I've removed the body from my 86 GT and I'm going to get somebody to paint it. Labor only, I'm going to take paint to them.

I see that you like to use PPG Deltron. How can I find out what the original pontiac "Red" was on Fiero's ?

Will there be any issues painting over black ?

What about clear coat, should I be sure and do that too ? What clear do you use with that paint ?

How much of that PPG Deltron paint do I need to do an entire Fiero GT ?

What should I expect to pay for that amount of paint ?

Thanks a bunch, I appreciate your expertise.

DLD

quote Originally posted by RacerX10: I've removed the body from my 86 GT and I'm going to get somebody to paint it. Labor only, I'm going to take paint to them. I see that you like to use PPG Deltron. How can I find out what the original pontiac "Red" was on Fiero's ?

The paint code is on the Service ID label under the hood. Your paint dealer will be able to get the proper red for you with the info on that label

quote Originally posted by RacerX10: Will there be any issues painting over black ?

If the original paint is in good condition, you could spray right over the black if it's properly scuffed or sanded.....meaning 320 grit or so. But, since you are going to be changing to a red, I'd suggest using a red primer to cover the black. This way you'll use less base color as you'll be painting over red instead of black, and primer is cheaper than paint.

quote Originally posted by RacerX10: What about clear coat, should I be sure and do that too ? What clear do you use with that paint ?

I use DCU 2042 clear. It's a very thick clear and it's a very nice clear to wet sand and buff. I use this clear on everything I spray. It's not cheap, but it's excellent.

quote Originally posted by RacerX10: How much of that PPG Deltron paint do I need to do an entire Fiero GT ? What should I expect to pay for that amount of paint ?

I usually use roughly 2 quarts of color, depending on the transparent qualities of that color. Some colors I use 3 quarts, but with a factory red you should be ok with 2, especially if you are spraying over red primer. Clear? I can usually do the entire car with 1 quart of clear because it's so thick, but sometimes I'll use 2 quarts if I need to do a lot of extra painting, such as the edges and some other stuff. As for cost, it's hard for me to give you a price because each place charges something different. But just for an idea, I usually spend anywhere from $400-600 for materials for a regular Fiero. Remember the extras...the reducers, thinners, tape, primers....

quote Originally posted by RacerX10: Thanks a bunch, I appreciate your expertise. DLD

Glad to help. I hope I answered enough for you.

Mark

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I've taken the body off the car, so there will be no masking. I'm going to take all the pieces-parts to a body shop and let them do the painting for me, and I'm going to buy the paint and take it to them so I know that *ALL* I'm paying for is labor to prep it (sanding) and paint it.

So what does a quart of red typically go for ?

Thanks !

DLD

I don't remember what a quart of regular OEM red is worth, but it's probably close to $100 if not over a little bit. Red is a very expensive color.

I got quotes at my local PPG dealer today.

$80.00 per quart for single stage red, and $110.00 per quart for the clear coat ready stuff.

I'm thinking i should stick with non-clearcoat as this is only my 2nd painting project ever.

Do you usually go with clearcoat or without ?

Thanks,

DLD

I use clear on everything. If something happens and I get dust or some other imperfection in the clear, I have a good chance to wet sand it out. If you go with single stage, you might easily burn though the paint. I do like the base/clear as it is easier to spray, also. It's much more forgiving than single stage paint.

Mark

i will be painting my car saturday as well and i used 220 grit to sand off the original paint but i am keeping factory black back on the car so that is nice and a little let worry and work.

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Thanks for the info FireFox.

Good luck with your paint Puck.

DLD

Another question .. it seems to me that if you are going to clear coat a car, the first stage color paint would be less critical. My local PPG dealer has several different price points on red fiero paint. What's the differance in any of them ?

DLD

The price difference could be the different lines of paint the PPG has. They have the Omni line, which is their ' value ' line or the Deltron line for good paint. The single stage paints are basically tinted clear paint, and you don't want to clear over a single stage paint because of the thickness. Base coat color is very thin, and when you clear you add thickness to it. When I spray the clear I use, I only use 2 coats of clear as 3 coats is too thick and will run, plus the thicker the paint the better chances you have for cracking down the road. If you use a single stage paint, that paint is just as thick as clear, so a couple good coats of color plus the clear will give you a very thick paint surface. If you let the color set up, then add the clear, you shouldn't have the running issue, but you will probably have a cracking issue down the road as the paint sets up.

I hope I explained that ok.....

Mark

Yes, that's what they called it .. Omni.

So now I'm wondering, what exactly is the differance between Omni and Deltron ?

DLD

Edit cause I figured it out : Omni is available in fewer variations, so it's cheaper. It appears that if you can get the color you want in Omni, there's no reason not to do it :

see http://www.lplbodyworks.com/RefinishingProducts.html

[This message has been edited by RacerX10 (edited 11-17-2005).]

Actually the difference is in the quality of the paint. If you are looking for a quick, cheap repaint and plan on selling the car, the Onmi might be fine. But, the paint will not last as long as Deltron. It will fade sooner, chip easier, and scratch easier. It's a cheaper quality paint. But, it's certainly not the worst paint out there. Talk with your paint guys and ask about the differences between the two. I'd definitely spray Omni before I spray Martin Seynour ( NAPA ) again.....

Mark