Prep for respray. What do I need?

[Blib]

I've just bought a 1970 Fiat 500 that I intend to refurbish as a present for Mrs Blib.

To this end, I plan to have the car resprayed. I'm working on a budget and so, I thought that, in the spirit of Edd China and to save money, I'd strip and prepare the car for paint myself.

My questions are:

What do I need to get the car to have a proper key for the new paint? Which grit of sandpaper, etc? DO you have any tips for a newbie? I don't want to use a machine as the car is teeny and I can't really justify the expense of buying a rotary for the job.

Thanks.

[HustleRussell]

Depends on current paint type, extent of damage/corrosion, standard of current paint i.e. adhesion and how thorough you want to be in finding/eliminating filler and imperfections.

If the existing paint is good, a rub down with an abrasive scotch pad would provide sufficient key. If you are going through paint/filler, you might use maybe 400 grit paper.

[Blib]

Thank you. The car recently had a respray. Though, the paint looks dull. I'll start with the pad and see how I go.

Dumb question alert: How do I know when the surface is sufficiently "scuffed"? should I bother with going over the car with "fine" pads after I've used the green, general purpose ones?

Edited by Blib on Monday 3rd February 18:12

[Squiggs]

There are very few decent bodyshops that will accept a pre-prepped car - a few of the main reasons being:
Compatabilty of any products you apply and their products.
Your idea of 'well prepped' and theirs could be poles apart.
And the big one - if things go wrong, who's to blame? - your prep or their painting?
If I were you I'd find a sprayshop willing to paint pre-prepped work and ask them what they expect. If they're willing to paint pre-prepped work they should be comfortable telling you what to use and how to use it.
Good luck.

[Blib]

Thank you Squiggs.

I suppose that I can strip the car and give the prepping a go. If it's not up to the bodyshop's standards, then, they'll finish it off themselves.

I just want to do as much of the donkey work as possible so that I can keep the cost of the paint job down.

[paintman]

No, do as Squiggs says.
Find the bodyshop you intend to use and ask them what to do.

[Blib]

OK, will do.

[plasticpig]

Before you do anything I would check it wasn't resprayed with cellulose. It may be possible to polish it and apply a 2K clear coat rather than a complete respray.

[Blib]

Does that apply even if I want to change the car's colour completely? Is there a way to find out what type of paint it is? Short of taking it to a bodyshop? Bearing in mind that I bought it from a chap in Bristol who in turn imported it from Hungary.

[plasticpig]

No. If you want to change the cars colour then you need to key the paint. It's possible to spray solvent based 2 pack paint over cellulose but I am not sure about water based paints.

[Blib]

Here's the car before its original "Hungarian" respray. Lots of new panels.



I'll check with the bodyshop once it's time for paint. That is going to be quite a few weeks away. So, I don't need to panic quite yet.

[Craikeybaby]

No advice unfortunately, but that looks like an awesome project! Are you going to start a build thread?

Mrs CB would also love an original 500, but I looked at the prices a while back and they're almost as much as the new ones!

[paintman]

plasticpig said:

It's possible to spray solvent based 2 pack paint over cellulose

Good luck with that. The thinners (solvent) can react with the old cellulose. Guess how I know

[plasticpig]

paintman said:

Good luck with that. The thinners (solvent) can react with the old cellulose. Guess how I know

Yes I know. You can get barrier primers to prevent it though.

[paintman]

Indeed. Used to sell a lot of it in the 70's, IIRC most popular was called 'Barcoat'which I think is still available.
I now use a 2k isolator which is much better.

[Blib]

plasticpig said:

No. If you want to change the cars colour then you need to key the paint. It's possible to spray solvent based 2 pack paint over cellulose but I am not sure about water based paints.

I just re-read this post. It's "keying" the paint that I want to do. The car was resprayed very recently over in Hungary. So, I expect them to have used water based paint.

So, I want to strip the car down to its shell and then just "key" the paint. Sorry for misleading any of you,

[robdcfc]

I'm guessing if it was painted in Hungary it won't have been water based

[Blib]

robdcfc said:

I'm guessing if it was painted in Hungary it won't have been water based

Why's that? After all, they are in the EU. I bet there's a law about it. I saw the WD Frogeye episode ladt night. Edd stripped the car and merely rubbed it down with sandpaper. The resulting respray was described as and looked excellent.

Im confused.

Edited by Blib on Friday 7th February 08:05

[Vette]

Blib said:

Why's that? After all, they are in the EU. I bet there's a law about it. I saw the WD Frogeye episode ladt night. Edd stripped the car and merely rubbed it down with sandpaper. The resulting respray was described as and looked excellent.

Im confused.

Edited by Blib on Friday 7th February 08:05

I don't think you can rely on a TV program to show all the stages in the process. I bet the bodyshop doesn't just paint the car without proper preparation involving primer etc. I'm sure Edd goes through the motions for the camera, but the reality is a competent bodyshop won't just accept the car as properly prepped without doing their own thing.

Cheers
David

[Blib]

I get your point. I just want to do as much of the preparation as I can to save money and to learn about it. I'm really looking forward to taking the car apart and then putting it back together again. I thought - possibly naively - that I could help the body shop along too in some way.