Morris Minor Owners Club

Why not? I wanted to get her running and road-legal before starting on the cosmetic stuff. Also, with an MOT etc. I didn't have to use a trailer to get her to the garage I'm doing the respray in.

Before spraying the whole car- do a test on a small area- your required coats of primer (with celly primer, several coats will be needed) then the top coats. This is to see if there will be a reaction with the existing paint.

I would carefully fill and sand and repaired areas of panels otherwise these repairs will show under the paint as will any filler edges unless you have sanded them down to be completely smooth.

Before priming, sand the filler up to about 320 grit/ 400 grit, otherwise sanding scratches will be visible under the top coat.

Don;t aim to do the primer and top coat in one day as the primer coats will need a day to dry- especially in winter- and will need to be sanded, guide coat and flatted with 800 grit before painting the top coats. Then panel wiped and tack clothed etc its not a good idea to rush paint.

Thanks, John. By "several coats" do you mean about three or four? How do you tell when you've put enough primer on?

Yes, at least 3 or 4, and thats if you've taken the car back to metal and sprayed an etch primer coat over that.

Cellulose goes on a lot thinner than does the 2K so you need more coats. Depends how good a paint finish you want- the more coats, the more sanding you can do to get the panel absolutely perfect.

If you have to stop the panel after priming it, don't use cellulose putty, its never worked for me- use the yellow 1 k stopper, as supplied by your body shop supplies place- much less prone to sinkage. Then a few more primer coats, let dry, sand, guide coat (mist) then flat.

Basically you have to be unbelievable fussy in panel preparation, sanding to be absolutely smooth etc, otherwise imperfections will show in the finished car.

There are some good tips here http://www.citroen-restoration.co.uk/ds/painting.php (although I think a couple of points not quite right- ) Jonothan and Nepgofphil may comment they are the experts, like you i am a hopefull amateur, although the paint on my Traveller still is good two years later so I must have done something right ;-)