painting your own car?
Daniel Woodard
(typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
taxes)
My question is this - has anyone ever tried painting their own car?
What are the positive and negative aspects of doing so? Are the necessary
paints and supplies even available to the typical consumer? Would
painting with a brush always look bad?
I've had this idea that perhaps with a lot of patience, some masking
tape and several gallons of paint, perhaps I could repaint my own car for
less than $100. My major worry is that it won't end up with the luster
and shine that most cars has, but instead will look dull and streaked.
I'm not even sure what one would use for a clear coat, because most
everything I can think of would yellow in the sun.
Anyone have any ideas?
Dan
Bob Ward
<sciot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>-: From the research I've done, it seems that the advertised specials
>-:(typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
>-:labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
>-:anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
>-:taxes)
>-:
I would question the extent of your research... here's why:
Earl Scheib's Pro 1 Package
Great results at a budget price, Pro 1 includes a one year warranty.
At $199.95 it includes:
Chemically clean & dewax
Dual-action sanding for adhesion
Careful masking & taping
Air-blown dust removal
Tack cloth cleaning
Paint coats #1 and #2
Masking & tape removal
Final cleaning
Plus $15 Environmental Compliance Charge (CA) or Plus $12
E.P.A./Haz. Charge. (except PA and HI). Some prices slightly higher in
Hawaii. Paint prices for Trucks, Vans & Sport/Utility Vehicles
slightly higher.
>-: My question is this - has anyone ever tried painting their own car?
>-:What are the positive and negative aspects of doing so? Are the necessary
>-:paints and supplies even available to the typical consumer? Would
>-:painting with a brush always look bad?
>-:
You need an EPA approved paint booth, a compressor, a paint gun, and
quite a bit of experience.
Painting with a brush is not recommended for anything more impressive
than a destruction derby entry.
>-: I've had this idea that perhaps with a lot of patience, some masking
>-:tape and several gallons of paint, perhaps I could repaint my own car for
>-:less than $100. My major worry is that it won't end up with the luster
>-:and shine that most cars has, but instead will look dull and streaked.
>-:I'm not even sure what one would use for a clear coat, because most
>-:everything I can think of would yellow in the sun.
>-:
>-: Anyone have any ideas?
>-:
>-:
>-: Dan
Yes - go with the pros.
--
This space left intentionally blank
hchi...@hotmail.com
<sciot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> From the research I've done, it seems that the advertised specials
>(typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
>labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
>anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
>taxes)
Why should that be a surprise? If you do your own masking/removal of
trim, you might be able to get close to the price.
> My question is this - has anyone ever tried painting their own car?
Yes.
>What are the positive and negative aspects of doing so?
You need a good compressor and spray gun, proper sandpaper, bondo,
green stuff, fiberglas, etc. Primer in spray cans is usually very
easy to apply though. IMO, you can't get a good finish unless you
have a clean interior space to work, or a perfect day. If you must
paint a car using just spray cans, go for a dark color like black or
dark green. It'll hide the runs a little better.
>Are the necessary
>paints and supplies even available to the typical consumer?
Sure.
>Would
>painting with a brush always look bad?
I'll just say that I wouldn't do it, except on a beater. Even canned
spray paints look better.
> I've had this idea that perhaps with a lot of patience, some masking
>tape and several gallons of paint, perhaps I could repaint my own car for
>less than $100.
It doesn't take gallons. A quart or two and the proper thinner should
do nicely.
>My major worry is that it won't end up with the luster
>and shine that most cars has, but instead will look dull and streaked.
>I'm not even sure what one would use for a clear coat, because most
>everything I can think of would yellow in the sun.
So use automotive clear coat?
Spray painting a car with a solid color is not terribly difficult.
When you get into candy apple and metallic finishes you have to know
how to perfectly feather edges so there aren't flaws.
I had one car that became a beater that I decided to try to paint with
a bright blue and reflective glass beads that commonly make up the
reflection on road signs and asphalt lane lines. It made a sandpaper
like finish from all the little glass beads. Hey, what can I say. I
was young. It was in to have funky paint jobs.
> Anyone have any ideas?
If the car is worth more than a couple thou, pay for the paint job
from a reputable shop. You'll keep any resale value. Just make sure
the proper paint is used and trim is removed for painting or properly
masked.
If you want to do it yourself, the automotive groups are probably a
better place to ask for exact instructions.
hchi...@hotmail.com
wrote:
>
>$200.00 paint jobs last about two years.
What area? What type of paint?
The Real Bev
>
> On Thu, 23 May 2002 02:51:58 GMT, Daniel Woodard
> <sciot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >-: From the research I've done, it seems that the advertised specials
> >-:(typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
> >-:labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
> >-:anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
> >-:taxes)
> >-:
>
> I would question the extent of your research... here's why:
>
> Earl Scheib's Pro 1 Package
> Great results at a budget price, Pro 1 includes a one year warranty.
> At $199.95 it includes:
> Chemically clean & dewax
> Dual-action sanding for adhesion
> Careful masking & taping
> Air-blown dust removal
> Tack cloth cleaning
> Paint coats #1 and #2
> Masking & tape removal
> Final cleaning
We had an ES paint job back when they were $39.95. Drips. When they tried
to take the drips out, they made more drips and added some other defects. I
think they ultimately gave us our money back, but we had to sand-blast the
car. Hint: if you want to sand-blast a car, remove ALL the trim first,
especially if it's a 55 Chevy.
We painted a beater school bus with white automotive enamel and a spray
gun. It came out pretty well. A guy took a liking to it and traded his 58
Chevy pickup for it, a much better deal.
We also painted our motorcycles with lacquer. More gasoline-resistant than
enamel, but it chips easier.
We painted bicycles with canned spray paint. Unsatisfactory. Doing a whole
car with spray cans would seem to be infinitely tedious and would probably
end up costing as much as a pro job.
If you're going to have somebody do it, sand it yourself. Whatever they
say, they do a lousy sanding job unless you're interested in the
multi-$thousand type of paint job. Then mask the edges yourself. (I typed
'chrome' and then had to correct it; cars don't have chrome any more.) You
don't have to do it all, just the edges; they also do a lousy detail
masking job, but they can deal with large areas efficiently. Leave the car
at the paint shop as long as possible -- the drier it gets the harder it is
to scratch. Note: enamel never fully dries, it just gets harder with
time. At least that's what I've heard.
If you want to do it yourself, get a how-to-do-it book. Buy the book
anyway, you might decide to do it yourself after all. We had the Clymer
manual on body work, and it was excellent. I never did lead, but Bondo can
be a lot of fun if you start grating soon enough.
--
Cheers,
Bev
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Nothing in the universe can withstand the relentless application
of brute force and ignorance." -- Frd, via Dennis (evil)
The Real Bev
> You need a good compressor and spray gun, proper sandpaper, bondo,
> green stuff,
What's green stuff? We used red stuff over the Bondo.
> fiberglas, etc. Primer in spray cans is usually very
> easy to apply though.
Moreover, it always looks really good! Nothing like a grey primer finish to
say "I care about my car!"
> IMO, you can't get a good finish unless you
> have a clean interior space to work, or a perfect day. If you must
> paint a car using just spray cans, go for a dark color like black or
> dark green. It'll hide the runs a little better.
Big problem is finding a place with good enough light. Pity they don't make
tweed paint.
> >Are the necessary
> >paints and supplies even available to the typical consumer?
>
> Sure.
>
> >Would painting with a brush always look bad?
>
> I'll just say that I wouldn't do it, except on a beater. Even canned
> spray paints look better.
A brush-painted camouflage look might not be bad...
> >My major worry is that it won't end up with the luster
> >and shine that most cars has, but instead will look dull and streaked.
> >I'm not even sure what one would use for a clear coat, because most
> >everything I can think of would yellow in the sun.
>
> So use automotive clear coat?
I thought that clear coat looked pretty and shiny at first, but was lots
worse than paint in terms of wear. Our friend's clear-coated 89 Olds has
clear-coat leprosy...
--
Cheers,
Bev
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
When cryptography is outlawed, only outlaws will
qwertzuio asdfghjk pyxcvbnml -- M. O'Dorney
The Real Bev
> Maako or mako or how ever they spell it.. my car (bought this month) had a maako
> paint job a couple of years ago and the paint is falling off.. ask anyone and
> these paint jobs last about two years.
That's why you should sand it yourself. The cost of the paint isn't all
that much, it's the labor that's expensive.
hchi...@hotmail.com
wrote:
>Maako or mako or how ever they spell it.. my car (bought this month) had a maako
>paint job a couple of years ago and the paint is falling off.. ask anyone and
>these paint jobs last about two years.
I thought that might be the place. As was pointed out, cleaning,
sanding and/or priming is very important. If there is a trace of wax
or silicone fuggedaboutit. The more expensive paint is also
recommended.
Another lesson many people used was not to ever use rust-o-lium as a
primer because the fish oils in the mix would prevent auto paint from
sticking properly.
Wax from car washes is amazing stuff. The van that just burned had
paint spalls on the roof where the gray primer showed through. I
could cover the spots with white primer, but in areas where I didn't
clean and sand, the white primer would peel from the gray primer
within a year or two. The wax from car washes by the previous owner
was the apparent culprit.
hchi...@hotmail.com
<bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>I thought that clear coat looked pretty and shiny at first, but was lots
>worse than paint in terms of wear. Our friend's clear-coated 89 Olds has
>clear-coat leprosy...
LOL. I have a bit of furniture like that. The look of the 20 coat wet
coat spar varnish is great at first. Then it starts peeling like a
bad sunburn...
Wet coat is overkill, IMO. The candy apple/metallic/pearlescent
finishes have to use clear to get a smooth finish over the tiny flakes
and bumps. Solid colors don't need it, and a good waxing will look as
good.
MERK
> Wet coat is overkill, IMO. The candy apple/metallic/pearlescent
> finishes have to use clear to get a smooth finish over the tiny flakes
> and bumps. Solid colors don't need it, and a good waxing will look as
> good.
>
This depends on the paint. Many of today paints are formulated as
Basecoat-Clearcoats and must have the clear as protection and shine.
suzn
"Sue Blistern" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:rc1peuset13qa7buh...@4ax.com...
maako
> paint job a couple of years ago and the paint is falling off.. ask anyone
and
Yours actually lasted 2 years? We used Maako once....it lasted about 6
months....
suzn
"The Real Bev" <bas...@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
news:3CEC8426...@myrealbox.com...
>
> I thought that clear coat looked pretty and shiny at first, but was lots
> worse than paint in terms of wear. Our friend's clear-coated 89 Olds has
> clear-coat leprosy...
My 89 Dodge has clear coat on it.....they advised me at the dealer to never
wax it or it will ruin it. I use some stuff from Chrysler that is a clear
coat protector that is applied like wax about every year or two....
Alpha Male
> Sue Blistern wrote:
>
> > Maako or mako or how ever they spell it.. my car (bought this month) had a maako
> > paint job a couple of years ago and the paint is falling off.. ask anyone and
> > these paint jobs last about two years.
>
> That's why you should sand it yourself. The cost of the paint isn't all
> that much, it's the labor that's expensive.
That's exactly what I did, about 5-6 yrs ago. Wetsanded it completely
with 400 paper. Took it to a local E. Scheib-type place, for $175. it
turned out perfect. No runs, fisheyes, dry spots. Shined like a
mirror. No metallic tho, I just got a solid color, med-blue, to match
my eyes. Think some of them skimp on the sanding, just dewax it, mix a
little fisheye killer in with the paint, and hope for the best.
If I were the OP, I wouldn't try to paint it if it were a decent car.
Unlikely, he'll be able to do a professional-looking job his first
try. I was given a mechanically-sound low mileage Olds a few yrs ago.
Paint was faded, so, in order to sell it, I painted it a solid white,
using appliance enamel cuz it's more chip-resistant, from Walmart.
Paint, a little primer,& sandpaper cost me about $30 total. Had a
nice, hi-gloss finish. I had to paint after the sun went down, so I
could check for dry spots. (with the $$ I saved, I went
to...Disneyworld!!)
The Real Bev
So you put on clearcoat to protect the paint and clearcoat protector (not
wax, which is cheap) to protect the clearcoat...
--
Cheers,
Bev
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Marketing Professional's Motto: "We don't screw the customers. All
we're doing is holding them down while the salespeople screw them."
-- Scott Adams
suzn
>
> So you put on clearcoat to protect the paint and clearcoat protector (not
> wax, which is cheap) to protect the clearcoat...
Pretty much....
newsgroupie
> From the research I've done, it seems that the advertised specials
> (typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
> labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
> anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
> taxes)
>
> My question is this - has anyone ever tried painting their own car?
Yes and no. I did all the prep work and my father who is an aviaition
sheet metal mechanic did the spraying. There are folks around who will
do the spraying for a relativly low price if you do the prep work.
> What are the positive and negative aspects of doing so?
Prep work is very,very important and very, very BORING! Labor intensive.
Sanding sucks. I failed woodshop for that very reason.
> Are the necessary
> paints and supplies even available to the typical consumer?
We purchased ours at the local auto parts store. DuPont Imron or
Centari(sp?) IIRC. This was a few years ago.
> Would
> painting with a brush always look bad?
Yes and no. There's a guy in town with an older Jeep Cherokee
who has painted it twice with a brush. Used to be puke green, now it
a funky orange. It really doesn't look too bad, but I doubt he has
women begging him for rides.
>
> I've had this idea that perhaps with a lot of patience, some masking
> tape and several gallons of paint, perhaps I could repaint my own car for
> less than $100. My major worry is that it won't end up with the luster
> and shine that most cars has, but instead will look dull and streaked.
> I'm not even sure what one would use for a clear coat, because most
> everything I can think of would yellow in the sun.
Ask around body shops and the like and I'm sure you will be able to
get someone to do the actual spraying if you do the prep. Even check
your local airport to find someone like my dad who could do it after
hours and has the proper equipment and facilities. You could also
offer to barter for the actual spraying. Good luck.
~^Johnny^~
<sciot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> From the research I've done, it seems that the advertised specials
>(typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
>labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
>anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
>taxes)
>
> My question is this - has anyone ever tried painting their own car?
Forget it. It will more than likely spell disaster.
I tried it once. It was bad.
It's getting late (2:30 AM)
I'll pick this up tomorrow night.
You need to hear it. It was REALLY bad.
Don't do it.
--
-john
~~~~~~~~
The keeper at the gate is blind
so you'd better be prepared to pay
-Steve Earle
~~~~~~~~
Sharx.
"~^Johnny^~" <nana-n...@ClarissaDarling.com> wrote in message
news:l6sbfu8kpoddluq04...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 23 May 2002 02:51:58 GMT, Daniel Woodard
> <sciot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > From the research I've done, it seems that the advertised specials
> >(typically between $200-$250) from major chains actually don't represent
> >labor and supplies other than paint, meaning that it is unlikely that
> >anyone can actually get the advertised price. (which also doesn't include
> >taxes)
> >
> > My question is this - has anyone ever tried painting their own car?
>
> Forget it. It will more than likely spell disaster.
> I tried it once. It was bad.
>
> It's getting late (2:30 AM)
> I'll pick this up tomorrow night.
>
> You need to hear it. It was REALLY bad.
>
> Don't do it.
Agreed. Doing something yourself is NOT always the best or even the most
frugal alternative. In a few days we are having a new fence constructed..by
others. We demolished the old fence and dug the old concrete out of the
necessary holes, though.
Dave B. (who has NO desire to allocate his short Edmonton summer to any more
manual labour than is absolutely necessary!)
Peter A. Neenan
neighbor's Phillipe Patik watch and managed to lose a couple of wheels and
junk. Boy, was he p.o'.d!
"~^Johnny^~" <nana-n...@ClarissaDarling.com> wrote in message
news:l6sbfu8kpoddluq04...@4ax.com...
hchi...@hotmail.com
>We demolished the old fence and dug the old concrete out of the
>necessary holes, though.
Ugh. Reminds me of outhouse maintenence.
Sharx.
<hchi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ctodfucevvm4hndf3...@4ax.com...
Aargh. You mean when the, uh, pit is full up and a new one has to been dug?
Do such things still exist?
Dave B.
>
hchi...@hotmail.com
>> Ugh. Reminds me of outhouse maintenence.
>
>Aargh. You mean when the, uh, pit is full up and a new one has to been dug?
In cases where the outhouse is attached to the house and can't be
moved...
>Do such things still exist?
I'm sure they do. I haven't been around them though. The last one
like that that I used was about 25 years ago.
Annie
paint is very expensive for paint. Painting a car properly is a very
time consuming activity. You need a dust-proof room to do the painting
in. My brother has a specially prepared room just for the painting so
that nothing can blow in and stick in the paint. All the chrome, etc.
has to be taped off or otherwise covered. It has to be sanded. There is
a product called liquid sand that is sprayed on, rather than actually
sanding the car. Cheap auto painting places (the $250 places) use this.
It's inferior to sanding. The auto paint is sprayed on which requires an
air compressor, not to mention enough experience so as not to create
drips. A quality paint job would probably cost about $1,000.
Painting a car with cans of spray paint is referred to as a "rattle
can job". Generaly speaking, this doesn't look very good.
My brother likes to tell about one customer with a cheap paint job..
The man had a cheap paint job done in Los Angeles, then a few days later
started up the interstate to Oregon. By the time he got to Oregon, his
paint job had come off in big sheets. The car looked like it had mange.
Annie
Len
>> >necessary holes, though.
>> Ugh. Reminds me of outhouse maintenence.
>Aargh. You mean when the, uh, pit is full up and a new one has to been dug?
>Do such things still exist?
You have found out a way to stop elimination?
Kewl!
Pray, tell.