Author Topic: Not a paint guy...help (Read 573 times)

RustyRed · « **on:** April, 15, 2009, 10:11:13 AM »

I am a total moron but I scratched the Mustang. Not a wreck or anything it was sitting in the garage.

At any rate I want to fix it myself.

Can I sand the area down, spray it with some buildable primer, sand the primer flat / smooth then spray a top coat on it then call it a day?

Dne' · « **Reply #1 on:** April, 15, 2009, 11:25:48 AM »

hm, a sluggo question :conf I think you should post a photo for further observation/advice. Or, describe the "scratch". Is it deep, is it long, down to the metal, or is it a scratch+ dent? A nice place for an STP decal? :doh Of course you can repair it, but how well can You repair it to where it looked like it was never there to begin with? I can paint an entire car, but little things like this would be challenging me!
dne'

daveSanborn · « **Reply #2 on:** April, 15, 2009, 12:13:43 PM »

Is this the original paint? An old re-paint? A recent BC/CC paint job? Hope for the latter....

RustyRed · « **Reply #3 on:** April, 15, 2009, 12:22:15 PM »

It is just a smaller scratch all the way down to metal....like a dummy I was taking the new heads I bought into the garage and oopps....guess I got a bit closer than intended. I started thinking....could I use some spot putty to fill in the scratch some. Just to keep it from rusting I could just spray paint on it and be done with it but then you would still be able to see the low spot where the scratch is at.

The paint is pretty recent (like last November) on that part of the car. I have as yet to get around to spending the money to have the whole car painted but when I bought it there was heavy surface rust in the drip rails. I did not like the idea of a donor car roof so last November I had a local guy sand, seal and repaint the roof. To make sure everything somewhat matched we painted the roof, the trunk and the back end...you can almost notice if you know to look for it but really you can't. Painting what we painted the older (10 - 15 year old) faded paint is on the sides but when you look at it from the back all you see is fresh paint.

Putting off painting the whole car till I get the rest of it done for exactly this reason, not to mention if I had nice paint but ignored the motor, etc I would end up with a nice looking lawn ornament.

daveSanborn · « **Reply #4 on:** April, 15, 2009, 12:34:28 PM »

Talk to the guy that painted the car and see what type of paint he used. Single Stage Urethane or was it a more traditional base coat/clear coat?

Either way it should be easy enough to fix, but you'll want to use the same paint/method to fix the area as is the existing painted area.

If the scratch is down to the bare metal, it'll probably sand/feather out to a larger area than you initially think in order to blend into the area. Prime and re-paint only the affected area. After buffing you shouldn't even notice it.

RustyRed · « **Reply #5 on:** April, 15, 2009, 08:03:25 PM »

Well, here's what I have so far in the pictures below. Probably a bit of overkill really but there is a nice brake line where the piece joins up to the quarter panel and the "ridge" for lack of a better term also made a good brake.

Going to call my buddy at the shop tomorrow and see what kind of paint they used. If they have a few free minutes they are good enough guys that they just might spray it for me if I ask really nice and can drop it off for a day or so.

All I really did was sand it pretty good, put a very thin amount of some bondo filler putty stuff with a spatula in the low spot, primed, sanded, primed again and it looks pretty good and pretty much smooth.

Dne' · « **Reply #6 on:** April, 16, 2009, 07:09:32 AM »

oh, you scratched your extension! When you said Brake line~ you mean a break line! that should be an easy fix~ ! you're doing a good job! that will turn out just fine! :pep
dne'

RustyRed · « **Reply #7 on:** April, 16, 2009, 07:46:58 AM »

Quote from: Sportbikechick on April, 16, 2009, 07:09:32 AM

When you said Brake line~ you mean a break line! that should be an easy fix~ ! you're doing a good job! that will turn out just fine! :pep
dne'

Oppss...you're right about brake verse break, you'd think that would teach me not to post when it is late, LOL!

What I am finding is that paint isn't "hard" I just don't really have the patience for it. Also very hard to find a dust free enough place at a house to paint, given the average home more likely than not doesn't have a paint booth.

daveSanborn · « **Reply #8 on:** April, 16, 2009, 11:47:39 AM »

So the scratch was on the rear quarter extension?

Do you know that piece is held onto the car by three easily accessable nuts?

Instead of masking off the car, it would've been much easier just to remove the extension and do the work off of the car. If your paint shop still has the color codes from when they painted the car, you could simply drop the piece off and pick it up in a few days. It only takes 3-4 minutes to remove/re-install the extension.

AzPete · « **Reply #9 on:** April, 16, 2009, 12:23:37 PM »

Ahhh Dave, you weren't supposed to tell him that until it was all done in the wrong color.......lol

Sluggo · « **Reply #10 on:** April, 16, 2009, 03:32:31 PM »

Quote from: daveSanborn on April, 16, 2009, 11:47:39 AM

So the scratch was on the rear quarter extension?

Do you know that piece is held onto the car by three easily accessable nuts?

Instead of masking off the car, it would've been much easier just to remove the extension and do the work off of the car. If your paint shop still has the color codes from when they painted the car, you could simply drop the piece off and pick it up in a few days. It only takes 3-4 minutes to remove/re-install the extension.

That's what I'd do. Might as well paint the whole extension.