Painting over factory paint

[Rick G.]

Ok guys I have read many of the posts pertaining to this but I still have a few questions. I'm going to use a gold base and dark red Kandy. First, all the sheet metal is in excellent condition except for a small 2" x 1/8" crease in the top of the tank(did not affect the paint at all) and the tank has a factory decal on each side under the clear. Can I remove the decals by sanding and removing, then wet sand the whole tank with say 600, apply an epoxy sealer, then filler in the crease, sand and block the filler, then use a primer/surfacer then the candy gold base over that? On the fenders with no filler required just wet sand the clear with 600 and apply epoxy sealer then what, primer and gold base or go direct to gold base. The main thing is I don't want to have to strip the tank to bare metal if not necessary.
One last question. How difficult is it to spray Kandy? I've seen Scott talk about "streaking" which causes light and dark areas? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TAZ]

Hello Rick,
Repair the area on the tank. Also strip the decals from under the clear. We use a razor blade to do this. Then you will need to feather out the areas with 180 grit. Spry epoxy primer on these areas.

Block the primed areas with 320, Sand all three parts with 360.

Get ready to spray. Tack off all areas, spray your sealer (medium gray suggested). Spray your gold. Then spray the candy color over the gray.

Candy is one of the hardest paints you can spray, and get correct. You definitely should have quite a few paint jobs under your belt before trying a candy job.

Good luck to you.
Scott

 

[Rick G.]

Thanks Scott for the help. I still am a little unclear on when to apply the filler. I would assume i can't apply it over the factory paint even with roughing it up. Should I spray the epoxy primer over the factory paint in that area then do the fill work and spray the sealer afterwards?
I've seen I think where you recommend a 3M filler in a tube as opposed to the can variety. Is that correct? Do you use a putty to fill any pin holes in the filler?
Since the Kandys are so difficult to work with would you advise me to stick to a basecoat clearcoat system? How about using pearls for flames? Are they just as difficult to use?
Thanks,
Rick

 

[Rick G.]

I just read your advise that the House of Kolor Kandy Basecoat will give a similar affect to the straight Kandy but is easier to apply and comes in all the same colors. If I use the Brandywine Kandy Basecoat will it look as deep as the real Kandy? Would I still use a gold base under the Kandy Basecoat? If not would I spray the Kandy Basecoat, then clear, then the flames, then more clear? For the low cost of the Kandy Basecoat I can at least experiment.
Thanks
Rick

 

[rex]

Hey Rick.The easiest way to fill the crease is to sand the area with 180 and fill it with the 2part putty in the tube.The stuff in the can works great too but it dries out quicker if it sets without use.After you block it out I like to lay another skimcoat over it to fill any pinholes and make a nicer repair.You can fill stuff in 1 coat but if you do it in 2 it usually blends in better and rely less on the primer for filling the featheredges.I wouldn't use epoxy at all on this one unless you're using HOK.Fill the dent and strip the decals and use a surfacing primer to block and level things out,when that's done blow a good sealer over it.With HOK it is an epoxy but with any other system it's urethane.The basecoat candy will be more forgiving than the other and you might loose a touch of depth,but if the clear comes out slick and clean so you don't need to buff it it'll kind of offset it.Buffing the clear knocks back the gloss a bit and helps to take away some depth,but it's rare you get a job that comes out perfect.

 

[Rick G.]

Rex,
Thanks much for the detailed info. The only thing I want to make sure of is do I just need to sand enough on the crease and surrounding area with 180 to give the filler enough teeth to grab and then fill or do I need to take it down to bare metal in that area?
Since the true HOK Kandies seem to be difficult to work with I thought I would use the gold HOK base then the Brandywine HOK Kandy Basecoat then the inner clear then the flames then the topcoat clear. Does that sound like the correct order or can I clear over the gold base then apply the flames then the Brandywine HOK Kandy Basecoat then the final clear?
As with many others with limited experience I just want to make sure I do things in the correct order and use the correct materials.
Thanks to you and Scott for all the help.

 

[rex]

Hey man.You're right about the dent,just sand it so there's no gloss at all but try not to break through to metal.Anyplace there's scratches the putty will stick to but let it dry before sanding.The candy basecoat's a good choice I think.Spraying it depends on what you'll use for the flames,you're first scenario is good for pearl flames like ghosting.Another option is doing your flames on the gold and then candying but pearl will be subtler (is that a word?) under the candy.You can topcoat clear at any point and continue without any problem but you don't want to sandwich alot of base and clear layers.

 

[Rick G.]

Just want you guys to know how much I really appreciate this information. I think I'm ready except for the last several detail questions on the primer.
After I sand the crease area with 180 and fill it. What grits should I use to block and smooth it? Since I plan on using the HOK Kandy Basecoat system, what primer should I use after the repair? A epoxy primer surfacer ? A K36? And can I just use the primer in the repair area and block or should I prime and sand the whole tank as well as the fenders which have excellent factory paint? After I prime and block then apply the grey sealer, can the sealer set for several days before applying the gold base or is there a time window? Same question on the gold base. I'm going to tape the flames on the gold base before applying the Kandy Basecoat. If it takes me a couple of days to do that should I scuff up the gold base before applying the Kandy Basecoat. I know I'm asking a lot of questions, and I appreciate your patience.
Thanks.

 

[TAZ]

Rick,
Since it is a small area, you can use 180, then finish with 320.

Use a good grade catalyzed primer. You can just prime this area. Make sure the area around the bw is sanded.

No need to prime the complete fenders.
Once all prepped and in the booth, spray a coat of sealer over the parts.

Let dry as per the instructions. Usually not very long, then paint away.

Spray the gold, then a couple coats of HOK "interclear". This protects the gold while you are laying out your flames.