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Possibly repainting my car...

Scouzer

Scouzer

Lifer
Well. I drive a 1991 GM product. NOTORIOUS for losing their GOD DAMN paint.

Anyway. Its a 1991 Chevy Beretta. Obviously not worth a $3000 paint job. HOWEVER, I really like this car. It is in my signature by the way.

So. I want to repaint this car. I need to do it as cheap as possible. But I don't want it to look like sh!t. So how much prep can I do myself? I want to take it to Maaco, so I think I'm going to at least sand it myself.

But I don't really know how. What do I do? What tips do I need to know? Any killer links for a nubcake?
 
Wash the car really well... use a wax and grease remover to remove any wax left on it. Wet sand it with 1500 grit paper and tape off trim pieces yourself because they usually don't spend much time on that. Also don't let them paint any plastic pieces because you need to put a flex agent in the paint for those areas or the paint will flake off as the piece flexes in temperature changes and stuff. And you can bet they're not about to put a flex agent in the paint for a few square feet of your $200 paint job.

BTW... if it's down to the metal anywhere, you may want to grind off any rust yourself, use a metal prep like PPG's DX579 Metal Prep (following directions on bottle for mixing/using) to eliminate any microscopic rust, then you'll need to put a primer/sealer over top of that.
 
Well, I was thinking more around $1000. I want it stripped right to the metal. Its the goddam primer that makes the paint come off, so I'm not going to do this if I can't get the primer redone as well.
 
Originally posted by: Scouzer
Well, I was thinking more around $1000. I want it stripped right to the metal. Its the goddam primer that makes the paint come off, so I'm not going to do this if I can't get the primer redone as well.
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You're gonna have to spend more than $1000 to get it stripped down to the metal and repainted... at least to get it done right. I don't think it's worth it. Just do what I suggested (if you want) and have Maaco basically just spray the base and clear coats for you.
 
I'm sure you can get it done for $1000... but getting it done, and getting it done right are two different things. It would probably be the difference between a 3 year paint job and a 20 year paint job.
 
Well, my car IS a Beretta, so 20 years I'm not concerned about. I want it to look good in 5 years. I probably won't have it longer than that.
 
Originally posted by: Scouzer
Well, my car IS a Beretta, so 20 years I'm not concerned about. I want it to look good in 5 years. I probably won't have it longer than that.
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Maybe wait then and put a $200 paint job on it right before you sell it to make it look pretty =)
 
I think thats what the previous owner did. I bought the car last May, it had impeccable paint. Now it is bubbling and flaking left and right.
 
Originally posted by: Scouzer
I think thats what the previous owner did. I bought the car last May, it had impeccable paint. Now it is bubbling and flaking left and right.
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Yeah, that's why I never buy cars that have been repainted unless there's documentation detailing who did the paintjob and what was done. It's easy to spray a car and make it look good for a year or two... but a long lasting paint job takes extra work, especially if you live in places like Michigan where they put tons of salt on the roads.
 
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Wash the car really well... use a wax and grease remover to remove any wax left on it. Wet sand it with 1500 grit paper and tape off trim pieces yourself because they usually don't spend much time on that. Also don't let them paint any plastic pieces because you need to put a flex agent in the paint for those areas or the paint will flake off as the piece flexes in temperature changes and stuff. And you can bet they're not about to put a flex agent in the paint for a few square feet of your $200 paint job.

BTW... if it's down to the metal anywhere, you may want to grind off any rust yourself, use a metal prep like PPG's DX579 Metal Prep (following directions on bottle for mixing/using) to eliminate any microscopic rust, then you'll need to put a primer/sealer over top of that.
Click to expand...
Whoa there, 1500 grit is waaay too fine. He should use 300 grit for prep.
 
If you want to go to bare metal,then just do it. Go to eastwood.com get some stripper and strip the biotch till shes bare. Sand in one area at a time. i.e sand a door and then use metal etching primer on it. Then another door then another then a fender then another. etc etc. You have to work quickly bare steel oxidizes sooo fast. Sand it wipe it down real good, then prime. LIGHTLY wet sand the primer(dont cut through it), then use a high build primer, LIGHTLY wet sand it, and your ready for paint. Remember a good finish is %95 prep %paint. If you have any small dings or slight imperfections use a skim coat body filler. Also get this from eastwoodco.com
 
Originally posted by: PowerMac4Ever
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Wash the car really well... use a wax and grease remover to remove any wax left on it. Wet sand it with 1500 grit paper and tape off trim pieces yourself because they usually don't spend much time on that. Also don't let them paint any plastic pieces because you need to put a flex agent in the paint for those areas or the paint will flake off as the piece flexes in temperature changes and stuff. And you can bet they're not about to put a flex agent in the paint for a few square feet of your $200 paint job.

BTW... if it's down to the metal anywhere, you may want to grind off any rust yourself, use a metal prep like PPG's DX579 Metal Prep (following directions on bottle for mixing/using) to eliminate any microscopic rust, then you'll need to put a primer/sealer over top of that.
Click to expand...
Whoa there, 1500 grit is waaay too fine. He should use 300 grit for prep.
Click to expand...

Not if he's going to spray color over it without primer.
 
Originally posted by: Scouzer
Well, my car IS a Beretta, so 20 years I'm not concerned about. I want it to look good in 5 years. I probably won't have it longer than that.
Click to expand...

Holy cow, 5 years? That is a long time!

While I have no plans of getting rid of my current car (in the sig), I am still finding a way to get myself into an S2000 to replace the car. Either that, or keeping this car, and getting another daily driver. Hopefully within the next 3 years.

I can't imagine keeping it for more than 5 years. I admire your patience.
 
Have it media blasted <$500 and then take it to MACCO and get the cheapo paint job.. Make sure anything you don't want painted you tape up yourself though (bad experience). Also check to make sure you can't still get it repainted. "Notorious" doesn't even describe it. GM paint was peeling off on the fvcking car lots.
 
Originally posted by: Actaeon
Originally posted by: Scouzer
Well, my car IS a Beretta, so 20 years I'm not concerned about. I want it to look good in 5 years. I probably won't have it longer than that.
Click to expand...

Holy cow, 5 years? That is a long time!

While I have no plans of getting rid of my current car (in the sig), I am still finding a way to get myself into an S2000 to replace the car. Either that, or keeping this car, and getting another daily driver. Hopefully within the next 3 years.

I can't imagine keeping it for more than 5 years. I admire your patience.
Click to expand...

LOL... yeah, I can't image having a car that long... they get boring to me, I like to switch, just like computer hardware, lol. Too bad it's more expensive to do that with cars though. 🙂
 
The cheapest way is to do the prep work yourself, then get a cheapie Maaco job.

It's a Beretta, it's not worth it.
 
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Originally posted by: Actaeon
Originally posted by: Scouzer
Well, my car IS a Beretta, so 20 years I'm not concerned about. I want it to look good in 5 years. I probably won't have it longer than that.
Click to expand...

Holy cow, 5 years? That is a long time!

While I have no plans of getting rid of my current car (in the sig), I am still finding a way to get myself into an S2000 to replace the car. Either that, or keeping this car, and getting another daily driver. Hopefully within the next 3 years.

I can't imagine keeping it for more than 5 years. I admire your patience.
Click to expand...

LOL... yeah, I can't image having a car that long... they get boring to me, I like to switch, just like computer hardware, lol. Too bad it's more expensive to do that with cars though. 🙂
Click to expand...
He just needs a car you like and can waste money on while still getting some satisfaction from it. I've had my same daily driver for 10 years while along the way having a few "secondary" cars most people would love to have.
 
Yeah, I'd much rather have my 13 year old Mustang than a lot of newer cars. I have tons of stuff I can do to it, it's easy to work on, and not having a car payment for the last 6 years or so is nice too.

🙂
 
Originally posted by: QuitBanningMe
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Originally posted by: Actaeon
Originally posted by: Scouzer
Well, my car IS a Beretta, so 20 years I'm not concerned about. I want it to look good in 5 years. I probably won't have it longer than that.
Click to expand...

Holy cow, 5 years? That is a long time!

While I have no plans of getting rid of my current car (in the sig), I am still finding a way to get myself into an S2000 to replace the car. Either that, or keeping this car, and getting another daily driver. Hopefully within the next 3 years.

I can't imagine keeping it for more than 5 years. I admire your patience.
Click to expand...

LOL... yeah, I can't image having a car that long... they get boring to me, I like to switch, just like computer hardware, lol. Too bad it's more expensive to do that with cars though. 🙂
Click to expand...
You just need a car you like and can waste money on while still getting some satisfaction from it. I've had my same daily driver for 10 years while along the way having a few "secondary" cars most people would love to have. Hopefully one day with a little more time and a lot more money it will be as sick as this one:

(240Z, TT 383)
text
Click to expand...

Oh, I love my car. Lots of fun to drive, espically in Florida's weather, and the shifter is absolutely fabulous. It just needs a bit more power, but other than that, I enjoy it alot.

Some type of forced induction would be nice, but I am too cheap to save up that much. I end up blowing it on $500 monitor, and soon a $400 videocard, and $300 Digital Camera. You know how that goes. I am really bad with saving money.

I think with a bit more power, it would really make me appreciate the car a bit more. I'd like to hit around 180hp to the wheels. More is always better of course, but to try to get any more than that, it becomes more trouble than its worth.

What do you drive that you've kept for so long? What about your secondary cars? I love knowing what others drive. Since I can't own every car in the world, I like to know how others have felt about their own experiences.

And holy cow, that 240z is wicked! 383?... what is that, 6.0L? and its TT? That thing has gotta be pushing at least 500-600 to the wheels easily. Haha, I'd be happy with 200 to the wheels 🙂.

When my brother went to this local autocross even, there was another sick 240z in attendance.. I wasn't there, I had to work, but he told me this car looked awesome. Another nice action shot here. Unfortunately, since I did not attend, I did not get to see it in person, or know its specs, but it looks damn good.
 
It's not worth the time or money. Even if you did it all yourself, its not worth the cost of the paint 😉
 
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