Down to the metal..advice?

[El Rondo]

I haven't posted a lot yet, so if I'm out of order here, or not posting in the right spot, please accept my apologies...here's my situation. About 6 months back I scored a really decent '67 C10,..I've put some pictures of 'er up here before. The entire truck seems to impress from a distance, but it's got a pretty bad paint job from close of (bad masking techniques, over-spray, orange peel, and a bad Bondo job on the door that's cracking away). I want to repaint the truck. My truck is a daily driver, and I like rat rods and have no problems with a "do it yourself" look, I just want to do it the right way. I suppose I could leave it alone and just let the paint be what it is. Maybe that's the best idea, but I sure would like to change the color. I'm good with the blue, but it's a bit much. I'd like to do a vanilla cream color, white dash, football-color leather seat, etc.

I've work with some guys that have paint booths and such, and this includes my mechanic buddy, who helped me a lot to get it running smoother, but I can't afford these guys. I just don't have that sort of budget. I'm an artist by profession, and I've done some work in the past with rattle can on trucks, but I plan on doing this one up the right way with a spray gun. I understand that "the house is only good as the foundation", so I want to focus on the sanding and prep work. If this is done correctly, one can assume that the painting will go pretty smoothly and will last. Can some of ya'll give me your take on working on this truck as far as steps go? The best advice I've been given so far, is one panel at a time...for instance, get the door stripped down to the metal, do the Bondo work, and then primer it. How should this be handled? Rattle can after cleaning it real well? I hate the fact I have to take this truck down to the metal on each panel, but I can't see anyway around it to do the job right.

It'll take some time, doing it myself and one panel at a time...I don't figure I'll get it painted until the summer after working on it this summer to strip it, but can some of you out there give me some steps, some pointers, and some stuff to watch out for? I plan on starting the stripping process this summer (Texas summer too...early on before it gets so deadly hot).

What are some good ways of getting the paint off and down to the metal? Outside first, cab interior first? Thanks for any input all of you have out there..this has been such a friendly and helpful forum and I thank you for your helpful advice. My truck has been a big deal for me...I've always wanted this model and year!

[litew8]

Read my build thread, lots of good tips. Primer in a can? No. In a gun, just like the paint.
p.s. If you read through it, be warned there's some banter in the middle about primer etc.. but gets sorted later.

Follow the pictures, they are the products we used.
A lot depends on which direction you'll be wanting to take, also. We used self etch and urethane primer. Others like to use epoxy.

[El Rondo]

Cool, thanks so much litew8. The thread will give me something to study tomorrow morning at breakfast. Sure appreciate it! AND GOTCHA: primer: gun, no-no can...

[litew8]

no problem, and welcome to the forum! In case you missed it, there's a section just for paint / body work that you can post to for answers etc... http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...splay.php?f=16 and at the top of any page, the search box - tick 67-72chevytrucks.com when searching.

[El Rondo]

Okay, thanks for that link to right section on paint/body work. I knew there had to be just that, but I tend to stumble around on a forum trying to figure it out...I'm always too late once I finally do; I've already posted somethin'! Do that every time.

Getting a few books on the subject today..hell, I can do about anything with the right book, and, like I say, I'm not totally inexperienced with the subject. I really don't mind driving around with primer here and there..when it's finished I may leave it, you never know with me. I happen to love primer rats anyhow..!

[Mr.Hyde]

there is a 3m bristle pad you can buy if you dont want to mess with paint stripper its a plastic so it wont score the metal or heat it up and warp it, only thing is it produces a dust that you will have to wipe of sweep up and or vacuum also something needing a dust mask atleast. i recommend a respirator.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...glGS2L6DWY97bl

[Xeen]

If you don't want to spend the money to have everything sandblasted the next best thing is a polycarbide disk with a side angle grinder, this beats the hell out of sanding, here are the links.
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-h...eel-94017.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-d...der-91223.html

[El Rondo]

Thanks both for the tips and links. I'm wondering that once I get it down to where it needs to be, and assuming that I clean and prep the area, can i shoot primer on it and then just leave it or should raw primer have a clear coat over it too? I may decide to just primer it satin or flat and be done with the whole damn thing...nice finish and eliminate a step. Not sure what color; black maybe, but everyone goes on about how every dent and ding will show. I understand this, and don't want it to look too bad, but so what...I'm thinking a little rat roddy here and a daily driver, so what's a ding or two?

[El Rondo]

Hey, Mr. Hyde: That link to the 3M discs..fits a standard grinder?

[El Rondo]

http://www.eastwood.com/rat-rod-flat...paint-kit.html

...whatcha folks think about this stuff? This would do the trick..granted that I have to take it down one panel at a time, can this stuff be painted one panel at a time with the satin black?

[El Rondo]

..i mean, ontop of primer of course...i know I'd need to primer too.

[BMERDOC]

How about shooting it with black epoxy primer? The down side is it isnt UV protected but it can last for a very long time (years) before it gets chalky especially if its protected from the sun. The upside is that its a sealer and it would be the first coat you'd want to put down on bare metal anyway. Later you could scuff it, do your body work and shoot primer and paint over it if you wanted to.

[rd237]

Hey, I am using eastwood for my whole paint job.

[El Rondo]

Okay, yea..that might be the best bet as it allows the truck to be painted later, OR I can leave it as is and keep it black. The Texas sun may make pretty short work of it though, but I guess it can be "re-gunned" right ontop of the old epoxy primer...

[El Rondo]

Oh man, that looks amazing! Love that white!

[rd237]

That is eastwoods epoxy primer, I had the cab sand blasted after I put all the metal in. My home made rotisserie works real well and is cheap.

[El Rondo]

...and I can still go with Eastwood..

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-epoxy-pri...FRSUfgodxWEAEw

[BMERDOC]

That would work. Dont forget the catalyst. You could always cover it if you dont have shelter for it.

[El Rondo]

Yea, this time I think a cover would be really good. My garage is holding my wife's car...and it's small for this truck anyhow. Hey, the catalyst is it purchased separate?

[BMERDOC]

I took a quick look at the Eastwood web site. I think this is what you'll need.
http://www.eastwood.com/ew-epoxy-pri...allon-1-1.html

[El Rondo]

How's this for cheap...man. Tempting, but I have the money for the Eastwood so might as well do that. Aside from the repair areas, do I need to go all the way to the metal with the other paint? I'm thinking epoxy primer I should be able to just scuff the existing paint, can't I? Man, the choices make things a bit confusing.

[El Rondo]

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/b...flat_painting/

[BMERDOC]

From what you say its not a great paint job and filler is starting to fall out. I'd question the whole job and you can be guaranteed its at least the second paint job. Id go to metal to see whats under there. Id do 80 grit followed by 220 on a d.a. Pull out all the older filler and e-prime it.

[litew8]

I'm not sure a primer only job would be any better.

[Mr.Hyde]

yup just threads on