Decided to respray my Elise myself

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:14 pm
Hello!

I've made the decision to repaint my Elise in Orange (HoK Sunset Pearl). The original color is British Racing Green. The catalyst was that my roommate backed in my Lotus with his SUV and broke the gel coat on 6 inches at the rear.

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Now, I know that it is a very ambitious project, and I can't say that I have experience in this matter... I've done a bit of fiberglass/carbon fiber work in the past, but it was only for aesthetics.

So far I've done some work/homework. I'm almost done building my paintroom and all of the body panels are removed from the car (except for the doors). I bought two air compressors and a DeVilbiss paintgun (Finishline). The air supply is cooled with 30 feet of copper pipe which also has a water trap and a DeVilbiss desiccant dryer QC3 with a regulator.

Now, I have a few Qs concerning the sanding/prep work (which is the most important of course).

First, I'd like to paint over the existing paint and not have to strip everything. The original paint is in good shape and I don't see the need to remove it completely. Now, can I simply sand and spray over my epoxy primer ?

And for the sanding, I guess that I'll have to sand it by hand with flexible sanding blocs (like Style-Line) ? I don't see how a random orbital sander will be able to follow all of those curves...

Thanks in advance!

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:44 pm
Noxx,
Welcome.... Well, hey at least it's not a big car with a lot of curves :lol: And yes, your thinking is pretty much on track. You can seal over your existing color with epoxy. I am hoping you can peel those headlight covers off???..... And yes, that looks like a lot of flexible block sanding to me. It's not like you are trying to straighten bad waves or fixing contour problems. On painting that color in pieces.... you will need robot like accuracy with your spray technique to make sure all the "pieces" match each other. Would be a lot easier to keep the color even if you shot it as a whole car, walking the sides out, etc. Not saying it can't be done in pieces but it is challenging if you don't have a lot of spraying under your belt.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:17 pm
Thank you for the inputs.

HoK recommend sealing over the OEM paint but I also have a small repair to make at the back. It has cracked the paint and made spider webs.

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I know that polyester putties may 'bleed' through if not sealed properly but what about epoxy putties ? I already have on hand good epoxy and various fiberglass fillers (like chopped strands, spherical balls, etc.) I'm thinking that I could make my own putty which does not bleed ? Any advice on repairing this ?

Also, concerning the sanding paper; since I'll be using sanding blocks, should I buy rectangular sheets or longboard sheets/rolls ?

Thanks a lot !



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:22 pm
DarrelK wrote:Noxx,
On painting that color in pieces.... you will need robot like accuracy with your spray technique to make sure all the "pieces" match each other. Would be a lot easier to keep the color even if you shot it as a whole car, walking the sides out, etc.


I was afraid of hearing that :) Unfortunately, my painting room can not contain the whole car. And some parts (the door sills) are glued to the car. I'll try to follow the same motion but I'm afraid I might have some color distortion...

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:27 pm
After you complete your filler work, you're going to prime it with your epoxy then build Primer if needed to level it. What HoK recommended you, is what most will. Sealing the OEM finish is what I would strongly recommend as well.

Just apply the appropriate color 2K sealer, and you won't have to worry about bleed through along with a lot of other potential issues.

As for sand paper selection, I'd recommend buying wet or dry 9x11 sheets. Buy a good quality paper like 3M. You'll likely need some long board sheets as well, but you'll find yourself using the wet or dry the majority of the time on various blocks.

And as already mentioned in the thread, I'd recommend you paint the car all together so you can walk the full length of the car. The paint you're using can be very tricky to use and takes experience to paint in pieces.
"My vehicles are always dressed in formal attire, wearing a Black Bowtie"

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:45 pm
Well, you are hearing that from the voice of experience there ( :goodpost: ). I looked that color up and man, the pieces thing really has me worried on this car. The curves themselves will somewhat shift the colors even with great coverage. Shooting the whole car would be so much easier to "get right." Could you borrow another space, at least for the final shoot from base color and up????.....
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 12:00 pm
RE the shoot the whole car idea.

It's not that I can't do it, it that I either paint it in pieces in a controlled room (heating, ventilation, etc) or in a unheated 1000 ft2 garage where the previous owner was doing fiberglass work. I could always build a booth but it would only be plastic sheets as walls...

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But if I go and paint the whole car, how do I go about painting the insides of the doors, clams, etc ?

Also, I'm thinking of doing a flow coat at last for the clear, so I might be able to 'hide' a few dusts particles. Or even better, paint the whole car, then flow coat it two days later in pieces ? A lot of work though :P

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