Questions about prepping my car...

[Shawn]

I've got an 85 mustang coupe, 5.0, yadda yadda yadda.

I worked in a professional body shop for 3 years through high school doing paint prep work, so I know what I'm doing for the most part. However, the cars we worked on were always newer cars, so I never came across prepping a single stage paint. So, here's the questions.

My mustang has a few dings here and there that I'd like to fix, and a little bit of existing body work that I've spotted. Should I remove EVERYTHING down to the metal, and start from scratch? Or would I be ok hitting the car with some 80 or 180, doing my bodywork, and then putting a good coat of URO Primer (yellow dupont primer), then blocking, and putting another coat, etc...

Basically, will the URO be ok to apply over the existing 17 year old paint? I blocked the entire car down already with 180, and I need to know if I should just strip it or do my body work and go from there.

What would be the problems with not stripping the paint, and just going from the point I'm at now?

If stripping is a must, what should I use to do it?

Thanks

Shawn

 

[TAZ]

Shawn,
It sounds as though you probably spent quite a bit of time on the prepping since you have it blocked down with 180. So I am assuming that the current paint is in decent condition before you blocked it (no cracks or peeling). If this is the case and the paint job is original, then you shouldn't have any problem finishing the bodywork, then priming the car, reblocking, repriming then final sanding. You will not need to strip the car.

You should really only strip a car when you need to. If the paint is in terrible condition, you have cracking, a peeling problem, or a few paint jobs on the car. An original paint job in decent shape is great to spray over.
Good Luck!

 

[Shawn]

Scott,

The paint is very thin (seems to have never been fully re-painted, just spotted where the bodywork I found was). It couldn't possibly have more than 2 coats...most likely it's a spot job(about softball sized area)over the factory finish though. I honestly think that if I would've waxed the car it would've shined, but I prefer a different color. There are no cracks, or flaws really at all besides a dull color, except for the jambs and under the hood where the paint hasn't been exposed to the elements.

With that said, I think I will go ahead and shoot a good coat of URO, guide coat and block the entire thing, do it again, then go from there.

By the way, I am going to be spraying a Dupont Chromapremiere B/C, C/C, in GM 28 blue (Seen on the 96 Grand Sport Vettes, called several names: Admiral Blue Pearl, Dark Cloissone Met, Navy Blue Pearl).

However, I am thinking of doing a two tone type of job, with the bottom being just the GM28 blue, and the top being split by flames, and instead of being a totally different color, it will be the same B/C with more pearl. Will this show up well? What are your thoughts on this, and suggestions? I dont want to harsh of a contrast, just basically a subtle effect, like a ghost. However, I'd like to mix more pearl into the B/C instead of the C/C because it will be easier to lay it out even. With the pearl in a clear B/C, it will be harder to keep it from being splotchy, you know?

Also, what are your thoughts on the URO primer by dupont? Personally, I love it. It fills in a lot and is easy to sand.

Thanks, Sorry for all the questions, I figured I'd hit you up while I noticed you were online

Shawn

 

[Shawn]

Scott,

I was also curious if it would be better to do my body work before my first coat of primer, or prime it, then do the body work, prime again, then block sand it?

I was thinking maybe the bodywork would stick better to one or the other, I'm not sure which though. My guess would be to prime it all, then block it all with 240 or so, scuff the areas that need work with 180, do the body work and re-prime..then block. Does that sound right, or would I be better off doing my body work before I ever prime the car? I just dont want the bodywork to sink in.

Thanks

Shawn

 

[TAZ]

You should do the bodywork before you prime. Also, all areas that need the bodywork should be stripped to bare metal. Once all the bodywork is done, then you can prime and block.

Don't do bodywork over the old paint, you will most likely have problems if you do so.