Ok...getting close to spraying. Need to know how much "sealer", "primer" and "base coat" as well as "clear" that I will need to do a C3. I have read LARS write up on this but these details aren't there. Any help?

 

About 4 quarts ready to spray sealer. (not needed if using a catalized primer-surfacer).
1 gallon primer-surfacer + required reducers and activators
1 to 1-1/2 gallons base-coat + required reducers and activators.
1 to 1-1/2 gallons clear-coat + requierd reducers and activators.
G/L

 

1 1/2 gal of base is how much you'd use to spray a Suburban. I'd say 1 gal should be plenty of base. 1 gal of clear ...but you'll probably only need 3 qts. High solids base colors these days cover pretty well. Of course you'll use less if you have an efficient gravity feed HVLP gun.

Mark G

 

The reason I spec. a half gallon more is two-fold. If you have a mis-hap in spraying, you don't need to get more when you run out. Some colors, like Millenium yellow and Torch red, requiring 5 coats, are weak pigment paints. We use most all of that extra half gallon esp. if we paint door jambs. Black and white cover with much less, esp. when you use tinted primer (value-shade).

 

I have not painted a C3, but I have painted several cars of about the same size. A gallon an a half or even a little more is reasonable. One if you haven't painted alot you will waste alot in overspray and probably have runs or cracking that needs to be sanded and resprayed before moving on. It happens. Second paint is cheaper generally cheaper in larger quanities. Three it really sucks when you have to run out for more paint. And if its a custom mixed color there is always the chance that the don't mix the second batch exactly the same. Finally, catalized paint stores well in sealled containers. If you ever need to do some touch up you already have paint you know that matchs.

If you have not priceed good paint may give you sticker shock. Go with a good base coat clear coat system. I like personnally like ppg. Don't skimp on the polyurithane one step systems. They never look as good in the long run. Just my two cents.

 

what about the primer/filler Lars recommends for smoothing slight imperfections? What catagory does this fall into?
And I'm going Black...any recommendations on choice?

 

Black is the hardest color with respect to body work. Make sure you have done lots and lots and lots and lots of prep. I just got finished painting mine (Daytona Yellow). Let me rephrase, my buddy just got finished laying on the color. I just helped rough in the body, and helped block. The black will cover easier than a lighter color. You could get by easily with 1 gallon. Two+ quarts painted my car, but we used a white sealer so the yellow did not have to "work" so hard to cover a darker primer. I will agree with above, that it is nice to have extra on hand. I went with Sikkens on all the products. I am sure opinions are like you know the routine, but I think that the Sikkens has worked great. You cannot beat a good primer surfacer, it will cover all the small problems. It will not cover large high and low spots. Only a lot of blocking will fix the bigger problems.
The money pit has:
-Two coats of primer/surfacer (approximately 3 quarts);
-One coat of epoxy primer on top of the surfacer (approximately 1 quart);
-One coat of sealer(approx. 1 quart);
-Two coats of base (approx. 2 quarts);
-Two coats of clear (approx. 2 quarts);
My car came out great, but again, I can't stress the prep enough. I thought I was through with the bodywork, and the paint was applied. I looked under the front where the nose wraps to the fender, and noticed some real "@#$ty" body work on my part. It is not real noticeable, but I know it is there. Also, be prepared to do a lot of color(water) sanding and buffing. It is almost impossible to get these old cars completly clean, and some trash is going to wind up in the paint, just cut and buff. Although, from your pics, it looks as though you are doing a frame off, and will probably not have as many problems. This may sound odd, but wash the under side of your hood, before you paint. Ask me how I know why to do this now

 

I just finished painting the body and about to do the hood, doors, and bumpers this week. I purchased the following:

1 gal DP40LF
2 gal K36 (only because my body was bead blasted and I had to lay down 6 coats to get it filled!)
1 gal DBC color
1 gal Concept 2021 clear

and of course the associated reducers and catalysts. Of the color and clear I used less than a 1/2 gal to do the body and I expect much less than that for the remaining parts. This is a complete spray as well, door jams, hinge area, the whole 9 yards.

 

Just a thought....Sealer is mainly used to give the car a uniform base coat. This is important if you are using a base color which is transparent. If you have areas that you went through the primer and they are not the same as the primer (lighter, darker), although it may look good in the booth or garage with limited light, once you have the car outside, you may see them in the sun through the paint if the base color is transparent. If the primer/sealer is all the same with no sand throughs, you will not see this. Also, check the paint manufacturer for which color sealer/ primer is the best to use under the color you are using. This will affect the overall color of the car.

I know they all say the colors cover....they don't! so better safe than sorry.

Also if you seal the car, you may see imperfections prior to applying the base color and they can be corrected at that time.

 

thanks to all...any temperature range in the garage I should be looking for to paint in? Cooler? Warmer? etc?

 

70 to 90 degrees is best. Make sure the humidity is not too high, less than 70%. We try to paint after lunch so the temp. and humidity are best.

 

any other last minute advice? Anyone?

 

Clean the car, the garage and you. When your done, cleanliness will make all the difference. G/L

 

That's what I have heard repeatedly...
What about ventilation and/or air flow?

 

Your on you own there, each situation is different. You need some flow, but too much will stir up dust. Get a good respirator, make sure it fits tight.

 

ah comon', don't abandon me now! Some air flow as in an open window at one end and the garage door cracked open at the other? Or the same with a box fan in the window facing out? Or?

 

I am a complete rookie at this, but I just got finished helping my buddy do my car. After you get the K36 or whatever primer surfacer on the car, and start to block it, you need to limit the amount of grimmy people hands touch it. Once you get the primer on there, you may want to wear latex gloves, as the oil in your skin will **** up the paint. After the primer goes on, and you have blocked it, you will need to make at least 3 wiping passes with various forms of prep solvents to make sure you have all the "stuff" off. My buddy uses a pump up sprayer and a mixture of vinegar and water on the first pass. The second pass is a prep solvent. The important part is to only do one panel at a time, and not let it dry before you can get it wiped down. You may also want to wet your garage floor. SInce you are doing this in a garage, get prepared to become intimately familiar with 1500 grit sand paper and soap and water.

 

one more thing. I have found that you should sweep/clean the garage/booth a day before then just wet everything down the day you are painting. You should also blow out the car/jambs etc the day before then do not do it the day you paint. All of this stirs up dust that will get in the paint. Mask the wheel wells and arount the bottom of the car with paper to avoid dust from underneath.

 

If you have windows in your garage, open them. Use box fans at the garage door, pull the door down on top of the box fans. Use cardboard to block off the open portion of the garage door to help control dust. If you have no windows, leave an opening low down on the garage door, with the box fans on the other side. This will create some flow.

 

Also, you will tape off the body at the start but you'll need to rip that off and re-tape with new paper between finishing the priming and blocking and shooting the color. The reason is that the primer dust gets everywhere and trapped in little nooks and cranies of the paper. If you shoot color and the air from the sprayer makes the primer dust release you will be a very sad camper....especially with black.