i'm doin' it myself.....flat black paint job...suggestions??

[themadness]

i have 02 stock sport lib with around 75k miles and the paint is getting miserably bad. blisters, peels, fading, and so forth. i have decided to paint it myself since its paid for, i aint selling it, and i like a challenge.

i am removing all the emblems and painting it flat black from front to back! i will be doing the prep work a little along the way before i paint; taking my time to get that part done right.

do you guys have any suggestions on paints, processes, or any other general knowledge (except for let a shop do it:slap?

 

[ridenby]

Sounds interesting,Please take pics as you go. Bet it looks badass when done.

 

[themadness]

so far so good. i am going to do it a little at a time since its a learning process for me. sanding by hand on the front fenders was a lot easier than expected. the hood however is going to be a pain in the ****. there is lots of blistering on it and heavy elbow grease isnt doing much. can you guys give me some suggestions on making it a little easier. i will most likely be borrowing my father in laws orbital sander.

here is the progress so far. i will be doing the other fender today. the partially sanded area on the hood is where the heavy blistering is. i got frustrated and stopped b/c i wasnt getting anywhere with heavier paper.

 

[Luke]

So far so good!

 

[gtommec]

I love flat back... It is taking all I have to not paint my white one flat black

 

[themadness]

i picked up my father in laws sander and have to decided to do ALL the sanding before i do anymore painting. i sanded over a couple of places i had already painted and liked the result more with each pass. it seems like a better idea to do it all at once.

 

[ridenby]

Looking good. Are you priming before the black or is it primer?

 

[themadness]

priming first. those first 2 sections are actually done with a rattle can. i wasnt satisfied with the results so i am going to sand the whole thing until my arms fall off then use a pro sprayer.

 

[themadness]

sanding went well for a while and i got quite a bit done until the sander pad crapped out and split. however, i will continue tomorrow. how far down do i need to sand to get rid of the bubble/blisters?p: what grain paper should i be using to make it as easy as possible.

i did manage to get almost all of the driver side and hood done today. all that is left is passenger side front door around to the tailgate. the roof is going 2 be a job all its own!:disgust:

 

[Luke]

Don't get frustrated .. the time spent is well worth it.

Disregard if this is below your knowledge level

Generally you want to start with a lower grit (more course) paper over the entire area, then gradually go up in grit, removing the swirls and cuts from the previous paper until you reach your desired surface quality. Using a grit that is too fine and trying to sand it down can be a time consuming and frustrating process.

 

[themadness]

Don't get frustrated .. the time spent is well worth it.

Disregard if this is below your knowledge level

Generally you want to start with a lower grit (more course) paper over the entire area, then gradually go up in grit, removing the swirls and cuts from the previous paper until you reach your desired surface quality. Using a grit that is too fine and trying to sand it down can be a time consuming and frustrating process.

no such thing as knowledge below my level!!:happy175:

i started with 120 grit and used a lighter paper after with decent results. however the blisters are in way more places than i could see before i started and are hard to get to! i feel like in some spots i am going to hard but the more i sand the more bubbles i see. should i go to the metal?:shrug:

 

[themadness]

:grd:still sanding and prepping my **** off!

i was still wondering though about painting door jambs. whats the easiest way without taking the door off? i know i wouldnt be able to get them back on perfectly and that would bug the oop: out of me.

any hints?

 

[themadness]

UPDATE:

steady as she goes........a little at a time.

this pic isnt great but there are lots of imperfections i am working out. this has a HUGE learning curve. everything so far has been done with krylon rattle cans, flat black and primer. i am switching to rustoleum and may try experimenting with the roll on technique. overspray is a bastard, even with good taping and masking. either way i am having fun and learning a lot at the same time:smokin:

 

[ridenby]

Am digging this look. I guess your are hitting bare metal in places and that is reason for primer?

 

[themadness]

yea getting those blisters and scorched paint was a pain and i did primer for good measure. i have been checking out the roll on rustoleum jobs and i am ready to try it. the cool thing is i can go at my own pace and learn as i go.

maybe i can pull off this look with a foam roller...........

http://socalcustoms.com/Shows/2006/SEMA/Day1/images/IMG_7898.jpg

well, except for the whole sports car thing.

 

[ridenby]

Like the car,just a little too shiny.

 

[themadness]

update:

been through various processes with out any satisfaction, until day. krylon satin in the rattle can with lots of prep work. of course the pic hides some imperfections and had to work my **** off to get rid of some unexpected "orange peel" left behind by rustoleum. but if this continues to go on like it has so far i should be getting good results.:smokin:

 

[Luke]

So far so good huh? I'm sure it looks a lot better than it did before you started ... kudos!

 

[themadness]

hell yeah it looks better! i switched brands of paint in the middle as an experiment to see if the results would be better and paid the price with all the orange peel. i think i am back on track now.

 

[themadness]

update with pics........

can any type of rubbing compound or wax be put on satin paint to kind of smooth things out? or should i wet sand then buff a little. there are still some imperfections that i think could be fixed easily. but there is no clear coat so the game changes a little. its also a little shinier than i expected but overall i am pretty pleased with the rattle can job. all that i have left is the roof which should be a pain in the ****.