most important

is getting all the engine grease off the engine compartment walls. i use
lacquer thinner and then laundry detergent and water. enamel with
hardner will work good. only primer on bare metal areas. there is no
need to primer over good paint. you dont want too much buildup of material since thick paint is more prone to chips than a thin layer. the new paint will stick good to the old if its scuffed up nicely. fisheyes are going to be your worst enemy on this job so have a bottle of fisheye on hand when you start. put on a lite tack coat first and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. otherwise you could get a drippy runny mess because you have all those sharp edges and corners. a tack coat gives heavier coats of paint a good "grip" Wear a respirator, a good one with charcoal. that hardner can actually take the moisture out of your lung tissue. you feel like you have the flu for a few days. its not a pleasant feeling. i did that with imron years ago. Are you doing a color change? is the old color bright and your new color a metallic or a transparent color? ide suggest a nonsanding sealer to "hide" the old paint. ive seen some paints that cover the old paint in one coat and ive seen some that you have to apply 5-8 coats to get an even finish. Remove as much stuff as is possible. its more time
consuming masking stuff off. driveway should be fine. just dont do it
if there is a wind outside



Post Edited (Apr 30, 4:30pm)

 

Re: most important

Listen to Baka - he's no idiot! One additional note: if you can borrow or rent an HVLP spray gun do so, assuming your compressor can handle the volume. (You'll need about 15cfm) They generate a lot less overspray and you'll get more of your hard-earned paint on the car. Less overspray can also mean happier neighbors!

 

one additional note:

i just blasted my engine bay(to clean it) with my dad's pressure washer. it's almost like a sandblaster as it peeled a lot of paint right off it. but i digress. one tip if you want to leave anything in the engine bay for whatever reason, like i'm leaving the brake and clutch lines that go from the proportioning valve over the tranny tunnel because it would be a BITCH to take them out so i'm going to coat them lightly with axle grease when i do spray it and when the paint is dry and done, i'll just wipe it off with a shop rag with a little bit of lacquer thinner on it.

 

my car had a color change before I got it. the engine bay is a dull silver color and the body is white. I looked at one of those datsun color number guides. I couldn't remember what my number was when I looked at the chart, but 307 or whatever # silver was rang a bell. the body needs a repaint after I tackle some rust, so I guess I need to decide on what color I want the car to be before I paint the bay.

I like that idea for the brake lines, mike240. I looked and thought about how much of a pain it would be to take them out. In theory it should work.

bakachan and mike blazek, thanks for all the info you have provided also. what are fisheyes?

I can't even come close to supporting 15cfm. I have 6cfm, hopefully it will be good enough. I had always thought the HVLP required less airflow than regular guns, but I never really read much about them. good thing I didn't buy one yet!

I need to get this show on the road! I still have to box up my turbo to send out for rebuilding!