ok. i'm goign to start my sanding process and have a few questions. i have an electric random orbital sander that i plan on using. will that work ok? what grit is best to start with? my car is originally black but i'm thinking of changing the color. either yellow or charcoal. havn't decided which yet. anyone have any input for me??

Be very careful with the orbital sander - if you press too hard you can put divets or deep scratches into the fiberglass/plastic...those are a pain because then you have to use filler to fix it (i.e. it creates a lot more work!).

As far as the grit - I've started with 120 and then as you get closer to where you want to sand it down to increase the grade - usually do the final sanding with 1200 here...however someone who paints a lot may have better tricks!

Jen

I started the sand on mine with 220. That will dust up the paint enough. If you have spider cracking you may use 150, but I will warn you, on a power sander you may want to be very careful. Its real easy to sand down too much. Then work your way up to a higher grit to take the scratches out that the lower grit left. Good luck. John

This question gets asked every so often so I saved my reply on computer.The orbitil sander will work great on flat surfaces,corners should be done by hand.I used wet and dry sand paper nothing too fine and nothing too course.They will ask if you want the door jams painted $50 each, you can do that your self later,but you will want the trunk area painted (about $50 ).

Fiero Painting Prep Tips for those preping the car for painting
I had a car painted a Earl Sheib and they did a great job,I chose a nice Dodge viper red.Maco is also a good choice.They both should prep the car for you, thats sanding and primering.But I wanted to make sure it was done right so I sanded the car my self (I didn't primer though).I wanted to make sure the paint wasn't going to peel off.Get your car painted on sale because Maco charges about $550 when it's not on sale.They also charge a little extra for any body work,like cracked paint in the front nose or rear bumper and Im not talking about cracked plastic, just the paint.These hair line cracks will show up again after the car is painted so be sure to fill them your self or have them fill them, includeing any pits you may have (be sure to use the correct bondo,I think it's a flexible plastic.)As for sanding,I would do one piece at a time,(fender,hood,door) unless your energentic and want to do the whole thing in one day.Start by washing the car this will remove surface grit and will help prevent scratches.Buy some wet and dry sand paper (not too course and not too fine you want to avoid scratches) Have a bucket of soapy water(this will help prevent scratches) and a sponge handy,Cut the sand paper (or tear) into squars. Now rub two piece together to break the surface tension (this will reduce scratches, that can show up later)Dip in you bucket of soapy water and start sanding (by hand), the surface should be dull, your Not removeing the paint completely, just dulling the surface and be carefull all the body parts are plastic so dont use a sanding block because you could shave off a corner. Pay close attention to detail like nooks and cranies (the edge of the hood and were the fenders fold over the top and trunk area.) Rinse your sand paper often and hose off the paint residue,this will greately reduce scratches.When your finished wash the car again and you will may see some shiney spots that you missed sand those.You will probubly end up washing the car at least 3 times or more,you can also use an air hose to blow the dust off.Make sure you sand all the shiney spots because this will prevent what is called Fish Eye.Thats were you get a small circle due to the paint being unable to cling to the shiney area.If you want it done right do one to two body pieces a day (removal is not necessary).When you take the car in you will have your choice of paints, includeing metal flake or Peral or both. The metal flake and Peral cost extra and so does painting the door jams, but the door jams can be painted by you prior to painting the car.Be sure to get the Clear Coat and UV protection.They also charge extra to sand and repair pealing paint (Total coast Varries, I paid $280).Be sure to remove any Tar around the lower body panels.After all this is done you end up with a $2,000 paint job

[This message has been edited by James Bond 007 (edited 01-17-2005).]

I used 320 on a pneumatic DA and then hand sanded with 400. I think anything finer than 400 is overkill.

quote Originally posted by sanderson: I used 320 on a pneumatic DA and then hand sanded with 400. I think anything finer than 400 is overkill.

If there is no repair work to be done other than painting, then this is the way to go. I also use 320 DRY to scuff up the car, but I use a red 3M Scotchbrite for the edge work. It's a lot easier than using sandpaper by hand. Before you do any sanding, wash the car with Dawn dishwashing detergent. Dawn works the best for removing everything except the heaviest of tar and grease, and if you have anything like that on the car, then use wax and grease remover.

quote Originally posted by James Bond 007: Fiero Painting Prep Tips for those preping the car for painting I had a car painted a Earl Sheib and they did a great job,I chose a nice Dodge viper red.Maco is also a good choice.They both should prep the car for you, thats sanding and primering.But I wanted to make sure it was done right so I sanded the car my self (I didn't primer though).I wanted to make sure the paint wasn't going to peel off.Get your car painted on sale because Maco charges about $550 when it's not on sale.They also charge a little extra for any body work,like cracked paint in the front nose or rear bumper and Im not talking about cracked plastic, just the paint.These hair line cracks will show up again after the car is painted so be sure to fill them your self or have them fill them, includeing any pits you may have (be sure to use the correct bondo,I think it's a flexible plastic.)As for sanding,I would do one piece at a time,(fender,hood,door) unless your energentic and want to do the whole thing in one day.Start by washing the car this will remove surface grit and will help prevent scratches.Buy some wet and dry sand paper (not too course and not too fine you want to avoid scratches) Have a bucket of soapy water(this will help prevent scratches) and a sponge handy,Cut the sand paper (or tear) into squars. Now rub two piece together to break the surface tension (this will reduce scratches, that can show up later)Dip in you bucket of soapy water and start sanding (by hand), the surface should be dull, your Not removeing the paint completely, just dulling the surface and be carefull all the body parts are plastic so dont use a sanding block because you could shave off a corner. Pay close attention to detail like nooks and cranies (the edge of the hood and were the fenders fold over the top and trunk area.) Rinse your sand paper often and hose off the paint residue,this will greately reduce scratches.When your finished wash the car again and you will may see some shiney spots that you missed sand those.You will probubly end up washing the car at least 3 times or more,you can also use an air hose to blow the dust off.Make sure you sand all the shiney spots because this will prevent what is called Fish Eye.Thats were you get a small circle due to the paint being unable to cling to the shiney area.If you want it done right do one to two body pieces a day (removal is not necessary).When you take the car in you will have your choice of paints, includeing metal flake or Peral or both. The metal flake and Peral cost extra and so does painting the door jams, but the door jams can be painted by you prior to painting the car.Be sure to get the Clear Coat and UV protection.They also charge extra to sand and repair pealing paint (Total coast Varries, I paid $280).Be sure to remove any Tar around the lower body panels.After all this is done you end up with a $2,000 paint job

Earl Sheib is a quick spray/cover everything place. They can do decent work, but warn people that this is not a high quality place to go. MAACO varies place to place. Check out the finished paint jobs these places do before committing to them.

Spider cracks in the paint on the bumper covers need to be removed...not covered with bondo. Cracked paint is damaged paint and that paint needs to be removed. Anything else is wrong.

Hand sanding takes a lot of time. If you are going to prep the entire car, try to use a D/A, and an air operated one at that. I don't recommend the electric ones as you cannot control the speed of the sanding action, and when you get onto curved surfaces you cannot slow down the sander and you'll burn through the paint very easy. If you can slow the D/A, then you can safely sand the entire car except the edges, which you can then use the Scotchbrite. 320 DRY on the D/A....nothing harsher or finer. If you use a finer grit, your new paint won't stick and it'll flake off.

By the way, Fish Eye is caused by impurities in the spraying process, such as oil or silicon in the air or on the car.....not 'shiny spots'. When prepping a car, oil from your hands can leave residue on the surface and mess up your paint job, along with other chemicals near the car. Do not have any oil or petroleum based products near the car, including things like WD-40, any lube-spray or container, or other automotive chemicals like brake or power steering fliuds. You need a clean environment.

Mark

[This message has been edited by Firefox (edited 01-17-2005).]

If you demand high quality and are a profectionist be prepaired that a pro paint job will run $2,500 to $5,000.Ask to see a car thats been painted by your local paint shop to give you an idea of the painters skill and quality.

I do the same as Sanderson and Mark. If its in decent shape, hand sand with 400, go over flat areas like hood, roof, doors with 320 on DA, then just paint. If you need to primer it, ill DA with 180, prime and sand that with 400. On really bad paint, i strip it off with 80 on DA, then go over with 180 and prime. Urathane clearcoats easily cover 320 DA and 400 scratches, so like said already anything finer is a waste of effort and may actually be detrimental. I also go over everything to get into every corner I can with maroon scotchbrite pad. If you paint is generally in excellent condition, all you need to do it scotchbrite it, then spray paint. I used to wetsand and polish with 600, so prepping is nearly like doing nothing to the surface if you sand it with finer than that.

thanks everyone. there is alot of good information here. much appreceiated. i should have mentioned that i'm going to paint the car myself. i've never done it before but a friend of mine has and is going to help me. i also have all of the body panels off my car and i want to sand them and paint them befor i put them back on. i assume the sanding info holds true still? i know i'll have to be extremely careful because as individusl pieces, they aren't as sturdy. what about color change though? do i have to go down to the primer coat? or can i just sand down my black color coat, reprime and apply the new color?

quote Originally posted by shawnkfl: .....what about color change though? do i have to go down to the primer coat? or can i just sand down my black color coat, reprime and apply the new color?

If you have good paint on the panels, meaning that the paint isn't cracked or flaking off and is adhering well, then you just need to scuff the old paint and spray your new color over the black. New paint holds better to good old paint better than new paint holds to primer.

Mark

[This message has been edited by Firefox (edited 01-18-2005).]

So to do the prep work prior to priming use which one 180 or 320 on a DA ??

pc

Like pointed out, if your old paint is in decent shape, just scotchbrite, or DA with 320, or handsand with 400 are all fine. You dont need 180 or anything that rough unless you need to strip something like scrapes, chips, peeling paint. Anywhere you sand with 180 has to be primered, then the primer sanded with 400. If you do the whole car with only 400, scotchbrite, 320 w/ DA, you dont need any primer at all. The new paint will bond to the old paint better than to the primer. *note...after years of owning my own shop I will tell you primer will go into places paint will never go, so I use it pretty sparingly, except for over really bad surfaces or body work.

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: .... If you do the whole car with only 400, scotchbrite, 320 w/ DA, you dont need any primer at all. The new paint will bond to the old paint better than to the primer......

Yup.

that's cool then. my paint is in good condition except for the top roof, decklid and hood. those got oxidized but the paint isn't chipping off or cracked. so, i'll look for a scotchbrite that will go on my orbital sander and go to town!! i was under the impression that a primer coat had to somewhat match the color coat. ie...dark colors get a dark primer, light colors get a light primer....thanks everyone. this makes my painting MUCH easier

quote Originally posted by shawnkfl: that's cool then. my paint is in good condition except for the top roof, decklid and hood. those got oxidized but the paint isn't chipping off or cracked. so, i'll look for a scotchbrite that will go on my orbital sander and go to town!! i was under the impression that a primer coat had to somewhat match the color coat. ie...dark colors get a dark primer, light colors get a light primer....thanks everyone. this makes my painting MUCH easier

I didn't feel like reading the whole thing, but I saw that roger has already been here, so I will take his word on him saying good advice ... When your looking for a scotchbrite, make sure you get the silver, which aren't as harsh.. the red pads are for use for like under hoods etc, that aren't inspected thoughly. The red ones will scratch it too hard, similar to what steel wool will do to a finish. I didn't think they made scotchbrites for orbitals? Why wouldn't you do it by hand.. Then you know exactly what your doing, plus you can get into all the corners and cracks that sandpaper wouldn't be able to easily. Where did you get the impression that dark primers for dark colors etc doesn't really matter.. It doesn't make that big of a difference, but the paint may come out lighter if you use a lighter primer.. or darker if darker etc. Have fun with the painting!

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