Okay, I am planning to try to do as much work on this car as possible by myself (and beer-bribable friends ). With that in mind, I am thinking I should get an air compressor that can help me with grinding rust, removing stuck lug-bolts, and all the other great things air compressors do (like filling up tires for one).

I really don't need anything too fancy, but I want something that can run the guns effectively.

I've seen some compressors for around $200.

Example:

This one had good reviews: (oil - less)
Porter-Cable CPF23400S 3 HP, 4-Gallon Side Stack Compressor $192

And this one: (oil)
Hitachi EC12 2-Horsepower Air Compressor - $239

Any pros / cons on the oil thing?

What else am I going to need? I figure I'll need an air wrench and I want whatever kind of tool that Gint was using (pic attached) is that a grinder with a wire-cup brush? Looks like an electric actually... can I just run out and get one of those?

I just bought a DeWalt 4.5 in grinder that looks like that at Lowe's for $79.

As far as air tools goes, I don't think you'll get the grunt out of an air powered grinder. Keep that one electric.
I've got a Porter Cable 6 horse 30 gallon compressor, it's good for most things, but it will run quite a bit. If you can afford the upgrade, I'd get an 8 horse 60 gallon like this one from Tractor Supply

Running a grinder or anything you will run for lengthy periods requires a BIG compressor, or you end up running out of air frequently and have to wait for the tank to re-fill several times in mid-job. For home shop use on a reasonable budget, air compressors are great for filling tires, blowing dirt out of things, painting, impact tools, air chisels, that kind of thing. For grinders and cutting tools, buying an electric angle drive will work out better.

Buy LOTS of male quick release fittings and one or two matching female fittings. There's more than one type, and the tools typically don't come with them.

Buy some ear protectors, too. Cheap compressors are LOUD.

I got this compressor
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=47065

in February and I have used i for a bunch of stuff, and so far its worked well. I have an air body saw which is great for removing rusty metal (as in your other thread), a 1/2 inch impact wrench, and a powder coating setup.

For $200 or so you won't be able to get a huge or high horsepower compressor. So you will have to make do with a smaller one, which is fine if you don't mind waiting occasionally for a refill. In my case, with the tools I mentioned I basically don't have to wait. The duty cycle of my tool use is low enoguh that I sually happen to be done by the time it needs to refill. If I were using a grinder, or a sander I would expect that it wouldn't last long.

I think Pep Boys has some good deals on compressors too. If you can afford to go up to the $300 or so mark there are plenty of nicer compressors.

The better compressors have a separate Pump & Compressor. Those have a better longevity and they're quieter.

Look around for deals. You can find them.

You want the highest cfm you can afford and the biggest tank that is practical for your space and portability needs. For home garage use I think a 20-30 gallon tank is a good size. It's big enough to do lots of thing and still be a little portable. I think I like the hot dog style horizontal tank too. It takes up more floor space but it's easier to move around than a vertical tank.

The portable 'job site' compressors with small tanks are good for air nailers and things with low air requirements.

I ended up with this compressor which I bought used from another club member:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=36967

It's worked out great for me. Originally I thought 20 gallons might be too small but it's what I'd call a high performance 20 gallon compressor with 5.8cfm at 90psi.

My understanding is that the direct drive oil free compressors will have a shorter life span than the ones with a separate belt driven motor. Oil free compressors are also noisier.

Do you have a Harbor Freight near you? When they have sales you can get air tools for less than $10 each. In many cases they are the same stuff that Sears sells for $75. If you regularly oil the cheap tools they will last a long long time for home use. You can also get all the connectors and hoses there for cheap.

For accesories, I'd also recommend a air line filter. It will catch a lot of water and make your tools live a lot longer.

Even on a budget, don't buy an oilless compressor. They are the noisiest things on the planet. And a small compressor in the price range you're talking about will have a lot of trouble keeping up with air sanders. grinders, etc... It's do-able, but you'll have to watch out for the duty cycle of the compressor and stop and let the tank fill up occasionally.

That pic is a 4" electric grinder with a HEAVY 4" cup brush on it instead of a grinding disk. Both are readily available and it will have sufficient torque (much better than a die grinder for example) for serious wire wheel work.

I use this, but it's much larger than what your considering:

Hey gint, how much pressure do you use?
- Push Hard
- Push Moderate
- Push a tad
- Don't push down at all

What's the longevity of the brush?

I Agree!

I bought an oilless one at Costco, but ended up taking it back because of the noise.

The price and specifications were really good, but you couldn't stay in the garage with it on.

Uh..., fer what exactly? 4" grinder? Works awesome for removing seam sealer. Push a tad to moderate will get the job done. That 4" HEAVY cup brush is bullet proof. It's made of some extremely heavy gauge wire.

If you plan on doing any paint work, I think the oilless compressor is the way to go. So they say on the autobody forums. However, I must say, if all you plan on doing is rust work, you don't need a compressor. I bought one thinking I would have to use an air chisel to remove stuff, but all you really need is a spotweld cutter that ataches to your drill. Besides, impacts are for brutes, torque wrenches are for professionals. But yes, at some point you should get at least a small air compressor. If you forsee any paint work, then go with a 30 gal. compressor, if not 10-15 gal will be fine.

You guys are great! Thanks for all the information. I have some thinking to do now. I think i'll get the electric grinder do remove the undercoating and such, then the 3M pads for the paint/ small rust.

I was looking at a craftsman compressor yesterday that was a 5hp / 33 gal tank with some good SCFM numbers, but I think I'll re-evaluate that down a little bit if I'll only be doing impact wrenching / tire filling and maybe some painting in the future.

Thanks all!