Been working hard the past few days. Everything is primed, most of the body is in the air--I'll get the rest up hanging today. But it's a cool picture. The wires are almost invisible, so it looks like the panels are hanging in midair.











The plan is that it will be one color, red basecoat/clearcoat. I thought about using iridescent additive in the clearcoat, may do it yet. Everything (mirrors, trim, drip rails, insides of front and rear decks and the insides of the headlite doors ) will be red. I'm using the integrated rockers and the ZR2 hood. It's turning cold (highs in the 50's) tonite and should warm up for next weekend. The time will give me a chance to wetsand everything with 400 grit.

The red I'm using is R67. I'm using Valspar univeral intermix basecoat (no catalyst) and Valspar high gloss polyurethane clearcoat (catalyzed.) Basically it's binder/solvent and straight red pigment. No bias (like the original Formula Red) to blue and almost no yellow bias either. I just compared it to the original red and it seems to be significantly brighter--almost red florescent. I'm planning to get the basecoat and clearcoat on in one 24 hour period.

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 03-19-2007).]

nice prep - it looks like an automotive modern sculpture exhibit.
will you serve canapes?

what color are you painting?

quote Originally posted by TorqueWench: nice prep - it looks like an automotive modern sculpture exhibit. will you serve canapes?

I thought the same thing...maybe I'll redecorate my living room that way.

I edited to add info on what color, what paint, etc.

Dang, go get'um. Lookin' Good!!
EDIT: My '85 GT was pulled apart as well, I didn't take it apart myself cause I break things. Anyway, I went with a solid color, which I chose, my painter advised if I had gone to a metalic the panel off thing wouldn't work, as discribed below.

[This message has been edited by Bruno Mid Engine (edited 03-20-2007).]

If you plan on using any metallics or pearl(effects) you will need to hang the parts the same way they would hang on the car. If you do not, when you put the car back together the parts will look different shades. I really would say any thing but I have seen it happen.
Just my $.02.
dustin

Thanks Dustin. Makes sense and I doubt I would have thought of that. Painting panels off in a small 2 stall garage is a lot like juggling cats.

quote Originally posted by Brian Lamberts: Painting panels off in a small 2 stall garage is a lot like juggling cats.

That much blood loss? Wow.

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy

How do you not pass out? What kind of mask do you use. I'm considering trying my first paint job this summer so I'm pretty interested.

quote Originally posted by whadeduck: That much blood loss? Wow.

Not to mention the screeching noises...

I love the pic.....it almost looks like the car exploded in a zero gravity environment.

quote Originally posted by InTheLead: How do you not pass out? What kind of mask do you use. I'm considering trying my first paint job this summer so I'm pretty interested.

Ideally one would have a pressurized (fresh air) full face mask--but for the occasional painter, cost prohibitive.

I use an activated charcoal filtered applicator mask. The garage door is open about a foot at the bottom, and there are two double exhaust fans to pull fumes out. I get some fume smell even with the mask on, but the big thing is to wear long sleeves and take off the fumey clothes between paint sessions (a lot of solvent fumes cling to your clothes.)

Btw, I know it when I've gotten too much in the way of fumes--my nose gets stopped up and chest congestion sets in--not a good thing. Never dizzy, concentrations aren't that great with good ventilation and the mask.

Looking great Brian

Looking great!

Oh, and I figure your project will require far more beer

That looks very cool! Good luck on the paintjob!

Just thought of a way to pay for this project...

Get Mizz Bobadodoboofunk, Mizz Yellowstone, a few of RG's Hooter pals, and a few other hot females to "paint" your car using their naked, paint-covered bodies. Film it, and sell the DVD.

(make sure ya give them their cut of the profits, of course!)

The paintjob would probably come out lookin' awful, but that's ok...

having painted many cars/trucks in the same type of atmosphere( garage side jobs)....a few words from the wise

make sure you have New vapour cartriges
tyvek suits are really cheap ( 5 bucks CDN)get two and swap them out between coats( let the other (flash/ dry before using it again keeps loose clothing under control and your entire body protected / latex gloves
facial hair ( keep it short so you get a good seal from your mask to skin( you shouldnt smell anything !) gettig dizzy isnt good when it comes to isocyinates/ your being poisoned(long term effects down the road
if only using a half mask wear a face shield with tear away plastic ( new visibility every sheet
fieros being so low i would say just dampen the floor to maintain dust but dont soak it ( pulling your hose may splash water on your paintjob)
do your very best to keep air flowing in one direction constantly ( overspray control)
take your time !!!!!!!!! the end result will show in the paintjob
you have been painting for sometime so im sure your familiar with common safety but i noticed the remark of someone thinking of trying it for thier first time ....these are just a few things to consider for the first timer
other then that things are looking great on your project ...cant wait to see the final results
keep up the good work

sorry for the little leture on safety but i know several painters from the 70s that are no longer above sod due to poor ventilation and pse (personal safety equipment) that werent available at the time

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It isnt re-creation....its recreation!!!!

quote Originally posted by twocoda: having painted many cars/trucks in the same type of atmosphere( garage side jobs)....a few words from the wise

Yeah, I painted my first car (a '64 VW van) in my dad's side yard with lacquer--in 1974. I used lacquers until about '85 then switched to acrylic and synthetic enamels. Lacquer was easy, but so brittle, it would chip practically if you looked at it wrong. Never quite got the hang of enamel--damn stuff was messy and liked to sag.

Fortunately, I don't use enamel anymore--the catalyst contains isocyanurics (cyanide) and it can be absorbed through the skin. Don't miss the mess of high pressure sprayed enamel at all! I have all new HVLP guns, one is a Devilbiss FLG3 (very nice and my compressor has no trouble keeping up) and a cheapy Harbor Freight HVLP trim gun for getting in the tight spots (not nearly as nice to use as the Devilbiss.) I still have an old hp trim gun, but I think it's days are numbered. The HVLP guns are SO easy. It's almost like painting with a spray can (tho still requires a bit of practice, I think.) No runs in the primer coats, hope that lasts when I get into the clear coat.

I'll toss the used cartridges and put replacements on for the color coat and clearcoat--priming takes a lot of time (and a fair amount of materials) so I think the cartridges are ready to get replaced.

It's been a while since I've done painting, I didn't know about the Tyvex suits, I'll look into those. THAT really makes a lot of sense. (Tyvek-tyvex is the material they use as a vapor barrier in new home construction. Kinda like goretex.)

For gloves, I use nitile gloves from Harbor Freight, about $8 for 100, they are good for everything except paint stripper, that requires those thick black rubber gloves. I use nitrile gloves all the time when doing surface prep--my hands are dried and cracked as is, they help keep my hands from getting worse. But also from a cleanliness aspect, freshly changed nitrile or latex gloves helps to minimize surface contamination from skin oils. (nice for mechanical work, too, btw.)

I'm coughing a bit tonite, been wet sanding all day and dry sanding for about 5 days previous. The dust from the dry sanding has cumulative effects--my primer isn't labeled as containing lead--but I definitely have a dusty cough. (Partly, I think, because the weather has been very dry and quite warm for the past week so pollens and airborne dust are way up.)

The garage DOES look a bit theatrical--the black visqueen on the walls and hanging autoparts. Pretty surreal. Looks like the weather will be back up in the 60's on Friday. With fairly fast reducers, I should be able to paint Friday into Saturday and have it all done Saturday night (then seal the garage up for about 24 hours to let things set.) I'm planning on wetting down the floor and the spreading my last 10 x 25 foot sheet of visqueen on the floor.

Monday or Tuesday night I think I can start installing the repainted body back on the Formula.

link for pse clothing

http://www.protectiveclothi...g&Category_Code=TPS1

im not sure if it will work by clicking on it but you can copy and paste the link in your browser window and it will come up

same company as the construction house wrap also available at most home improvement stores in the paint section

Dura-Shield clothing is another option (blue in colour) but more expensive but thier product comes
with a collar ( for what its worth????)

I got a couple (actually a two pack) of Gennex polypropylene paint suits. Plastic outer (certified for all sorts of nasty stuff) with a paper fiber lining. Kinda like wearing an all over disposeable diaper (don't tell the former asternut lady, tho.) And Harbor Freight had the cartridges for the respirator mask, on sale for $9.99, so I got two sets. Things are lining up pretty well for Friday paint shoot.

I think I have everything I need. If I can get the neighborlady to snap a pic, I'll post a pic of me in my paintin' uniform.

Sounds and looks great Brian! Mine was a panel off job when I had it done last year, but I had a pro-restoration shop paint mine. Putting it back together is the fun part. As you put each panel back on, you can't wait to see what it looks like done! I found I grinned more with each panel.

[This message has been edited by Eclipse (edited 03-21-2007).]

Well I did my first basecoat shot--just a test panel to dial in the gun and see what the color looks like on actual bodywork. This is the little deflector panel that mounts underneath the radiator cradle. Gotta say I am almost jumping up and down I'm so excited! It is going to look very hot!



It has no gloss of course, being basecoat. Gloss will come with the top coat--probably tomorrow.

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 03-22-2007).]

Oooooo, aaaaaahhhh

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Whade' "The Duck Formerly Known As Wade" Duck
'87 GT Auto
'88 Ferrario
'84 Indy

Brian, I`ll ask you and any others that want to chime in. I know taking all of the body panels off will yield a cleaner paint job especially if changing color but is it worth the hassle of taking the roof panel off with the goo on the windshield etc. and the chance of cracking the fiberglass to paint it.
Mike

I'm converting to a sunroof from another car. I think that pulling the roof is a major hassle and getting it off without breaking it is at least 50% luck. Best to be done dead sober, on a 90 degree day, in full sunlite. That black goop is the main obstacle.

That said, if you've got an extra roof it's just another part to paint. And doing a full panel off paint job gets you a paint job closer to the factory kind. I would say, tho, that it easily takes three X as much time. Figure pulling all the panels off, cleaning, sanding, priming, hanging them up for basecoat/clearcoat, putting them all back on and aligning panels, and then polishing them. But I'm going as much for a durable finish as the look--so I guess it's worth all of it. I figure my materials will run $500, if I were pricing the labor, it's gotta run in the $2500 to $3000 range. Can't afford to pay that so it's do it myself.

While the car is apart, I'll clean all the metal and repaint with black paint as needed. And the Formula's getting the sunroof, and will have power everything in the doors. Except for a few parts it will be all red (love little red cars!) too. Even the insides of the hood, headlite doors and decklid Kinda building my own car, I think.

Looks good so far! What are you using for an air supply for the gun? Compressor and tank size? I hope to do this over the summer.

------------------

1984 Fiero SE

As Jeff said in his paint thread, "I haven't worked this hard in years." Can't remember having more fun either!

Red is all done, used 1/2 gallon which mixed out to 1 gallon. Goes on very nice--flattens out to a smooth satin finish. I did two double coats (a double coat for me is up & down, side to side, and then in an X pattern.) Nice even coverage. I'll clearcoat tomorrow. Going to clear the Formula and Fiero appliques in, btw.

My compressor is a Craftsman 5.5 oil-less, direct drive. Sitting on top of a big (50 gal.?) tank. I use two pressure regulators, and two water filters (one is a sight glass water dumper, the other is an inline filter that fits on the inlet for the gun.) I painted everything today with the Harbor freight small HVLP. It is a damn nice little gun for $30! Nice thing is that it is small and light (saves the arm and back some stress.)

So enough teasing here's some progress report pics. . .

Integrated Rocker Panels from Archie



Looks like I'm gonna have to paint the inside of the landlord's garage door!



The ZR2 scooped hood

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 03-22-2007).]

lol same colour as my garage floor ....finished a motorcycle last week and been to busy to clean it

are you going to put an additive in the clear for effect?

looking great !!!!

pssst not sure if its the lighting but check the passenger Archie panel

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It isnt re-creation....its recreation!!!!

I know when we did mine, the roof panel was the only part I left on. Everything elsse came off. Panels were painted GM Competition Yellow, and the trim and GFX went Satin Black.

I like that red! Can't wait to see the end product!

------------------
Jay Brintnell
Southern Ontario Fiero Association
Yellow 85 Notchback(A.K.A. GodFearN)

The progress thread: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/077740.html

quote Originally posted by twocoda: pssst not sure if its the lighting but check the passenger Archie panel

Yeah there is a little dimple in the surface there. Really shows up in that pic. And the red's a little thin there--I'll hit it with some more paint before I start the clearcoat. Archie's stuff is really nice, but they do take a bit of work to get ready to paint (and mine were used and peeling before I started.) To get them perfect is just beyond my abilities.

quote Originally posted by Eclipse: I like that red! Can't wait to see the end product!

I can't wait either. . .

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 03-23-2007).]

I would love to come see the panel off painting, everytime I go to call to go see your car mine brakes

The HVLP siphon style gun I use puts out less overspray in the air than a spray can. You can smell it, but barely anything in the air. Thats one reason I can do almost complete paintjobs with a quart of basecoat thinned 1 part paint and 1 part reducer. How did you keep stuff from blowing out of the rafters from the air pressure as you painted. I had to hang a drywall ceiling...but then I also only paint assembled too.

hey Brian Lamberts,
check this page out. they have some awsome diffrent stuff from candies to almost anything you could imagine.
http://www.paintwithpearl.com/index.htm
When i get everything else done to my car i am planning on using some there peoples merchandise, of course i want be doing it my self i am going to pay a person to do this.

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Roger, there's dust up there in them rafters, but as long as it's not disturbed, it tends to stay put. Basically I do what I can with what I have, tho. So I pretty much live with a tackrag in my hand when painting. And the air flow isn't 'flow thru', air comes in and goes out through the rollup door, not the entry door (which is closed.) It is fairly still in my garage, and keeping the floor fairly clean and damped down helps.

I'm renting, so changes to the garage are pretty limited. If it were my place, I'd insulate and drywall the garage and install pipes for hanging stuff.

I think if I had painted 'panels on' it would have used a lot less basecoat. I think I lost a fair amount at the edges where I was painting air as I reached the end of a gun pass. There's a lot of overspray dust on the floor. But these HVLP guns are a whole new thing for me, and I pretty much and very happy with them.

Gonna try the other gun today for clearcoating. Temps today in the mid 60's and unlike Jeff, I don't have many bugs to contend with at least. Sardonyx247 pm me for the phone number (I hope my cell phone isn't in the book.) I could really use some help getting the roof, hood, and rear deck back on! I can do them by myself, but that usually scratches them (and that's not an option on this.) We'll even come pick you up if necessary.

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 03-23-2007).]

Looks damn nice. Good attention to detail.

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Well, just a short update, I'm on my way into town for more clearcoat (I ran out last night.)

I HATE CLEARCOAT! Tends to run, and so I'll be doing some sanding and recoating this weekend. As the whole piece needs to be sanded for recoating, I'm gonna slow way down and do the stuff one or two pieces at a time--rear clip, both door panels, and both fenders are gonna need work. I'm not discouraged, just disgusted (need more light in my garage and more room.) The primer coat and the colorcoats were so easy, this is so hard.

The stuff that came out right, tho, looks fantastic. I'll post a couple pics of my fascias later today.

Yeah, clear sucks. You don't want to try and do double coats with clear, it will run like your spraying water on it, but you don't want to go too thin either, cause' then it will look cloudy. You just need to find that happy medium.

quote Originally posted by Brian Lamberts: Thanks Dustin. Makes sense and I doubt I would have thought of that. Painting panels off in a small 2 stall garage is a lot like juggling cats.

How about a 1 car garage? I am going to attempt that feat in a year or so. But ill do one panel at a time. Sure it may not match 100% but most people will never notice.

I prefer the parts laying flat as I can myself. Lot less likely to run when you pour on the paint. For one out the door finished, I just put 2 coats. For one I wet sand and buff, 3 only and no more. Too many creates another set of problems. Ive gotten pretty good sags once in a while even with 3 coats and got them out with a DA and still had enough to finish and buff without adding more. Less likely to run if you put on the clear just as another coat while the base is still sticky. Lots of runs occur because the base has dried overnite before clearing therefore its not 'tacky'. Ill never put any clear on a panel thats been painted for over 24 hours without putting a fresh coat of base on first. Ive never in my life had a single comeback for cracking, blistering or peeling paint.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Less likely to run if you put on the clear just as another coat while the base is still sticky. Lots of runs occur because the base has dried overnite before clearing therefore its not 'tacky'. Ill never put any clear on a panel thats been painted for over 24 hours without putting a fresh coat of base on first. Ive never in my life had a single comeback for cracking, blistering or peeling paint.

What Roger said...

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: I prefer the parts laying flat as I can myself. Lot less likely to run when you pour on the paint. For one out the door finished, I just put 2 coats. For one I wet sand and buff, 3 only and no more. Too many creates another set of problems. Ive gotten pretty good sags once in a while even with 3 coats and got them out with a DA and still had enough to finish and buff without adding more. Less likely to run if you put on the clear just as another coat while the base is still sticky. Lots of runs occur because the base has dried overnite before clearing therefore its not 'tacky'. Ill never put any clear on a panel thats been painted for over 24 hours without putting a fresh coat of base on first. Ive never in my life had a single comeback for cracking, blistering or peeling paint.

I got some of the runs sanded (using 180 disks on a random orbital electric sander) out today, and wet sanded the rest of the affected parts with 400 to provide a little tooth in the surface. I'll give the parts that I can another coat of basecoat and then do as you say, Roger, and hit them with three light coats of clear.

I made some mistakes in mixing, and won't make them again--the can directions for my clearcoat said to mix 4 parts polyurethane with one part activator and then add 2 oz reducer per mixed quart. The guy at the body shop supply said that this probably made the mix a bit thin and to leave the reducer out.

And I was overcoating because I was tending to get orange peel. I was trying to smooth the surface by shooting heavier coats. According to the guy at the body supply store, I need to reduce the pressure of my spray gun and back off a bit. Instead of double coats, I'll do single coats of clear and paint them flat, not hanging. Priority is to get both roof sections done--so I can get them on the car. Both are ready to repaint. Then I can hang the parts on the car as I finish them.

Some of the stuff came out okay--will need polishing to get the full gloss. Where the clearcoat is on fairly even, it looks great. I think the hood has enough that I can just sand it (to get rid of some sags and orange peel) and then polish it out.