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Progress on the $40 Paint Job

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martx-5

martx-5

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Awhile back, I ran into some stuff on the internet about a $40 paint job. The original guy that started this was using Rust-O-Leum. A guy from Australia tried it, and decided that the paint he got (it wasn't Rust-O-Leum) had problems with fading. He redid the car (Miata) with Brightside, which is a Marine paint made for topside use. Very UV resistant. I got intrigued, and decided to go with this stuff. Look a page two of the link to see his results.

After messing with this stuff for the last week, I decided that using a foam roller was NOT the way to go. It left too many bubbles in the paint that mimicked ORANGE PEEL...just what I was trying to stay away from. I wound up using a foam BRUSH. With the Brightside paint and their brushing thinner, this stuff lays flat as glass.

I'm about 3/4 of the way done with the car, and I like the results. It's alot of work, but it's starting to pay off. Of course, this $40 paint job has esculated to about $150, what with the cost of the paint all of the sandpaper, polishing compounds etc.

The pics below are shown with just a quick polish after a 2000 grit sanding. I'm going to wait about a month for the paint to harden up before I get serious.

EDIT: How come two of the pics wound up in the trhread and the other three have a link attched to them?? Is it because those two were cropped??
 
Those look fantastic !!!

If I didn't know you better, I would sear that you were joking about this. I hope that you're taking step by step photos for the new wiki knowledge base.

Definitely keep more progress info coming as you move forward.
 
John just asked me about that? What do you mean? I uploaded a new one that should look like this:

That's what shows in my profile???
 
I forgot to ask, how many coats did you apply? What about drying time in between coats?

Also does my avatar look like the attachment in the previous post? On my computer it does.

Thanks,
 
I'm putting three coats on all the panels. The drying time between coats is a real killer...about 16 hours. That means I've got to find room in the basement to lay the panels out while they dry so I can work on another one. This kind of work is great if you're working a little each evening. Paint up a couple of panels, and then the next night sand and put on another coat. Clean-up is easy...chuck the brush and put the top back on the can of paint. The smell is nowhere near what you get when spraying. It's just a faint aroma when I go downstairs to check things out. Another advantage is that there is NO wasted paint like you get when spraying. I should be able to wrap this up with two quarts of paint...three coats on everything except the interior panels which will only see two coats.
 
Art,

Looking good. As you know, I'm using the Rustoleum Pro and I got the orange peel effect at the beginning, which I was wet-sanding out OK . I went back to the Mopar thread and saw that one guy follows up the roller with a clean foam brush drawn very lightly over the surface. I tried it and it works great; very smooth, no orange peel.

Of the parts that unbolt and go to the basement, I am now on the 4th fender and drivers door; passenger door, trunk lid and hood to go. Now the weather has warmed up I am back in the garage and prepped the rear end this weekend; I will be painting it this week. Should go quicker (work permitting), now that I can do things in 2 areas at a time.
 
Paul- On my computer it looks like this

PaulsAvatar.jpg
 
Brosky said:
Art,

Are you sanding between coats as well?
Click to expand...

Yes, I wet sand between coats with 1000 grit. There are always some small runs that occur. I think it's because of the brush flowing thinner that I'm using. It allows the paint to flatten like glass, but it also allows some running wherever the panel heads downward while drying. If I'm careful with the application, I can keep the running pretty much in check. Each coat goes on better then the last one. By the third coat, runs are pretty much non-existant and I can then hit it with the 2000 grit and polish.
 
Paul, that looks a LOT like my wife in that TR6 with you!!! I can't say I blame her though. You really ARE a handsome devil!
 
John,

I'm seeing my avatar (distorted) in your posts and seeing mine (correctly) in my posts., but you and the others are seeing your avatar in mine.

I'll forward this thread to Basil and see what he can do with it.

Sorry and thanks for telling me,
 
I am seeing a yellow TR6 (same image) in both your avatars? So who actually owns that Yellow TR? The other person should try uploading your avatar again.

Basil
 
Thanks Basil. I'll PM John as he is off line at this time.
 
I said I was sorry and that time I actually meant it!!

Just for that, next time I won't mean it!
 
Art
well done. 10 points for courage. As Paul suggests, can you document it in detail?
Regards
Craig
 
WOW that does look to good to be true, can you try document your progress on a website? What kind of car do you have?
 
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