Howdy all, I’m looking for advice on the best types and brands for a complete novice. I want to tackle the bodywork and paint mainly to get an even color until the time it gets a proper body restoration. Ideally it will be black and I know that is the worst possible choice in my situation but I’m contemplating another color. It is currently grey and needs some bodywork, just a few small dents and things so I’d be using some filler and would like a nice heavy high build primer to start with, sand everything as nice as possible for now then prime and paint. Any opinions? Thanks fellas!
Easiest primer, paint, clear for a dumb dumb?
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What do you have for equipment, do you have a compressor that can handle painting?
Start with epoxy primer on bare metal. There are a number of online brands (I used Southern Polyurethane) but I would recommend finding a local paint supplier and buying from them. Make sure it's sandable. Do the bodywork over the epoxy, and spray more epoxy over that for a weatherproof finish.
Start with epoxy primer on bare metal. There are a number of online brands (I used Southern Polyurethane) but I would recommend finding a local paint supplier and buying from them. Make sure it's sandable. Do the bodywork over the epoxy, and spray more epoxy over that for a weatherproof finish.
Thank you, I was wondering if epoxy was the best place to start. Is that ok over existing paint too? Then would I need a different primer before pain or what paint is compatible with epoxy? I have some of the essential tools and I am certainly not looking for anything close to perfection. What I have is a 30 year old scab paint job and I’d like to see what I can come up with before it gets replacement and or patch panels. It already has had some patches in the quarters and fenders.......it’s just a good canvas to see if I have any capabilities to paint a fresh body when the time comes. I’d really like to learn it so the car is all my work when it’s done not $15-20K in someone else’s pocket.
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You can kind of see the different greys in this picture......and the stripes have got to go.
You can put epoxy over most paints, but keep in mind that your final paint is only as strong as its foundation. Do you know exactly what products and prep were used on the previous paint job and what that was put over? For a temporary test it should be fine, but I wouldn't trust it for your final paint job.
If you make sure that the epoxy primer you use sands well, you shouldn't need anything else before paint. However, using a sealer would help if you have any exposed filler work.
I would stick with using products from the same product line (PPG, Axalta, etc.) for ease of use, and read the tech sheets over and over. Do not deviate from the instructions, the chemists online who come up with their own mixtures or processes (glass cleaner or thinner instead of wax and grease remover) aren't going to help if something goes wrong.
If you make sure that the epoxy primer you use sands well, you shouldn't need anything else before paint. However, using a sealer would help if you have any exposed filler work.
I would stick with using products from the same product line (PPG, Axalta, etc.) for ease of use, and read the tech sheets over and over. Do not deviate from the instructions, the chemists online who come up with their own mixtures or processes (glass cleaner or thinner instead of wax and grease remover) aren't going to help if something goes wrong.
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