Does anyone out there paint their own cars? If so, I
have a couple of questions, because I'm having some
rust repaired on my MGB and when it's done I have
decided I'm going to paint the darn thing myself.
First off, I'm not worried about the BEST possible
finish. Rather, I'm looking for a good finish that I
can keep repainting myself in case the car gets banged
up on the track (or perhaps more accurately, off it).
Here's the deal:
I've never painted a car before. Actually, that's not
entirely true. I once painted my old rust bucket
Mercedes-Benz 250SL in my dad's driveway when I was
16, but the results were understandably pretty weak.
Although I did successfully clearcoat a number of
insects into the bonnet, which gave the car the
feeling of some kind of twisted mobile nature exhibit.
(Oh, and I also got enough overspray on my dad's
almost new BMW to keep him pissed off at me right up
until about three months ago...)
So in the interests of doing a bit better job this
time, I have found a decent crossflow spray booth
right here in sunny Huntersville that I can rent for
$80 per day. Not a super-high-zoot downdraft model,
but it's a heck of a lot better than my dad's
driveway...
My questions are these:
1) What kind of gun should I buy? Should I get an
HVLP gun, or one of the regular kinds? The booth has
an air source, but I need to buy a gun and I have NO
idea what to look for.
2) What type of paint should I buy? Enamel?
Lacquer? I'm looking for whatever will get me the
best combination of good finish, good durability, and
something that's also easy to apply. (Although
probably not in that order).
3) How lethal are these various paints? I know I
need a respirator, but do I have to be overly worried
about it, or will a modicum of common sense likely be
enough?
4) What BRAND of paint should I buy? Are most
companies good enough for a hack like me, or should I
avoid any brands? Are any easier to work with or
anything?
5) What materials do I need to buy? Should I spray
sealer before I spray primer? How many coats of base
and how many coats of clear should I shoot, and how
much paint do you think I'll need to buy in order to
have enough for my MGB?
Any other help, or recomendations on good books or
good web pages to look at before I wing this bastard
would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
=====
Paul Misencik
1971 MGB Vintage Race Project
Huntersville, NC USA
www.sopwithracing.com
Learn the truth at www.misleader.org
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