my DIY engine shroud painting

Garage (and paint) over 65 degrees and 35% - 55% relative humidity?

Water and oil separators on the air line before the spray gun?

Chart at hand for proper mix of "fixer" for the air temp and barometric pressure?

Good eye for proper distance of spray head to prevent "curing" in transit?

And by far the most important:   Adequate supply of Guinness for the duration of the spraying process?   (and don't forget clean-up!)

Damn!  I gotta get a heated garage, again!!

OK I guess if Rusoleum hammer finish paint doesn't come in mango green - you're forced to do it the hard way! Hammer finished worked great on my rough (dings/rust spots) OEM shroud.  Outstanding work --- and build documentation web log.

Unless the shroud has chipping paint or other rough flaws I'd start with 150 or even 220 grit.

On the other hand, if you've got chips or bubbles in the existing finish then 100 is fine, remember to feather edge. And start with a primer that likes engine bays.

Then hit with a glazing putty to fill any scratches, then your 150 grit (lightly) and 220 wet sand. Clean, clean, clean and go to your color coat.

sanded w/400:

finally fixed the mounting hole that was in the wrong place.

when i bought the shroud new, the upperleft mount was off by nearly one cm.  I had to drill out the rivets and remount them so all 4 backing plate bolts fit perfectly.  filled the old hole:

block sanded and cleaned with soapy water:

dried and heated for paint:

base:

went VERY well.  only two minor fish-eyes that were fixed with a heat gun / paint mist.

right now, it's curing.

FYI - the base went on so smoothly, it would almost be fine with no clear.

i hope the clear works out and gives it more depth & smoothness.

Can you do my car next?... You got skilz man.

Very nice job, Mango. As usual.

Looking good man!

''fisheyes fixed with a heat gun and paint mist''?

Does the heat dissolve the blemishes? and the mist blends the area?

Nice work!

i don't know exactly how it works, but it does.

before the paint has flashed completely, i heat the area on low setting and mist the paint until it 'catches' the fish eye.  i know that is sort of confusing to read, but try it out and you will see what i am talking about.

after it catches it (paint in the fish eye), i then waited a few minutes to partially flash the solvent, then cover it with a coat.

i have no idea what this is called, or exactly how it works.  all i know is i learned that years ago (by trial and error) and it works awesome.

update - it is still curing in a heated spot.  i'm so tempted to use it as is - it looks awesome), but i am going to hold out for 3 coats of clear.

I'm nervous about the clear since many of the times i've applied it, i do it too thick on the first coat and it flashes and lifts up the base coat. 

to get around this, i waited over a week to dry the base fully and when i apply the 1st and 2nd coat of clear, they will be light, near dusting applications.

I'll probably tackle this mid-week.

DANG, Paul!! You got some crazy MAD SKILZ!!

I'd be like working with Lincoln Logs (for those who remember those) and MangoDude would be totally building a Neutron Accellerator. I'm sure I'm not the only one who digs watching ANY project MangoDude sets his sights on!

MangoDude abides.

ha ha - i'm just a dude with internet access and some free time.

(oooh - that didnt sound good )

LOL

Jim, I was the head of my Catholic Kindergarten class in Lincoln Log Building.  Then the school burned to the ground.

NICE, Marty! No wonder the nuns were always kicking you in the a$$!

minor snag.

i took it out and had a closer look.  i have to do another layer of base touch-ups on one small area).

i added three coats of epoxy high build applied with a small paint brush to the areas (spray on smooth cardboard and use the brush to apply)

next up is sanding the whole thing again with 800 grit, then another layer of base.

i asked my paint guy to have it be a pure base (last mix we did was a base mixed with some clear (hence the shine))

so, one step back unfortunately, but i want this to be perfect.

i should be able to sand and apply the base coat again tonight.

the clear i have is 2K (Hard!).i'm stoked to see how this turns out. (eventually)

gahhhh, two steps back.

i couldn't get it perfect, so i had to sand it back to the primer in two spots and layer on some filler.

and the paint shop changed paint products, so the colour matching took them 3 days (!)

i just picked up the base coat this am.

now i have everything i need except time.  Is anyone selling some of that?

MangoDude abides . . .

ok - this is the first time i tried a full base-clear with low VOC paint.

it went on soooo easily.i had to do two stages of filler/feathering to make it perfect before paint.

i'm used to a single stage paint, so the dull 'finished' base is sort of defeating.  it went on very smoothly, didnt smell my garage up too much (although my wife would disagree)

i'm told to not touch it before the clear goes on.  *maaaaybe* a tack rag.  i'll have a closer look to see if it needs it.

i'm hoping the clear works awesome.

i'd better take some photos (it's easy to forget when you are in full paint gear)

Paul, what is ''low VOC'' paint ?

Geez, I do hope I'm NOT the onlyone who doesn't know

Stinky fumes that fry your brain and your lungs.

Marty nailed it.

To answer your question VOC stands for "Volatile Organic Compound".  Low VOC paint uses water instead of petroleum as a carrier.

When the folks attending the Smoky Mountain event (formerly the Tail Of The Dragon) toured the BMW plant in Spartanburg, SC we watched them painting cars with water based (low VOC) paint then coating it with clear coat. 

Hard to believe that a water based paint would work, isn't it?

Aaaa, I learn something everytime visit this site!

Now that means that VOC paint, being water based, is also thinned with water...Right?

Now, can dried splatter and be hydrated...I can wash-up in the kitchen sink?

Im just hoping the new formulas hold up better than they did in the mid 80s. That was a disaster

VOC!!, yeah...

That explains why I can't purchase oil based deck enamel. The water based repaint hasn't been very durable...frankly, it sucks. 

well, just came in from the garage.

the water-based base/clear worked AWESOME!

smooth as glass.

three coats of clear, 15-20 minutes apart.  not one imperfection (makes mr.mangodude a mr.happydude)

here are some pics.  i forgot to grab a shot of just the base (too eager to get teh clear on).

light (very light) 1st coat of 1K clear:

coat #2:

final heavy coat (fully wet):

honestly, with these products, i feel like i could paint a car.  for those interested in this but too freaked to try - TRY IT.  it's not that hard!

hopefully i can finally finish off the motor and put it back in.

details details details - all for a very good reason (stay tuned for that one )

i threw another coat of heavy clear on before bed.

all dry now and soooo (mango)smoooth(ie)

Shroud is so much nicer than my car's exterior.

Mango, can you give details on the paint/clear coat and where it was purchased?  You live near Victoria, right?

PM'd you Ron.

i picked up $25 worth of stainless allan bolts today.

the motor should start to look pretty sharp, pretty quickly.

update:

colour wasn't spot on, so i i redid it.  assembled the rest of the motor and installed it this weekend:

there is A LOT goin on behind that shroud. ignition, linkage (and return springs), breather and 4 lines, fuel bulkheads, fire suppression, cooling fan supply (w/extra boost via bilge blower)... it all fits but it's a squeeze

pushing to get this done so i can get some formal (professional) pictures done.   

oh ya - over the years of building/owning this car, i must have pulled the motor 15-20 times, so i'm a bit surprised that i literally jut found a faster way to do it.  jack the back as high as possible, lower the fonrt as low as possible, slide the motor in on towels.  wooden block it up by the headers, jack under sump, slide it in. easy peazy.  i *was* tryin to wedge the motor in the rear wheel well as my stands didnt go high enough.  never even crossed my mind to lower the front (which riased the back)

how do you put your car up like that without it rolling forward?  Is it just chalked in the front wheels?  What are you using in the front?

definitely.  i made some angled pieces of wood that slide right under the tires.