GTSilver944

I'm painting my 944 GT Silber. I've had the car ready to paint for some time now, but I've been kind of lazy. Now that it's summer I have all the time I need to finish. I'm hoping to get it done in the next couple of weeks for an upcoming pca autocross in my region. I jut did my first autox last weekend in my dad's passat. It was glorious, best inspiration ever to finish the 944.

My car had the clear coat seperation problem that many silver 944s have. I sanded that down to the original primer, primed, and sanded again to level it. All the prep work is done. The car now is about 30% GT Silber, as I'm doing it piece by piece. I took it apart last August and haven't driven it more than around the driveway since. Its great to finally be finishing.

I took off the door molding, stone gaurds, and textured bit that is on the bottom four inches of the car.

Here are some before photos. I'll add after photos of what I have done so far tomorrow, as the garage is far too toxic with fumes to take pictures at the moment.

GTSilver944

Oh, the rims are not black anymore. They are just clearcoated, but I am considering making them black again or to match the body color. The car was originally sapphire silver.

944kid

Far too toxic? Man up, put some fans in there, and get your lilly **** to work at the helm of your camera!

lol, j/k...but seriously, I can't wait to see pics!

944kid

BTW, the "textured bit" is the anti-corrosion coating (plastic/rubberized/tar junk).

GTSilver944

Actually, the texturized bit has etching primer underneath, with textured plastic stuff on top to hide rock chips. I don't really have to worry about messing up the anticorrosion part because I'm using PPG's best epoxy primer that appearantly kills rust.

The garage paint booth is made of plastic sheets, rope, and tape that can be raised to paint and lowered so the garage door can go up and down. I put in two fans with filters, one blows in and the other out, but my "lilly ****" still does not want go to the hospital and have dialosis as my kidneys shut down from the isocyanides in the primer/clear hardeners.

Are there any other 944s in this color? The parts in the photos have not been color sanded or polished/waxed yet, so any runs in the clear will be magically disappear with some 2500 grit after they have a week to harden. This is my first time painting a car myself and its coming out very well so far (I had to redo some of the first parts I did, but I have the whole process down now.)

I'll take more pictures of the parts outside as I do more this week. The pictures from inside are poorly lit and don't show how amazing the color is.

GTSilver944

I'm using PPG DBC and DCU clear, not Glasurit but it's still a very good quality paint (PPG's best line of paint ).

Wow, you can hardly tell that the back of the car has clear on it. I'll take better pictures outside in the sunlight tomorrow.

Zporsche944

mmm orange peal... your going to want to start with 1000 grit till its gone then to 1500, then if you want 2000 but I ussally start buffing after 1500...
Oh and PPG is pretty cheap for paint... Valpar is freaking expensive AKA House of Kolor

GTSilver944

Yes, as mentioned before, the parts have not been sanded yet. The paint was by no means inexpensive, $92 quart for color. HOK seems a bit too flashy for me, looks good on motorcycles, not cars. I think I got the right paint for my budget/skill level.

Zporsche944

yeh I just used PPG on my 99 sunfire that I bought rode off for 500 bucks its very good paint, and cheap I was going to spray my 944 with HOK but PPG is easyer to spray... what kind of gun did you use? and what air pressure did you spray at, looks like you didnt spray at a high enough air pressure for your clear or the tip was to big and you laid it on too thick, causing the orange peel... I like to use 50PSI and a 1.2mm tip

GTSilver944

I used a primer gun, high velocity low pressure, at 10-12 psi. I'm not really worried at the moment about orange peel. I sanded one of the mirrors with orange peel and it came out fine. The car looked horrible before, so anything is an improvement. I'm more concerned with just finishing and getting the car back together.

944kid

Besides, GTSilver -orange peel is sort of like a "factory touch," if you will.

Zporsche944

maybe sell it to some moron as a crazy custom textured painted PORSCHE...
12psi?? at the cap? cuz thats way to low at the inlet...thats a pretty good job for a primer gun at 12psi congrats I am amazed...

Andy1212

Ahem... buzzkill...

GTSilver944

The headlight cover was one of the first pieces I did. At either too low pressure or too wet for the primer and base, which is why it looks slightly textured.

I believe that 12-14psi, according to the gauge right before the gun, is about right for the HVLP gun. I'm borrowing it from a friend who restores motorcycles. From what he told me, I'm running it at the right pressure. I've seen other work he has done with the same gun, so any mistakes are completly my fault, not the gun's.

xsboost90

all hvlp guns ive ever used run at 35-40 psi at the gauge on the gun. That light cover looks like it was sprayed very dry- like the pressure was too low.