porchdog

this is probably the best thread on paint there is. it can answer just about every question you can think of. it also puts to rest a lot of myths and bad advise. most every poster is a professional with many years of experience including the man who manufactures spi . it is a must read for the diy painter. just food for thought and maybe it can steer some in the right direction and save a huge headache .

http://spi.forumup.org/viewtopic.php?t=2379&mforum=spi

maddoggyusa

I was glad to see I knew most of that stuff!!

Porchdog, can I paint things like hood, doors, bumpers, t-tops, headlights covers separately and then paint my body later (within a few days)???

I just think it would be lots easier vs. getting all that in my garage paint booth at the same time. Would it be smart to go ahead and mix up all the paint ahead of time with reducer to ensure color match?? (and then add BC activator just prior to spraying)

Color is Torch red BC/CC (solid - no metallic).

porchdog

i paint everything in pieces. one thing i do is to have my color shaken then pour into qrt cans . when you mix usually it is a qrt at a time. i pour the color into a mixing cup and then use reducer to rinse the can. nothing left in the can. are you talking about using clear acc in the bc? it helps with the cross link but dont use too much. torch red has a tendency to orange up when cut and buffed. i shoot red over a white base . just count coats and be sure you have it covered to true color and it will all match.

maddoggyusa

Thanks Porchdog.

Last time I painted I wasn't happy with the BC adhesion (and all my custom paint jobs I've had seem to chip at the basecoat). So I wanted to try out adding an activator to the BC. I have Dupont Chromabase BC so I was gonna get the Dupont activator. Use SPI epoxy primer and Universal Clear.

I've tried in vane to use razor blades to strip the car... even got a heat gun. Most of the paint is the original paint and I'm sure you could do it... but I'm just doing more damage than good. The original paint is in very good condition. I'm planning to just wet sand the paint and use as blocking material... taking as much paint off as possible.

On the rear urethane bumper, I'm seeing a variety of coatings. Paint, grey primer, black primer?, and then the yellowish urethane. I've asked you this before, but can I just start out with epoxy primer on top of all these coats? I have a urethane bumper repair epoxy? from the paint supply place... should this only be applied to bare urethane?

And what about the aluminum parts like the mirrors and headlight/gas covers? Is epoxy primer a good 1st coat?? Or do I need something else.

Thanks again PD!!

929nitro

Thanks for the website info. Very informative.

porchdog

i have done many repaints over the years without stripping. the more you sand off the better but a good epoxy will give you a solid foundation to work from BUT it is anchored to the old paint . spi epoxy will stick to anything clean and will stay flexible . the trik to the razor blade is to use only a 1/4 inch of it. dont go straight at it. cut a 1/4 in slice off at a time. when you get better you can take a bigger bite. rub the blade on your pants to curl the edge just a little. this will help with gouging.