I know It wont do the whole car at once, so i plan on shooting the nose first, jambs, inside hatch and doors second, spray outside of doors, hatch and sunroof third and then tape off the nose and shoot the rest from the fenders back (maybe save the jambs for the last step.

My compressor is a craftsman 33gal rated at 8.6cfm @40psi. My gun is a completely cleaned and resealed HF purple 1.4 rated at 6cfm @40psi. I have 30 ft of 3/8 hose ran vertically on the wall connecting to a desiccant filter and 20 feet of 3/8 hose to a filter and regulator at the gun.

Again, I know the compressor isnt ideal but if i break it into stages I think ill be ok, I haven't used the HF gun yet and if i dont like it i may invest in a better one ( im always searching ebay and craigslist for deals on equipment) though Ive read that once the HF gun is properly cleaned and rebuilt its as good as the $150 devilbiss and eastwood guns.

Opinions? experience with this size compressor? Ive also heard i can add a buffer tank (10-15 gal) for added capacity and cooling but wont that lower my cfm rating?

Try it on small painting sessions, see what happens. The extra tank may help increase the time between compressor pump cycling (running) -- but it won't do anything impact CFM plus or minus.

The biggest problems you will face are:
1.) You will likely run your compressor almost constantly. If it's not rated for continuous duty, you may shorten the life of the compressor.
2.) Your compressor will run hot, and will have more moisture/oil vapor that will need removal prior to the spray gun.
3.) You may have problems with the pot life depending on the type/brand of paint that you are using.
4.) Painting your car in small batches can potentially lead to color match issues between the panels.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but 8 scfm is really pushing the lower limit of practicality for spraying paint.
Good luck with your project!

the pot life of my paint is 2 hours @70 degrees. I plan on shooting in sections so I can go easier on the compressor. Would it be beneficial in any way to run a second desiccant filter in-line at the gun? I guess the true test will be when I start spraying primer. If I don't like it after that I'll look into maybe renting or borrowing a larger compressor.

I've heard plenty of success stories involving this gun in combination with smaller compressors. from what I've gathered I just need to be patient, mix in small batches and not over run the compressor. One guy on a Camaro forum claims that he shot a whole frame (obviously not a Camaro) with a full cup (20oz) and never had to wait for the compressor to catch up.

I may not need to paint another car for years since this is just my hobby and I enjoy the challenge of trying to save as much money as possible. So, I cant justify spending $800 on a better compressor or $300 on a better gun that I may not use again for several years.

I have one of those compressors. First of all, HF guns are all over the map when it comes to CFM. Sometimes they're rated at 4 CFM, sometimes 12 CFM, depending on when you buy them. All the HF guns I've used all ran the compressor out after 1 panel. Like all the cheap guns I've used, they spray great for a while, then become inconsistent. For example, the spray pattern becomes top heavy on one pass, bottom heavy on the next. Guns that were truly low CFM didn't run the compressor out, but what good are they if they start spraying badly before the job is done? Yes, they might last long enough to finish one project, but it's a crap shoot.
I bought a DeVilbiss Plus gun, and it works very well if you paint one panel at a time, and it always sprays the same way. I bought mine used for $120 IIRC. The beauty of buying a quality used gun is, if you only need it for one project, you could sell it for at least as much as you paid for it.

I wish I had taken pictures of the Harbor freight gun when it was apart, they defiantly save tons of money on assembly. the whole gun was sealed with some kind of RTV or pipe dope. the part that the pressure cap threads into and then threads to the body had half of the holes blocked with extra sealant. After cleaning it completely and replacing all the sealant with Teflon tape or O-rings where needed, I'm sure its 10 times better than an off the shelf one. I bet after time all that sealant would break down from solvents, resulting in the clogs and leaks that every one complains of.

I think I'll test the gun out on my next day off. I'll run some wax and grease remover through it to clean my panels before the endless filling of dings. I'll make sure to record the pressures and time the compressor cycles.

Would there be any advantage to running a second desicant filter before my gun filter at the handle? or is it over kill?

jcon82 -
I don't think it's necessary unless you suspect your first dessicant tank is having issues ...

ok, I thought it might help to have one after 30 feet of hose and then another after 20 more feet if I start to get the compressor to hot and moisture skips past the first filter. theyre just cheap inlines any way

In the future i plan on buying a bigger 60 or 80 gallon compressor and building a small shed around it connected to my garage to cut down on noise and save space. I want to plumb the whole garage for air, rewire the whole thing for 30 amp breakers, run a 220v outlet, insulate, add more lighting and epoxy the floor. but for now i have to deal with 15 amp breakers and limited space.

Its either renovate the garage or restore the car and the money already spent on the car.