Tedro951

I see. If the clear isn't adhering, it can be removed with 320 wet on a rubber block. Hell, if its that bad, try a blow gun and 150psi. It may come off and fall like snow, but I doubt it. Either way, a body shop will probably want to strip the whole car if they aren't sure of the stability of the paint. If you decide to try to "smooth it out", it doesn't sound like you'll hurt anything, but don't expect good results. The clear gives UV and chemical protection to the basecoat. If you somehow managed to pull off a miracle and remove the clear, without removing the base, it wouldn't shine long.

joe_951Turbo

Ted, thanks for all the input. I've been searching all through Rennlist to gain some insight on trying to fix up the paint, plus hitting the net. What I've noticed is that folks don't really convey that the difference between the clear coat and the base coat is that its extremely thin and if you attempt to fix the clear coat you can do more damage by taking it off and possibly taking off the base coat and going to the primer. When I look at the paint job and see the clear coat coming off, it appears to be thick, but in reality its quite thin. It only appears to be thick since it starting to come off of the base coat. You might be able to stick your nail under it and flick it off, but its a result of (i guess) oxidation, heat and sunlight.

gruhsy

Something you might want to consider is cleaning the paint in your engine bay with the same cleaner I used in my engine bay. I have pics posted under my "Finally finished cleaning the engine bay post"

I have about 20 different cleaners on the shelf, I steam cleaned, washed, degreased etc etc etc. The product that worked the best by far was the Zymol engine cleaner.
You dab a little on a clean rag and just start wiping down the engine bay. Mine went from dull to nice and shinny clean. The zymol was the only product to achieve the results that I wanted everything else did not cut it. The steam cleaning help with the grease but not the oxidation or dirt.

As far as painting you might consider a very good air brush from a hobby shop like a Badger. That is the type I have.

You can do a much cleaner job and take your time.

I have been painting our weapons systems at work for the last 2 years and have learned quite a bit. Cleaning, prepping, tidy masking and a good clean painting area make the difference between a good paint job and a bad one.

I am painting Mil-spec polyurethane aircraft paint which is a different animal to spray but still everything you do before spraying makes a huge difference.
I'm using Devilbiss guns but I'm not the biggest fan of them. Some of the guns out there are up to several thousand dollars. Mine are about a 1000.00 a piece.
Not the biggest fan of painting since I am kinda wasting my education but I want to get good enough with practice to paint my muscle cars and other toys.

Good luck,
Jason

Tedro951

I think your best bet is to clean as Jason describes, scuff and paint the underhood, then regroup for any exterior work. Its kind of like a 20 inch pizza. One guy can eat it, but one piece at a time is much easier.

joe_951Turbo

So I guess I'm down to stripping the paint to the metal. I might as pay out some cash for some equipment because I have 3 of them that need some type of painting to some degree. Any body have any website that they like to get all the stuff: paint, guns, sand paper, DA or polisher that they really like?

ehall

Eastwood has all you need.

Tedro951

Ditto on eastwood, but check out smartshoppersinc. They ship same day and are hard to beat on most items.

DanR

tcpglobal.com

Euro951

You should take a picture of your current paint condition for better solutions

joe_951Turbo

Ok. here's some shots of the the sunroof, around the gas tank lid and rear bumper. I tried to show some of the orange peel on the hood but I couldn't get a decent picture of it. You can still see it in all the pics. Looks like I have a boatload of work to do, but I have the time and money to spend on it. I just need the guidance to get it done right.
Thanks!

https://rennlist.com/forums/members/...ture7067-a.jpg

https://rennlist.com/forums/members/...ture7066-a.jpg

https://rennlist.com/forums/members/...ture7065-a.jpg

https://rennlist.com/forums/members/...ture7064-a.jpg

DrZ1

Thanks Jason,

I think this is the route I will try. Any special type of air brush, that will allow the use of base and clear. I have some base left over, just need to pick up some clear.

I guess, I will start w/ the zymol engine clean, then prep and spray the areas needing attention.

Steve

Tedro951

The exterior is going to be a pretty big job for a DIY'r. Like I said, spruce up the underhood, then reevaluate your skills, time, and equipment before tackling that paint. Lots of info on the web, but "stripping" should be the search that gets you started.

DrZ1

I agree, I have no interest in painting the exterior. I will have a professional do it. But, I would like to have a small air brush to touch up some spots after trying the Zymol engine cleaner.

I was curious if I would be able to spray both the base and clear through a small tip?

Steve

gruhsy

I have a "Badger" air brush and compressor. Not sure what tips a good paint shop should be able to tell you if you can spray. You will need a different tip for the base and clear.

Jason

DrZ1

Picked up my old paint from my last project yesterday. Then went to the paint shop that mixed it. Talked to them a bit and decided to just respray the whole bay. He said w/ my car being metallic rather then a soild color it will come out spotty.

He gave me a few pointers, and mixed up something that I can spray down first to help blend, before the base coat. I will just tape and Aluminum foil, what I am not going to paint.

If I can finish my compressor rebuild and get it wired up, I will try for next weekend if weather permits.

Thanks for all the advice. I will update as I get to painting.

Steve