Finally some progress...

SVX10 · #1 07-16-2008, 11:54 PM

WOW! It's been waaay too long since I've been here posting. Feels good to be back.

Over the past 1.5 years or so I've been slowly progressing on prepping my SVX for paint. The NM and AZ sun did a number on the original Ebony Pearl.

I chose to sand the vehicle to prep it rather than using a chemical stripper. I did chemical stripper on the sunroof, and ended up getting some small rust-spots. I didn't want the same on the body panels. So, that took FOREVER.

This weekend I finally got it sanded to my liking. After a ton of masking (almost worse work than sanding), I got the primer coat down. Unfortunately I'm away from home for 2 weeks, but when I return I hope to get the primer sanded, low spots filled with glaze, final primer coats, and paint applied. Plan is to do a satin black or titanium color such as...

I'd like to do a gold or bronze wheel like that, also.

Anyway, here's a link to the pics.

http://www.myrideisme.com/Garage/fromSVXtoSTi/699/1097/

lhopp77 · #2 07-17-2008, 08:24 AM

A lot of work, I know. I see you have masked the sunroof area. Is the sunroof removed or are you going to do something different with that area?

Lee

TomsSVX · #3 07-17-2008, 09:14 AM

piece of advice... Remove the following and work with them off the car.

-Door handles
-Mirrors
-Rear window garnishes
-Window weather stripping
-Claddings (all 4)
-Bumpers
-trunk lid

This will save you time and keep you from driving yourself crazy... we are doing a full sprary right now too, I feel your pain and excitement.

Tom

SVX10 · #4 07-17-2008, 11:35 AM

The sunroof is removed and will be the same color

Regarding removal of stuff...

I took off the mirrors and door handles before spraying the primer. I didn't remove seals because I had bad experience removing them on a parts car I had. Also, concerning the bumpers, cladding, and trunk lid...no thanks!

Trunk lid I already have setup at a good angle that will allow me to spray all exposed surfaces with ease. If I remove it, I have no fixture to attach it to, so getting the edges/bottom/etc. will be near impossible. Same with the bumpers.

The cladding I really would've like to have removed, but didn't know how, and didn't want to damage the clip mounts in the process. When I removed the rear 1/4 trim things under the windows from my parts car, it took forever to do the 1st one right, and the 2nd one I ended up breaking a few of the clips and clip mounting slots. Could I do that even though it's already primered? I think I could. Maybe you can let me know how to best go about it.

I already drove myself crazy masking the car to accomodate this approach, so I might as well stick with it now

I'm also fortunate to have a black car as a base...that allows lots of flexibility as black sills and black brackets and such will still look just fine even though the exterior is going to be a slightly different color.

SVX10 · #5 08-14-2008, 12:26 PM

A bit of an update...

The high build primer has been sanded to reveal low spots such as door dings and hail damage...

http://www.myrideisme.com/Garage/fromSVXtoSTi/699/1097/

Also picked up a set of wheels to cram in there. Gonna look nice with the flat black. Rota G Force 18x9 +30mm. No doubt gonna be a chore to get them to "fit", but that's the fun of having a dedicated daily driver...I have all the time in the world. If I can't get them to fit, they'll probably end up on my STi, and the STi's 18x8 Enkei RC-T4's will end up on the SVX.

redlightningsvx · #6 08-14-2008, 04:11 PM

Did you guide coat the car before you sanded it? Also sweet rims.

SilverSpear · #7 10-07-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SVX10

Hmmm I wonder... how will my car look in that color especially that I have a bodykit on

SVX10 · #8 10-07-2008, 12:39 PM

Triumph,
Thanks for the detailed info. A majority of that is stuff that I've become familiar with during this project. Sounds like I should use 600 grit, though. I was under the impression that 400 was enough.

Concerning the sandpaper, it wasn't gumming up, it was just getting clogged with the residue. The residue was a dry powder, though...no issues with hardener.

I used a 1.8tip for primer per the product info sheet. When I've sprayed before I've used a 1.3mm for color and clear. I have a 1.5 though. Which is better and why? Already have the oil/water separator. Don't have a pressure regulator for the gun...I'll pick one up.

One thing I did get that helped a bit with pressure was the high flow fittings. I was able to go longer before the compressor would have to fire back on. A nice little bonus, but not necessary for a good job.

I've been cleaning before spraying with a proper degreaser throughout the project. That is always followed by tack cloth immediately before painting. Adhesion has been great so far.

Thanks for the gun setup info. That should come in really helpful. I'm plannign to get a test piece soon, so I'll try that setup on a test panel.

Also, I'm going to try to locate a downdraft booth not only for the spray fog, but also becuase it'll be cleaner than my garage. Despite a pretty thorough pre-cleaning of my garage, a few particles still settled into the primer. I don't want that on the final spray, so I'm going to try to find a booth to use. I have 2 leads right now (friend's dad's shop, friend of a friend), so hopefully one can let me use it on a weekend.

Still not sure on single stg vs. bc/cc. I realize the 1 stg. is smarter because of application and repair. Actually, 1 stage frequently looks better, too, in flat applications. I had just planned on the base/clear for durability/longevity/quality. While I know I couldn't get a glass smooth flat clear application, I thought I could do an adequate job. The flatness of the finish hid most of the orange peel appearance on the practice panel i did a few months back.

I'd love to hear some more input. Thanks for the help!

triumph1902 · #9 10-07-2008, 10:39 PM

As far as gun tips go...the thicker the liquid you spray the larger the tip you need. Base coat is a relatively thin so, usually, you would use a 1.3-1.4mm tip... with Clear coat, which tends to be less viscous, you want 1.6-1.7...primer tends to be even thicker so you can go 1.7-1.9 and then 1.9+ tips are for undercoats and spray glazes. I use a 1.5mm tip on My SATA because its big enough for clear and small enough for base as far a my gun goes. Also because I dont have a heated spray booth and spray in cool temps..I tend to reduce the clear more then usual so it lays flatter...of course this makes it more prone to runs.

You are absolutely correct that a 2 stage base coat /clear coat urethane finish would be the most durable, however it is extremely difficult to get good results with flat clear. I expect the SEM 1 stage urethane to last 3-5 years without fading as a daily driver, and during that time should it need repairs I can easily do them...and even if it fades i can just sand it and spray it again...the 2 stage will last 10 years but will be impossible to touch up and may not come out as well as the one stage...thats why I decided to stay with the one stage in this case.

SVX10 · #10 04-07-2009, 04:20 PM

We're almost to the paint stage. The primer has been wet sanded and blocked with 400 grit. The finish is very smooth, but some very fine ripples on areas of the door surfaces, trunk lid, and hood. They'd probably show on a traditional gloss paint job, but the satin finish will certainly hide them well. Here are a few pics...

Overall

Slight ripple

Good reflection

Needs some more work

Now I just need to decide if I'll spray a single stage myself or pay to have a base/clear job done at a shop...decisions decissions. First I gotta get it running right

redlightningsvx · #11 04-07-2009, 07:58 PM

Did you spray all the panels/cladding/garnish on the car?

SVX10 · #12 04-27-2009, 11:39 AM

Well, this weekend I sprayed the hood, trunk lid, mirrors, door handles, and front bumper cover. I went with a very dark gray from Audi for basecoat, and a flattened clearcoat. The clear applied pretty well, actually with very little orange peel, but the flat clear requires perfect application. I certainly didn't get it perfect, and have 3 nasty runs on the trunk lid (the first part I sprayed)...I quickly learned I needed to move the gun faster. Oh well...gives it character, I guess.

As much as I didn't want to have to buff, it absolutely requires some buffing. This'll gloss it up a bit, but hopefully it'll still keep the cool character that it has right now. I'll get some pics up soon. Hope to spray the rest of the car by the end of the week!

redlightningsvx · #13 04-27-2009, 07:48 PM

What clear did you end up using?

STeeL25T · #14 04-28-2009, 09:38 AM

If I didn't end up buying my favorite color of SVX for my project car, it would absolutely be flat black by the time I was done with it.

BoxerFanatic · #15 04-28-2009, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STeeL25T

If I didn't end up buying my favorite color of SVX for my project car, it would absolutely be flat black by the time I was done with it.

I was thinking Ford's new dark Kona Blue with black roof and deck treatment would look nice... That might not even look too bad at all with the matte-finish clear-coat that seems to be a new fashion trend. darker than Laguna blue, more like a blue-version of Claret.

Maybe a tri-tone, with black roof, a medium-dark blue main body color, and a darker blue lower color under the belt-line... and some medium gray or hyper-silver or hyper-black wheels, and tint...

Will be interesting to see what this car ends up doing. Sorry to hear that the clear-coat failed.