TC Corvette

I'm getting my car ready to send out for a fresh new paint job. I wanted to do some pre-sanding of my own to make sure the sanding job is going to be done right. Can anyone tell me what the first step is in sanding a corvette?

Sweet 90

PM Corvette Mike, he's a member here and our local paint guru

Jim

RC000E

You want to sand your car so your sure its done right, you just have to find out how to do it first?

The biggest issue is that if you sand the car you can create waves and mild imperfections that weren't there to begin with. You also aren't very specific in what type of paint work is being done. Are they repainting the entire car and just painting over the existing finish, or are they doing a true refinish?

Either way, starting from no prior experience, its pretty likely your going to do more harm than good.

Joe C

the first thing i would do is give the car a thorough wash with dawn dishsoap, rinse and dry. i would then remove all trim and components necessary before painting. my third step would to go over all painted surfaces with some sort of prep solvent, prior to any sanding.

there is a paint forum here, and many experienced people to guide you through every step. remember, the key to a quality paint is the effort in the prep.

we like to see progression step photos here, so keep us informed...

jhammons01

Telling folks that they aren't "Able" to do something right without experience, kinda defeats the purpose of a forum.

If this was the case, then all questions can be answered with a simple single sentence

"if you want a professional job, then you cannot do it yourself. Take it to the Dealer"

TC Corvette

To my knowledge my car has its origanal paint, and after 25 years its faded and has several stone chips in the hood, as expected. I have most of the extra components removed. I still need to take off the headlight assembly and the door handles. I removed the mirrors, inner fenders, emblems, front and rear bumpers and all of the black body molding.

RC000E

I'm not saying that, I'm saying you don't get your feet wet on your Corvette before you send it to the shop to "have it done right". If your truly interested in learning, then you start on something else that doesn't carry value.

If you want to save money on prep, then removing seals and components is the way. To properly prep a car for paint requires tooling, materials and skill. If he's never done it, then the investment he'll make to do it once will counteract what he saves having the shop do it.

If your on a budget and are determined to save cash, then I'm all for people taking initiative and asking questions is the only way. I'm just saying, you need to clarify what the motive is. Is it saving money on a one time gig, or is it learning how to do it properly in order to potentially do others, or increase skill regardless of what it saves you.

All I'm saying, is if doing it is mostly motivated by saving money, then I'd focus efforts on removing trim/lighting/handles/etc and reducing labor costs in that way. The final finish of the paint is entirely dependent upon the prep, and poor sanding practices, without any experienced guidance can lead to more work in the end. If there is interest in learning to do that kind of work, doing so on a different (non fiberglass) car would be the way.

I'm all for learning and doing though...noone showed me anything in life...I learned all by reading and diving in. I bought my TIG having never tried it once, then read the book, made some welds, posted them online, listened to feedback, went back and tried again...etc. I wouldn't have jumped right in welding on my Corvette suspension on the first try though...know what I'm sayin.

Jhammon...dont' take my statements and turn them into something their not cause your heated up from the other thread...if that's that case.

npbassman

I agree. Once you completely clean and degrease the car, you can start sanding. Having absolutely no wax or grease is key because sanding waxed paint will "grind" it deeper into the finish. I've seen that come back to haunt 2 or 3 months later after the paint is laid on (trust me, I know! ).

You'll also need tools like a DA sander, sanding blocks, etc. Just remember to keep it flat and keep it moving or you'll end up with half moons everywhere.

I'm still kinda new to the forum and there are a lot of knowledgeable paint and body people that have been here a lot longer than I, but keep the questions coming and I'm sure we'll all help as much as we can. And as some other posters have said - Posting to the paint and body section may help and of course, send progress pics!

Good luck with the project - Mike

TGReaper

This is advice that you can not go wrong with.

C4

ch@0s

Ignorant people are going to Flame! me for agreeing with you. It took me years to learn to paint and prep. I can't just tell you how and you will do it right the first time without guidance.

By show of hands how many people who have commented have painted and entire car? Or are you just repeating what you have heard on the net.

npbassman

Me! Name any type of vehicle on this earth that doesn't fly or go on water and there are pretty good odds that I've shot one. Bucket trucks, fire trucks, semis, mom mobiles, sports cars. After a while, they all start looking the same in that booth...

Joe C

- I HAVE PAINTED AN ENTIRE CAR, AND I'M JUST NOT REPEATING WHAT I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET! it CAN be done the first time without guidance. here's a shot of my first paint job, without your so called guidance. it can be done with determination, and a willing to learn. i don't think i'm ignorant, and i'm not flaming you, but it ain't rocket science. if it took you years to learn, you just might be a slow learner - - if someone has an IQ higher than room temperature, and has decent equipment, it can be done first time - period!



BTW, i painted this 69 coupe in 1991 as part of a 4 year restoration. the car was stripped down to bare glass, epoxy primed, 3 coats of primer surfacer - blocked, 1 coat sealer, and 5 coats of straight lacquer (no clear). color sanded, buffed and polished. the picture was taken in 2008, and the paint still looks great.

ch@0s

My apologies sounds like you are in good hands.
Your car looks great Joe.

RLG

It is possible for a beginner to get a decent paint job, However I will say this. Lacquer paint is probably one of the easiest paints ( at least that is what I found) to use. Many of the imperfections and mistakes can be color sanded and buffed out.
The problem now is you can't get Lacquer paint in to many places.

Base/Clear is a little less forgiving from start to finish. You have to be a little bit more careful on how you prep for for this type of system. You also need to be aware of what substrates are compatible with whatever system you use.

As far as painting cars, I have been restoring cars since the mid 70's and I currently hold certification for Sherwin/Williams Automotive paint.

avgjoe

It can be done if you are patient. Prep as others have mentioned being sure to remove all wax etc before sanding. I have been painting as a hobby over the last 15 years and did my first Vette last fall. It turned out better than any project to date. Because I had never done glass before, I got a good set of sanding blocks and sanded the entire care by hand. It is tough, especially if you have not done it before, to use a DA and keep it straight on fiberglass. Mine probably turned out straighter than it was 22 years ago but I sanded and sanded and sanded...by hand. Then I put multiple coats of a high build epoxy primer, used a guide coat and sanded some more. Take the time to do it right. As a beginner it will take you much longer than a professional but if you keep at it you can get it. Remember, if you can feel it, you will see it.

Go to a good paint supply store and find out the right products to use to make repairs etc. It doesn't matter how good the paint job is if the prep isn't done correctly it will come back to haunt you quickly.

Good luck and keep us posted.

avgjoe

The other side of the coin is that if you are not patient and don't do it right you may well end up costing yourself more $ if the paint shop has to fix what you messed up... Just a thought.

samsonb

What do you use to clean up any grease or wax before you start sanding?

RLG

prep-sol is one product , but every paint company has one.Some are rated for different temps. to control evaporation.

npbassman

Yep. I've used Prep-sol and their 3900s and 3901s products too. Good stuff. Here's a PDF list of Dupont's Chromasystem prep products.

http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/...urfacePrep.pdf

Muffin

Sorry I did not read all posts but will add two suggestions: First ask your painter what he wants. I spent days and days with wet 400 grit paper, that car was so slick even its shadow slid off. First thing the painter did was to attack my work with an air sander outfitted with 220 paper. Had to "rough" the surface so the primer/sealer would stick. I cried, the primer stuck, the finished product was outstanding. Second: use a sanding block not your hand. Your hand will apply different pressures across the paper which may give you hills and valleys in the finish.