Several months ago I purchaced an 87 Burgandy/grey Auto GT with 125,000 KM (78,000 miles) on it. I drove it for 9 days before it started snowing then hid her under a nice little tarp. Now its about time to put her back out. I wish to paint it myself but the trivial questions seems to be whether or not to remove as many body panels as possible and paint them individually to get paint everywhere - or to just leave the car in one piece. I guess it would be good to mention that I want to paint a different colour. Also, if I remove the panels, how many clips am I going to have to replace - if any?

Any suggestions would be a ppreciated.. Thanx..

PRiNG
87 auto GT

A fellow Canadian on the board, good to see. Have you ever painted a car before or is this your first time? I would recomend taking as much off of the car as possible, especially if you are changing colour. As long as you remove everything correctly, you shouldn't break any clips (that I can remember) but it takes a long time to do it this way. If you just want to splash the paint on then just leave everything on and mask it up real good. Personally, If you don't know how to paint I'd leave it to a professional.
Do I know you? Who did you buy the car from?
Check me out at www.members.home.net/jaygrande

I don't believe that you know me. I bought the car November 8, 2000 from a guy in North York, just off of young street south of Major Mackenzie. I have never actually painted a car. I do however fill in for a guy where I work painting smaller aircraft parts and seem to do quite well at it. I just repainted my GT spoke rims. There were a lot of nicks on the edge which I mostly filed out and sanded down and then buffed out. I stripped the origional grey paint off and then repainted them with self etching primer and a nice glossy black. I'm quite please with the work. As for the car, I don't think I can find a place to paint it myself. So I may have to talk to a person who is knows someone that I know (fun eh?) who works for a body shop. I amay be able to pay him a bit for the work and they help him out as much as I can along the way so it would be cheaper and so I can gain the personal experience and say that "I painted my fiero".. Know what I mean? Thought so. If you don't do it yourself... Its not really your pride and joy is it?

Later

PRiNG

I am in the process of getting my 87 GT painted too. It was supossed to be done like two weeks ago but the guy keeps putting it off. But I can't complain since I am getting it done for around $100. I took of all body panels except the fstback clip. I did take off the sail panels cause they were broke anyways. You actually would only have to take off the hood and deck lid but then you have to do a lot more tapping off to paint. As far as clips go I broke everyone for the side moldings and in the wheel wells. But thanks to Pondski I only need 5 more and the Wheel well clips I can get for free. So far it has been lots of fun working on the car. Can't wait for my next project.

Thanks Ken

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87 GT, 3.4 engine with a 4:10 tranny. Soon will be Viper Yellow!

Check with FieroLisa. were just finishing her GT up, painted it saturday. She did most of the prep work with my quidance. We will be done wet sanding tommorro, then Ill do the buffing. Shell be leaving for Spring Break this week on her way to Daytona. Her website has 'in process' pics working on it. Its really sharp, Violet Pearl. If your down there shell give ya tips, lol.

We didn't take any panels off my car, except the wing, and then of course the tailights, side marker lights and front turn signals just because they were easy. I can't tape off a car for crap, but either way, without taking off any panels, the paint looks really good- and also theres no chance of scratching your new paint putting together newly painted parts.

it's been an experience, i've done more sanding than studying for my finals which are today... :-)

.

[This message has been edited by Wade87GT (edited 04-05-2001).]

I havent used flex agent for 25 years, think its a waste of your money. I havent had any problems at all. Not only that you cant paint the bumpers when you paint the rest of the car, have to wait and mask them off. That makes for a chance of the color mismatching too.

I've seen alot of do-it-yourself paint jobs with their noses peeling after a year or so. I'm not a pro painter, but the pros do use the stuff. Maybe this could be a topic for a new thread.

.

[This message has been edited by FieroLisa (edited 03-13-2001).]

Okay. So I've gathered that I should take it apart piece by piece. My next question is - Can I take *every* piece off? Or is there going to be parts that have to be painted in the car? I paint aircraft parts at work (only experience, none for cars) and they said that I cannot bring a car in. SOL there. I talked to a guy that my mother knows and he says he can't let me use his garage/experties/help until it gets warmer out (late spring) .. damn Canadian weather... I *may* be able to use a commercial shop that belongs to a friend of a friend but that looks like it might not make it either. My manager said that I couldn't bring the entire car into the paint booth. BUT. I could bring it in in pieces. So would I be able to remove every part that requires painting, if so how easy. If not what cannot be removed?

PRiNG

What about the pillars in between the windshield and windows? Those can't be easy to get off...what about the roof...
Fascia, fender, door skin, wing and rear decklid could be done, but with lots of time and pulling of clips. Like someone said, go out and buy some clips before you even start.

I'm glad I didn't take mine apart, so I couldn't give you much info on it

If you are doing a pearl paint like Lisa, (and me), leave all the panels on except the soiler. If you don't spray all the panels in the same way, the color and shades will all conflict. Trust me, I have been painting cars with my dad since i was, well really really young. It is wayyyyyy to much hassle to take all the panels off and you could mess up a nice paint job.

-Pring

Just curious, what color are you painting it?
Personally Burgandy/Gray looks pretty good.

Good Luck

Im a pro, owned my own body/paint shop for 20 years. started painting cars in 1965. Me and none of my friends who also own shops ever use flex agent. Im also a Corvette specialist in body/paint. I have guys from other states bringing me thier cars. You can use it if you want, but if you paint an old urathane bumper 1/2 with it and 1/2 without and bend it youll see theres no difference.The ones that peel are the ones not sanded correctly, if sanded at all. The topic of flex agent has already been beat to death.

quote Originally posted by Wade87GT: I've seen alot of do-it-yourself paint jobs with their noses peeling after a year or so. I'm not a pro painter, but the pros do use the stuff. Maybe this could be a topic for a new thread.

[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 03-14-2001).]

I'll agree with roger on that one -- 90% (give or take, roger......) of a good paint job is in good prep work.......No real need to take the panels off (and a lot less work) but you can remove the front fender bolts and lay the fender back to get the inside of the fender painted........just mask off the black parts and paint everything else.......on the subject of the a-pillars (between the windshield and windows (Lisa Asked) - the roof panel, a-pillars, and the part below the windshield are all one piece -- to remove the roof is a considerable job (we do it here to install factory sunroofs on non-sunroof cars)

Truthfully, all of the panels CAN be removed which is the way a Mercedes is usually painted, but, it really isn't necessary if the prep work is done right........

just my 3 cents........

Well.. I wish to change it from burgandy/grey to a nice bright yellow.. Still not sure on what shade of yellow - I could use some help with that .. .. My problem is that I have paint experience with smaller things than cars and would like to be able to say "I did all the work to my fiero, including the paint job".. But I do not have a place to paint it (As a whole).. I've been told that I can bring it in to my work's spray both and use their oven .. But not the whole car...

PRiNG

2001 Viper Yellow!

Josh

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Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he'll be a mile way - and barefoot....

My problem is that I have paint experience with smaller things than cars and would like to be able to say "I did all the work to my fiero, including the paint job".. But I do not have a place to paint it (As a whole).. I've been told that I can bring it in to my work's spray both and use their oven .. But not the whole car...

PRiNG[/B][/QUOTE]

I wouldn't use the oven, unless it is low temp <200 deg F.
If you are doing a solid color, then doing a panel at a time should be very good...
But if you are doing flake, pearl, or any fancy stuff, then let a shop handle it...
I let a body shop do all of my Fieros, and I do my own trim work, like mirrors and grills...
crash...

Thanks Roger for enlightening me on the use of flex agents. Obviously, I haven't found a quality paint shop or painter in my area yet. I get quotes of $2000+ for a mask and overspray paint job (with runs on the examples I've seen). If anybody else is interested, here's the previous threads. //www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/007058.html //www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/008431.html

Is all the paint you're going to use coming in one container? I've been told to mix the paint that's the same color, but came in more than one container like 4 qts. or 2 gallons, together in a larger container due to the fact when each batch of paint is mixed, it won't be a perfect match. That would help in keeping all the panels looking the same on or off the car. I'm not saying to mix anything else into it at this time, but thinners or hardeners would need to be mixed acurately too when the time comes. Everything can make a difference to the final outcome. Bisides mixing, the tempature, humidity, good lighting so you can see what you're doing , air pressure(hopefully dry), spray pattern of the gun..etc... I may be splitting (thick)hairs, but it's good discipline. I've had more experience in painting houses and cabinets with enamels and laquers than cars, but I know what I like and details are what make the difference.
Enough of my blah blah.

most auto paint is now mixed at the store. Very little is ever Factory packaged anymore, so if its all mixed at same time it should all be the same. To make sure you get all the settled pigments, I take an empty can after I stir it well and pour it into the empty one, then pour a small amount of reducer in the can and slosh it around and pour it in the new can too.that way your sure you get all the color. Just a dab of the pigments left in original can can make the color slightly off. Next time you mix it, just do the same thing back into the other can and so on........ by the way we did lisas GT, jams and all, plus the ground effects, from gold to Violet Pearl with 3 pints of basecoat and 3 pints of clear urathane.

I Painted my last 86 fiero in my drive way
I just pulled off the side moldings tail lights trunk lid and hood. I pulled theese thigs off because after you turn on your lights the outer trim of the pop up lites will show the old color as wellas the inner trim on the hood and the same for the deck lid. other than that a good masking job and te right mixture over stableizer in your paint and hardner and thiner in your clear you should get a great paint job. I suggest to use a gravity feed gun you will save alot of money on paint. a standard gun provides alot of over spray and will cause more wet sanding then needed. and it puts more paint on the car then in the air. I will be painting my new feiro after i decide what kind of kit i should put on it

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Warren Luciano
wjluciano@hotmail.com

I just re-painted my 87GT its original maroon and what a difference it made. I hated the old maroon but when I decided to keep it original, the new maroon shine really looks damn good. Glad I kept it that way. Yellow is gonna be nice and bright. The cops should be able to see you real well.. Good luck with it whatever you paint it.

about the headlite doors- just take them out, its only got 2 10mm bolts. the whole assembly comes rite out. That way you can paint all the edges of the doors and all the inside opening.

Wow. I have an 87 GT automatic and Im getting ready to paint it. My car has 78,000 miles on it.Mine is burgandy. Pretty wierd huh?

Mine has the grey bottom though:
<img>http://fiero.pring.org/autotrader.jpg</img>

...

I painted mine, coming from black, going to pearl white. I pulled all the panels and trim, and shot the basecoat. Then I remounted everything, and shot the whole thing again with the base. That way I got into all the nooks and crannies impossible to reach with the panels on, and evened out the coloration between the panels by reshooting it. I still have to apply the pearl, which I'll do in another couple of weeks. I personalyy think this is the best way. It's a buttload of work, but why do a crappy job of painting. Might as well not even bother. BTW, on the issue of the bumpers; sand them REALLY well. And prior to priming them, use a product called "Bulldog". It's an adhesion promoter, and will help the primer and paint stick to any areas where the bumper material has been exposed.