Need Advice for Perfect Paint Job on Fiberglass Kit Car

Anything goes in the world of fiberglass and plastic



Settled In
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:10 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:31 pm
Hi Guys,
I have learned a lot from the site already and decided to join.
I am building a kit car for my wife for her birthday.
I want to take this:
Image

And make it look like this:
Image

I need your help to make sure this is perfect. The plan is to:
1. line-up all the panels and fill any major leveling differences with bondo.
2. block sand with 80grit
3. shoot car with white polyester primer(white to make orange really pop) - (2 coats)
4. block sand 80, 180
5. shoot again with white poly primer and guide coat
6. block with 320, 500
7. 3 coats lamborghini orange(in pic)
8. 3 coats clear
9. wet sand 1000
10. 3 coats clear
11. wet sand 1500, 2000, buff
Please critique and tell me what you would do differently. Thanks guys.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 6672
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: central Ohio
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:02 am
First, welcome! Kit cars? Right up my alley as this will be my 40th year of building them. So you've got a Lambo kit obviously on a stretched Fiero frame. I'm assuming the chassis is done and goes down the road straight! Don't laugh, there's a good reason 70% of those kits never get finished. They are difficult and time consuming especially if you are going to get correct gaps all over. This is one of the few types of kits that I've refused to build over the years because I just never saw one that looked "right." Some were made using CAD/modeling while others were copies of copies.
Anyway, on to your list there. First, well, lets see.....hmmm, I don't see any type of epoxy sealer on your list there. If I were you I would get all the body work done and make sure all the deck lids, doors, etc. work, then I would lock all that in with an epoxy primer. This will help stop any "ghosting" through of anything, then I would move on to something like Slick Sand polyester (thoroughly guide coated and blocked) then do a 2k polyurethane (guide coat and block) over that. As to the Lambo orange I am assuming you know that is a Tri-coat. That would be base color, pearl coat, and clear coats. Have you shot pearls before? If you haven't that's a tough car to learn on.
For some more help here is a kit car site where a lot of Lambos get built. These guys have built some of the best I have ever seen.... http://www.madmechanics.com/forum/
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



Settled In
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:10 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:11 am
Great! You are a wealth of knowledge then! I wasn't aware the paint was a tri coat. As for Madmechanics, I have been a member for a few months :) Along with a few others. It won't be an exact replica, but my wife will love it anyway. So epoxy, than poly, 2k and on to the tri coat. I have a buddy that own a custom car paint shop and he is the one that said to go right over the body with poly. Crap. This is a great learning experience for me, because I paint a little, but I am very far from the level of most on here. Keep the ideas coming.

BTW, love to see some pics of finished cars.

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3110
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:52 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:20 am
Go 3 wet coats buff color G2 poly prime after you think all the obvious body work is complete. Block the pee out of it with 80. Then block with 180. Fill minor lows with glaze. Block glaze with 180. 3 wet coats urethane primer. Wet sand with 600. Seal with reduced white epoxy go wet on wet top color. 3 coats clear. Wait to cure as per directions on clear. Cut and buff. Done.
All the while guide coating every step until cut and buff.

Might wanna go G2 twice. play it by ear. Just leave it in 180-220 before urethane.
Last edited by timbo on Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 6672
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: central Ohio
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:21 am
It's not that your buddy was wrong about going directly to the poly but I've just seen so many kit cars with "bleed through" problems related to skipping that epoxy coat. Here's my last full build that I detailed on this site, some of this might even be helpful with your panels.... viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7938
I had hoped to have another build underway by now but this tanked economy has made me wait for awhile.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3110
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:52 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:24 am
DarrelK wrote:It's not that your buddy was wrong about going directly to the poly but I've just seen so many kit cars with "bleed through" problems related to skipping that epoxy coat. Here's my last full build that I detailed on this site, some of this might even be helpful with your panels.... viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7938
I had hoped to have another build underway by now but this tanked economy has made me wait for awhile.

Darrell when you put epoxy on first how do you apply the poly over it?
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

User avatar

Board Moderator
Posts: 6672
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: central Ohio
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:40 am
Timbo, well, I know this sounds strange but I do something a little different when building kit cars. I like to get the body mounted, gapped, and pretty much done with body work and then do a full epoxy job on everything. I then take a break and just drive the cars for 1, 2, or even 6 months (clear dry days) or so. I am looking for movement and cracking during this period. If everything looks okay I sand the epoxy for a good mechanical tooth and then get into my poly. It's probably not the ideal way to build the paint package but I just don't trust the bodies on kit cars as I really drive these cars when done. I had my Finale up to 145 with no movement in the panels and drove my Superstepside Truck build on a 1300 mile trip with speeds up to 125 wth no cracks at all. Many kit cars show signs of cracking, splitting, and peeling after they are built. My method seems to eliminate this or at least catch problems before that final paint system goes on.
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



Settled In
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:10 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:09 am
timbo wrote:Go 3 wet coats buff color G2 poly prime after you think all the obvious body work is complete. Block the pee out of it with 80. Then block with 180. Fill minor lows with glaze. Block glaze with 180. 3 wet coats urethane primer. Wet sand with 600. Seal with reduced white epoxy go wet on wet top color. 3 coats clear. Wait to cure as per directions on clear. Cut and buff. Done.
All the while guide coating every step until cut and buff.

Might wanna go G2 twice. play it by ear. Just leave it in 180-220 before urethane.


Timbo,
I am new to some of this, so I am a little unclear of your first sentence. Thanks.

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3110
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:52 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:03 am
mram10 wrote:
timbo wrote:Go 3 wet coats buff color G2 poly prime after you think all the obvious body work is complete. Block the pee out of it with 80. Then block with 180. Fill minor lows with glaze. Block glaze with 180. 3 wet coats urethane primer. Wet sand with 600. Seal with reduced white epoxy go wet on wet top color. 3 coats clear. Wait to cure as per directions on clear. Cut and buff. Done.
All the while guide coating every step until cut and buff.

Might wanna go G2 twice. play it by ear. Just leave it in 180-220 before urethane.


Timbo,
I am new to some of this, so I am a little unclear of your first sentence. Thanks.

3 full coats of this trade name primer. It is poly primer called G2. Buff is a color. The obvious body work is what you can see and feel with your hand.
:wink:
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3110
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:52 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:07 am
DarrelK wrote:Timbo, well, I know this sounds strange but I do something a little different when building kit cars. I like to get the body mounted, gapped, and pretty much done with body work and then do a full epoxy job on everything. I then take a break and just drive the cars for 1, 2, or even 6 months (clear dry days) or so. I am looking for movement and cracking during this period. If everything looks okay I sand the epoxy for a good mechanical tooth and then get into my poly. It's probably not the ideal way to build the paint package but I just don't trust the bodies on kit cars as I really drive these cars when done. I had my Finale up to 145 with no movement in the panels and drove my Superstepside Truck build on a 1300 mile trip with speeds up to 125 wth no cracks at all. Many kit cars show signs of cracking, splitting, and peeling after they are built. My method seems to eliminate this or at least catch problems before that final paint system goes on.

Sounds like a feasible route to me. :goodjob:

So after you sand that epoxy you go straight on with poly?
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Next

Return to Fiberglass and Plastic

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 45 guests