How to Paint Muscle Cars & Show Cars Like a Pro. Tony Thacker
items may be a one-time investment, and you have to ask yourself if that investment is worth it. Are you ever going to do this again? If the answer is no, then I would seriously consider having a professional shop tackle your bodywork and paint.
Something else to consider is that metal can be tricky stuff. It reacts. Hit it with a hammer and it stretches. Shrinking it back to where it started is by no means easy; it’s one of those tricks of the trade my dad told me about. Likewise, rust only looks easy to remove. Heck, you just cut it out, but replacing a panel or even a quarter panel is not a task for the inexperienced. You can certainly learn as you go, but you have to ask yourself if this is the project to learn upon. Inexperience can actually create more problems than what you started with. The result will be that you end up having to go to a body shop anyway. You might as well have gone to a professional in the first place. It is important to know your limitations and come to terms with them.
If this is a path you want to take because you want to learn, that’s great. If possible, get a panel from the same car or at least the same era and practice on that before you begin. Bash it. Hammer it. Heat it. Shrink it. See how the metal reacts and responds to your input. If you put a dent in it, can you persuade it back into shape? In the old days, a body man would spend years doing an apprenticeship, as Mick did, learning his trade and honing his skills. Don’t think that you’re going to become a professional overnight from learning on just one job or from a YouTube video. Patience is the name of the game. You can’t be in a rush; remember, more haste less speed.
If you find you need to replace a panel, and find a reasonably priced match, be aware that replacement panels don’t always fit as you hope they would. Sometimes, they barely fit where they touch. They could, therefore, need a lot of work, if not major surgery, before they align properly.
What You Need
You’ve decided to move forward. That’s great! Obviously, a lot of the equipment you will need can be rented from your local auto body shop or from places such as The Home Depot and other rental facilities, but be aware that these tasks invariably take much longer than anticipated and planned for. You have to plan accordingly, knowing that what you thought would take a day will undoubtedly take two or more. The extra days will cost more and that will affect everything you do in each step afterward. As we have said and will say over and again, all this needs to be thought through and planned for.
Stripping Equipment
Mick prefers W.M. Barr’s Aircraft Paint Remover from Klean Strip. Other products are available including aerosol options. However, if a non-fluorocarbon option is available, I prefer that to an aerosol. Besides the actual stripper, you’re going to need a slew of associated products including mixing cups, brushes, scrapers, bucket, Visqueen (a brand of polyethylene plastic sheeting) to protect the floor, and masking tape and paper as well as the aforementioned safety gear. You’ll also need a couple of workstands on which to support any removed panels.
Chemicals
It’s amazing how many chemicals you will need to complete the whole restoration process. The list includes: cleaners, degreasers, adhesion promoters, Quick Check, Guide Coat, etc. These items are explained in chapters 9, 10, and 11.
Masking Tape & Paper
Some shops appear to use whatever is on hand to mask a car, but any old tape and paper just doesn’t cut it. If you’re on a budget, you might be inclined to use newspaper or something similar for masking, but it’s really not a good idea. For one thing, newspapers are thin and the paint can bleed through. Also, there is the possibility that the ink can “print” on to your paint job; it’s not a desirable effect. Professional masking paper is treated to prevent the penetration of paints and solvents. It is available from auto body stores in a number of widths from 4 to 36 inches wide. How much you will need will depend on the size of the car and the extent of the project. For the full-on project chronicled in the painting chapters, we used six rolls of paper.
You want the tape to work to keep the paint away from the surface, but you don’t want it to be so sticky that it is not easily removed. Some cheap tape that is super sticky can be useful where the better and less sticky tapes do not adhere; for example, when trying to tape over Body Schutz (3M Branded undercoating) or something similar. There are many brands and types of masking tape available, but Mick prefers to use 3M Scotch 233+. It is available in a number of widths, resists solvents (something non-automotive grade tapes do not), can withstand 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, and is available from numerous outlets including ULINE and any auto paint store.
Masking Station
To make masking easier and more efficient, Mick uses this masking station that facilitates the application of masking tape to paper. Similar stations are available from companies such as Astro and Eastwood. Single stations are also available from 3M, Easy Mask, and Shurtape.
Workstands
Mick uses lightweight, portable, tubular workstands because they are easy to move and fold away when not being used. Similar stands that hold up to 750 pounds are available from Eastwood. Note that Mick wraps his stands in masking paper to prevent overspray build up on the legs and especially the padding.
Safety Equipment
Paint materials are generally regarded as dangerous, even the water-based materials, so the more you can do to protect yourself and the environment throughout the process is very important. We know of too many painters who have suffered health problems from years of unprotected exposure to solvents. You never see anybody in Mick’s paint booth who is not protected from head to toe with coveralls, gloves, and spray mask. Yes, this adds a layer of expense, and perhaps inconvenience, to your task but what’s your health worth?
If you want to protect your health, a powered, belt-mounted air-purifying respirator such as this one from 3M will prevent you from inhaling any solvents. They can cost $1,500 or more.
Oil and Water
Oil and water do not mix and are especially not good mixed with your paint. Because of the heat generated by compressing the air, water vapor will inevitably build up in the compressor lines. This is especially the case if your tank is too small and the compressor has to work too hard, heating up the air and generating moisture. Be sure to use plenty of filters to eliminate contamination.
Primer Gun