Painting (and prep) and Dent Fixing Questions (searched)

[drifts135]

I've been searching for about a week on google and several other sites, and I have been searching for a solid hour on here under a thousand different keyword searches but have come up empty-handed or with mixed results.

I've finally become fed up with my crappy paint and it's fading spots so I figured it's a good time to at least do a temporary fixed. I plan to paint my car with a rattle can, saten black.

All of the information I find tells me different ways to prep a car. Can someone please tell me how to properly prep my car for a rattle can paint job (that will end up looking good and lasting without fading); what primer, how many coats, what grit sandpaper, and whatever else I am forgetting that I need to know on how to primer the car; and finally, how many coats of paint from a rattle can I should do on the car?

Also, I've read that some people say to pop the smaller dents and then bondo over them, however others say to just bondo over small dents. What do you guys recommend on fixing small dents?

Thanks for your time and I'm sure I should expect some sort of flaming to happen.
-Jesse

[CaoBoY]

its not going to look good, its rattle can. just save the money and have it painted professionally.

[JDMB0iKT]

Don't use bondo that stuff is crappy, use a good filler like 3M bodyfiller.

[b4racing]

I would also just save up money and get it done right the first time. But if you do want to do it yourself, make sure you don't rush it. Take your time and do more research.

[frankist]

if your just going to rattle can you can just sand the whole car with 180 grit. or start out by using 60 or 80 to get the clear coat out and start using 180 to get it smoother. As for the rattle can, i dont think its going to last long, without fading, i would just keep it primered if you decide to rattle can your car. you should go to your local paint store, they'll give you pointers on where to start and what not.

[ayuaddict]

primer is very porous, it absorbs water, just use krlon or rustoleum industrial strength paint. it comes out pretty good actually if you do it right,

[drifts135]

Just spent two hours talking to a guy who is a certified auto body tech about it all. Gave me some great pointers on exactly about how to go about doing it if I want to do it.

I know everyone thinks I should save my money and get a real paint job, but the wavy, faded, and all out disgusting grey paint on my hatch right now is simply unbearable. No matter how many times I wash it the paint just gets worse. I'm not going to be painting my car professionally anytime soon (college student budget) so I figured I would get a temp rattle can job to take care of the car for the time being.

My motivation and reasoning behind believing the car can come out looking good is this guy's s13.
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/2900/satinblack6pl.jpg

I'm using the same rattle can paint as he used on his front end.

Does anyone have any other reasonings not to rattle can paint the car other than saving money for a professional paint job or that it will turn out like junk?

['90RPS13]

out of curiosity, what kind of brand of rattle can are you using? *a

[P4rD0nM3]

What kind of finish are you trying? Car show goodie? Or you jsut want the damn thing out?

[Team Rootbeer]

go buy a few red 3m scuff pads, scuff clear until dull
wash, mask, spray that easy
and that way, when you do decide to shoot some real shit, the rattle can wont be hard to strip off

as far as small dents- you cant really just "bondo" them and have it come out ok
a dent the size of a golf ball has a high spot around it about 3 inches out, so get some hammer and dolly training, then learn how to properly sand and shape filler, then get to work!

[P4rD0nM3]

If I was him, I'd go the extra mile to ask someone for a side job and buy them beers and pizza.

[40daws]

Hot Rod magazine is doing a 12 month series on this also. I think they covered prep and dent repair in the second issue,out either in may or early june.

[PITCH]

http://www.eastwoodco.com/images/us//local/products/detail/p907.jpg

Evercoat makes decent fillers.

1. Remove all the moldings and trim that you dont want painted. (or tape them)
2. Wet sand the car w/ 400 grit sand paper (3M or Norton paper is a good brand)
3. Wash and use wax and grease remover to clean the surface.
4. Tape the car at this point. (parts you dont want overspray on)
5. The parts where dings and dents are use bodyfiller and skim coat them.
6. Sand to desired level.
7. Use more filler if needed. (make sure to feather edge the filled in spots or when you paint you will still see your work)
8. repeat step 3.
9. If you happened to sand through to bare metal spray some self-etching primer over thoes spots.
10. Begin to prime the car. Ide start off with one panel (section) at a time. Overlapping each stroke. Horizontal strokes.

At least 3 coats over the body filled spots. Ide do 3 coats over the whole car.
Rustoleum primer (automotive) will prob be the best out of the rattle can selection.

(this is just a quick overview. It takes quite abit of skill to pull this off) But you should be able to make it look decent.:bigok:

[Jonnie Fraz]

^Good info...How many cans does it take @$5.00 a can (Give or take) to paint a whole car?... My paint guy is recomending 3-4 qts to paint my coupe.
Would'nt it be benificial to buy a cheep paint gun and a couple of qts of rustoleum satin black? Even if you did not have a compressor somone in your circle must.
That is what I would do.

[kabukie]

I'm using the same rattle can paint as he used on his front end.

what brand did he use? any other pics?

[blackkoukirps13]

dont use sand paper. just a red scuff pad will be fine. make sure you tape off what you dont want scuffed before you start scuffing.........and evercoat is good filler......i prep and paint cars all day every day. i assure you a red scuff pad will work fine.

if you going to use filler you have to do the bodywork first. then you have to take it down to the bare metal with either a plastic abrasive wheel, grinder, or lots of sanding. then you apply filler and sand with 40 grit then switch to 80 and then finish it with 180. then prime over the filler/bare metal and sand it with 400 before painting.

bodywork is kind of overkill for a rattle can job.......its gonna be dull anyway so most small dents wont show.