Lasty K

iTrader: (3)

Hey everyone,

I've got a car that needs a lot of love body wise.. And I wanted to dive into painting it myself. I've done some minor body work before at a shop I used to work at when I was younger, which was just filling/sanding dents and prepping.

The main guy at the shop never taught me how to exactly mix the paint and then spray it on. I gave myself two options, A) Maaco B) Do it myself..

I came across some Harbor Freight spray guns such as these, http://www.harborfreight.com/air-too...kit-94572.html and was wondering if anyone has had experience? I've been reading that they're okay as long as you apply some teflon tape to its parts before using it, to prevent leaking.

If you guys know where I can buy like a starter kit or something, that'd be great. Or guide me to what kind of air compressor I should get too, that'd be awesome. Thanks!

gorillafart

iTrader: (1)

as far as paint goes, you can buy it mixed. you just have to add the thinner yourself, in the ratios given. same with primer and clear coat, u can buy it and mix according to the given ratios

its been a long time since ive used harbor freight gun(s) so i cant give you too much insight onto that. I would say though, that if it was for an engine bay or a hobby part, id go harbor freight, but aside from that i'd only use a harbor freight gun for primer that im going to block sand out. But for a one time use, just find someone wiling to let you borrow their gun. Some rent-a-booth spots will let you rent their gun for a fee if you planned to rent a booth. I dont know how legit you're trying to DIY but that is a possibliity. If you plan on spraying more, i'd invest in one. i've bought a devilbiss slightly used once for around $100 back in the day on craigslist and bought a new needle for it just for reassurance and never had an issue.(ebay,amazon can be other sources)

but aside from just having a spray gun period, the quality of the paint job will also rely on the quality of your prep work as well as the technique in how you spray and how u set up the gun, as well as the environment you work in. (i.e. a garage, back yard, out in the open, a booth)

a quick search on craigslist for devilbiss spray guns (a well known and great compan) shows a guy selling a 3 gun starter kit for about $125 brand new, $75 off from retail. but again you can search around and decide with how much your budget is.

p.s. automotive swap meets are a great place to get other supplies such as sandpaper, masking paper, tape, etc etc

Lasty K

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the info man..

The plan was to prep the car myself. I get home around 3:30PM from work, so I was thinking about sanding/prepping what I can during that time before I have to sleep. Then spending the weekends prepping it as well.

After that, I was going to head out to my friend's house and spray on his driveway with a homemade paint booth lol. I really just want to lay prime, a few coats of white, and then clear. Really just want the car to be one color, I don't want to go any further into it really. Just want to try it out and see what I'm capable of haha.