hey guys i have a 67' regimental red coupe. The paint job it has on it is marginal. Although the body is in excellent condition (new quarters, new fenders, door skins etc..)

Well, I am just going to scuff it up and do a refresh. I will do all my own prep and then have a shop lay down the colors.

I have a question, I've already done the whole body with 220grit. After I've finished smoothing everything with 220, (theres virtually no dings/dents). Is it ok to primer the whole car with rattle can primer?

A friend said i should just take it to the shop without primer, because sometimes the primer can react with the paint and screw up.

I don't know if this is true,although I have 2 different kinds of rattle can primers a high build (says fills deep scratches), and a sandable (says fills light scratches). Which one should i shoot the entire car with? After priming what grit sandpaper should I block with?

Thanks guys

You need to use some good two part primer. The rattle can stuff is trash and it will have to be sanded off. If you can't shoot it yourself, have the body shop do it. I use 220 for blocking. Then 320. The paint job is all in the priming and blocking.

Jim

If you are going to take the car to a paint shop anyway, let them do the final prep and prime/sealer application. Do not use any rattle can spray primer. All the new urethane paint systems are not compatible with lacquer rattle can primer.

I do recommend they seal the car before painting even if the current paint is sanded and looks good. The sealer will limit any solvent in the new paint from transfering to the old paint and causing any reactions.

Thanks,

Tom

From what I have read the prep material, primer and paint all need to be compatable. I would take it in as is and let the body/paint shop handle this one.

is there a enamel rattle can primer that i can hit little spots with?

Let the body/paint shop handle the little spots for you.

Tom

Nothing you can buy in a rattle can is suitable for use under modern auto paints.

If you have an air compressor, you can spray epoxy primer. Dupont, PPG and SPI offer epoxy primers.

Harbor Freight and others have low cost paint spray guns. For a small compressor, the HVLP type of guns won't work because they need lots of air. There are pressure feed conventional guns that work with low cfm.

Properly sanded epoxy is a satisfactory base coat for nearly every modern finish. It's fairly easy to spray.

Harbor Freight has an HVLP system that needs no compressor. It's made by Campbell Hausfield. It works good for primer.

the primer has to be compatible with the top coat. for your best results I agree with trmjr 1, let them seal coat the whole vehicle and properly prime coat it.. it should then be sanded with 1000 grit and finish coated.. prep will make or break your paint job and cutting corners or cost will just cause you more pain in the long run.

Dave

The paint job will is only as good as the primer.

So it really depend's on how good of a paint job you want or expect.
If it was me I'd let the body shop do-it, ask lots of ?? from this board so when you go in you'll know the ? to ask and what you to look for.

I like PPG NCP250 epoxy primer. It aint cheap but it fills like a dream and it sands like chalk. I like my cheaper ($150devilbiss) gun for primer. Don't make the mistake of using your primer gun for paint or clear. When you least expect it, out comes a blob of primer.

Spoken like a true man of experience

David

Oh yeah. I'm great at wrecking a paint job. Trust me. I've wasted paint every way you can think of. Always a source of grins for my professional painter father-in-law.

Jim