Prep for paint, Convertible.

[Wittsend]

... In my collision shop I had some plastic cord that one can put under the rubber to lift it off the body without removing the glass. Not a perfect solution, but sure beats having to buy new glass. OK, Google has no hits on the vinyl cord, but did get a 3M product that might work: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b5005036357/

Perhaps weed eater string will work??? Make sure it is smooth (some is splined). Also pull upward and inward to keep from rubbing on the new paint.

[Dennis66]

String trimmer line is probably too thick. I'm thinking something more like heavy fisihing line (shark line we used to call it). The guy who did my Baja was just that - in between insurance jobs. Yes, it took a while, but the end results were good (and I had another car to use). NEVER use a chain (MAACO, ECONO, etc.). The one really good thing about doing a car yourself is "you have nobody to blame but yourself" meaning you don't feel like you paid big money for a crappy paint job. This is much easier with a solid color that with a metallic as the metallics are much more difficult to sand out mistakes and buff. On mine, even if keeping the same color, all the jambs and under th ehood will have ot be done as the original ehrmine white has yellowed. The respray, maybe 20 years old doesn't look too bad, but the parking lot rash sure shows on a white paint job.

[66vairguy]

This is much easier with a solid color that with a metallic as the metallics are much more difficult to sand out mistakes and buff.

True with the old acrylic lacquer one part metallic paints. The nice thing about base/clear is you can put a few "light" coats of metallic base on for good even color. If you really mess it up, then let dry a few days, sand and re-spray. Once the base coat is good you apply clear coat (a thin as possible but flows) and it won't disturb the color coat. You can sand down and buff clear coat without impacting the base color!! It takes a while to master base/clear paint, but it gives good results and lasts MUCH longer than the old acrylic lacquer paint.

Best results for bonding clear urethane to solvent base coat is to let base dry about an hour, but within a few hours apply JUST enough clear coat to flow, let tack, then coat again. I use three to four coats, let cure a few weeks, then cut and buff. While your are NOT suppose to thin clear coats (emissions), most do especially on warmer days to get good flow. Even with orange peel texture you can cut clear coat so it is flat and smooth, but the smoother it goes on, the less work to buff out.

Just my for what it is worth.

[Gasman63]

Lots of hood info.
I will have to make some notes.
Go see some work the neighbor has going on as yes he has a shop. I dont know if he has a paint booth but Im betting he does. His dad started the business and he has taken it over.

Thanks for clearing up the question about the strip Frank. Things to look into when the time comes to take stuff apart.i did plan on keeping the same color but had not taken into account that the old paint would need to be sanded down to metal/removed to get a quality job that lasts. I plan on passing this car down to one of my grandkids some day so I want a hood job done. It will be in a car show now and then but not for real competition, just for fun. Hope that explains the level of paint job im looking for.

I remember from my youth hearing about different types of painting. And that some were basic get it done and others took many coats and lots of work. But i have no understanding of this or the proper terms to know what to ask for.

Metallic is what is on the car do I think Id like to keep that look. I also would like a deep color? Like the paint looks like its wet and you can put your finger in it. Not a flat look like its just paint and no depth. Does this make since? I guess I need to try to see a few cars at car shows. Something I never have time for to see differences.

[Dennis66]

The old days (and purists) it was coat after coat of lacquer and then sand and buff until it was smooth as glass. Some do is with single stage enamels too (my comments about sanding metallics).
Your reference to wet looking may refer to a base / clear system. My limited experience with this has had mixed results. One came out good, one failed miserably because the base was a different company than the clear (don't mix)
Not totslly sold on the strip to bare metal. YES, too many coats and you may have problems. I've seen too many paint jobs that turned into rust farms a year or two after being painted. Prep and primer / sealer are key.

[66vairguy]

As Dennis said --- paint compatibility is critical. Also within the last 5 years the "hobby" base solvent clear coats have really improved.

If the old paint seems O.K. (you never know what is under paint) you can chance just having it sanded and primed, BUT you must use a quality epoxy primer/sealer or the new paint won't react with the old paint. Pricey, but well worth the piece of mind. Note primer color affects lighter paint colors. How --- hold up a sheet of white paper to the light and see how the light comes through it. This happens with lighter paint colors as the like passes through, then bounces off the primer color and affects the lighter top paint color. Of course a minor issue with dark paint.

Going to bare metal is WORK, but I did it on my two cars and the "crap" I found under the last paint job was an eye opener!!! Today the "surface finisher" drums make the job much easier and don't burn/overheat the sheet metal (unless you really try to do it), nearly fool proof.

O.K. WET look deep paint. I made the mistake of ASSuming you wanted the same color and type of paint. My goof.

The new cars with that deep and wet look use water based base coats (thick and metallic drops into the color for a "subtle" metallic look with a clear coat. If the color is dark, then some tint can be put into the clear coat for more depth. Now you are getting into some fancy paint work - $$$$$$ This new "deep" wet look is nothing like the old metallic paints used in the 60's on GM cars, but each to their own.

This brings up the another issue - at least in my area, few shops do both water based AND solvent based paints as the skills and equipment are different. So figure out what you want (look at new cars for a color you like as nearly all are water based colors) and find a shop with the appropriate skills. Yeah - it gets complicated. Good luck, take you time to learn.

[Gasman63]

Complicated to say the least. Ha.
I was wanting to stick with the same color, but this paint is very dull. Figured it was just from being so old. Maybe the wet look isnt what Im wanting. I will have to look around.

Ive only owned used cars. Never had to have anything painted so Im going into this blind.

BTW, Frank, I now have to go look at my Fuzzies. I cant say Ive ever paid attention to them. If they need to come off for paint then new would be smart. I just dont know what shape they are in. Thanks for bringing that up.

Thanks to all for the comments. Im learning more and more. Id like to be able to go to a paint shop and have an understanding before someone gets a chance to pull the wool over my eyes.

[Frank DuVal]

String trimmer line is probably too thick

Even .095 would be too small! The plastic has to hold the edge of the gasket off far enough to get paint UNDER the gasket. This means the plastic strip sometimes rides in the groove of the gasket/glass/pinchweld area, not on the body itself. If the gasket is hard as a rock, then this probably will not work well. Some of the strip was 5/16" trapezoidal or other weird shape.

You want a deep color look with modern Urethane paint? Then base coat and two coats of clear (follow manufacturer directions, as there are medium build clears-need more coats and high build clear-need less coats. Now wet sand the whole car with 600 grit wet-r-dry. Re clear.

Never sand metallic paint. It exposes the aluminum flake, and aluminum oxidizes. If you need to sand metallic basecoat, then just spray more on that area to blend it in.

[Dennis66]

Never sand metallic paint. It exposes the aluminum flake, and aluminum oxidizes.

This was my experience several years back. I trusted a guy I knew ot paint the bed of my pickup. He had done a few really good paint jobs, so I gave him a shot. Goofball totally screwed it up, runs all over the place. I tried wet sanding and it didn't go well at all. I'm not sure how it worked with the old school lacquer paint jobbs, but it sure didn't work with the single stage.

[66vairguy]

ild clear-need less coats. Now wet sand the whole car with 600 grit wet-r-dry. Re clear.

Never sand metallic paint. It exposes the aluminum flake, and aluminum oxidizes. If you need to sand metallic basecoat, then just spray more on that area to blend it in. [/color]

YES! That is the nice thing about basecoat/clear coat. The "solvent" base coats go on thin (or should be applied thin) and you use about three coats to get good even color and metallic "grain". If you goof then after the base coat dries (very fast with solvent - water based and you are in a mess) just apply another base coat for good color and grain. Solvent base goes on like primer so it is hard to run, but if done --- just wait a day to sand run and shot another base coat. Note for a good bond between base and clear you only need to apply the clear coat about an hour AFTER THE LAST BASE COAT APPLIED!!!

Even with solid colors this is why I like base/clear coat. You can always get the base coat sorted more easily before you apply clear coat. Yes more cost and work to do clear/base work vs. single part urethane --- but if you goof up single part you may have to strip the entire panel and repaint - NO FUN! Just me - the amateur painter

[Dennis66]

but if you goof up single part you may have to strip the entire panel and repaint

One of the former "dealership mechanics" that used to work for me at the city fleet garage used to walk around singing (to an old Elvis tune) "Repaint the fender..."

[66vairguy]

This was my experience several years back. I trusted a guy I knew ot paint the bed of my pickup. He had done a few really good paint jobs, so I gave him a shot. Goofball totally screwed it up, runs all over the place. I tried wet sanding and it didn't go well at all. I'm not sure how it worked with the old school lacquer paint jobbs, but it sure didn't work with the single stage.

Acrylic lacquer was easier because you could lay down multiple thin coats, and let each flash dry to avoid runs. Acrylic enamel was more difficult (for me) because to get a good smooth finish you had to put down one heavier coat to flow --- a fine line between a great finish and a sag in the paint.

[Frank DuVal]

I'm not sure how it worked with the old school lacquer paint jobbs, but it sure didn't work with the single stage.

When painting metallic lacquer I always got the color looking good, then added clear to the color, maybe 50/50 and gave it a few more coats, then a few clear coats so I was just sanding and buffing a clear coat. Ife I was spotting a repair then I used blending clear to cover the new paint and into the existing paint.

- a fine line between a great finish and a sag in the paint.

Ah, yes, put it on heavy enough to see the flow indicators!

That's when we learn the making tape run remover trick.