I am in the very beginning stages of preparing for sanding and painting my 87GT....I've been doing alot of research and found there are MANY different ways people go about this process. I have a basic Idea of how this needs to be done. Below is how I have determined is the best way...please read and offer any and all advise:

1) wash car
2) use a DA Sander w/ 180 Grit paper
3) Prime w/ Epoxy primer
4) Block sand the primer w/ 380 or 400grit to work out any dips in panels
5) at this point you can either 1.) spray it or 2.) prime it again to seal and then base/clear directly after priming
6.) Wet sand w/ block 1500 grit and buff.

is this the basic process or have i completely missed it? like i stated, any and all advise would be greatly appreciated

dll

Noooo!

Epoxy primers are typically not sandable; they're primarily used as sealer coats or bonding coats.

1. Wash car thoroughly
2. Go over car with degreaser/wax remover
3. DA with 220 or finer. 180 goes through paint too fast and once you hit plastic it'll take a hunk out before you know it.
4. Epoxy prime (not that necessary)
5. Prime with high-build urethane primer surfacer
6. Wetsand 400 or finer (depends on the paint brand and mix) until smooth and ready to paint. Use guidecoat to find low spots.
7. Paint using a good quality paint. If done right no followup sanding will be needed. Modern paints cure to a high gloss with minimal orange peel.

Now, there's a whole lot more to this than these simple steps. A lot depends on what the existing paint looks like, for instance, is it factory or has it been repainted before? How bad is the paint? Fibers from the SMC sticking up out of it? Body damage?

Some general rules of thumb:

1. Only sand down to the structurally sound paint. The factory paint bond to the underlying body materials is generally the best. Avoid machine-sanding edges and body lines. The quality you put into your sanding directly shows up in the paint. Sanding marks won't fill up with paint, they'll just be accentuated by the gloss.

2. Use a good-quality urethane base/clear system for best looking and longest-lasting results. Use a decent HVLP spray gun.

3. No sanding or priming/sealing is needed in areas still retaining the original gloss. Instead, scuff with a grey Scotchbrite pad until dull. Paint will not stick to gloss at all.

4. If the car has been repainted in the past then sand down to good paint and seal with epoxy. This will prevent problems with incompatible paint chemistries. If the car was painted with any kind of rattle can or Krylon roll/brush on paint that'll have to come completely off.

5. Remove as much stuff as you can, masking is a chore. I've seen overspray sneak through a gap in the paper and travel half the length of the car before drying on interior parts, windshields, suspension, lights, etc. The less stuff is on the car, the easier it is to mask.

6. Cleanliness. Think operating room clean. Before you spray, you want to clean (powerwash and compressed air) every inch of the car. Air pressure from the spray gun will sure blow dirt out of gaps and hidden spots. Make sure it's dry, too. Nothing suck more than watching water beads zooming across your wet paint. Cleanliness goes to yourself as well. Gown up, or at least use air to blow all the loose stuff off you and your clothes. Wipe down the air hose, too. Be sure to use a filter/drier on the gun air inlet.

7. It's all about the prep; bad prep can ruin a paint job just as quickly as bad spraying technique.

[This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 02-16-2011).]

A good idea is to also try to use the same brand primer and paint together.

Steve

whew..glad i asked...lol

so i guess i'm still a little confused about primers:

epoxy primer - mainly used as a seal...sprayed on before applying a high build primer

high build primer - applied after epoxy primer....should block sand w/ 400 or finer

you mentioned using a guidecoat...could you go into more detail about this? do i spray high build primer > then guide coat > then wetsand? i was under the impression that you determine low spots by the primer left on the car after block sanding..is this not true? what product (brand) in prefered to use for a guidecoat?

thanks for the great info...

And, Use a GOOD charcoal FILTERED MASK ! The"fumes" from the urathanes will kill ya !

quote Originally posted by labbe001: I am in the very beginning stages of preparing for sanding and painting my 87GT....I've been doing alot of research and found there are MANY different ways people go about this process. I have a basic Idea of how this needs to be done. Below is how I have determined is the best way...please read and offer any and all advise: 1) wash car 2) use a DA Sander w/ 180 Grit paper 3) Prime w/ Epoxy primer 4) Block sand the primer w/ 380 or 400grit to work out any dips in panels 5) at this point you can either 1.) spray it or 2.) prime it again to seal and then base/clear directly after priming 6.) Wet sand w/ block 1500 grit and buff. is this the basic process or have i completely missed it? like i stated, any and all advise would be greatly appreciated dll

This is pretty much it. You'll have to hand sand all the areas you can't get to with the DA.
If you have a reasonably smooth surface you can sand the PPG epoxy (DP) primer with 400 wet on a stiff sponge pad (after it dries for at least a couple days) & paint. Softer sponge pads are used on the rounded areas. If there is major blocking to do (you have a really wavy surface or repair/custom work), then you use hi-build primer.
After painting you need to sand the clear with 1000 wet on a block or paddle, then with 2000 wet on a stiff sponge pad, & buff.
For more info, do a search with my username & you'll find a lot of threads with details on paint & prep. I've been doing show quality paint/body/custom work for 40 years.
EDIT: Never scuff with a grey pad & paint: it's roughly equivalent to 1000 grit paper. If you're going to use a scuff pad for areas that are hard to sand, use a red one.
Block hi-build with 180 (dry or wet) as long as you're going to be priming over it & doing a final sand on that primer. If you're then priming with epoxy & don't plan to sand that, you need to block the hi-build with 320 wet or 220 dry.
"Guide coat" is simply dusting flat black over the primer. When sanding, you'll be able to see the low spots & scratches & keep sanding until the black is gone.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

[This message has been edited by Tha Driver (edited 02-16-2011).]

Guidecoat is a light dusting of black paint, typically black lacquer primer. It all gets sanded off, and is primarily used to show low spots, scratches, and other imperfections. The black stays in low spots in the lighter colored primer. If you black prime, then use white guidecoat. Generally the primer will be left in most areas you're painting, with very little of the car's original color showing through. If you were painting over a pre-existing paint job that was in good shape you'd skip the primer and just scuff/spot repair.

thank you guys for all the good information....however, i'm still a little confused about what primer is best to use...i've been researching and i'm seeing that using epoxy is the way to go and then i see to never touch the stuff and that it can't be sanded....is it just a matter of personal preference? what are the pro's and con's....not trying to be a difficult just really trying to learn

here's what i'm working with...ii have an 87'gt that has mostly stock paint....except for the front bumper....the car has the normal clear coat peeling up so i know that needs to come off....

in terms of sanding w/ a DA, some say 180grit is too rough and some use 180 on a DA....for a first timer, could i get by w/ using 320 grit before priming of would is that too smooth for primer to stick?

thanks

Primer would stick to 400 sanded surface just fine.

The main concepts around sanding are this:

The coarser the sandpaper the faster you can sand since material is removed faster. Trade-off is that sanding scratches are more likely show up in the paint if you're not thorough on your final pre-paint sanding. It's also harder to control the rate of removal with coarser sandpaper. Fiero-specific issue: The plastic under the paint is generally softer than the paint. When you're sanding you want to avoid sanding through the factory coatings/primer and into the plastic if at all possible. So, 180 would work fine with metal because once the paint and factory primer were gone the metal won't be easily gouged by the coarse grit, but would be a bad idea on the plastic of the Fiero's skin because once through the factory primer/paint the plastic would get chewed up quicker than snot. Generally, if you're inexperienced it's best to use finer sandpaper because it's easier to control. Pros use coarser because it's faster and they're more experienced.

Priming: Most epoxies are not sandable. Some are, but they aren't that common. You have to read the data sheet for the epoxy you want to use to determine which it is. Also, there are two types of sanding: Sanding for adhesion promotion and sanding for finish quality. Many epoxies can be sanded for the former, but almost none can be sanded for the latter. Sanding for finish quality requires a surfacing primer, typically these are referred to as "high build". This means they spray on thick and are soft enough to be easily sanded without tearing or rolling.

If you sand with a coarse grit then spray epoxy primer over it the sanding scratches will show through the epoxy. You will not be able to sand them out effectively, and they will show through your paint if you paint over the epoxy. You would need to put a layer of surfacer primer down over the epoxy to give you something to sand, the surfacing primer fills in the scratches from the original coarse sanding. Then you would sand with 400 using trickling water, aka wetsanding. If you have a paint that goes on thin you'd need to use something finer than 400. The water keeps the sandpaper clean and flushes away debris that could put visible marks in the primer. You apply the guidecoat as the last step before beginning your final sanding for finish. Also, use a soft rubber squeegee to squeegee water away from areas you're working, any tiny imperfections in the sanding will show up plainly as wet marks.

There's a whole chapter that could be written about sanding technique, if I have time I'll post something about that later.

Another note: recoat windows. The epoxies I've used, Kirker EP612 Enduro Prime and PPG DP90 both have certain timing notes. For instance, the DP90 can be top coated or primed over any time from about one hour after application to about a week after application. After that it has to be scuffed before topcoating. Lesson: Read the datasheet for the products you want to use. Here's the DP90 sheet for instance: http://www.tcpglobal.com/ku...ages/DOCS/P-122.PDF.

To sum it up:

1. Initial sanding 220 or finer to remove oxidized clear and upper layers of paint, down to structurally sound paint. Leaves scratches big enough to show through final paint if it was painted at this stage.

2. Epoxy prime if you choose, primarily useful as a sealer coat. Scratches will show through this. No need to sand or scuff if next step is done during recoat window, otherwise scuff for next step.

3. Apply surfacer primer. This is the layer you will be sanding to perfection.

4. Apply guidecoat. Even dusting, not solid. Use contrasting color rattlecan primer as it's easiest to sand and won't clog your sandpaper.

5. Wetsand with 400 or finer using blocks. Guidecoat will show low spots and orange peel in the primer, once it's gone it should be smooth. Repeatedly wet and squeegee to see other sanding defects such as grooves caused by the edge of the sanding block or fingertips or by digging into the edge of a body line with the block. Use a gray Scotchbrite pad to thoroughly scuff all glossy areas until completely dull. Paint will not stick to gloss at all. Expect to spend as much time doing this as all other steps combined. Mistakes and shortcuts here *will* show in final paint job. Nothing accentuates sloppiness and laziness like high-gloss paint.

6. Mask. Mask. Mask. If air can go there, paint *will* go there. Tape all laps in the paper. Overspray removal is a female dog in heat with modern urethane paints. Tape such that paint can go over an edge and under the trim. Any place where pulling the tape will leave a paint edge will be a place paint will start peeling off. That's why it's always best to remove as much as possible, such as door moldings and handles, drip rails, tail lights, reflectors, lenses, turn signals, side mirrors, badges, emblems, etc.

7. Wipe down with cleaner, follow directions closely. Most say work small area at a time, wipe with cleaner-dampened paper towel and immediately wipe off with clean dry paper towel. Any area where cleaner was allowed to dry will show in paint.

8. Blow everything off with compressed air, including nooks and crannies, gaps and edges. If masking paper blows off now it would have blown off while painting too, good to find out now instead of having to do an emergency paint overspray cleanup with lacquer thinner in the middle of your spray sequence. Don't forget to blow your clothes off with air as well.

9. Paint. Technique is critical, read up and practice on scrap first, or plan on buying more paint than you need in order to have some for redo work. If your technique and paint/prep are good you won't need to do anything but maybe a finish buff and wax when you're done.

Alternative on sanding: If your paint understructure is in good enough condition you can wetsand with 400, use good filler to deal with chips and defects, then paint directly over that. Be very careful, any missed defects in the original paint will show up in the new paint.

Other note: The Fiero's flexible skin usually prevents significant paint damage. On areas such as the lower doors and fenders where the factory paint is still intact, if there's no damage then there's no need to sand with 220 and go through all the steps with surfacing primer, etc. Just scuff until completely dull and apply the new paint right on top.

[This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 02-17-2011).]

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: Primer would stick to 400 sanded surface just fine. The main concepts around sanding are this: The coarser the sandpaper the faster you can sand since material is removed faster. Trade-off is that sanding scratches are more likely show up in the paint if you're not thorough on your final pre-paint sanding. It's also harder to control the rate of removal with coarser sandpaper. Fiero-specific issue: The plastic under the paint is generally softer than the paint. When you're sanding you want to avoid sanding through the factory coatings/primer and into the plastic if at all possible. So, 180 would work fine with metal because once the paint and factory primer were gone the metal won't be easily gouged by the coarse grit, but would be a bad idea on the plastic of the Fiero's skin because once through the factory primer/paint the plastic would get chewed up quicker than snot. Generally, if you're inexperienced it's best to use finer sandpaper because it's easier to control. Pros use coarser because it's faster and they're more experienced. Priming: Most epoxies are not sandable. Some are, but they aren't that common. You have to read the data sheet for the epoxy you want to use to determine which it is. Also, there are two types of sanding: Sanding for adhesion promotion and sanding for finish quality. Many epoxies can be sanded for the former, but almost none can be sanded for the latter. Sanding for finish quality requires a surfacing primer, typically these are referred to as "high build". This means they spray on thick and are soft enough to be easily sanded without tearing or rolling. If you sand with a coarse grit then spray epoxy primer over it the sanding scratches will show through the epoxy. You will not be able to sand them out effectively, and they will show through your paint if you paint over the epoxy. You would need to put a layer of surfacer primer down over the epoxy to give you something to sand, the surfacing primer fills in the scratches from the original coarse sanding. Then you would sand with 400 using trickling water, aka wetsanding. If you have a paint that goes on thin you'd need to use something finer than 400. The water keeps the sandpaper clean and flushes away debris that could put visible marks in the primer. You apply the guidecoat as the last step before beginning your final sanding for finish. Also, use a soft rubber squeegee to squeegee water away from areas you're working, any tiny imperfections in the sanding will show up plainly as wet marks. There's a whole chapter that could be written about sanding technique, if I have time I'll post something about that later. Another note: recoat windows. The epoxies I've used, Kirker EP612 Enduro Prime and PPG DP90 both have certain timing notes. For instance, the DP90 can be top coated or primed over any time from about one hour after application to about a week after application. After that it has to be scuffed before topcoating. Lesson: Read the datasheet for the products you want to use. Here's the DP90 sheet for instance: http://www.tcpglobal.com/ku...ages/DOCS/P-122.PDF. To sum it up: 1. Initial sanding 220 or finer to remove oxidized clear and upper layers of paint, down to structurally sound paint. Leaves scratches big enough to show through final paint if it was painted at this stage. 2. Epoxy prime if you choose, primarily useful as a sealer coat. Scratches will show through this. No need to sand or scuff if next step is done during recoat window, otherwise scuff for next step. 3. Apply surfacer primer. This is the layer you will be sanding to perfection. 4. Apply guidecoat. Even dusting, not solid. Use contrasting color rattlecan primer as it's easiest to sand and won't clog your sandpaper. 5. Wetsand with 400 or finer using blocks. Guidecoat will show low spots and orange peel in the primer, once it's gone it should be smooth. Repeatedly wet and squeegee to see other sanding defects such as grooves caused by the edge of the sanding block or fingertips or by digging into the edge of a body line with the block. Use a gray Scotchbrite pad to thoroughly scuff all glossy areas until completely dull. Paint will not stick to gloss at all. Expect to spend as much time doing this as all other steps combined. Mistakes and shortcuts here *will* show in final paint job. Nothing accentuates sloppiness and laziness like high-gloss paint. 6. Mask. Mask. Mask. If air can go there, paint *will* go there. Tape all laps in the paper. Overspray removal is a female dog in heat with modern urethane paints. Tape such that paint can go over an edge and under the trim. Any place where pulling the tape will leave a paint edge will be a place paint will start peeling off. That's why it's always best to remove as much as possible, such as door moldings and handles, drip rails, tail lights, reflectors, lenses, turn signals, side mirrors, badges, emblems, etc. 7. Wipe down with cleaner, follow directions closely. Most say work small area at a time, wipe with cleaner-dampened paper towel and immediately wipe off with clean dry paper towel. Any area where cleaner was allowed to dry will show in paint. 8. Blow everything off with compressed air, including nooks and crannies, gaps and edges. If masking paper blows off now it would have blown off while painting too, good to find out now instead of having to do an emergency paint overspray cleanup with lacquer thinner in the middle of your spray sequence. Don't forget to blow your clothes off with air as well. 9. Paint. Technique is critical, read up and practice on scrap first, or plan on buying more paint than you need in order to have some for redo work. If your technique and paint/prep are good you won't need to do anything but maybe a finish buff and wax when you're done. Alternative on sanding: If your paint understructure is in good enough condition you can wetsand with 400, use good filler to deal with chips and defects, then paint directly over that. Be very careful, any missed defects in the original paint will show up in the new paint. Other note: The Fiero's flexible skin usually prevents significant paint damage. On areas such as the lower doors and fenders where the factory paint is still intact, if there's no damage then there's no need to sand with 220 and go through all the steps with surfacing primer, etc. Just scuff until completely dull and apply the new paint right on top.

Wow!!!! thank you SO much...i was actually in the process of researching and reading up on some stuff when i got this reply....it's really satarting to make perfect sense and slear up alot of confusion for me....once again, big thanks to you and everyone else that has responded.....plus for everyone..

Anytime. I'm currently taking body shop and painting classes at school (for fun) and have already painted my car and bike. Came out not too bad for a first timer.

Most important lesson learned? When you get quoted $2k for a good quality paint job done right, you better jump on that because it's a deal.

As I said I've been doing this for 40 years...
I actually dropped out of body school back in the early 70's 'cause I knew more at 18 than the instructor in the school did.
I've found that you can DA with 180 (dry) & prime with PPG epoxy (DP) primer & shoot the base/clear over that without any scratches showing through. I did just that on my BMW & it came out great. http://angelonearth.net/BMW.html
On my high-end jobs, I always sand the epoxy with 400 wet before painting. I DO NOT recommend using any epoxy primer other than PPG DP (yeah I've had trouble with cheaper epoxy primers when others have sent me cars primed with it). If you wet sand the car before priming, you need to use 320. The reason? Wet sandpaper has sharper grains than dry paper so wet 180 will leave deeper scratches than dry 180.

~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Well.. I literally just came in from sanding my 2K epoxy primer that I used to fill some small pinholes and imperfections on a bumper. I haven't used any high build primer this job, and the surface is beautifully leveled and ready for base coat. I know for a fact some epoxy primers are great for sanding and some aren't. I agree that an epoxy isn't the greatest primer when extreme leveling needs to be done.

labbe001: Your original list is pretty much how I did my first paint job, and it came out great! You've covered everything well and that should work for you. While reading and research is essential to preparation, the best advice I can give you is to get started. After you've been through a paint job, you'll look at the advice given on message boards in a completely different light. Extensive research will be counterproductive - Everyone has a different method, and it may not be best for you. No one is going to agree. For the record, I think you should go ahead with your original list. Unless you're filling some deep holes, epoxy primer should cover anything if the original paint and clear is taken down completely. The epoxy primer I've been using is Nason 421-19, and it is very sandable. I'll also say I sanded most of my car with 60 grit discs on a dual action sander, and It seemed like it took forever! 180 grit might be too fine for cutting the original flat surfaces on the Fiero; such as the hoods, doors, and rear clip. A finer grit should of course be used around edges and areas that will burn through. If you've got any deep holes to fill, light body filler or high build primer would be a good idea. Painting is a lot easier than it sounds, everything is exhausting prep work.

Here's everything in my first paint arsenal:

[This message has been edited by L67 (edited 02-17-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Tha Driver: Wet sandpaper has sharper grains than dry paper so wet 180 will leave deeper scratches than dry 180. ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver"

I'm curious how the presence of water affects the grain sharpness of the particles on sandpaper...

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: I'm curious how the presence of water affects the grain sharpness of the particles on sandpaper...

It's not the presence of water, it's the way the different (wet or dry) paper is made. imagine drawing a series of sharp points to represent the wet paper. Then draw the same size, but instead of making the points sharp make them more rounded. That's the difference in wet or dry paper. Grains are the same size, but on the wet paper they are sharper (so the scratches are deeper).
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

quote Originally posted by Tha Driver: Just don't let it sit for more than a few days. If it cures very long, it will be TOO HARD TO SAND!

I've been shooting, waiting the required cure time of 3 hours, and sanding. The primer has been soft and extremely easy to sand. I did wait a full day with a coat on another car and didn't notice anything different. If you say it hardened, I'll be sure not to leave it for extended periods of time. Actually.. I'm going to spray a spare part and see what it does.

quote Originally posted by Tha Driver: 60 is FAR too course to sand paint on a car. In fact, sometimes a courser paper will cut slower as it does more scratching than cutting. Only reason to use anything courser than 180 is if you're stripping the paint, & even then I wouldn't use 60 on fiberglass or plastic parts.

Right, I spent months researching before trying to do anything. I was told by many "pro's" anything courser than 100 grit would be a bad idea. I also read many reports from the "old timers" who swore all they used was very course sandpaper to cut fast (60,80,100 grit). I decided to play safe and began using 150 grit discs. That got very old very quickly. Next I put 120 grit discs to the test. I then tried 60 grit and was very happy with what I got. I literally took all the paint off of every body panel from a Fiero with 60 grit discs. I then used a 120 grit paper to smooth the panels before epoxy priming, and had a great surface. If I do another Fiero I'll be using 60 grit again to strip everything off of the panels. There is so much conflicting information about painting cars on the web. People will argue all day that one method is the "wrong" way. If a grit scratches the panel, stop using it. I have had brilliant success with 60, so 60 shall be my paper of choice, and I recommend it for the time conscious individual. The best thing anyone can do is jump into painting with both feet, don't try to follow the exact instructions of people online, because there's too much conflicting information in all forms. Find out what works for you and run with it, then come back and consider advice, you'll be able to decide if you believe what's being said. Ex. I don't believe 60 grit is "far to course", I've been told it isn't and I've been told it is. Now I know - it isn't for me. And I don't mean any offense Paul, I know you've got a huge knowledge base on painting.

you guys really know your stuff...i really do appreciate all the good advice....
i've removed the rear clip and have started sanding it down....after doing my research and listening to you guys, here's what i've feel would be best for me to do....this is my first paint project on an automobile and using a DA sander....i've been using 220 grit discs for sanding...reason being b/c of my lack of experience w/ a DA sander, i don't want to run the risk of digging in too much....when i'm finished, i may or maynot go back over it w/ 180 (depends on how confident i am w/ my sanding skills at this point) i'm hand sanding w/ 220 grit in the hard to reach areas and rounded areas....when i say "hand sanding" i'm literally talking about a sheet of sandpaper in the palm of my hand and working it w/ my fingers into really tight areas...is this the corrrect method?

after all is sanded and washed, i'm going to shoot it w/ the ppg epoxy primer>block sand wet w/ 400 grit>wash > then shoot the paint. Does this sound like a winning approach or would i be better advised to shoot a surface primer after the epoxy primer and sand that before paint....i'm just affraid the more layers i put on, the more chance there is for one of the layers to mess up and make the finished product look crappy.....

thank you guys again for all the great help.....i'm going to be starting a thread soon to document my progress

quote Originally posted by labbe001: you guys really know your stuff...i really do appreciate all the good advice.... i've removed the rear clip and have started sanding it down....after doing my research and listening to you guys, here's what i've feel would be best for me to do....this is my first paint project on an automobile and using a DA sander....i've been using 220 grit discs for sanding...reason being b/c of my lack of experience w/ a DA sander, i don't want to run the risk of digging in too much....when i'm finished, i may or maynot go back over it w/ 180 (depends on how confident i am w/ my sanding skills at this point) i'm hand sanding w/ 220 grit in the hard to reach areas and rounded areas....when i say "hand sanding" i'm literally talking about a sheet of sandpaper in the palm of my hand and working it w/ my fingers into really tight areas...is this the corrrect method? after all is sanded and washed, i'm going to shoot it w/ the ppg epoxy primer>block sand wet w/ 400 grit>wash > then shoot the paint. Does this sound like a winning approach or would i be better advised to shoot a surface primer after the epoxy primer and sand that before paint....i'm just affraid the more layers i put on, the more chance there is for one of the layers to mess up and make the finished product look crappy..... thank you guys again for all the great help.....i'm going to be starting a thread soon to document my progress

What you're doing should give you excellent results.
Just post progress in this thread.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Can I add a question to this? I don't mean to rain on buddies forum post here which is why I am going to ask that people who respond to me please PM me as I don't want to clutter Labbe001's post with my personal questions/plans for painting my 87 SE Fiero.
I plan on before doing anything else, washing the car with soap and water. This will remove road salts and bird droppings and other water soluble things that you don’t see. It’s pleasant to eat from a clean plate at dinner. Next I will use a wax/grease remover with paper towels. I might also use liquid charcoal starter or a house paint type mineral spirits as a little extra cleaning power. Next I’ll sand to make it dull. I know to also sand after removing the wax and grease otherwise I would have ground it into the surface. I'll ground the frame of the vehicle. From somewhere on the chassis (cradle) and then to something grounded or earthed (spike). My uncle told me that it keeps your vehicle from being statically charged. I'm going to make an outdoor painting booth from tarps with a simple slanted roof with a heater to create and control a warm interior for painting. The heater/fan will also control air movement from the top of one end to the bottom of the other end creating a down draft. I've got a couple thermometers to put at either end to make sure I have an even temperature. This will also make certain it is bone dry. Any humidity, fog, steam, cloud, water vapour, passing from the floor into the sky as it evaporates will pass through the spray mist from your spray gun. At the end of the spray gun, as you pull the trigger, the temperature of the paint drops many degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius, as you wish ... this cures some of the paint before it ever hits the car!!! ALWAYS PAINT IN A DRY PLACE. I'll use a premium body putty as well. After applying a primer, I will apply a thin misted coat of spray flat black enamel before sanding the primer coat (just a mist, barely lay down this coat). Using enamel from a can will work because I'm going to remove all of this. The black will fill both the low points and cover the high points on the surface, ie. It will settle in the valleys and also cover the peaks of the surface. As I sand the primer the black will remain visible in the low spots of the surface, giving me an accurate indicator of what parts of the surface are not level. When I’ve just barely removed all the black by sanding I’ll get a smooth even surface, ie. I’ve lowered the peaks down to the level of the valleys. After enough base color has been applied (thinking about 6 layers) to cover the surface (10-15 minutes between each color layer) I'll let the last coat air out (dry) about 30-90 minutes) before applying the clear coat. I'll allow 10-15 minutes between each clear coat and applying at least 3 (thinking about 4 or 5) coats of clear.
Do I have a good solid plan here or is there room for improvement? I left alot of it vague because there is alot of products everyone will use and some will say this is better than this etc etc so to prevent that I just gave my basic layout.

86_Fiero:
Don't use charcoal starter or mineral spirits - they will only add oil to the surface.
You're putting too much paint on. 2 base coats is usually enough, unless it's a very transparent color & then 4 max. 3 coats of urethane clear will be plenty (usually two is enough to sand & buff).
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

[This message has been edited by Tha Driver (edited 02-18-2011).]