Morris Minor Owners Club

Does anyone have any advice on how to go about re-spraying a car ? I thought I had the money to get my green four door redone but after my recent wedding I don't . So now I have to have a go myself. I have a compressor, spray gun etc and know a bit about sanding and preparation having done small amounts with rattle cans but just not on a large scale. I'm not looking to get a show winning finish,just an everyday usable one. So if anyone has any advise I would greatly appreciate it. Ta

Hello Ian,

it's such a large subject, so have a look here:- http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/spray-painting.htm.

Just ensure that you have the right equipment, safety wise, for the paint you want to use, 2K for instance will not be suiatble as you need an air fed mask which your compressor is unlikely to have the capacity for that and the spray gun?

Alec

get a largish sheet of metal.old door skin or the like and practice a few times,its all about keeping the gun the same speed and distance from the surface. Most novices either go too fast and too far and get a dry rough finish or too slow and close and get sags and runs.Once you have got the basic,do one panel at a time,bit time consuming cos you have to wait before you can mask off the new paint work.If the roof is ok leave well alone its the hardest to do to even a reasonable standard.Remember to cover everything up in the garage the overspray will get everywhere,Best done outside on a warm still day if we every get one of those.Have we had one this year good luck

Hello Ian,

if you do want to spray the roof, unless you are exceptionally tall or use plasterers stilts, put a trestle either side to stand on, spray from one edge to the centre, then quickly go to the other side and start again,with plenty of overlap, at the centre to the edge. The idea is to keep the wet edge, if you started the second side from the edge, by the time you reach the centre the first half will have flashed off and you'l have a line of overspray the length of the car, tedious to flat out and polish.

Alec

I agree -work outdoors, but not in direct sun - I made myself very unwell breathing the solvent fumes. And yes - plan for one panel at a time - but of course you can get several panels ready on different corners of the car, and then do them one after the other, just letting the compressor (and your lungs) recover in between times..... Watch out for drips from the gun when doing the roof - and for any dust coming off your overalls etc as you stretch across. probably worth wearing a NEW set of the white paper overalls just for that job - and a mask to keep the paint out, although only a special active carbon mask or an air fed mask will save you from the solvents.......

When mixing the paint, use a pallet knife to "scrape" the side of the tin or you will find that the panels are all slightly different colours especially if you leave a few weeks between spraying them

If your new to paint spraying, use celly its more forgiving. lots of coats, and keep flatting back. Use a etch primer on bare metal, and then a filler coat. Use a black or dark leveller coat to check for defects before putting a gloss on, as the shine will show up all the little imperfections.

Do it in small stages over a day or more and make sure you have the right kit, decent spray gun, compressor and cover up your tools in the area to prevent thenm changing colour.

I sprayed my first car and the pictures are on my restoration thread if your interested in the sort of finish that is achievable Some below).

I painted mine inside a gazebo errected over the front door of a single garage - worked a treat with all sides sealed in to stop overspray blowing over the next doors car.... that could be a real expensive disaster if they own a porche or ferarri....

I got the gazebo from Galent Tents, it zips up on all four courners and bolts to the ground - good but expensive for a gazebo, but up in 30 minutes and left up for over a few months through summer. Also makes a great workshop in the winter too as its heavt duty and waterproof. Although expensive a very worth while investment (£350 +). It's a commercial quality so lasts and is a decent size 4.5m x 3m.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

Oh, and send your wife / family away for a weeks holiday if its a integral garage, you need to get rid of the paint smell before they return, and seal any doors up to the house otherwise you will find dust all over the house that does not come of easy with a duster... I learned the hard way

wardal@uwclub.net wrote: Oh, and send your wife / family away for a weeks holiday if its a integral garage, you need to get rid of the paint smell before they return, and seal any doors up to the house otherwise you will find dust all over the house that does not come of easy with a duster... I learned the hard way

I knocked a hole in the wall of my parents garage and fitted an extraction fan, used plastic roll to seal the doors etc but my mum could still smell it the house. but thank goodness we kept the dust out of the workshop with the extractor fan or i would have been in trouble with my father