth it.when i turned on the fan i was really surprised at how much it pulled the sides of plastic in,had to make some adjustments and don't forget to leave plenty of room around car for bending over to paint.i used duct tape to tape the sides to the floor and celling.there was alot of dust on my celling and light fixtures from all the sanding.wet the floor before you start,and remember to wipe the air hose off.when i painted the lower part of the car my hose would drag so i had to keep wiping it off.i'm happy the way my paint job came out,it's not perfect but after buffing it looks better than some i've seen people pay for. good luck ricky

Jack, the only real problem I see is that air supply. Maybe a non-HVLP gun would be a better choice. That HF gun needs about 15 CFM, you will never see that with your little piggy back setup.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

I take that POR means POR15? Por15 is not meant to be used on exterior surfaces, like doors or quarters. Por15 is meant for the underside of the floorboards and frames not exterior body panels!

I agree with Martin on the gun your air supply more then likey wont keep up with that HVLP, and HVLP needs air and without it it can get very ugly.

I like the choice of the etch primer but that etch has no fill. Etch is very thin, in order to make the body straight you need a primer called primer surfacer. A primer surfacer has the needed film build to make the panels straight. The shop I work at uses or used too spray S-W paint. We used a primer surfacer under the number of PH48, ask your paint supply house for a primer that would be close to that in the Western line.

As for gun setup it all depends on you. I paint differently then the next guy and there for use a diff setup. Speed and technique all play inpart how the gun is setup. Read Martin's basic on gun setup and then pratice spraying on scrap adjusting the controls til you can spray confidently.

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1970 chevelle
1970 chevelle SS455 not a typo its a buick baby
1949 and 1972 chevy trucks
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles

Thanks for the input guys. I've added more info in my paint thread for MARTINSR and anyone else who may want add. I'll definitely be checking into those filters at the supply house.

As for the POR 15, I want to clarify that it will just be the first layer in a metal/POR/fiberglass/filler/primer sandwich I'm building on the roof before I spray the topcoat. From the info I've got from POR they seem to indicate that this will work out ok. I feel like I've got to try something to contain the horrible rust on my roof, and I'm just not in the position to try to replace it right now.

There's also a high build reducer option for this primer that supposedly adds the fill characteristics that sevt_chevelle points out. I've read the product sheets on alot of the SW primers and this one almost looks to good to be true, with the ability to both etch and fill.

The product info is here:
http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/products/show_product.cfm?product=4791&cat=97

If you click on the Product Data Sheet link at the top right of that page it will take you to the data sheet PDF.

By the way, the S/W website has helped me a bunch, and the guys at the local S/W store have been great.

I'll continue to ponder the air situation. There's more info on this in my other post too.

Thanks again!

[This message has been edited by Jack Cummings (edited 10-20-2002).]

Jack, I dont think that the POR idea is a good one and I think that others will agree with me on that. As for that etch am not familiar with that one, we used the S-W EGB980, I believe those are the right first three letters. Anyway that etch also has a higher film build that you can mix up but not what a primer surfacer has. That higher film build on the etch is more like for sandblasted parts that will go straight to paint. For ex the other day I blasted an air cleaner for a chevy truck that had battery acid on it, I mixed up that higher film build etch and sprayed two coats, let it dry then sprayed it with single stage urthane. I did this because I didnt have the time to spray primer surfacer or the need to. Primer surfacer has a dry film build of say around 5 mil where that high film build of etch might have 1 mil.

If you want a straight car you need an primer surfacer or more commenly called 2K primer...Eric

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1970 chevelle
1970 chevelle SS455 not a typo its a buick baby
1949 and 1972 chevy trucks
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles

Thanks Sevt_..

I see what you're saying now on the primer. Sounds like I'll need to add a filler coat into my plan.

As for the POR, I'm kinda stuck going down this path as the fiberglass is already on the roof. I understand that its probably kind of a rigged solution. This whole job is sort of a temporary, experimental one anyway, so I'll have to see how it works out. I'm in the early stages of putting together facilities that will enable me to do the real body work that the car needs, but I'm about 3 years away from having this. As I said at the outset, I'm really just looking to get the car on the road for now.

Please keep after me. Input like yours is what I need at this point. By the way, do you have any more comments on my air / HVLP vs conventional gun situation. I added some more info on this in the other thread on the paint. (I probably need to moosh these 2 threads together somehow - I was trying to get Martin's attention with the other - afraid that he'd missed me.)

Thanks again.

Eric, believe it or not that RS1000 Refinsher Select primer IS exactly the same stuff! It IS E2G980 in the can! I used to sell that stuff remember http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Jack, I am really lost on your POR use. I don't believe in those "magic potions" right off the bat. But if I were to use it, it would be on bare metal. You say that your fiberglass work is already done, if that is the case, why do you need the POR?

By the way, you should have posted about that before you did it. Polyester primer (Refinisher Select has a great one) would have been a MUCH better way to repair the pits from rusting in the roof. You could have etch primed and then polyester primer and sand and shoot your color.

The polyester primer is SO thick, you could literally bury a quarter on the roof with a few coats!


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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

The POR is on the roof's bare metal - under the fiberglass.

Would the fibreglass stick to the POR? POR sells powermesh and the POR putty for filling in holes that is compatable to the product. You can sand the putty smooth to fill in the imperfections.
I have heard that the surface under the vinyl roof should be smooth because large imperfections would show.
I would give the POR 1-800 to call.

I did rough up the POR before fiberglassing. The glass seems to have adhered very well. I do have an e-mail in to POR, albeit a little late.

A picture of what I'm dealing with is here:
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/jack817847/vwp?.dir=/My+Documents&.dnm=Img_0015.jpg&.src=ph&.view=l&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/jack817847/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bDocuments%26.src=ph %26.view=l

Its much more than mere pits - we're talking disaster.

WOW, I take back the polyester primer idea. But you actually could still use it. It is a great filler for the fiberglass.

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"

That's a tough deal. I am definately no body expert but some of the thoughts I have are
-scout some local junkyards and try to find a good roof and then hack it off.
-right now I am patching in some new panels on my Monte fender and I think can sort of invision some patches for yours. It would take a lot of fabriaction and the use of a dolly and hammer and a mig welder. It looks like you already installed a new decklid so maybe it can be done
I guess my suggestions are much more time consuming than the glass way but I hope it all works out

Martin I do remember that you once sold this stuff and that the 980 is the same as the refinisher line. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif My point was that the high build etch willnot do the same as a high build primer, I should have worded it better.

Now let me get this straight, first on the bare metal you have POR15. Then you roughed up the por and fiberglassed-right? If you have the por on the car i see no need for an etch primer you are wasting money, plus you might want to re-read the label on that por can I believe it states it can react with an etch primer, something to look into.

As for your filler primer or primer surfacer the poly primer Martin mentioned is a good one. After you sand your glass just spray a few coats of that poly and sand and reapply til you are happy with the straightness then paint.

But after re-reading your post I think you are wasting your money on buying the etch, etch is for protecting bare metal and in its place you have the POR. I didnt see your pics you had posted but you might want to buy the long stranded fiberglass instead of the short it just fills better and more strengh...Eric

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1970 chevelle
1970 chevelle SS455 not a typo its a buick baby
1949 and 1972 chevy trucks
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/sevt_chevelles

Thanks everyone for your input.

Based on what I've heard, I'm making 3 plan adjustments:

1. Get air intake filters from paint & body supply.

2. The HVLP gun is going back to be replaced by a Devilbiss Finishline conventional. I talked with their tech guy and he was confident that it would work with my 6hp 30 gal compressor. It also sounds like a higher quality gun that still fits my budget.

3. I'll plan to use a filler coat on top of the etch to help smooth things up.

I may bug y'all more later about bc/cc vs acrylic enamel single stage. I'm still leaning toward the enamel.

Well, time to get back working on the car. I'll probably post some more pics in the future as the work progresses. Thanks again.