i was wondering, since i am about to change my color to white, i dont want the paint place to skimp out on the body work, so i want to sand down to primer myself. if i also put white primer over the ori. primer, do you think the white primer can be compatible with the paint that the paint place uses (Frost White). i know thrs an oil base and water base and they cant be combined or something...

but i already took off the moldings, primered the front bumper, shaved embelms and im deciding on sanding the whole car down to primer, removing license plates (so they can spray under there). Anything else i should do for preparation work?

 

You can use the white primer. Should be ok. Also if you want a good job prep the car yourself and send it to them ready to paint.

 

First off...you don't need to sand all the way down to the primer. Take some 320 grit sand paper and just sand until it's not shiny any more. All you have to do is go past the Clear Coat.

It doesn't matter what color primer you use b/c paint is sprayed on pretty thick...so it covers up the primer anyways.

And regarding you removing the license plates...how many do you have? lol, jp.

Also, if you're paying decent money...the body shop won't skimp out on any of the body work, especially if you tell them ahead of time that you want all the little dings taken care of.

Hope this helps a little. I work at a body shop so I know what goes on. I do all the sanding and prepping so it's safe to say that I semi-know what I'm talking about. Hope it turns out great and post pics when it's all finished.

 

thx for the replies, the problem is the paint job is hella cheap (yes i know...flame all u want) and my friend told me that if i have the original color underneath, if i get a rock chip then the original color might show thru.

my friend has a random orbital sander also, i hope i can borrow that from him also.

i only have two, and i already removed my front one, sitting in front windshield right now.

 

Nah...a rock chip isn't going to take out 3-4 coats of Clear AND 3-4 coats of Paint. Unless the rock is the size of a baseball...but then you have other worries.

 

i dont think the maaco like paint job is going to be 3-4 coats of paint and 3-4 of clear.... h:

 

just b/c it's Maaco cheap doesn't mean it's going to be a Maaco job. Some people get good paint jobs for cheap...unless he knows it's gonna be a shitty job. But even then...to get the paint to look half-way decent..you still need about 2-3 coats for each. And a rock chip won't take that much off.

 

it depends what lvl i get, they have a pro 3 stage

Earl Scheib's Pro 3 Package
This top of the line package includes a six year warranty. At $499.95 it includes:
Chemically clean & dewax
Dual-action sanding for adhesion
Careful masking & taping
Air-blown dust removal
Tack cloth cleaning
Paint coats #1 and #2
Masking & tape removal
Final cleaning
Many additional colors
Paint coat #3 (base coat) for a uniform finish
Infrared Quartz Finish drying
Bumper & Tire Conditioner
Additional sanding & preparation for adhesion
Integrated clear coat
"Starfire Colors"
Extra final cleaning
Our BEST Warranty . . (6 yrs)

but i have a coupon for 360 and it also includes Ultraviolet (UV) Sunscreen, Euro Clear Supergloss (paint coat #4) and some other bullshit. engine bay will be painted when i get my engine swap, door jams are 50 bux each!

All materials and workmanship are warrantied for 90 full days. Paint is warrantied against fading or loss of gloss, peeling, chalking, cracking and wrinkling for 1, 3 or 6 full years (depending on the paint job you choose).

i was also wondering, i want to repaint my moldings, so if i get the duplicolor door, trim, molding paint and also paint w/ clear coat. i dont have to worry about any fading? thus not having to use vinyl, rubber protectant on it correct?

 

I don't know man...$500.00 for an All-Over paint Job Changing Colors is really fishy. Where I work, we charge around $2,000 when changing colors. We guarantee the paint for at least 10 years. And all that stuff you listed is what all body shops do. It's just technical mumbo-jumbo.

Real Person's terms:

1. Sand it
2. Blow off dust
3. Tape and Mask it
4. Wipe down with cleaning solution
5. Use tack rag to get off final dust/dirt
6. Spray Sealer (2-4 coats)((if needed))
7. Spray Paint (1-??? coats)
8. Spray Clear (1-??? coats)
9. Bake the paint onto the car in the spray booth for atleast 30 minutes to an hour.
10. Untape/Unmask
11. Clean off any overspray
12. Take your money

 

lol, the paint place is only 6 miles from me, so i can go check them out. but its only 4 coats, THE MOST. they can complete it within a day also, drop off at 8am, pik up around 5pm.