Since most of the stages employ basically the same kinds of paints and spraying processes, the differences lie primarily in the amount of prep work done, the lengths to which the vehicle is disassembled before paint, and whether the finish is color-sanded and rubbed out. To be honest, most people on the street can’t see the differences between these stages of paint jobs, though they vary enormously either in cost or (your) labor to do them. And we’ve already talked about putting a $5,000 paint job on a $500 car. It’s all up to you. This book assumes you’re going to do the work yourself (in most cases), and that you know the differences in these stages of paint jobs. You should select the level of job that (1) befits the car you’re planning to paint, (2) matches your level of expectation and commitment, and (3) you will be satisfied with, and can be proud of when it’s done…and for a good while afterwards.
1: The No-Paint Buff-Out. Also known as the “Save-a-Paint Job,” we’ve already covered this in this chapter. It requires no actual painting, and therefore no special equipment (or talent), other than possibly a power buffer (but this is optional). The only cost is for polishing products, which is minimal. The investment is your muscle power and elbow grease. Of course this stage assumes paint that is old and faded, but still stable and savable. An extension of this step, shown in our later example, would include spot painting or touch-up, but this requires some painting equipment and ability.
2: The Scuff-and-Squirt. Also known as the “Sand-and-Shoot” or the “Mask-and-Spray,” this can be done at least three ways. In choosing one of these methods, you are assuming that the body is in good shape and the existing paint, even if it’s peeling or discolored, is basically stable. In the first, most basic, case, this means masking everything on the car, sanding the paint smooth, then shooting a new coat of the same color over the exterior, leaving the doors, hood, and trunk shut. This also works with our later example of spraying a pearl coat over a similar-shade existing, plain color. The second step involves removing as much trim as possible before sanding and spraying, with a further option of sanding, masking, and painting the doorjambs and under the hood and trunk. This, of course, requires masking off the whole interior, engine, and so on. The third step of this stage is similar—you remove trim and (probably) sand the car yourself—but then take it to your local one-day paint shop to let them mask and spray it. These latter two steps would allow a color change, if you want.
3: Bodywork and Paint. This is obviously for cars that have some dings and dents. We’re not covering major bodywork here; you can have a shop do that and leave repaired spots in primer. Or you can do minor work yourself, where needed, as shown in the next chapter. After applying primer, block-sand these areas, along with existing paint. Or, maybe what this car needs is a full coat of high-fill primer over a good preliminary sanding, some spot putty in places, and then a good block-sanding, a little more primer, and then new paint. Since you’re not stripping off all old paint, a good sealer is strongly recommended before the final color coat.
4: Strip and Paint. We cover several levels of stripping in this chapter, but for this paint stage we’re talking about either hand stripping the body at home, or having it media blasted, primarily on the outside surfaces. Going further, it could include stripping doorjambs (even removing door glass and other door internals), and maybe under the hood and trunk. But it wouldn’t include removing the windshield, back glass, interior (other than possibly door panels), or other major components, such as the engine.
5: Gut It. Okay, we’re getting serious. Get all the glass out. Remove all body rubber (window moldings, weather strip, etc.). Assuming you’re going to have the car reupholstered, rip the entire interior out—but talk to your upholsterer first. There may be things you need to note or to save, especially if this is an older or unusual vehicle. (If not, carefully remove everything you can, probably leaving the headliner in place and masking it off. Same for plastic dash panels and similar interior components.) Of course you’ve removed everything detachable from the outside, including bumpers, grille, lights, handles, trim, and so on. For this stage we recommend removing the hood, trunk, and front fenders, because they are relatively easy. The doors are your call, because they are much harder to replace and realign. Same with things like the engine and wiring (it depends on how much you want to detail and paint the firewall and engine compartment). And, though it’s highly recommended, paint stripping is also optional in this stage. If existing paint is new or original, you can just sand it all down (thus retaining factory-applied rust-inhibitors and undercoats). In this step it’s more important to get new paint everywhere (i.e., under window seals, in doorjambs) that the factory originally put it.
6. Body-Off-Frame. This is the whole enchilada. There’s no point doing it unless the car really needs it and is worth it. But if you’re going this far, you might as well start (once you’ve got everything torn apart) by stripping the body either by immersion or by media blasting (if available—by hand, if not), inside and out. Might as well have the frame and chassis components sandblasted, too. Paint or powder coat the frame and suspension parts before reassembly, and paint driveline components as you rebuild them. Do whatever rust repair and bodywork is needed, and then paint all sheetmetal, top and bottom, inside and out. Then start reassembling the whole car with all new rubber, wiring, glass, upholstery, plating, and so on. This can all be done at home, with the possible exceptions of plating, upholstery, and probably glass. It is still exponentially cheaper than having a pro shop do it all. But don’t expect to do this during your two-week summer vacation.
TO STRIP OR NOT TO STRIP
This car is for sale at a swap meet, and some sellers can be cagey (this one appears to have waxed the car to make it shiny); but we see no rust, no dents, no cracks, and no flakes. It looks like a candidate for a good sanding and a new paint job. You can get such a car for a much lower price and do the paint yourself.
Of all the cars I’ve painted, the only ones I’ve had no problems with, either immediately or later, were the ones I stripped to bare metal to begin with. This could be coincidence. But more likely it has to do with what lay below the surface of the dragged-home derelict vehicles that I didn’t strip. Lord knows where they had been and how many times they had been painted.
When you’re starting a paint project you once again have a few options. First, let’s assume you know, or are pretty confident, that the paint on the car is either factory original or a respray that was done properly in the past, and there is no evidence of cracking, checking, peeling, bubbling, or so on. If this is the case, you can usually sand down the paint on the car, smoothly and evenly, and paint over it using most of today’s modern paints. If the existing finish is still relatively new and in good shape, and you just want to change the color or put something like a pearl coat over it (as we show later), then sanding down the existing paint and recovering it should be fine. Don’t forget that some new cars get damaged and spot-painted—sometimes even body-worked—at the dealer before being sold. Hopefully such work has been done properly, with good catalyzed paints, primers, and sealers. If so, it can be painted over like the rest of the car. If not, you probably won’t know it until it wrinkles or lifts while you’re painting the car. Similarly, if the original paint, or a good repaint, is just faded, or possibly the clear is peeling in places, you can sand it down and repaint it the same color (including a base coat and a clear coat), without having to repaint the doorjambs, under the hood, and so on. Further, when the car is built at the factory, the body and other sheet-metal components are dipped, electrostatically sprayed, or otherwise treated