Yesterday I painted my drivers side front quarter panel with some enamel from Tower Paint (they'll furnish any color in a rattle can for you), it was supposed to be Zambeizi green, who knows, it might be, but compared to the rest of the paint, it's a little different, hahahaha


Now that the fender is so far off color wise, I'm thinking of doing a quick and dirty re-spray of the entire car (except for the carbonfiber front and rear lids of course )...this way I can get rid of some of the small dents and make the car look halfway decent, or so I hope.

Soooo, has anyone done a rattle can paint job that they felt looked as good as a one sprayed with a "real" paint sprayer?? I have a brand new DeVilbiss(??) HVLP gun that I have never used, but I'm a littler nervous painting an entire car with it. I'm not looking at doing a show quality job since the car is a salvage unit so no big deal if it's perfect or not, I just want it to be decent and not too embarrassing to look at

spray it...and color sand the shit out of it.....

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Mar 14 2005, 12:57 PM)

spray it...and color sand the shit out of it.....

can you color sand enamel?? it's been too long since I've done anything paint wise....way too long

time to go find Scotts driveway paint thread and do some reading and asking more silly questions..........

I just did this to the rocker panels and the under-nose clip on my Acura. They were black, and I painted them satin silver to match the rest of the car.

It looks good, but the main ingredient in aerosol cand is this "brownish" liquid, rather than clear..... so colors always come out a little bit darker than expected.

Again.. it looks good, but up close, it has a little bit of a "grainy" effect. For rocker panels, its fine, but for a whole car?? Thats up to you.

Heres a pic of the car. The rockers and nose clip look a LOT different in this picture.... but the actual color is a pretty good match. The reason it looks so different in this pic is because of the way the areosol paint reflects light, vs the way the original paint does.

Keep in mind, its thinner and not as hard, so you can't really sand it much.

QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 14 2005, 02:53 PM)

What rims are those? That's about exactly what I'm looking for!

Mine or Muellers??

Muellers are Revolution 17" wheels..... fit stock 914 fenders quite well.... kinda expensive though.

Mine are BBS (ASA) 18" wheels.... available at any wheel distributor.. reasonably priced

QUOTE (CptTripps @ Mar 14 2005, 01:17 PM)

QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 14 2005, 02:53 PM) What rims are those? That's about exactly what I'm looking for!

Revolution Wheels, direct bolt on, perfect fit. Mine are 17x7 with 205/40's....ride is decent around town, I have not taken it on the rougher freeways yet with the little annoying rumble strips that drive me crazy in my 911 with 17's....

Revolution also has a 15x7 rim which is currently on sale right now...if I had the extra bucks, I'd order a set for autocrossing, but that'll have to wait

QUOTE (ninefourteener @ Mar 14 2005, 03:20 PM)

Mine or Muellers?? Muellers are Revolution 17" wheels..... fit stock 914 fenders quite well.... kinda expensive though. Mine are BBS (ASA) 18" wheels.... available at any wheel distributor.. reasonably priced

I'd love to be able to drop a set of BBS like yours on. I just wish they fit my hubs.

There was a guy who painted his 914 black with rattle can paint and then buffed the bejeezus out of it. If I remember right he used a lot of cans of paint. He was posting on pelican or something like that with a v-6 conversion?

I think you will spend a ton of bucks on rattle can paint. I would use your paint gun instead. If you are nervous about doing the whole car, try doing a panel at a time (just as you would with rattle can paint).

I've never painted a car, or even used air spray guns (but I have a couple, and soon enough something will be painted from it..) - so this is just a thought from someone who doesn't really know..

My take is that it doesn't matter how the paint gets on the car, the big deal is sanding -- before, after, and in-between.

I haven't done a rattle can job, but I think the benefits of a spraygun is the use of 2-part, catalyzed paint. To me, that equals 'hard' (friable) which leads to good sanding and a good finish.

I did see an article where a fellow got a mirror perfect finish on a computer case using rattlecans (overclockers, go figure)

Why are you nervous about using the HVLP on the whole car? You don't have to do the whole car at once. Mask off a fender or something and try it.

QUOTE

Mueller Posted on Mar 14 2005, 12:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Mar 14 2005, 12:57 PM) spray it...and color sand the shit out of it.....   can you color sand enamel?? it's been too long since I've done anything paint wise....way too long time to go find Scotts driveway paint thread and do some reading and asking more silly questions..........

Yes, you can color sand enamel.

If I was going to use any rattle-can off the shelf, I'd use the 'Appliance Paint' they sell for re-doing your fridge or something. It's heat resistant (to a point) and gives you a mirror shine, that you can color-sand and buff. I did a set of motorcycle tins in 'avacado' a few years ago. It turned out *WAY* better than even I expected. The guy that bought the bike called a few weeks later to ask what color it was to paint something else to match it.

2 separate but combined issues with using any "professional" paint gun. Masking and overspray. Masking needs to be done 100%. Overspray will get everywhere. I had some crappy speakers under a table in the garage. Paint worked its way under the table and through the speakers grills and stuck to the speaker cone and tweeter. That's pretty magic stuff. Anyway, the point is, mask everything off that isn't going to get paint on it. Even if you're just doing one fender, you have to mask off the whole rest of the car. See the picture.

Also, paint will get everywhere in your garage. Hang plastic sheets to cut down the amount of paint that gets on everything else.

Were I you, I'd probably use rattle can with real automotive paint inside (PPG). Even though it will cost more in paint, it will cost less overall. You don't have to mask as well with rattle can because the drops are bigger and don't float around as much. Paint with rattle cans lots of light coats to avoid runs. If you want smooth, put on lots and sand it smooth. Put on less and leave it alone if orange peel is okay.

I like that appliance epoxy paint, did my front suspension with that stuff a year or two ago. The only thing is with that stuff is you have 1 application. It seemed that when I hit a second coat (when the 1st had already dried) I got paint wrinkles BAAD. Looks good though! but my crossmember is kinda gross now since I had taken out and put it back in on a jack.

I've never been able to find "rattle can" paint that really does match a car.

But what does work is to take your original color to a good paint shop and they will mix up something that does.

Then just use one of those small co2 bottles to spray it on and then color sand when finished. You can even use clear if your car was resprayed that way..

There is a good shop on your way to work. Just take the first turnoff (towards Oakland) after the 580/680 interchange (San Ramon?), bear to the right then turn left on Dublin Blvd.. The paint shop is up there a couple of blocks next to a bank on the left.

Would this method work with catalyzed paints? The CO2 bottle sprayer sounds like it might work since you can fill it up right there. Any idea how the spray differs from a rattle can (i.e. drop size)? Also, I've never seen this kind of sprayer. Link?

-Tony

QUOTE

McMark Posted on Mar 14 2005, 12:54 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 separate but combined issues with using any "professional" paint gun. Masking and overspray. Masking needs to be done 100%. Overspray will get everywhere. I had some crappy speakers under a table in the garage. Paint worked its way under the table and through the speakers grills and stuck to the speaker cone and tweeter. That's pretty magic stuff. Anyway, the point is, mask everything off that isn't going to get paint on it. Even if you're just doing one fender, you have to mask off the whole rest of the car. See the picture. Also, paint will get everywhere in your garage. Hang plastic sheets to cut down the amount of paint that gets on everything else. Were I you, I'd probably use rattle can with real automotive paint inside (PPG). Even though it will cost more in paint, it will cost less overall. You don't have to mask as well with rattle can because the drops are bigger and don't float around as much. Paint with rattle cans lots of light coats to avoid runs. If you want smooth, put on lots and sand it smooth. Put on less and leave it alone if orange peel is okay.

Don't forget to water down the floor too. The paint won't stick to the cement that way.

QUOTE (Randal @ Mar 14 2005, 01:43 PM)

I've never been able to find "rattle can" paint that really does match a car. But what does work is to take your original color to a good paint shop and they will mix up something that does. Then just use one of those small co2 bottles to spray it on and then color sand when finished. You can even use clear if your car was resprayed that way.. There is a good shop on your way to work. Just take the first turnoff (towards Oakland) after the 580/680 interchange (San Ramon?), bear to the right then turn left on Dublin Blvd.. The paint shop is up there a couple of blocks next to a bank on the left.

I've ordered a touch-up paint pen from www.paintscratch.com that was an exact match for the Irish Green on my 912. They also do rattle cans, though I haven't tried them.

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Mar 14 2005, 02:52 PM)

QUOTE (Randal @ Mar 14 2005, 01:43 PM) I've never been able to find "rattle can" paint that really does match a car. But what does work is to take your original color to a good paint shop and they will mix up something that does. Then just use one of those small co2 bottles to spray it on and then color sand when finished.   You can even use clear if your car was resprayed that way.. There is a good shop on your way to work.  Just take the first turnoff (towards Oakland) after the 580/680 interchange (San Ramon?), bear to the right then turn left on Dublin Blvd..  The paint shop is up there a couple of blocks next to a bank on the left. I've ordered a touch-up paint pen from www.paintscratch.com that was an exact match for the Irish Green on my 912. They also do rattle cans, though I haven't tried them.

I ordered the correct L64K paint code from Tower, I'm just guessing my original paint has seen better days

Mike,
I rattle-canned my quarter panels after doing my flares as a stop-gap to get me though a season or two before getting a real paintjob (Right. It's been 4 years now). Then last year when I bent up the door I rattle-canned it after fixing (thanks again for that door stop mechanism). After lots of sanding and polishing my panels look ok but not like fresh-shot quality paint. I added it up and I've used up 10 cans to do all four quarters and the drivers door. That's about $200 in paint (local PPG shop mixes it up for me). IMHO it's a lot of money and labor for a crappy paintjob. I'd say get out that new gun you have and practice with it on an old hood or something and then go for it. I think you'll probably end up happier with the results and cost.

-Ben M.

Yes, you can do it.

No it won't look good.

Might be able to get it shiney and smooth by color sanding and buffing, but the colors won't blend right.

Dude
In my neck of the woods, it is common practice to find a paint shop 100$ or 2 hours labour just to shoot your car, granted you still need to pay for paint but consider the amount that is needed in cans....
Look around, you won't regret it. wet sand it yourself after if needed...long but easy to do. Go for a enamal, can goop it on and almost sand it to shape (like nail polish).
If you paint it by can, you will hate, it and destroy watever value you had in the car.
Good luck whithit
Cheers
Joe

Yea Mike, time to find good paint people. What does a complete cost from our club members up there in Napa. We know they do great work.

Black Sabbath was all bean can--not too bad--in a few years down the road I will strip all the trim and lights and have it redone professionally--I am very pleased with it as it sits--

I remember when I lived back in the Renton highlands (washington) that one day some guy was painting up his el camino on his front lawn - with a paint roller! Lookin real sharp when he got dun... we need a hillbilly smilie

I bought my car after sitting for 10 years. Needless to say the car looked horrible (a blue re-spray over silver). Now I would have been content driving it as it was until I saved the $$$ for a quality paint job, my better half however was not.
I cleaned and sanded, and sanded, and sanded it myself, stripped everything off (except the front and rear glass, wish I would have) and took it to MAACO for them to “fix” two small dents and shoot it. What I turned out with does not look that bad and is something I can live with. Keep in mind this is what I consider my temporary paint job until I get the super primo-looks like it rolled of the showroom floor-wow look @ that – paint job in the future. For now though (as it sits in my garage on jack-stands). It is not that bad. Before someone flames me on their bad paint, they suck, blah, blah, blah…I know.
While the car was @ the painters I then painted my bumpers, rockers, top…myself.
My point being if you are just looking for something to get you by that looks decent and can’t throw down the $$$ for a quality job, do some prep work yourself and have someone else shoot it.

For small jobs I like to use the glass jars that have aerosol charges that you screw on top. I forget who makes them. Then you'd have your auto paint and only have to do a small section at a time. I think they hold about a cup and a half of paint.

QUOTE (Dave Eddy @ Mar 14 2005, 08:13 PM)

For small jobs I like to use the glass jars that have aerosol charges that you screw on top. I forget who makes them. Then you'd have your auto paint and only have to do a small section at a time. I think they hold about a cup and a half of paint.

Yea, you getem at art stores---

Mike , call Brandon at Altissimo, 707-253-paint, and talk to him about just shooting it.

You do all the prep and finish. Doesn't hurt to ask.

KT

So can you do a good job - use solid colors like you are. Prep the hell out of it a good paint job is 110% prep, the rest pretty much happens. Yes you can do it, but why not just fire up the gun and lay it on. Now having said that I did rattle can my 914 engine bay in L20E. It is just slightly off, but in deep down in the engine compartment, you won't know the diff.

Here is an example of a rattle can that turned out decent.

Take care, Stephen

QUOTE (914forme @ Mar 14 2005, 09:52 PM)

Here is an example of a rattle can that turned out decent.

And looks who's web site that is...

I call !

ok, im not so sure how good a rattle can could possibly do. Now that being said, i am the master of the spray can, but also i am handy w/ a real gun as well. Spray cans may turn out good, but do not benefit from things like UV protection or being thick enough to really be able to sand and buff, most the time. Real paintjobs have UV blockers to resist fade and are heavy enough to be sanded and buffed a couple of times. Enamels also are not catylized or activated, so they dry from the surface in, making sand and buff hard until its totally cured, which w/ enamel spray jobs can be up to a month. I always use eurethane paints and primers, which do not shrink down into body work nearly as much as yesteryears enamels and laquers. I would personally vouch for a good eurethane hvlp paint job. But a pictures worth a thousand words right- my 89 944

you also get a much deeper shine from a real paintjob, with a clearcoat like my harley tank i sprayed.

or this s2 that i sprayed, which was spray canned when they brought it to me..hence the respray...won first place in the first concourse he showed in after the respray.

To get a decent paint job you really need to use a spray gun. Expect to pay about $800 - $1000 to buy all the products you need. That includes sandpaper, filler, primer, sealer, base coat, clear coat, spray gun, etc. A good clear coat alone costs $200 - $300 a gallon. You can get stuff cheaper, but since you're putting in a lot of hours to get it right, go ahead and get some quality paint.

Ohh - and don't forget the safety gear you will need to keep from killing yourself and those around you. Do a web search on isocyanates if you don't believe me.

You will also need a compressor capable of 15 cfm. Nothing you can buy at Sears will do the job.

If you don't want to spend the money, you can do your own prep work and then take it a body shop and have them spray it. Or you can see if a local community college offers some autobody repair courses you can take. (That's what I'm doing.)

Sorry if I sound like a wet blanket, but I'm repainting my own car and I know how much it cost me.

Kevin.

QUOTE (xsboost90 @ Mar 14 2005, 08:21 PM)

or this s2 that i sprayed, which was spray canned when they brought it to me..hence the respray...won first place in the first concourse he showed in after the respray.

what wheels are those?

they were some super cool wheels from england, cant remember what they were called- 18". I think he's sold them now and bought something else, i liked em.

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 14 2005, 05:12 PM)

but my member is kinda gross now since I had taken out and put it back in on a jack.

QUOTE (McMark @ Mar 14 2005, 01:54 PM)

2 separate but combined issues with using any "professional" paint gun. Masking and overspray. Masking needs to be done 100%. Overspray will get everywhere. I had some crappy speakers under a table in the garage. Paint worked its way under the table and through the speakers grills and stuck to the speaker cone and tweeter. That's pretty magic stuff. Anyway, the point is, mask everything off that isn't going to get paint on it. Even if you're just doing one fender, you have to mask off the whole rest of the car. See the picture. Also, paint will get everywhere in your garage. Hang plastic sheets to cut down the amount of paint that gets on everything else. Were I you, I'd probably use rattle can with real automotive paint inside (PPG). Even though it will cost more in paint, it will cost less overall. You don't have to mask as well with rattle can because the drops are bigger and don't float around as much. Paint with rattle cans lots of light coats to avoid runs. If you want smooth, put on lots and sand it smooth. Put on less and leave it alone if orange peel is okay.

Mark, no mention at all about fans...do/did you guys use any fans to help with the overspray??

QUOTE

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 14 2005, 05:12 PM) but my member is kinda gross now since I had taken out and put it back in on a jack.

So it's been around the block a couple times, nothing that a little 30 grit sandpaper wont shine up..

If you want to be cheap, just disassemble the car yourself and take it to Maaco or Earl Scheib. I mean, have you ever tried to rattle can a big panel? It takes alot to get good coverage. Then when you are done, it is all dry and uneven looking. You just can't get enough paint on fast enough. You might be able to color sand it, but then you better plan on laying down 3 times the amount of paint. I wouldn't waste my time or money if I were you.

Also if you don't use a decent high build primer and wet sand it, you will see every imperfection and sand paper scratch in the paint and it will just look like shit. I cannot stress it enough.


I painted my first car in my carport. Its not anywhere near flawless but people can't believe I shot it. You can see the next 914 I plan to do in the background. The first one was a learning experience and that car is for sale. The next car is for me.

well damn, that looks pretty damn good from here

I'm not looking for show quality..just as long as it's pretty much all the same color

I've been to our local Maaco, I've seen thier $1500 paint jobs...I wouldn't let them paint my lawn mower if they paid me......

QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 21 2005, 12:20 PM)

I've been to our local Maaco, I've seen thier $1500 paint jobs...I wouldn't let them paint my lawn mower if they paid me......

Thats exactly how I decided to do it myself. I figured I could do at least as well as those monkeys. Still though for $300, if you do the disassembly and some prep work you should be able to get a fair job out of them. I only suggest as an alternative to the rattle can since you are trying to go cheap.

My car is definitely not perfect. But its not embarrassing either.

Nice job Jason. I'll come help you on your next paint project if you like - gotta learn sometime!

QUOTE (xsboost90 @ Mar 14 2005, 11:13 PM)

they were some super cool wheels from england, cant remember what they were called- 18". I think he's sold them now and bought something else, i liked em.

those are by Kahn, they have been around for at least 6 or 7 years, one of my favorite wheels.

hard to find in the US.

Actually, I sam them on a ferrari last friday.

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 21 2005, 12:39 PM)

Nice job Jason. I'll come help you on your next paint project if you like - gotta learn sometime!

Yeah that'd be cool. Or if you ever need pieces shot like rockers, valences or something, you can come try it yourself. I've moved since I did that job and now I have a garage not the carport anymore. (which is actually bittersweet that carport was huge) I still need to get my compressor set up. My new garage doesn't have 220v.

QUOTE (jasons @ Mar 21 2005, 01:36 PM)

QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 21 2005, 12:20 PM) I've been to our local Maaco, I've seen thier $1500 paint jobs...I wouldn't let them paint my lawn mower if they paid me...... Thats exactly how I decided to do it myself. I figured I could do at least as well as those monkeys. Still though for $300, if you do the disassembly and some prep work you should be able to get a fair job out of them. I only suggest as an alternative to the rattle can since you are trying to go cheap. My car is definitely not perfect. But its not embarrassing either.

I found this paint at autobodysupply.com, seems pretty decent pricewise

QUOTE

Manufacturer  Matrix Mixed Auto Paint Kits   Mfg. Part #   MixMSB/Green/Small Matrix MSB Small-Kit Includes 1 Ready to Spray Gallon of Basecoat Color, 1 gallon of MS52 Clear with 1 Quart of MH006 hardener. Be sure to Email us the Paint code: Year: Make: Model: Color Name: Order number. Unit Price  259.00    SALE PRICE 233.10

now is 1 gallon enough for the fenders, doors and targa hoop? no hoods since those I am leaving bare....

I'm going to price paint at my local place and see what the damage is for a cheap single stage paint.....I've decided to spray it using my HVLP gun, figure what the heck, gotta learn somehow

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 14 2005, 04:15 PM)

I remember when I lived back in the Renton highlands (washington) that one day some guy was painting up his el camino on his front lawn - with a paint roller! Lookin real sharp when he got dun... we need a hillbilly smilie

Actually rumor has it that in days of old, Ferrari painted their cars using lacquer and a brush.....just like painting your house!

Lacquer can be sanded/buffed to a mirror shine, so a few brush marks wouldn't matter....

No idea how true this story is though...

Cool Jason let me know!

What about renting a spray booth?

Mike, I'd also try buffing out the original paint to see if it matches better. I've seen miracles happen with a Porter Cable Orbital buffer.