I'm looking to just get a decent paint job on my beater civic for cheap so I'm not going for high quality here.... Just need some advice on the pics I'm throwing up...heres what the roof and trunk looked like before I started sanding...



I started with the trunk just because it was easier to get too but it looked the same. So here's where its at with about 30 min of 80 grit going at it. Do I need to sand until I get to bare metal everywhere or is getting down to the primer good enough? Again I'm not going for a great look, just want it to look better for cheap. I know I've got quite a bit still to do to even get to the primer everywhere....



And the little block is what I've been using but I'm pretty sure theres a much quicker way. I've got a 35gal 5hp compressor with a 3/8" angled die grinder. Are there any wheels available for this cheap thing that would take the paint off much quicker? The adapter just allows for these little screw on wheels which the tool came with a few but i didnt know if there were any bigger ones that could cover more area?



I'd appreciate anyones input. I'm going based off the $50 paint job deal so I've got the rustoleum paint with mineral spirits and high density foam rollers. Just need some input on the sanding part because at this rate it'll take days just sand everything, thanks everyone!

 

Looks like you've sanded enough to me, I haven't done one of those $50 paint jobs, but I do a lot of non-automotive painting and have been following that thread pretty closely. I would like to give this technique a try sometime.

I would suggest that you use your air compressor to blow off all the sanding dust (probably a no-brainer) and then use denatured alcohol on a lint free rag to clean the surface and let it dry before you apply the paint.

To give yourself a break on all the sanding you might want to try a small palm sander.

Good luck with your project.

 

Who is Chep??

 

Ive seen a few good turn outs with the rustoleum paint, it was used out of a gun though.

 

My clear coat is coming off on the roof too.
Soon i'll be ordering from here http://www.paintscratch.com/ and im going to attempt to paint it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by G-Harry &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ive seen a few good turn outs with the rustoleum paint, it was used out of a gun though.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have a gun also but I'm not sure on how much to thin it. Plus if I use the rustoleum out of a gun wont it still have to dry for a couple hours since its not an automotive paint that dries in a half hour/hr? Then I'd have to clean the gun every trip I made so I'd rather just use the roller. And with the roller your masking off is down to a minimum and you dont have to worry about paint in the air, overspray, and wasting half of it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MilanoLude &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">then use denatured alcohol on a lint free rag to clean the surface and let it dry before you apply the paint.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have mineral spirits and acetone, would the acetone work to clean the surface also? Any specfic reason to use the alcohol? I appreciate the help and will be posting follow-up pictures as the work progresses over the next week or two depending on work. Hopefully this cheap paint job will turn out ok and we can get some useful info for those of us who need a cheap alternative. I've also got two rust spots I'll be getting rid of in this process.

Any further hints or pointers are welcome.

 

perfect candidate for the $50 paint job. you sanded down way too much, you only had to sand down to get rid of the clear, unless the paint was really bad, then go to the primer, but if you get to metal, you're going to need to primer before putting paint, the metal might rust under the paint.

 

Rustoleum is meant to go over bare metal. Protects from rust on it's own. Says so on labels.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueCrxNC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Rustoleum is meant to go over bare metal. Protects from rust on it's own. Says so on labels.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats what I'd heard as well, and after reading the original thread on the $50 job the rustoleum says it can be painted over everything, but I just wanted to make sure it was good. My main concern for why is that the roof is going to be difficult to sand much because its too flexible to put too much weight on it to get any ammount of material off. So as long as I can get by with scuffing it up real good then going back over it with 200 and 400. Then I'll throw down the first two or three coats and wet sand it with 600. Depending on how that goes I'll finish up the coats or go for a wet 1000.

Again, pictures will be taken of various step so when its all done we can get a good log of how it goes etc.

Any other opinions on what to clean it with before paint? Acetone ok?

 

I'm personally in process of the $50 paint job on my 90 Civic Hatch. I've put down the first layers on the hood, doors and roof. I found the roof to be the easiest of the three. I started with 400 grit to rough it up. I have paper all the way up to 2000 grit that I plan to use. Call me excessive. I'm going from B47M to Gloss Black.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueCrxNC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm personally in process of the $50 paint job on my 90 Civic Hatch. I've put down the first layers on the hood, doors and roof. I found the roof to be the easiest of the three. I started with 400 grit to rough it up. I have paper all the way up to 2000 grit that I plan to use. Call me excessive. I'm going from B47M to Gloss Black.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wow, so you started sanding with 400? Did you just rough it up enough for the new stuff to go down on? I guess I'll just hit mine with the 400 also and see what happens, cant be much worse than when it was when I started.

werd on the gloss black.

 

Yeah, I just used 400 grit to get started. I've put down two layers and have wet sanded with 400. Next two layers coming tomorrow and then Wet 800 Grit. Then 1000, then 2000.

 

So do you not primer before you apply the paint? the people that i know that have done it did.

 

No primer. No need for it with this paint. Just rough up the current paint/clear coat and roll away.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jonshonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Who is Chep??</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL!!!

 

Would it matter if there was primer or not? would it stick better or worse?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueCrxNC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No primer. No need for it with this paint. Just rough up the current paint/clear coat and roll away.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Have you had problems with bubbles after you roll on the paint? I've gone over about 6 coats and I've thinned it various ammounts but no matter what theres always a trail of bubbles after I roll it on. No matter how light or slow I roll. The bubbles all pop but it leaves me with the orange peel effect because the paint setsd slightly so it wont self-level. The last coat I threw on I made it the thinnest I ever have and still, bubbles and orange peel. I got the high density foam rollers too so it shoudl be the right kind. Any ideas?

 

I've had some trouble with orange peel... but it's from me dipping the roller in the paint and slapping too much down. No problems after reducing the amount of paint on the roller for me. One thing that may help you is to glide the roller over the paint once most of the bubbles have popped to gently pop the remaining ones; no pressure downward at all.