Grr

iTrader: (2)

I am beginning to prep the car for paint and I have a couple specific questions regarding the best material to use. I knocked the top of the 1/4s down with some 80 grit and a flat board tonight, and need advice for the rest of the car. I will be starting with a black epoxy sealer and following with silver metallic base/clear


1. What is recommended to prep my new plastic fenders and bumper covers as far as grit. What to start with and what to end with that wont show through. These are brand new raw plastic and I dont want to use too aggressive of a base that will cause problems later

2. Doors. These need the paint removed and then prepped for the base.

3. Prep for applying filler and finishing the filler. I have a number of small dings quarter sized or less, I brought them up some from the backside but feel going further will make it worse. I assume 80 grit to prep the metal before application, but what to finish the top side with for the sealer?

Thanks all that help, been learing alot on this project!
Gary

HAte

how crazy are you going?

if your going to go a epoxy primer route, i think maybe i would strip the car to bare metal, then apply th epoxy primer..

then in any spot of filler needed you can rough the spot up with 180 doing your body work on top of the epoxy..

for a niceeee finish on the car and since youve gone this far, use a high build primer on the whole car, block out to 400, then you can clear seal and paint.. if you can also prime and block the car twice for a lazer straight finish using guide coats when blocking.

as for the bumpers, if they are new and they are primed you can red scuff pad then clear seal them, or even epoxy then base then clear.

if they dont come primed you will need to red scuff, then spray plastic adhesion promoter on them then you can continue with the steps above

HAte

or you could even strip the car, shoot epoxy, then shoot a nice healthy coat of 2k primer, then sand out with a guide coat and do your body work over the 2k since it will be easier to see, then after your filler is finished to like 220 or so prime and block 1 or 2 or 3 times, as many times as you desire

ReggieWarrenJr

iTrader: (11)

If you sanded with 80 to bare metal, it is best to use a polyester high build primer that is also a etching primer, Block that with 180 then hit it with a urethane primer, sand that with 400, then seal and paint.

ReggieWarrenJr

iTrader: (11)

if the fenders are "GM" then they should be ready to seal and paint, just sand them down with 400, use a plastic adhesion promotor then seal and paint. If the plastic is getting furry when sanding it just buy some 400 grit wet sand paper and wet sand them, that will take the fuzzies away.

Grr

iTrader: (2)

well I plan on stripping the painted areas to bare metal where I can find it. It definately needs some high build primer to smooth everything out though. There are a couple small areas I will need to glaze to fill before the primer as that wont be enough. Also the plastics are new non-Gm, they are black with no coating.

Thanks for the advise so far

ReggieWarrenJr

iTrader: (11)

Well since the panels are brand new they should need little to no body work. Just "wet" sand them down using 400 grit or you can scotchbrite them with the grey scotchbrite pad. Then since they are bare plastic just use a Plastic Adhesion Promotor, then seal paint and clear.

Grr

iTrader: (2)

thanks, I think the scotchbrite will be the easiest way to go in that case. Ill go get some material this week and see how it turns out

Grr

iTrader: (2)

went to town with a flat board and a bunch of 80 grit today. This is my 5th ltx/lsx f-body and I have always been disgusted by how wavy the panels are from the factory, holy crap they are bad.