Paint/body?

Can anyone offer up some advice on the paint/body work in general? Any problems with orange peel, sags, etc? Is everything straight enough to go with a dark color and not have anal retentive nightmares? Thanks!

Dennis, It's tough from your post to know what you're looking for. Are you considering painting it yourself or paying a professional? If you pay a professional you shouldn't have to worry. If there are sags or orange peel he should be able to take care of them if it's a base / clear coat job. If you are doing it you will probably get some orange peel and sags but with 2-3 even 4 coats of clear you should be able to wet sand and buff them out.

As far as straight enough to go with a dark color goes, again a pro should be able to get it straight. If you haven't done body work before it's very difficult to know if it's straight. These cars have nothing but curves and it's difficult to get the waves out of them. I painted my CMC and the body was very wavy. It took forever to get it pretty straight. I missed some minor waves. They are easier to spot when it's shiny.

Ron - you're right...I shoulda been more specific. I meant how're the paint jobs/bodies as they come straight from the vendors?

No problem with those coming out of the Porsche Factory!

This is somewhat difficult to address as there are very good and not so great finishes.
A friend purchased a speedster from one of the West Coast manufactures requesting that they prep and paint the car but do none of the finish work.
He did the wet sanding with soap and water then buffed the finish out to a glass like finish.
Best to be clear when you specify what you require (in writing) being prepared to have your pockets sponsor said request.

look at the "garage paint job thread" or go to autobody101.com=lots of info

Block sanding is required for any Fiberglass bodied car. (Regardless of manufacturer) To do this correctly, a light guide coat of paint is sprayed on the body. Using a variety of wet/dry sandpaper grits, the body is sanded until the guide coat disappears. If the guide coat is present, then you have a flaw in the body.

Although paint is expensive, the man hours required to prepare the car is where the most money is spent.

This is why a quality paint job costs so much money.

Like Larry said -- a lot of time is required to get a premium non Earl Schieb quality paint job. Its not just shooting on the color. There's a good 40 hours of prep/priming before laying down the paint. Paint (in cans) with thinner/reducer itself is $250 Acrylic Lacquer (if you can even get it) and $150 for single stage acrylic enamel (probably more for clear top coats). I don't know how at $259 MAACO (base painting service) makes much on just a repaint! I had them paint a VW Bus years ago (a good 15 years - I did prep) and it came out quite well --- when it was wrecked few months later - they repainted damaged area and color was way off - so for $40 more they reshot whole vehicle!

And then there is this: About ten years ago I had a very nice 65 Corvair repainted flaming red. It looked like a show car for about 2 years. Then in the space of six months, it acquired a 100% cobweb, and the paint actually started peeling off in flakes. That guy ain't in business anymore. Guess others had similar experience.

Moral: Like any contracter, get references, and check them out. Sometimes older references are of good value in making your selection. Do your due diligence.

Dennis...all I can share with you is that dark colors you have to be careful who washes the car and what you use to dry it with.. my last BMW was black and about after a year of washing and drying it was full of swirls on the paint, same with my Mercedes, and these cars are factory paint jobs.. also the dirt really shows up VERY quickly, but I still love them dark! ~ Esther

My favorite subject.

First, Attach the doors, hood and deck lid. Workout any gap and sagging issue. If you have an older model body, take note that is can sag at the front and back. You will need to compensate for this.

Once you have this done, Hit is with a sponge sanding block and 60 grit. Try to count your sands strokes. I do five max in one spot. Always go in the same directions. When you start sanding the white layer on you car, with will find high and low spots. Use filler to correct.

- Don't be afraid to use pressure when applying bondo.
- Use the 100 grit rule. Start with 60, then 100, 200, 300, etc...
- Don't use electric sanders or your hands. Use your flat sticks and sponge sanders.
- Use the flat of your hand to find the bumps in your car.

When you think your ready for paint, Hit curved areas of the car with a little black primer. You will see every little flaw. Sand the primer off and then reapply primer and sand again. Do this until you don't see flaws. You may need to bondo more if it is not straight. Don't be afraid of the filler. If you watch the car shows, the top guys layer it on the entire car. It is the only way to get your car board straight.

Use a razor and apply cream filler curly cues and lines you see after primer. Then prime and sand again.

Before you paint, take move the obdy out into the sure and let it warm up and breathe.

This is not a 1 week project. It took me five months.
When you think you

Esther, Those swirls can be "made to go away" by taking your car to a body shop and having it lightly sanded and then buffed. The final job will make the paint look like it's brand new.

While I wouldn't "lightly sand" to remove swirl marks there are polishing compounds that due just that - Meguiar's makes a good swirl remover. Sanding I would think would remove the clear coat if car is painted with one (more important on a new factory paint job where clear coat is very thin!)

http://www.properautocare.com/remswiruspor.html?gclid=CPnzmP-B6ogCFQ4hSgod8kdStA

Thanks guys for the good info, but the problem I'm having is to find someone that I can trust to fix the problem...that is how those swirls got there to begin with, the idiot that use to detail our vehicles didn't know what the heck he was doing, and I have been trying to find someone to do the cars and no one shows up! I guess these guys don't need the work!! ~ Esther

Wolfgang,

Light wet sanding with 2000 grit paper won't hurt the finish and when the car is buffed with compound, the swirls disappear

The process is called color sanding and is done everyday by competent body shops.

I've done it several times over the years to many of my personal vehicles.

I guess there are many variations depending on swirl depth, I use 1500 paper with Ivory soap 'n water.

I Swear by this stuff. California Custom makes it, its called M-Ron Glass. Its a product I have used on a Black Toyota pickup, that sits in the sun all day(Florida), a brand new White Honda SUV and a Yellow Harley Sportster. This stuff if so remarkable, its only to believed when used. Swirl (polishing/waxing swirls), small scratches, etc really do disappear. You apply it in a straight back and forth,as opposed to round and round, (meaning you have to do it unaided). It goes on easier than any polish/wax I have ever used. The removeal is the best part. It simply dries and you wipe it off and I don't mean buffing. JUst dust it off. Safe on clearcoats, basecoats, fiberglass, etc. Even more unbelievable, you can do it in the sun. I tried it on a small area, no problem.

My brother got it for his custom painted motorcyle, and WOW. That is how I came across it. Wish I would have developed this stuff. Every biker in Florida uses it and it leaves a mirror finish smooth as a baby's bottom.

Nope I don't sell it, just passing it along to you good folks.

Its a tad on the expensive side, but as the bottle says a little goes a long way. If anyone wants their web site, I think its on the bottle.

Peace

David

Welbie - Thanks for the tip- I'm gonna check it out!