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Daniel wrote:---Original Message---
> 2) Do I have these steps in the right order? Or am I missing any steps?
> -Sandblast
Don't sandblast your whole car. If you have some rusty areas do it on those.
Sandblasting is very aggressive and will warp sheet metal badly. I use it only
to remove pitted rust where I need to do body work. I do like to lightly
sandblast my welds before I move on.
If you need to strip everything use a chemical stripper like Klean Strip
Aircraft Remover. Make sure you tape the body seams with masking tape so no
stripper gets in between panels where you can't clean it off. Stripper is very
caustic and will continue to work (do damage) for a long time.
> -Hammer/dolly dents
> -Weld holes/cracks/replacement-panels
> -Clean
> -Condition the metal
> -Conversion coat (is this needed?)
Conversion coat is good insurance. Rust is an insidious enemy. It can hide in
the tiniest pores of what appears to be perfect sheet metal. Metalprep will
neutralize the small amount of rust. Be careful to do only enough area that you
can get covered with primer as soon as you are finished. Nothing rusts faster
than raw sheet metal that has been sandblasted or acid etched (metalprepped).
Next, I like to use a product like PPG's DP series epoxy primers. These products
provide a waterproof, corrosion resistant surface that you can leave alone for
awhile if you need to. Body filler actually sticks to the epoxy primer better
than it does to bare metal. Just be sure you lightly sand with 80 grit where you
need to use body filler.
> -Body filler to fix holes/dents
> -Primer-seal
After you finish your body work use a 2 part primer surfacer. The newer 2 part
primers fill very well and are very durable. Don't try to use an epoxy primer
for a sanding primer. Epoxies are a real pain in the a** to sand and they don't
provide any build to work with.
> -Wet-sand
I prefer dry sanding to this but some people like to do it. There is definitely
less dust when you wet sand.
> -Color
> -Clear coat (is this needed?)
> 3) What kind of paint system would you recommend for a do-it-yourselfer?
> (acrylic lacquer, acrylic enamel, polyurethane, acrylic urethane enamel)
I would recommend an acrylic urethane basecoat / clearcoat finish both for
looks, durability and ease of application. Metallics are very easy to spray
evenly without stripes like acrylic enamels can do. The clear provides a finish
you can sand and polish if you would like to and the ability to do spot repair
if there are any problems. The clearcoat provides durability that older finishes
only wish they had. There are so many levels of quality in acrylic urethanes
available now that it would be silly to use anything else.
There is a however here though. If you are doing a concours restoration a
basecoat / clearcoat finish will have a look that, although superior to factory,
won't look like the finish that the factory sent the car out with. Acrylic
lacquer would be the best choice in that situation.
> Also related, what kind of sprayer would you recommend? (standard, HVLP,
> gravity, suction, pressure, ???)
This is a judgment call. I prefer a gravity fed non-HVLP gun. I've tried them
all and settled on that choice for myself. If you have access to a good quality
gun, regardless of what type, it will perform better than a cheap gun of any
type.
> Thanks everyone! Your answers are really helpful, I've gained a ton of
> knowledge from lurking in this list.
>
> -Daniel
> 72 Malibu 350
Good luck
Bill Vander Werf
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