Remember the "$50 paint job"?

[Brad Lustig]

Here's another one. Probably the best one yet.

http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html

[Young Ed]

That certainly came out well. All this talk of the roller paint job is making me want to try it......

[Brad Lustig]

It's almost a definite for me to try on my Datsun.

[Young Ed]

For this to work no matter what you gotta have straight panels under the paint. Which I don't have yet! But once you got to the point of being ready for paint wouldn't you be better off to spray regardless of the paint being used? I have access to a garage with a compressor and a cheap HVLP paint gun.

[Normspeed]

Way too much sanding for this lazy boy.

[Norm's Coupe]

Normspeed, if you use soap while wet sanding, it's a piece of cake. Keep the car nice and wet while sanding and just gently rub over the paint. It's about the same effort used to wash the car by hand.

Someone mentioned Rustoleum fading. That is true. XO Rust paint will also fade. However, so will the enamel automotive paints. My experience with XO Rust paint has two results. One, I painted a pair of old wooden spoked car wheels back about 93 or 94, then put them on a post in the yard. The wheels have been out there ever since. No rust came back through the paint. However, the paint did start to fade in about 5 to 7 years. I repained them last year.

I also used XO Rust paint to paint the support bar in front of the radiator on my P15 with XO Rust paint in 1998. Of course, that gets no direct sunlight and has not faded.

Of course if you paint a whole car with rust paint it's going to get the sunlight. However, how many of us leave our cars out in the sun and weather everyday, 24 hours a day. Not many. So, even though the rust type paints may fade, it's going to take a long time, especially if you keep them waxed. Remember, those wheels that I mentioned also got buried in snow each year, rain, sleet and sunlight every day, 24 hours a day. So I really don't think you would see that much fading on the old cars that are out maybe a few times a week, then back in the garage.

[Plymouthy Adams]

if the enamel is alkalyd base it will fade (chaulk) regardless..however the lasting qualites of the paint is hard to beat (heavy solids) and in most repair shops of old this was the paint of choice for blending a repair...you may all recall cars sitting in the sun with an area with blueish hues or whittish hue (depends on color of paint) this is the repaired section...the acrylic enamel will fade also but it takes al lot lot longer time to do so...

[55 Fargo]

Ed, then if you have the HVLP and air supply, why don't you try, say Rustoleum, reduced with automotive enamel reducer, with a univeral hardner/gloss agent added in with the mix. This will cost you about $75 to $80.00 insted of the $50.00. You could spray on 3 coats, wetsand with 1500, polish with a real gentle compound and the electric polisher.

Last week I did a little practice with my HVLP on a deck lid, I sprayed 2 coats of primer, no sanding, then I sprayed on a coat of Wild Raspberry Tremclad. There is dust in the paint and the surface is somewhat rough, I didn't even tack the surface before spraying. My object was to learn to use the HVLP. The result is a very hard and super shiny surface, with wetsanding and polish it could come up like glass. This paint was reduced with auto enamel reducer, no gloss hardner was added.

As Norm from Milwaukee mentioned , how many of us would actually drive these cars in all kinds of weather, ie snow, salt, mud gravel, major rainstorms if we can help it, thenleave it all dirty in the outside elements to gather rust and pollutants, NOT LIKELY. So apaint job like this could last a while, especially if taken care of and waxed a couple of times per year, Iknow the UV rays are evry srtong in the south, but again, are you going to leave it outside. These old cars when new, unless they had fancy lacquer paint jobs, were not shiny and wet looking like paint jobs of toady, not that there is anything wrong with the new paint looks, cause they are nice..............I am not afarid to try this, if the car is prepped well, it will look well when painted, what have you to lose, if it isn't any good break out the sander and sand down the car for a Maaco paint job.........Fred

[randroid]

Gents,

The $50 method is what I'm beginning on my '48 P-15 and I plan on posting a lot of pics on the bucket, but I've run into a small snag for which I should have asked for help a few days ago; there are four coats of paint and three coats of primer on the car (?) and some of it is so thick I thought it was Bondo. My method of choice for the present is a 5" 3M Scotch-Brite paint and varnish removal wheel. Works great without any damage to the metal (meaning no sparks) but is more for the finishing end of the removal process. I want some chemical that gets down-and-dirty with old paint. I read on a VW forum about Dawn Ultra grease remover because a member's wife sprayed some on an enamel painted surface and let it sit for five minutes. The paint was bubbled beyong belief and the antedote for swollowing this stuff is to drink ten times the water as product ingested without bothering a doctor about it. It might take more time to use than I want to spend using it, though, so I would like to ask you:

What's your favorite paint remover that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

-Randy

[Plymouthy Adams]

I use stripper where I know I can control its application completely. Nothing spells disaster worse than dried stripper getting reactivated later after a paint is doen from some stripper in a hiddeen recessed interior.

That said, I use good ole whale snot, the stuff that is extremely flamable and last can I got was from Wal-Mart..less than 12.00 a gallon...remember if it don't say flamable, the paint stays on...the ether in the mix is the quick lifting ingredient...use in well ventilated place..wear glove and eye protection..it is nasty stuff but will make short work of your paint. I like to keep it away from any hole for trim etc for the reason stated above..I also usually use a razon scraper along with this product to remove the paint just as it softens and when paint is gone..total wipe to remove the residue and then DA the stripped panel. The DA will remove any smaller amounts and film left behind in short order wtihout removal of metal..no sparks, I like 80 grit pads when stripping panels...leaves a beautiful finish that is just right for your primer to bond.

[Brendan D25]

Tim, I had a good laugh at your description of paint remover, and it reminded me of when I was doing a 56 Chevy about 18 yrs ago. I went to the local hardware store and bought paint stripper. The car had original paint and I used the razor method as described and the stripper left the original primer behind. After using the stripper I gave it a good wash to get rid of any residue, and before priming I also used #80 grit. Brendan.

[55 Fargo]

thread address: http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&v c=1

Re: paint job on a budget

here's how i painted my car for about $50, it's actually very easy and the results are amazing. First off, get a can of tremclad real orange (or what ever color u want) in the can, not spray, yes tremclad, it is a acrylic/enamel paint which is very durable. next prep your car as if was any other paint job, fix all the rust, ect....no need to prime the car since the tremclad allready contains elements which allow it to be painted over bare metal. next, after prepping the car get a small 4" professional FOAM rollers, it's tiny and has one end rounded off, and the other cut straight, and is a very high density foam. u also need a jug of mineral spirits to thin the paint. The thing i really like about this is that there's no mess, no tapeing the whole car, just key areas, and u can do it in your garage, since your not spraying there is virtually no dust in the air, just clean your garage first, also it does'nt really smell at all, dries overnight and it super tough paint. also it you decide to paint the car professionally later, just prep and paint, there's no need to strip the tremclad. i have done this to a few cars, and i can say it works amazing, u just have to be paitient. next u thin the paint with mineral spirits so it just about as thin as water, a little thicker. get out the roller and paint away, don't get the paint shaked when u buy it, enamel is stirred, otherwise you'll have bubbles in the paint for a week!!! after u do 2 coats, wet sand the whole car, then repeat, 2 coats, wetsand, 2 coats wetsand. i painted the charger using a can since your not spraying the car u use all the paint and not spray 50% in the air, use progressivly finer sand paper each time. it's not really that much work, cause u can stop and start any time, u can do just a door, or the hood, ect. do one panel at a time, and don't stop once you start. once your done the final coat, wetsand with about 1000 grit to a totally smooth finish, and then using a high speed polisher i use a buffing bonnet and turtle wax polishing compound. do the whole car with this, and i'm telling u, depending on the amount of time and paitence you have, the results are amazing. laugh if you want, but for $50 ($30 for paint, about $20 for rollers, sand paper, ect...) it really looks good. also you can do these steps overnight, paint one evening and by morning u can wet sand. i have personally done alot of painting, mostly single stage acrylic enamel, and i've sprayed several cars in my garage with really good professional results, just it stinks, it's a real pain to do, easy to make a mistake, messy, and expensive. The tremclad is awesome paint, the "real orange" is an amazing hemi orange, and almost looks like it has some perl in the sun, awesome color right out of the can. I used this technique on my 1974 beetle also

if you look at others that did this, it does a great job....

[55 Fargo]

This is my response to someone on Autobodystore.com forum. Randy, my question is did the duplicolor primer sealer bond to the Tremclad, or was there adhesion problems with it. Tremclad and Rustoleum are a very tough paint but are Synthetic Alkyd oil based enamel paints with rust corrosion resistant properties. When you coat over it, with other systems could there be potential problems, but I have not heard of any to be honest.

As far as the roller method is concerned, I know it works, from my test pieces using Tremclad (Rustoleum) paint, thinned with mineral spirits, wetsanded evry 2nd coat, after 8 thin rolled coats I then compund polished and buffed the final product. It came out well, had some swirl in it but was shiny, orange peel free and hard as a rock, after one year on my test pieces the surfaces are still hard as a rock, and could only be scratched by a sharp metal object. Wood and plastic only marred the surfaces somewhat.

This method, and use of very basic oil based enamel paint is not for everyone, but if you don't have equipment, money or skill, it may be an alternative for some, and at the very least temporary, until you can afford a more traditional paint job, the prepping remains the same and the better the prep, the better the paint job can and should turn out.

I know the individual (69chargeryeeha), have spoken with him may times, the quality of his work is quite good, he has also done many single stage sprayed home paint jobs, that have turned out very well, he has just taken the time to perfect this particular method. His 73 VW bug was painted with a roller in 1999, it still looks great, but it is not driven in winter weather, but is driven all summer long, he waxs and buffs the car annually.

I am not trying to start a roller thread here, but when I mention this to bodyman, friends with paint experience, they all raise there noses, and say this is an inferior method using cheap house panit, that it will not stand up and looks like garbage, nothing could be farther from the truth.

In the USA True Value hardware, has a paint line called XO Rust paint, I have seen a classic car," a 40 Studebaker" painted with a red color, it was reduced with mineral sprirts by 10 % and 10 % Hardner was included in the mix. This was sprayed , and wet sanded and buff and compound, it looked great, and for the occasional use might hold up well.

Sorry about the long reply, I am a green newcomer to body and paint and just want to learn.

[JerseyHarold]

FWIW, in the past several years some major auto paint supply manufacturers have been selling rollers for primer application in body shops. Their ads claim that you use less material, shorter masking time, and more environmentrally friendly because you're not creating airborne spray. Using a roller for the finish coat makes a lot of sense too. Might try it one day myself.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have never used the roller topcoat with rustoleum paint for a car..however rest assured it has a great shine and lasting qualities for about the house/garage items etc. As for using the rustoleum for a primer..I can vouch for its qaulity..I however ALWAYS insist that if you use this..bare in mind that about 2 good weeks to cure to sandable quailites needed to do proper body work. If you are in a hurry..I do not recommend this procedure. If used, cured, etc..then sand as normal and then you can now start your proper application of primer, by this, auto body quality, lacquer based primer surfacer...then proceed as normal. As I have spray equipment I have never tried the roller method and cannot really see myself doing it, however I can assure you as a top coat the Rustloem is good, sprays excellent when thinned to the proper viscosity and I use Evercoat Classic Acrylic Enamel Hardener and it is excellent combination. On another note..if you have panel repair inside your car that will require the use of a seal sealer, like 3M brushable seam sealer, prime with the rustoleum, let dry completely prior to the seam selaer application..Rustoleum and 3M are not really compatable and if you use the selaer first..will not dry and set proper. However lacquer based primer will work on this with no problem. I have used this since early 80's and it was handed down to me by a friend who has been doing this for years before I got into it. He got this from a very high end shop for exotics out of Atlanta...what better endorsement...?

[Plymouthy Adams]

I am not aware of roller in body shops but for primer application I can see the quick build up of primer, not a need to mask, work a car next to another without overspray etc...would be very cost effective for them in the long run..and to a production shop..that is money in the bank...it is all what your needs are..no booth, no place to spray..clean the garage and go to work..this could be your ticket..as far as paint shops go..they are getting out rageous in their cost..and this may eventually be a method more people resort to if the EPA and their quest to eliminate airborne solvent..I will never discount the shine you can get by color sanding and polishing single stage enamel. I like this over the mop and glo you get from base/coat clear coat...again, personal preferrence.

[55 Fargo]

Harold, if you are to topcoat with a roller, just remeber you need a very slow thinner /reducer, as you can not have the paint flashing quickly if you are to roll. You are correct in all of the reasons bodyshops, are doing some primer with rollers. I have personally rolled epoxy paint with a roller, on the inside of a fishtank.In the very beginning of auto manufacturing, cars wer painted with a brush, some were sanded and varnish was applied over, thus BC/CC was created..........Fred

[Norm's Coupe]

Here's the Studebaker painted with XO Rust paint from True Value Hardware. The guy who did it was a retired auto body man by profession. He said he did it for under $50.

[55 Fargo]

PPG and Transtar, sell a rollable polyurethane primer, if I remember correctly.

[Brad Lustig]

Gents,

The $50 method is what I'm beginning on my '48 P-15 and I plan on posting a lot of pics on the bucket, but I've run into a small snag for which I should have asked for help a few days ago; there are four coats of paint and three coats of primer on the car (?) and some of it is so thick I thought it was Bondo. My method of choice for the present is a 5" 3M Scotch-Brite paint and varnish removal wheel. Works great without any damage to the metal (meaning no sparks) but is more for the finishing end of the removal process. I want some chemical that gets down-and-dirty with old paint. I read on a VW forum about Dawn Ultra grease remover because a member's wife sprayed some on an enamel painted surface and let it sit for five minutes. The paint was bubbled beyong belief and the antedote for swollowing this stuff is to drink ten times the water as product ingested without bothering a doctor about it. It might take more time to use than I want to spend using it, though, so I would like to ask you:

What's your favorite paint remover that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

-Randy

I've used that Dawn stuff for paint removal on small items. It's not especially a cheap paint remover, though. Very slimy and would probably be hard to neutralize in cracks and crevices.

[JerseyHarold]

I've used Easy-Off Oven Cleaner to strip paint in the past. It's basically lye and does the job. Have to clean the surface real well afterwards to get rid of residue.

[Norm's Coupe]

I would give oven cleaner a lot of respect if I were you guys. Just because it's used in a kitchen stove doesn't make it safe by any means. Example. Back in the 60's before self cleaning ovens were so common, my sister in law was cleaning her over with Easy Off. After spraying the inside of her oven, she started wiping it down. As she did that she accidentally brushed her arm against the Easy Off foam inside the oven. Got a real nice burn and still has the scars to show for it today on her arm.

[vitamindart]

now you have me thinking they paint several parts of the trucks at my work

with sherwin williams paint something with the reducer helps it lay flat (no roller marks) and the use a foam roller thats only about 1" in dia. they do this to touch up the spots they can't spray

[Plymouthy Adams]

one of the very best forgiving paints I have ever seen was Sherwin Williams...I was painting a dash in a old Ford pickup, accidentially made body contact with one end of a freshly painted area..oh well, messed up now..so I said I would at least brush it right quick with a clean soft bristle brush and put another layer on so I can at least have enough paint to sand later without having to take it down to bare metal again or disturbing the primer...shot more paint on it..by the time it was ready for a second coat, it was laying flat...second coat went on..you would never have known it had been brushed..made me a happy camper.

[Brad Lustig]

Don't forget that brake fluid is a great paint remover.