tips for painting the car?

[coletrain]

Hey all, I'm deciding whether to paint my car or not this summer. I have three months to get it done, with work and all that. I was just asking to see if there's any helpfull tips or things that you guys learned from painting that I could use to make my painting experience go smoothly!!!

I have a spray gun, air supply, and the knowledge behind a good paint job! But not bodywork.

-Cole

[oneoffaccord]

as we speak or typing im about to clear this carbon fiber hood. so i got to do this right. your main thing is to remember is to clean the floor. wet the floor. make sure nothing is blowing around. good air going in and out. make sure you prep, prep and prep. empty your air tank. use a water seperator on the tank and the gun. and last but not least clean and prep.

['93accordse]

pm me any questions you have, i'll be happy to help you. i cant just post general knowledge of everything i know about paint/bodywork so pm me with exact questions.

[coletrain]

ok, if anything comes up i'll pm ya.

[AccordAnimal]

I painted my car 2 times. Go to search, and seach by my name and look for threads that I have started. I assure you everything you will EVER want to know is in there. Including pictures, and I have more if you want them.

P.S. If you have $500-$1000 save yourself a TON of headache and go to Macco and see what you can get!

[wed3k]

Prep and clean...cannot emphasize that enuf.

['93accordse]

I painted my car 2 times. Go to search, and seach by my name and look for threads that I have started. I assure you everything you will EVER want to know is in there. Including pictures, and I have more if you want them.

P.S. If you have $500-$1000 save yourself a TON of headache and go to Macco and see what you can get!

no offense, but the saving 500-1000 to go to maaco is terrible advice. and honestly, while i applaud you for having the balls to paint your own car with no knowledge of car painting, the information in your threads for painting cars is incomplete at best. now dont get offended cuz i think you did fine, but maybe you shouldnt be telling people to look into your threads for advice when you don't REALLY know what your doing. IMO you are still learning and have the potential to be a good painter, but you still have alot to learn. sorry if this causes problems.

[Gemini]

no offense, but the saving 500-1000 to go to maaco is terrible advice. and honestly, while i applaud you for having the balls to paint your own car with no knowledge of car painting, the information in your threads for painting cars is incomplete at best. now dont get offended cuz i think you did fine, but maybe you shouldnt be telling people to look into your threads for advice when you don't REALLY know what your doing. IMO you are still learning and have the potential to be a good painter, but you still have alot to learn. sorry if this causes problems.

Always wanna be the pro? .....j/k but follow this dudes advice because he a wiz and a expert when it comes to this type of shit. Thanks again for the help 93accordse...yeah..sorry for the thread jack!

['93accordse]

no, i dont wanna be an asshole, but i think HONESTLY that accodanimal has balls and the willingness to learn, but maybe needs to not show his car painting thread as an example of exactly what to do. i dont know accordanimal and im sure hes a cool guy, but my advice would be to hang out with a painter or bodyman if you know one and learn learn learn. then you would realize "oh my god, dont follow my advice on there" . its just friendly fellow cb7tuner member advice. not meant to cause any bad feelings.

[coletrain]

well, i don't have the balls to paint the car yet, haha. I'm gettin there.

[Spartan1987]

I look at it this way, if you always pay someone to do it for you:
1.) you will NEVER learn anything
2.) no one will pay YOU to do it b/c you don't know how to.
3.)You will be broke all the time.

Always do the proper research into anything you do, and then get some other people's opinions (even if they disagree) then decide what it's worth to you to do it yourself or have someone else do it.
That's my advice, i'm only almost 19 so I don't know how serious any of you veterans will take me, but that's my piece.
Good luck with the paint man.
Later

['93accordse]

true, and i agree with you, especially as far as mechanical work goes, but you have to understand, paint and bodywork doesnt require just knowledge, it honestly takes a degree of skill. anyone can know inside and out HOW to paint a car, but without the talent its still gonna be shitty. so while i agree that you should do it yourself so you can take pride in it and learn something, i think with bodywork one should have ALOT of practice. remember, Mike Lavalee was once a noob to painting. (the guy who painted for Jesse James, airbrush master on cars.)

[AccordAnimal]

true, and i agree with you, especially as far as mechanical work goes, but you have to understand, paint and bodywork doesnt require just knowledge, it honestly takes a degree of skill. anyone can know inside and out HOW to paint a car, but without the talent its still gonna be shitty. so while i agree that you should do it yourself so you can take pride in it and learn something, i think with bodywork one should have ALOT of practice. remember, Mike Lavalee was once a noob to painting. (the guy who painted for Jesse James, airbrush master on cars.)

After reading your first post my blood pressure went up about 100bpm, but I know you mean well (no bad blood). See I know I screwed up my car, but as far as the sanding grits, masking techs, preping/spraying was concerned I remember seeing all of that in the threads. I'm not saying paint the car the same way I did, But there is a HELL of a lot of information in those threads that I found very valualble.

EDIT: From what I learned though, this is a TON of work. That can't be argured, and if you have never done it before there are HOURs upon HOURS of research that has to be done. Plus the time to prep and paint the car which is a VERY large time commitment.

['93accordse]

...After reading your first post my blood pressure went up about 100bpm, ...

i figured it might, i was just hoping you didnt take it the wrong way. and yes, there is a ton of information on this board, especially regarding how to paint ones car, but i think there is also ALOT of misinformation, and that goes with everything, audio, performance, appearance, cuz there will alwyas be the people who think their way is gold, i am just hoping that you accordanimal and whoever else expects to attempt this for the first time or second whatever, get help and practice and the best way is to be with someone while theyre doing it. just my $.02. it just seems like a lot of bad info has been going around lately, especially with all these people on here talking about rattle can jobs and singlestage paints. just like he said, do your research.

[19accord92]

a girlfriend to cheer you on would be good. but if not, spend the money on some good primer and some good paint. and buy an air compressor with gun...

girlfriend : lots of money
spending all of the money on the car instead of your girlfriend: priceless.