Any auto painters out there that can give me some advice?

[JCE]

I need to know a couple of things before I get started painting the Camaro matte/flat/satin black.

• How much PSI do I need from the air compressor for painting?
• What sorts of prep work do I need to do you think (refer to pics) except fixing the dents?
• Best primer/paint brand to use?
• How many coats of each for maximum durability?
• If I have surface rust what's the BEST and SAFEST method of taking it off.
• What grits of sandpaper do I need to achive the best results in the prep work (and between coats)?

Pics:




Thank you in advance for any information.

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Also, if I were to paint the rims gun metal or dar grey would it just be better to have a shop do it or is that something I could do myself? And if the latter is true what's the best way to polish/clean/prep them for paint?

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

• How much PSI do I need from the air compressor for painting?

Although the volume of air is important it's not as critical as one is lead to believe. Air tools are all rated as to the volume that they consume, the cfm number. A tool that uses 11 cfm at 40 lbs can not keep up with a compressor that only puts out 9 cfm at 40 lbs.

That goes along with what my brother said. He borrowed a compressor and it could not keep the PSI up, so his paint ended up like an orange peel. You might find more useful info in that link.

 

[Joey D]

For the rims you might want to consider powder coating them, they will probably look better because you can put a thicker coat on (covers nicks) and in theory it should be more durable. At least that's what I've always been told.

 

[Duke]

For the rims you might want to consider powder coating them, they will probably look better because you can put a thicker coat on (covers nicks) and in theory it should be more durable. At least that's what I've always been told.

Not if they're aluminum. Aluminum can be de-tempered at the temperatures required to fuse the powder. That's what happened in the alleged "Rotas suck" incident.

 

[Moglet]

I thought wheels were supposed to be specially treated due to the amount of abuse they get from the elements?

 

[JCE]

That goes along with what my brother said. He borrowed a compressor and it could not keep the PSI up, so his paint ended up like an orange peel. You might find more useful info in that link.

Great link, thanks!

For the rims you might want to consider powder coating them, they will probably look better because you can put a thicker coat on (covers nicks) and in theory it should be more durable. At least that's what I've always been told.

So is powder coating something I can do or is that something I'm going to have to pay someone else to do?

Not if they're aluminum. Aluminum can be de-tempered at the temperatures required to fuse the powder. That's what happened in the alleged "Rotas suck" incident.

I have no idea what my rims are made of. They are OEM 16" Firebird Formula rims. *shrugs* Probably an alloy.

 

[Joey D]

Not if they're aluminum. Aluminum can be de-tempered at the temperatures required to fuse the powder. That's what happened in the alleged "Rotas suck" incident.

Hmmm, didn't know that. This sort of concerns me though since the rims on my Blazer were billet aluminium and every one told me to powder coat them.

So is powder coating something I can do or is that something I'm going to have to pay someone else to do?

To my knowledge you have to take them somewhere to get it done, but I could be wrong.

 

[Slicks]

Powdercoating isn't something you can do at home.

I imagine an HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) gun would be best for spraying the car, and the requirements of your compressor would be, at minimum, those of the gun. A larger tank on the compressor is always better, and you've got to be sure that you're getting dry air.


As for the wheels. I'd reccommend stripping off any coatings (clearcoat, paint, etc) before addressing any imperfections. Prep the surface to your satisfaction (no higher than P400 grit), and use a self-etching primer. Sand and respray to remedy any imperfections as you see fit, and spray a topcoat or three on it. Clearcoat optional.

I'd reccomend a primer that's as close in colour to your topcoat as possible, as it will mask any chips and marks that eventually end up in the paint. You will eventually have to respray the wheels, but it's really not that big of a job. If you have to do it once a year, I'd plan on perhaps 25 hours for the initial prep and spray, with perhaps 5-7 hours for a 'repair' to all four wheels.

(Oh, and a note on sandpaper. There is a difference between 'P' grade paper and non 'P' grade paper. P grade paper will have all uniform abrasives on it, where as a non P grade paper has only an 'averaged' abrasive - Meaning that you might get smaller and bigger chunks than your chosen grade, resulting in a poor finish. I'd reccommend Norton Abrasives, or 3M. Every wet/dry sandpaper I've seen has been P grade, though it is something to keep in mind. I'd expect to spend over $100 easily on abrasives for the wheels and body. Always use a backing pad or sanding block when sanding, and a longboard is excellent for fairing a larger surface.)

 

[JCE]

Thanks Slicks, that's some great info. 👍