Pontiac Sunbird Progress

[Boomyal]

After a mechanical interuption (replacing head gasket) progess on the little bird has resumed. It has been fun, for an autobody novice, to get it to this point. All of the parts are original except the white junk yard fender($27.00) and the left front sealed beam. <br /><br />All of the difficult, rhino hide tough, horizontal surfaces have been ground down to primer or bare metal. You wouldn't think that, old hazed, cracked paint would be so tough to sand off. I also found that flat sheetmetal surfaces are really not flat and that random orbital sanders do a much quicker and more even job than plain orbital sanders.<br /><br />Next, comes the final sanding off of the, relatively intact, vertical paint surfaces. As this paint is smooth and not hazed/cracked down to the primer, it should go quicker and easier.<br /><br />Monday, I should receive my new HVLP spray gun and thanks to advice from WingerEd, I've procured the economical base coat/clear coat paint. If I am successful in applying the paint, it should look better than new. During my search for the paint I found out that the car was originally painted with a single stage metalic paint, not using a clear coat.<br /><br />I've also decided to paint the polyureathane front and rear bumper assemblies off of the car. They will be easier to sand, mask and spray, set up on supports. It will also make it easier to mask off the parts of the car that I want to keep overspray off of. (any comments here are welcome)<br /><br />I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope to quickly get back to my boat floor restoration/motor upgrade project.<br /><br />

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[Stratosfied]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Looks like your doing it right!!!Good Job!!

 

[JB]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

To non-Boating Tech.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

All you'll need is 20 inch spinner rims, airbags, 10 LCD monitors with video games, DVD, GPS, BFD, stereo, all of the jazz. It could be something straight out of "P1mp My Ride" on MTV....

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Originally posted by JasonJ:<br /> All you'll need is 20 inch spinner rims, airbags, 10 LCD monitors with video games, DVD, GPS, BFD, stereo, all of the jazz. It could be something straight out of "P1mp My Ride" on MTV....

Aaaaaaa, young son will have to wait for those accoutrements. In other words, not while he's under this roof.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Does the 'Bird have the 1.8 or the 2.0 engine in her?<br /><br />Will make a nice ride for the young buck!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Originally posted by aspeck:<br /> Does the 'Bird have the 1.8 or the 2.0 engine in her?<br /><br />Will make a nice ride for the young buck!

Yeah, aspek, it drives real nice for an econobox and it has a clean and complete interior. Also no bells and whistles to break down. Power steering and a CD player. That's all he needs.<br /><br />It has the 2.0 overhead cam engine in it.<br /><br />We are in the final stage of sanding. Tonight, mama's car gets parked outside and the bird goes under the roof til it gets painted. Hopefully this saturday. Wish me luck. Three rapid, consecutive applications. Sealer, base coat and clearcoat. No time in between for a brewskie.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Boomyal maybe one of the real painters here can correct me if I am wrong. We always do a wet sand with 800 after the sealer. The sealer will have a rough finish to it and will need to be smoothed down some. One mor tip- cheap laquer thinner can be used to wipe the car down before painting to keep all of the oil off of the surface. The blue (paper) towels work the best for this. Even the oil from your hands will make orange peel in the surface so be sure and wipe it down good.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Real painter here:<br /><br />What kind of paint did you decide on? Most sealers are of the NON SANDING variety. And most base coats will require a waiting time before the clear is applied, usually dry to the touch. Time for a brewski. Last, do NOT USE LAQUER thinner for the final wipe, as it evaporats too fast and will leave streaks, Wax and grease remover is designed for this. One rag wet with remover and one dry to wipe, do small areas at a time, change the dry rag for the wet, wet the dry rag and get a new dry one and do another spot. This step is VERY important. Then before painting use a tack rag just before painting. DO NOT push on the tack rag, basically just lightly drag it across the surface. unfold it first and wad it up and then kind of losen it up a little before wiping. If you push too hard it will transfer the wax to the car and you do not want this to happen. When you feel the tack rag you will know what I mean buy wax.<br /><br />Good Luck.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Hey KB and LD, thanks for the input. This is definitely a learning process. One is to learn what to do and the other is to learn how to do it.<br /><br />It was my understanding that the sealer for basecoat/clear coat was of the non sanding variety. If you wanted to sand after the primer one should use a sanding primer b4 the sealer. I was also told that 400 grit was a good final sand as it gave good adhesion and good color/metalic dispersal. It was also my understanding that you only wanted to let each successive coat (sealer, color, clear) tack b4 you applied the next coat. Sometimes I am not confident on the info I get from the supplier. <br /><br />L'dude, are you saying to wait ??? how long after the color coat b4 you apply the clear???<br /><br />Also thanks for the wipe down info. I was going to wash the car, after the final sanding, a day b4 I started to paint. I don't think I should have to use the degreaser/wax remover but the tack rag is a good idea.<br /><br />KB, what happened to your Avatar?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

If you just wash, use some powdered Tide or something similar, make a paste out of it and wash with a scuff pad and make sure you rinse it really well. Wear rubber gloves. Ive done this on a real quick paint job one time and never sanded it. I saw the car a couple of years later and it didnt have a pealed spot on it. It was my brother-in-laws car and he wanted a cheap paint job.<br /><br />You didnt mention what type paint yet, If it is acrylic enamel your clear will melt the metalic and cause metalic sags if you do not waite long enough, I would wait a half hour. If it is a urethane, you just need to wait untill you can touch it on the paper without it sticking to your finger, and then clear coat it.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

LD is giving you some good advice here. Follow it and the 'Bird should look good!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Originally posted by LubeDude:<br /> You didnt mention what type paint yet, If it is acrylic enamel your clear will melt the metalic and cause metalic sags if you do not waite long enough, I would wait a half hour. If it is a urethane, you just need to wait untill you can touch it on the paper without it sticking to your finger, and then clear coat it.

Good question Lubedude. I wasn't aware that there were different types of basecoat/clearcoat paints. I will find out today and follow your recommendations when I spray. When you say "touch it on the paper" I assume you mean the masking paper?<br /><br />What color scuff pad would you recommend. I know that the color determines the level of abrasiveness. I will have final sanded with 400 grit and would not want the scuff pad to be any courser.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Yes, Masking paper, and I would think Green on the pad. I however used the red on the brothinlaws truck.<br /><br />If you havnt bought the paint yet, use Urethane. They should have an economy version. You are still going to be in the several hundred dollar range.<br /><br />Unless you are just wanting to do it youself, which is a good thing, You might see if you have a local Mako type shop near by. I know they are looked at as pore quality, but when you do all the prep and bodywork youself, they can actually put on a pretty good paint job for the price you may have to pay for the materials. My son and I have done this on several ocations with great results. We have been able to get them to put extra clear on because we did the prep work and later lightly wet sanded and buffed the car and it looked like a $2,000.00 paint job. I saw an add the other day for a paint job for $250.00 and I doubt you can buy the paint materials for that. It sure would be good enough for that car.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Lubedude, I had my daughters VW Fox painted by Macco. The red paint was totally dead. I got the $500.00 job with a single stage polyurethane solid color. I stripped as much off of the car as I could but let them do the sanding and masking. It came out pretty good. I would have done a better masking job in some areas.<br /><br />This project is for a 'high school' auto shop class for my home schooled almost 17 y/o, so we are going to do it all by ourselves. It will give him a great introduction to mechanical and minor body work so he would be able to do whatever he wanted, if the occasion presented itself in his future. He has been attending community college, full time in his 11th grade year and will do the same for his senior year.<br /><br />I also just received a new HVLP gun this week so I'm kinda committed, all around, to doing it ourselves.<br /><br />As far as the paint, i'll find out the type, but I do know that we will be using the 2nd line paint for this car. I think it's called Crossfire. The car doesn't warrant the hi test stuff.<br /><br />I think your tips on 'cleaning' b4 painting are going to be a real important step in this process for a good job. Thanks

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

I just knew LD would blow me to pieces. Sorry for the misinformation, I guess I haven't run across any of the non sanding sealers yet. I have seen several that claim to be but still needed a little touch up on a few areas. For the final wipe we have always used the laquer thinner, never streaked at all. I guess thats not saying it won't but it hasn't. <br /><br />Hey LD, I'll agree to one thing without question and thats the green scuff pads. If we are doing latemodel work with 1-2 year old paint we will scuff the clear with it. We (for whatever its worth) will scuff till all of the gloss is gone. Then its wipe down time and start taping flames or whatever design the people want. After its all taped up we do a final wipe down and start shooting.<br /><br />Ill try and find some pictures of the work and get them up here in a new thread.<br /><br />I tried to put a new avatar in and it was too big and wouldn't resize correctly so I just killed it.<br /><br /><br />As LD (my buddy to who I look up to for car questions) says Answers given to paint related questions are an opinion only, as I have no profesional background in painting, but he does and I respect that, but I know a thing or two about painting. Sorry buddy, couldn't resist

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Kennith Brown:<br /><br />I saw the picture of the bikes and flames, looks like you are doing something right. I never mean to put anyone down, (well sometimes), but not in your case. Just speaking from experience as usual. Definatly wasnt ment to :Blow your information out of the water". You really didnt give any BAD info.<br /><br />Its late, gotta go to bed. See ya all tomorrow.<br /><br />Oh, Im KRYLON Spray paint Certified, Ill have to fill ya in on that one someday.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

OK LD, I didn't figure you did. I knew you had painted for a living so I figured you could clean up any mistakes I may have said, I just didn't expect to hear so many. No harm done. I'd like to hear about that Krylon sometime, I used to be pretty good with a can myself. Keywords there are used too, not worth a flip anymore.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

When I was working for a dealership, (Chevy), A long time ago, The Dealership was big about having our certificates of acheivement hanging on the walls in the office, Seems we were allways taking tests for one thing or anoth. I was spraying some semi gloss black under a car covering up some overspray one day when the wash boy came over and asked me if I was Krylon certified? We had a good laugh about it, so that night I made up a certification and framed it, and made a little sticker I could stick on my shirt. When I went to work the next day I hung the certificate on the wall. and wore the badge nearly all day before he finally saw it. I then told him to go in the office and look at the real certificate. Funny thing, the management left it there untill I left. I guess several people had a good laugh about it.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pontiac Sunbird Progress

Good story LubeDude. I hope I'm not going to wish I was Krylon certified, come tomorrow. For better or for worse tomorrow is P-day.<br /><br />

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