Follow my trip as I paint my SC Matador Mica Red
#35
vwynn - some places had already been fixed with body filler - the l/r quarter and the piece just in front of the driver door - I knew this would be a potential issue, so I chose just to finish it all... I had good luck on my 3000GT when fixing a couple small dents and dings back in the day that I couldn't even see once painted...
#37
Former Sponsor - Cancelled
Now that I have a little more time, let me put it into perspective.
Rage & Rage Gold are the body filler to use. No if's, and's or but's. If your painting it, Rage is what you use. I've had this told to me by numerous installers, mags, pro's, ect. If I'm going to vinyl something I always use the cheap stuff.
Lately I've been on this crazy custom kick, and did some **** like a double din into a mazda 3 with out using the DD dash kit or the "pocket" for the display. We went to local auto body shop, and they didn't have any of the rage the quart size containers (only the gallons, and I'm not spending 60-70$ on a gallon when all we needed was oz). I told the guy flat out what I was doing, and that I needed something as good as rage in the quart size. We went with what ever he recommended, and the stuff still ended up shrinking after I had finished the part and let it sit for days before we started panting.
I have all the levels from bondo on my shelf, this new stuff we got that's supposed to be as good as rage, and various other spotting putty's, kitty hair, ect, and it all sucks for paint. Personaly, I try to vinyl & carpet as much as I can as painting takes SO MUCH MORE WORK than getting to the vinyl level. But when I do paint, you can bet I'll be using rage or rage gold. I think I saw quart sized containers on Select Products now that I think about it.
Rage & Rage Gold are the body filler to use. No if's, and's or but's. If your painting it, Rage is what you use. I've had this told to me by numerous installers, mags, pro's, ect. If I'm going to vinyl something I always use the cheap stuff.
Lately I've been on this crazy custom kick, and did some **** like a double din into a mazda 3 with out using the DD dash kit or the "pocket" for the display. We went to local auto body shop, and they didn't have any of the rage the quart size containers (only the gallons, and I'm not spending 60-70$ on a gallon when all we needed was oz). I told the guy flat out what I was doing, and that I needed something as good as rage in the quart size. We went with what ever he recommended, and the stuff still ended up shrinking after I had finished the part and let it sit for days before we started panting.
I have all the levels from bondo on my shelf, this new stuff we got that's supposed to be as good as rage, and various other spotting putty's, kitty hair, ect, and it all sucks for paint. Personaly, I try to vinyl & carpet as much as I can as painting takes SO MUCH MORE WORK than getting to the vinyl level. But when I do paint, you can bet I'll be using rage or rage gold. I think I saw quart sized containers on Select Products now that I think about it.
#38
Now that I have a little more time, let me put it into perspective.
Rage & Rage Gold are the body filler to use. No if's, and's or but's. If your painting it, Rage is what you use. I've had this told to me by numerous installers, mags, pro's, ect. If I'm going to vinyl something I always use the cheap stuff.
Lately I've been on this crazy custom kick, and did some **** like a double din into a mazda 3 with out using the DD dash kit or the "pocket" for the display. We went to local auto body shop, and they didn't have any of the rage the quart size containers (only the gallons, and I'm not spending 60-70$ on a gallon when all we needed was oz). I told the guy flat out what I was doing, and that I needed something as good as rage in the quart size. We went with what ever he recommended, and the stuff still ended up shrinking after I had finished the part and let it sit for days before we started panting.
I have all the levels from bondo on my shelf, this new stuff we got that's supposed to be as good as rage, and various other spotting putty's, kitty hair, ect, and it all sucks for paint. Personaly, I try to vinyl & carpet as much as I can as painting takes SO MUCH MORE WORK than getting to the vinyl level. But when I do paint, you can bet I'll be using rage or rage gold. I think I saw quart sized containers on Select Products now that I think about it.
Rage & Rage Gold are the body filler to use. No if's, and's or but's. If your painting it, Rage is what you use. I've had this told to me by numerous installers, mags, pro's, ect. If I'm going to vinyl something I always use the cheap stuff.
Lately I've been on this crazy custom kick, and did some **** like a double din into a mazda 3 with out using the DD dash kit or the "pocket" for the display. We went to local auto body shop, and they didn't have any of the rage the quart size containers (only the gallons, and I'm not spending 60-70$ on a gallon when all we needed was oz). I told the guy flat out what I was doing, and that I needed something as good as rage in the quart size. We went with what ever he recommended, and the stuff still ended up shrinking after I had finished the part and let it sit for days before we started panting.
I have all the levels from bondo on my shelf, this new stuff we got that's supposed to be as good as rage, and various other spotting putty's, kitty hair, ect, and it all sucks for paint. Personaly, I try to vinyl & carpet as much as I can as painting takes SO MUCH MORE WORK than getting to the vinyl level. But when I do paint, you can bet I'll be using rage or rage gold. I think I saw quart sized containers on Select Products now that I think about it.
#39
Finished rough sanding everything last night, was feeling particularly lazy, so I watched some TV (I love the chef from Hells Kitchen)... Anyways, finished roughing it in, added about an hour to the time, so, total running time: 11.5 hours... no new pics tho - left my camera at work yesterday...
#40
Ok, spent the ENTIRE day yesterday working on this thing (minus lunch and a 30 minute swim in the pool)...
Got up at 6:30, more sanding... I am sick and tired of sanding... everything has to be sanded... everything...
I removed the window trim around the front windows, and also pried it off the rears (it's held on by cheesy metal clips that are easily bent out of the way) - I intend to use 3M adhesive to reattach when done... However, I must warn you: be ultra super careful when doing this - I caught the edge of the 1/4 glass while doing this and the glass shattered... oops... oh well, found a replacement on ebay for $38 shipped... ok, so, glass problems aside, I got everything taped up and ready for paint... I went ahead and sanded the entire car with 180 grit (except bumpers, more on that later)
Masking a car is a huge pain in the ***... oh my god, I didn't think I would ever finish.... but, luckily, about 7:15 last night, I was done taping... Next, a wash with tar/wax remover, and then a quick once over with a tack cloth...
About 8:15 pm, I set the gun up with the larger of the supplied nozzles, and thinned out some primer - the recommended 1:1 ratio was drying too fast, so I added a little more thinner, and sprayed the car... I used half of my supply - just one quart so far... the car looks great... only a few places that need some touchup body work and, then, of course a thorough sanding...
So, things are on schedule so far to have this thing ready sunday night... Tonight I'm going to finish the bumper work and hopefully get some sanding done on the car... tomorrow I want to put a finish coat of primer on the whole car, bumpers included... saturday night, I plan on a final sanding 320 grit of the whole car to be painted... then sunday, in the lower temperatures (75-80 degrees), I plan on sealing, painting, and clear all day on sunday, and then reassembling the car on monday...
I also have to wait for my new glass piece to show up, and I am also redoing the headlights to match the new paint, and delining them entirely...
so, 14 hours yesterday spent...
Total time spent: 25.5 hours
Got up at 6:30, more sanding... I am sick and tired of sanding... everything has to be sanded... everything...
I removed the window trim around the front windows, and also pried it off the rears (it's held on by cheesy metal clips that are easily bent out of the way) - I intend to use 3M adhesive to reattach when done... However, I must warn you: be ultra super careful when doing this - I caught the edge of the 1/4 glass while doing this and the glass shattered... oops... oh well, found a replacement on ebay for $38 shipped... ok, so, glass problems aside, I got everything taped up and ready for paint... I went ahead and sanded the entire car with 180 grit (except bumpers, more on that later)
Masking a car is a huge pain in the ***... oh my god, I didn't think I would ever finish.... but, luckily, about 7:15 last night, I was done taping... Next, a wash with tar/wax remover, and then a quick once over with a tack cloth...
About 8:15 pm, I set the gun up with the larger of the supplied nozzles, and thinned out some primer - the recommended 1:1 ratio was drying too fast, so I added a little more thinner, and sprayed the car... I used half of my supply - just one quart so far... the car looks great... only a few places that need some touchup body work and, then, of course a thorough sanding...
So, things are on schedule so far to have this thing ready sunday night... Tonight I'm going to finish the bumper work and hopefully get some sanding done on the car... tomorrow I want to put a finish coat of primer on the whole car, bumpers included... saturday night, I plan on a final sanding 320 grit of the whole car to be painted... then sunday, in the lower temperatures (75-80 degrees), I plan on sealing, painting, and clear all day on sunday, and then reassembling the car on monday...
I also have to wait for my new glass piece to show up, and I am also redoing the headlights to match the new paint, and delining them entirely...
so, 14 hours yesterday spent...
Total time spent: 25.5 hours
#44
left my camera in my wifes car... was running a little late this morning and just spaced it...
tonight I'll post them and of it primered as well...
you don't entirely remove all of the paint... you only remove paint where the existing paint has problems or there is body work to be done... paint sticks exceptionally well to paint already there, better than bare metal, so some quick sanding at 180 grit is a great base for primer... (unless the car has been painted multiple times already, in which case it would be better to go to bare metal)
tonight I'll post them and of it primered as well...
you don't entirely remove all of the paint... you only remove paint where the existing paint has problems or there is body work to be done... paint sticks exceptionally well to paint already there, better than bare metal, so some quick sanding at 180 grit is a great base for primer... (unless the car has been painted multiple times already, in which case it would be better to go to bare metal)