OK so my car needs a paint job real bad. I didnt want to spend $3000 on a paint job since my car only cost $4500. I real about people doing the prep work themselves and thats what I decieded to do. Im taking the car apart for paint, sanding it down, and the paintshop is going to shave some things and spray it for $500. So far heres what Ive done. Comments and advice are welcome:

Washed the car and dried it real good
Whiped it down with Dewaxer/Degreaser stuff I got at the paint supply store
Wet sanded the front with 320 3M wet/dry sandpaper

How does it look so far? Do I need to sand it some more? I took off the front bumper, sanded it, then put it back on. I also took off the headlights and turn signals. I plan on doing the same for the back








The previous owner had some pinstripes painted on there. I sanded over them but they are still raised up about 2mm. should I sand them down with like 100 then feather it out or just leave it and the paint will cover it.





Also Im getting the side moldings shaved, so i pulled them off





heres a pic of the back. im getting the spoiler holes shaved and mabey the emblems but i dont know yet. Integras look good without the spoiler IMO..



Please if you have any comments or suggestions please let me know. I really want this to look nice. BTW Im doing all this with 1 arm!

 

you dont really have to sand it to that extent, but it helps, all we really do is use a grey scuff pad or red depending on the surface

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Code Blue &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you dont really have to sand it to that extent, but it helps, all we really do is use a grey scuff pad or red depending on the surface
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your the ******* im afraid of i want it to turn out nice, and besides i dont hvae anything better to do for the next few weeks

 

gg for DIY

 

i'll watch for this thread, b/c i plan to do the same this summer

 

&lt;------------ waits for the "AFTER" pics

looks like progress is going good sofar to me

 

hey, u sure that pinstripe was painted on there? From the pics it looks like a normal pinstripe that you sanded over.

 

thanks for the comments guys...i took a body shop class in CC a few years back so I read my old textbook and got some tips. Ill post my whole progress for sure. Honeslty guys its a lot easier than it seems. Im doing all this **** with one arm ( my right aarm is broken and held together with rods and **** right now)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BoostedSi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey, u sure that pinstripe was painted on there? From the pics it looks like a normal pinstripe that you sanded over.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yea its painted.....

 

cool man, please, please don't drive it around primered like everyone in my hometown! j/k keep up the good work man

 

Looks good so far. Definately keep us updated on the progress. My car is gonna look the same way this summer. I plan to prep and paint it myself...we'll see how it turns out Oh, what primer are you using?

 

A few tips i got for ya:
a.Invest in some 3m scuff pads and run them over ALL of the shiney areas that are still visible, if its still shiney the paint wont hold as well.
b.Buy a eraser wheel for the pin striping if they are decals OR if they are painted feather them out with your 320, make sure you feather it out good enough otherwise you'll be kicking yourself in the *** later.
looks good!

 

lookin good so far, as long as the gloss is gone the paint can hold.

taking the pannels off as you go is definatly good.

Keep it up, should be done soon.

Imo, 320 might be a little too heavy and you may wanna re-sand it with a much smoother one when its done. Get the surface feeling like glass and that paint will go on smoooooth

 

looks alright.. but bad choice on 320 grit.. i would've done 600.
Why didnt you remove the pinstrple with a plastic blade and some laqor.
i hope you're going in one direction all around.

 

he said the pinstripe was painted on.

 

Good start...however, 320 grit is way too rough. 500 grit is okay for solid colors, 600 for metallics. Gray scuff pads on your hard to reach areas....and you're good to go. To help hide sand scratches....apply an epoxy primer sealer just prior to applying your topcoats.

Question for you though.....Did you use a back-up pad when you sanded? or some sort of backing instead of your hands? This step makes a difference. Some guys use balsa wood or plexiglass as a backing for sandpaper, resulting in show quality flatness. I'd feel very sorry for you if you ended up getting waves in your new paintjob since your car started out with such a smooth surface.


Goodluck!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by xy swany &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A few tips i got for ya:
a.Invest in some 3m scuff pads and run them over ALL of the shiney areas that are still visible, if its still shiney the paint wont hold as well.
b.Buy a eraser wheel for the pin striping if they are decals OR if they are painted feather them out with your 320, make sure you feather it out good enough otherwise you'll be kicking yourself in the *** later.
looks good! </TD></TR></TABLE>

The 320 wont feather them out anymore...should i use a heavier grit then go over it with the 320??

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NrG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">looks alright.. but bad choice on 320 grit.. i would've done 600.
Why didnt you remove the pinstrple with a plastic blade and some laqor.
i hope you're going in one direction all around.</TD></TR></TABLE>

sorry man but my textbook says 320. heress the exact quote:

"if urethane enamel is to be used, NO.320 wet and dry sandpaper should be used "

Ive also read up on the net that 320 is good. Im going to call my paint shop tomorrow and see what they say. thanks for the input Oh yea I am sanding in one direction. The pinstripe is painted on. Im going to try and sand it down a little more tomorrow


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tnbigdawg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good start...however, 320 grit is way too rough. 500 grit is okay for solid colors, 600 for metallics. Gray scuff pads on your hard to reach areas....and you're good to go. To help hide sand scratches....apply an epoxy primer sealer just prior to applying your topcoats.

Question for you though.....Did you use a back-up pad when you sanded? or some sort of backing instead of your hands? This step makes a difference. Some guys use balsa wood or plexiglass as a backing for sandpaper, resulting in show quality flatness. I'd feel very sorry for you if you ended up getting waves in your new paintjob since your car started out with such a smooth surface.

Goodluck!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks! I got one of those sanding blocks, but its a pain in the *** to use. the sandpaper rips off it and it feels so smooth when i use my hand. ill use the block from now on though. thanks for the help. i thought those were just to make things easier.

 

i thought when you sanded down a car to be painted it had to be down to the metal, guess thats why im not a painter . so what color are we painting it.

 

stock black

 

you should work your way down to a 600 grit...seems kind of fine, but the paint will hold up very nicely...ive heard that its all in the prep....sand the entire portion from 320 like you did and work your way up to 600. i know it sounds kind of cumbersome but its worth it. trust me!

 

Good lord, 320 grit seems like a pretty course grade to be wet sanding with.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ebelp &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good lord, 320 grit seems like a pretty course grade to be wet sanding with. </TD></TR></TABLE>

yea thats what everyone says but i got tha college body shop textbook yO!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B16_madman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'll watch for this thread, b/c i plan to do the same this summer</TD></TR></TABLE>

same here..please keep us updated on pix of your sanding/prep work! Pretty motivating!

 

I usually go with 400 then 600 grit after that. 320 does seem kinda course. Keep up the good work

 

i'm jealous. i was i had the time to that now. summer probably.

are you taking any dents, dings out? are you doing your own body work like filling the holes? have you just sanded so far, no primer spray or anything?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TrayDay2K1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The 320 wont feather them out anymore...should i use a heavier grit then go over it with the 320??

sorry man but my textbook says 320. heress the exact quote:

"if urethane enamel is to be used, NO.320 wet and dry sandpaper should be used "

Ive also read up on the net that 320 is good. Im going to call my paint shop tomorrow and see what they say. thanks for the input Oh yea I am sanding in one direction. The pinstripe is painted on. Im going to try and sand it down a little more tomorrow
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The books are old school......they just tell you how to get a job done fast, compromising quality. Most production shops will use 500-800 grit. I recomend 600. 320 grit dry sanding is almost equilvalent to 400 grit wet sanding, and 320 wet sanding is almost equivalent to 220 dry sanding. Way too rough!

To help things be easier, try a couple drops of dishwashing liquid in your sanding water. I usually use a squirt bottle to do my wetsanding, instead of dipping my paper into a bucket(chances of contamination). Any contamination, and you can end up with a deeper scratch that you won't be able to detect until you've painted.

A rubber squegee is also helpful too. use it to wipe your surface so you can check how much you've sanded. Any shiny spots need more sanding.

Do not sand in circles...I sand with a "x" pattern, being consistent with your strokes to get the best results. Any wrinkles in the sand paper, THROW AWAY! That too can scratch your surface too deep.

Of course there are many different ways to do things when it comes to autobody and paint but sometimes you get different results. My techniques are through experience and years of research in the show arena. So either follow a book to get things done faster, or follow experience and get quality results. It's all up to you.