I've never sprayed before but am thinking about a respray on a badly peeling Lexus. I have a number of questions but foremost I'm confused about paint compatibility. I think the car was sprayed in waterborne paint and am wondering if I need to stick with it? My plan is simple... I'll remove the bumpers, lights and decals then sand with p380 to the paint layer (or beyond where the paint is damaged,) clean and paint. The body looks straight aside from a ding on the hood so that I'll repair and any other small imperfections I see while sanding. Since I'm not going down to bare metal I thought I'd just use a priming sealer but I see a lot of people suggesting priming and sanding first. Also, I'm confused about locating OEM colors and the compatibility with the sealer and clear?

Pictures would help greatly.

When the clear coat fails, the base coat is compromised so it's a good plan to strip the vehicle to bare metal.

Do you have the spray equipment and tools necessary to do this job?

I'm having problems uploading an image (typical .jpg) so until I get that straightened out...
I have nothing at the moment but a potential plan. Stripping the paint down to bare metal was further than I had anticipated. It seems to me the primer underneath the damaged paint should still be good? I was hoping to take it to that point where the paint was exposed but just removing the clear coat on whatever was intact? As for equipment... air seems to be primary.. enough and clean... my thoughts are to use gas power and place the unit outside. This is primarily due to lack of 220v at the area I plan to erect a booth. So I figure I can assemble something for under around $500 because I'm seeing capable pumps and 30-120 gallon tanks for around $150. As for the booth... I plan to use a caterpillar tunnel... similar to a pvc framed, polyethylene skinned greenhouse. The footprint I'm thinking is around 16 X 30, where 5 feet of that will be taken up by a fan system to push about 10,000 cu.ft/min through the booth, with filters on both intake and exhaust. That configuration is so I don't have to use explosion proof fans. I've looked at spray guns, sanders, sandpaper (eagle k-grit) and stuff like panel wipe but everything is still up in the air. My bottom line goal here is to provide protection for the car, plus the experience in doing it.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Pictures would help greatly.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Pictures would help greatly.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Pictures would help greatly.

Looks like you are heading to metal to me..... the entire paint package is pretty well compromised a this point. When the UV protection in the clear can no longer protect the underlying paint layers they ALL degrade and need replaced. Soooo....maybe that might influence your direction here on the overall project. And, are you talking about running a gas powered compressor set up????

yes, gas compressor. I can pick up a 13 H.P. Harbor Freight Predator for about $380... maybe less with a coupon It seems fairly easy with a pilot unloader and a throttle control? And I imagine I'll need a radiator and some kind of filtration/regulation system. I see smaller gas powered compressors, around, 5.5h.p, dual 7 gal tanks, 15 cu.ft./min going for just over and around $500 but I don't think they would do the job. but anyway... going to bare metal... mechanical probably would be the best way rather than chemical?. I've seen some kind of stripping disc for this. Any ideas on what works best? And the bumpers are plastic, I guess those would get sanded down to bare also?...
Also.. I've heard a 1/2" hose is needed?...

DarrelK wrote:Looks like you are heading to metal to me..... the entire paint package is pretty well compromised a this point. When the UV protection

And going to metal seems that it would require things like.. removing the front and back glass... any interface trim?

jerlands wrote:yes, gas compressor. I can pick up a 13 H.P. Harbor Freight Predator for about $380... maybe less with a coupon It seems fairly easy with a pilot unloader and a throttle control? And I imagine I'll need a radiator and some kind of filtration/regulation system. I see smaller gas powered compressors, around, 5.5h.p, dual 7 gal tanks, 15 cu.ft./min going for just over and around $500 but I don't think they would do the job. but anyway... going to bare metal... mechanical probably would be the best way rather than chemical?. I've seen some kind of stripping disc for this. Any ideas on what works best? And the bumpers are plastic, I guess those would get sanded down to bare also?...
Also.. I've heard a 1/2" hose is needed?...

There are articles for beginners in the Info Section that cover nearly all of this information.
There are also sticky posts at the top of each forum that go into detail on certain aspects.
You don't want to go down this road without knowing the tools, techniques and costs.