its been done, But good luck on this job.
Prep before clearcoating my clear roof?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 95
Likes: 4
From: Santa Fe, NM
Prep before clearcoating my clear roof?
My clear roof on my car is peeling, so I've decided to sand and clear coat it. Is there anything I should do it to prep the surface besides just sanding, cleaning and painting?
I'm not a painter and I've never painted on Lexan before, so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
I posted this in the paint / body section a couple of days ago and didn't get any response, so I figured I give the C5 section a try.
I'm not a painter and I've never painted on Lexan before, so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John
I posted this in the paint / body section a couple of days ago and didn't get any response, so I figured I give the C5 section a try.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 95
Likes: 4
From: Santa Fe, NM
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,518
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Here is an option not brought up much but should be sometimes.
Drive down to the nearest auto body shop. Tell them the clear coat needs to be replaced and ask how much it would be to sand it off and shoot another coat of clear on. By them professionally.
Check the cost of that versus the cost of buying all the supplies and doing it yourself for your first time painting. Mine came out perfect that way for $130.00
And to answer the question if you sand it do you expect it to be clear: Yup.
Drive down to the nearest auto body shop. Tell them the clear coat needs to be replaced and ask how much it would be to sand it off and shoot another coat of clear on. By them professionally.
Check the cost of that versus the cost of buying all the supplies and doing it yourself for your first time painting. Mine came out perfect that way for $130.00
And to answer the question if you sand it do you expect it to be clear: Yup.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 505
Likes: 6
From: Dover De
I did mine back in Sept. I used a really good Dupont Clear and Adhesion promoter. The old clear coat was a B to get off but once I got it off it was smooth as glass. I sprayed on the promoter then waited for the flash time and then shot on a few coats of clear. It came out OK it had some orange peal. I did rewet sand and then buffed it out. I have a few marks in it so I will be redoing it in the spring.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
I'm not trying to be a pain in the you know what, its just that I've never heard of this before... sanding a lexan clear top, then clear coating it to make it clear. Too me, I picture using sand paper on glass, scratching the crap out of it, spray on some clear coat and its back to picture perfect again. Somehow, that doesn't sound right too me. Yes, at some point in the manufacture of the lexan top, it had to be polished, somehow. I would like to know if what you are doing, is the proper method and what type of sanding, sanding material and so on, is all used.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,341
Likes: 1,121
From: Dyer, IN
I'm not trying to be a pain in the you know what, its just that I've never heard of this before... sanding a lexan clear top, then clear coating it to make it clear. Too me, I picture using sand paper on glass, scratching the crap out of it, spray on some clear coat and its back to picture perfect again. Somehow, that doesn't sound right too me. Yes, at some point in the manufacture of the lexan top, it had to be polished, somehow. I would like to know if what you are doing, is the proper method and what type of sanding, sanding material and so on, is all used.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 95
Likes: 4
From: Santa Fe, NM
I'm not trying to be a pain in the you know what, its just that I've never heard of this before... sanding a lexan clear top, then clear coating it to make it clear. Too me, I picture using sand paper on glass, scratching the crap out of it, spray on some clear coat and its back to picture perfect again. Somehow, that doesn't sound right too me. Yes, at some point in the manufacture of the lexan top, it had to be polished, somehow. I would like to know if what you are doing, is the proper method and what type of sanding, sanding material and so on, is all used.
Basically I'll be doing this ...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...sh-how-to.html
But with the adhesion promoter step between the sanding and clearcoating.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
I just did mine.
the coating is hard stuff and takes a lot of sanding to get off. I ended up using an dual action air sander on it. Quality sanding media helps keep it sharp.
The lexan is a static magnet like you wouldn't believe so it's hard to keep the dirt away. I'll likely end up sanding and re-coating my top in the spring to get the dirt out. Finding a shop with a new paint booth could sure help with the dirt.
The clearcoat really cleans up any scratch marks. It looks great afterwards. Clean the lexan first to get the dirt out of the sanding scratch marks though.
That adhesion promoter sounds like a really good idea but I didn't do it.
Peter
the coating is hard stuff and takes a lot of sanding to get off. I ended up using an dual action air sander on it. Quality sanding media helps keep it sharp.
The lexan is a static magnet like you wouldn't believe so it's hard to keep the dirt away. I'll likely end up sanding and re-coating my top in the spring to get the dirt out. Finding a shop with a new paint booth could sure help with the dirt.
The clearcoat really cleans up any scratch marks. It looks great afterwards. Clean the lexan first to get the dirt out of the sanding scratch marks though.
That adhesion promoter sounds like a really good idea but I didn't do it.
Peter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 321
Likes: 3
From: bloomington Indiana
Use a tack cloth on all surfaces before painting. Removes all the dust that the Lexan might pick up.
I just did mine.
the coating is hard stuff and takes a lot of sanding to get off. I ended up using an dual action air sander on it. Quality sanding media helps keep it sharp.
The lexan is a static magnet like you wouldn't believe so it's hard to keep the dirt away. I'll likely end up sanding and re-coating my top in the spring to get the dirt out. Finding a shop with a new paint booth could sure help with the dirt.
The clearcoat really cleans up any scratch marks. It looks great afterwards. Clean the lexan first to get the dirt out of the sanding scratch marks though.
That adhesion promoter sounds like a really good idea but I didn't do it.
Peter
the coating is hard stuff and takes a lot of sanding to get off. I ended up using an dual action air sander on it. Quality sanding media helps keep it sharp.
The lexan is a static magnet like you wouldn't believe so it's hard to keep the dirt away. I'll likely end up sanding and re-coating my top in the spring to get the dirt out. Finding a shop with a new paint booth could sure help with the dirt.
The clearcoat really cleans up any scratch marks. It looks great afterwards. Clean the lexan first to get the dirt out of the sanding scratch marks though.
That adhesion promoter sounds like a really good idea but I didn't do it.
Peter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 18,401
Likes: 3
From: Retired but working
Cruise-In VI Veteran
I did mine w/o clearcoating it. I sanded and polished and waxed it and it came out looking great. Lot of work and a mess from wetsanding, but after polishing the crazing virtually disappeared. Now it is just wash, dry and rewax. Buff it out and it looks great. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,370
Likes: 8
From: Slave to the evil empire
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04
I'm not trying to be a pain in the you know what, its just that I've never heard of this before... sanding a lexan clear top, then clear coating it to make it clear. Too me, I picture using sand paper on glass, scratching the crap out of it, spray on some clear coat and its back to picture perfect again. Somehow, that doesn't sound right too me. Yes, at some point in the manufacture of the lexan top, it had to be polished, somehow. I would like to know if what you are doing, is the proper method and what type of sanding, sanding material and so on, is all used.
To the OP, I did mine a few months ago. The factory cloating is not paint, I don't know what it is but 400 wet/dry paper didn't do anything to it so I started of by sanding with 60 grit dry paper being careful to sand in one direction only, after that I worked my way up to 400 wet. When I was done you couldn't see through the top but after clearcoating it's crystal clear.
Racer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: Shawnee OK
they make an antistatic cleaner that you can clean it with before painting the panel, should help reduce some of the static electricity. If you want it black again just mix a little black base in your clear and spray that then spray clear back over it after like 15 min flash time.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
From: Luling La.
I did the top on mine because of the hazy look to it when I bought it & this was the worse looking item on the car. I did all the prep work on mine & had a friend shoot it. I then 2000 grit sanded it & he buffed it out, still looks perfect after 2 yrs of use. Mine ended up costing me about $60 bucks, money well spent.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Believe it or not this is what happens.
To the OP, I did mine a few months ago. The factory cloating is not paint, I don't know what it is but 400 wet/dry paper didn't do anything to it so I started of by sanding with 60 grit dry paper being careful to sand in one direction only, after that I worked my way up to 400 wet. When I was done you couldn't see through the top but after clearcoating it's crystal clear.
To the OP, I did mine a few months ago. The factory cloating is not paint, I don't know what it is but 400 wet/dry paper didn't do anything to it so I started of by sanding with 60 grit dry paper being careful to sand in one direction only, after that I worked my way up to 400 wet. When I was done you couldn't see through the top but after clearcoating it's crystal clear.
Peter
