Thought I'd share some of my experiences, perhaps for those with more experience to remember when they were as supid as me, and for others to learn from my mistakes and what went well.
The job: give my LC a mullet: the roof, hood, and front bumper. The clear coat has failed on all three areas. Did it outside - no booth.
The paint: matrix systems - no cyanide. Base coat / clear coat. 1 qt base coat and 1 qt reducer. 1 qt clear and .25 qt hardener. (more than enough base, needed another pt of clear.)
Used 3m platinum plus filler to glase over rock dings that I sanded down to metal (180 grit paper).
What I did that seemed to work well:
I used two 120 volt compressors - plugged into sockets that went to different breakers - to get enough air volume. Borrowed the second compressor from my neighbor who also helped - he wanted to see how it turned out so he might do his wife's car.
Combined them with a $10 gang connector from Harbor Freight (HF) - and fed the conbined air into a motor guard m-30 filter to dry out the air (about $70).
I generally like the matrix systems paint - and it was inexpensive. (about 130 for all the paint and the reducer.)
Had a good quality, full face organic solvant mask from 3m - could not hardly smell the paint until I took it off.
What I wish i had done:
should have taped it up the day before, and covered with a tarp to shoot in the morning. As it was, I was done taping just when the sun was getting high. Surface temp of car was 125, too hot. Had to wait until 6, but then it started to get too cool and moist.
should have added some reducer to get the clear coat to flow a bit better - had moderate orange peel.
should have bought extra clear.
I should have longer arms to reach over the hood - or take if off next time.
should have bought a plastic bumper repair kit before i needed it on a sunday when nothing much was open. As it was, i used some hot glue (very hot industrial glue gun) to patch the bumper. does not sand well and may not hold - but i suspect it will hold - but you can not get it smooth.
Luckily my wife is wise enough to tell me: "It looks great."
Gil
Ventura
cyacyanide fel
The job: give my LC a mullet: the roof, hood, and front bumper. The clear coat has failed on all three areas. Did it outside - no booth.
The paint: matrix systems - no cyanide. Base coat / clear coat. 1 qt base coat and 1 qt reducer. 1 qt clear and .25 qt hardener. (more than enough base, needed another pt of clear.)
Used 3m platinum plus filler to glase over rock dings that I sanded down to metal (180 grit paper).
What I did that seemed to work well:
I used two 120 volt compressors - plugged into sockets that went to different breakers - to get enough air volume. Borrowed the second compressor from my neighbor who also helped - he wanted to see how it turned out so he might do his wife's car.
Combined them with a $10 gang connector from Harbor Freight (HF) - and fed the conbined air into a motor guard m-30 filter to dry out the air (about $70).
I generally like the matrix systems paint - and it was inexpensive. (about 130 for all the paint and the reducer.)
Had a good quality, full face organic solvant mask from 3m - could not hardly smell the paint until I took it off.
What I wish i had done:
should have taped it up the day before, and covered with a tarp to shoot in the morning. As it was, I was done taping just when the sun was getting high. Surface temp of car was 125, too hot. Had to wait until 6, but then it started to get too cool and moist.
should have added some reducer to get the clear coat to flow a bit better - had moderate orange peel.
should have bought extra clear.
I should have longer arms to reach over the hood - or take if off next time.
should have bought a plastic bumper repair kit before i needed it on a sunday when nothing much was open. As it was, i used some hot glue (very hot industrial glue gun) to patch the bumper. does not sand well and may not hold - but i suspect it will hold - but you can not get it smooth.
Luckily my wife is wise enough to tell me: "It looks great."
Gil
Ventura
cyacyanide fel
