Cheapskate Paint Job

[ninjazombiemaster]

Penetrol is a great additive. It also helps to prevent rust.

I would probably try it inside but would prefer a professional spray for the exterior.

I'll definitely do it inside where high gloss isn't such a factor. Not until I replace my floorpans, though. At the moment, a lot of the interior is the original color - yellow, with some lime green donor panels. The visible bits were rattlecanned black ages ago, and have faded back to yellow mostly. Not sure if I'd black it out again, or try to paint it red like factory would. I like both looks.

Most of my paint looks swell until about a foot away. Then you can see where the red has flaked off in the crevices and is back to the unbelievably resilient factory yellow, some various minor cracks and chips, and less minor is a rock dent and resulting paint chip in the hood, and large areas of fender where the clear coat has come off due to our frigid winter.

Its not so bad at this point I'd pain it.. as there is still a part of me that could see the results being worse than its present condition. And also, if I'm going to go through the trouble of sanding it to bare metal, I may as well make full rust repairs and go through a full blown re-restore.

It'd be neat to approach it from a budget restoration standpoint. I don't want a show car by any means. Just to see how close to factory condition on the tightest budget possible.. but not until I get a second car.

[Virto]

Hmm. If you're planning to go to bare metal, you probably would rather use a stripper than sanding it off. It would take forever to sand.

For a repaint, sand the paint down rough, wash and dry it and then just prime over it. I think it'd be best to go to bare metal only if you're looking for hidden surprises or if you know there's an area you need to repair.

And I hear you on the flaking paint. My car started blue, ended up yellow and then was resprayed again by the PO in a muddy gray shade. You can see plenty of yellow flaking through, especially around the side trim and pillar emblems that weren't removed before painting. Of course, the inside of the hatch under the carpet...all blue.

[Walter Moore]

"Cheapskate Paint Job" Are you talking about my car again?

I tried the roller approach. It didn't work for me because I couldn't get the paint thinned the same on any two batches. I ended up putting it on full strength with a brush, wet sanding between coats, and then buffing the car at the end.

I used Valspar tractor paint (mixed a couple of colors to get the shade that I wanted.) I don't recomend this method if you ever intend to put the car in a show of any kind. Unless you are absolutely magical with wet sanding it will always look like a cheap paint job. Also the water will carry the paint EVERYWHERE, so be sure to paint the engine compartment the same color as the car, and plan on replacing every single exterior gasket and flap that is in place when you do the paint. In fact, do this BEFORE you finish the interior. (When I say that the paint will go everywhere, I mean the paint will go everywhere.)

Oh, and another word of caution: Of course you will not be able to add hardener to the paint unless you mix very small quantities at any given time. But without hardener it will take a full week or more for the paint to be solid enough to sand. If you sand it too soon it will just ball up and roll off. But no matter how exhausted you get, do not put off the rubbing compound step for more than a month or two, or the paint will get too hard to work properly.

I have continuous issues with rock chips. I don't know if that is due to not using hardener, or just a fact of life with all paint. At least the way I painted my car it isn't hard to fix a rock chip. I have more than a gallon of the paint at home, and plenty of brushes...

[ninjazombiemaster]

"Cheapskate Paint Job" Are you talking about my car again? ...

Haha, well seeing as you used the same basic method, I suppose so! A lot of good info. It sounds like most of the folks on the other sites suggest mineral spirits to thin the coat and it should dry overnight. I'd need to buy some sheet metal and practice first before I dare touch my car, though.

Other folks said they Rustoleum enamel mix was rather hard and impact resistant, in addition to cheap and easy to repair. Some have also said it can be clear coated, but this makes it harder to repair. For the pictures, it looks good enough buffed and waxed that I don't think I'd bother clearing it.

This is how my paint looked a year ago when I bought the car. It was extremely glossy. Most of it still looks this good, but the fenders have most notably suffered.

Edited August 24, 2013 by ninjazombiemaster

[siteunseen]

That show Gas Monkey has me thinking of just a clear matte coat, they do a lot of that. My 280 has the original paint from '77 I think, what's left of it after fading, and plenty of patina from age. I would be happy with the protection until I can afford the repaint.

[ninjazombiemaster]

It could easily look better than a worn old job. I don't mind matte paint - In fact, it looks great on some cars. I'd drive the hell out of a matte black Z. But on my red, not so much..

[ninjazombiemaster]

Also, if you youtube "roller paint a car the right way" there's a rather detailed video of a gentleman painting a single panel removed from the car. His results looked better than most factory jobs.

It seems like the easiest way to avoid runs is to remove the panels that can be removed, so that they can be laid flat, and so you can get into the edges of the panel easier, as well as handle and sand the piece easier. Not really an option with most parts of our Zs, except the door panels, and some interior bits, etc.

[Montezuma]

I have never seen a quote for less than 5k for my car. How are you guys finding people who will paint it for 1200!!

Are you doing all the sanding priming and they are just painting. Paint costs about 800 bucks!!

I agree; I had a conversation with my painter last Thursday. He said materials alone will be $800, then 40 hours in prep at his cheap $35 per hour rate, $1000 to tape out and shoot the the car, then another $400 to shoot the clear and another 40 hours to buff out. There it is $4600 to paint a completely empty shell of a car. Then I will have to pay someone to put in the front windshield and rear window. Add it all up and it is well over $5K. Now I ask you; Does this make the car worth $5K more? The car is a 71 with a ton of new parts, new cad, 920 paint code with a black interior.

[kjohnson2444]

I agree; I had a conversation with my painter last Thursday. He said materials alone will be $800, then 40 hours in prep at his cheap $35 per hour rate, $1000 to tape out and shoot the the car, then another $400 to shoot the clear and another 40 hours to buff out. There it is $4600 to paint a completely empty shell of a car. Then I will have to pay someone to put in the front windshield and rear window. Add it all up and it is well over $5K. Now I ask you; Does this make the car worth $5K more? The car is a 71 with a ton of new parts, new cad, 920 paint code with a black interior.

Agreed. That is about what mine cost.

[Jeff G 78]

Roller jobs are great... for race cars. Here is my 260Z with a roller job. Rustoleum applied with no thinning via foam roller. It was applied with no prep other than a quick wipe down to remove the dirt and grease. It has a great shine and looks very good on the track.

[ninjazombiemaster]

Looks nice to me. My car is not a show car. I really doubt my fenders could look worse rolled on than with cracking away clear coat.

Also, Rustoleum makes spray can Automotive gloss enamel now. Anyone have experience with that? Could be a decent way to finish off a car to reduce the appearance of the brush strokes, and time needed sanding, buffing, etc.

[Virto]

Jeff, I always love seeing pics of your racer and the BRE colors are a favorite of mine, but I can't get past the fact that it looks like you have a piece of lawn edging bolted to your front splitter.