Full respray

[Einarrson]

There's only the one rear door, boot and one rear quarter that don't need panting on my carlton so I'm thinking of respraying the whole lot. Will have the loan of a compressor a gun and some elbow grease but am still looking for somewhere to do it.

I would really prefer to use a pearlescent paint as can't be bothered messing about with lacquer. I've never used a pearlescent paint so am wondering a few things about it like. How much rubbing/polishing does i take to get a good finish? Does anyone know of a good pearlescent black? 

[Pedro]

You need lacquer on pearl paint mate.

[Einarrson]

Yeah??

What am I thinking of then that doesn't requite lacquer? Anything or just imagining things?

[Pedro]

Summat tough like enamel? (Like you used to paint Airfix kits with).
Tough as old boots, that suff.

Or Hammerite Smooth..............

[diplomat2.6]

I've had several attempts at bodywork but would never attempt a whole car without a special booth; if you use single pack acrylic laquer it will look like a blackboard and if you use 2 pack, you'll die. Also, paint is very expensive and you could easily be looking at £200 for the paint, if you can find someone to sell it to you.

If I were you, I'd either do a panel at a time so that each panel you would build on the experiences of the last or have a self prep respray. These may be useful;

http://totalcarlton.com/forums/index.php/topic,7212.0.html
http://totalcarlton.com/forums/index.php/topic,6675.0.html

[Einarrson]

Summat tough like enamel? (Like you used to paint Airfix kits with).
Tough as old boots, that suff.

Or Hammerite Smooth..............

Haha...

We once had a Chevette and my dad painted it with dark green hammerite, with a brush! 

[Einarrson]

Thanks diplomat. There's some good guidance on those two threads especially the repair of the boot which was a great result.

I thought there was an alternative to the deadly 2 pack these days?

[Pedro]

There is - acrylic. It's water based, therefore environmentally friendly and according to a mate in the trade, damned hard to match with "naughty" original paint.

[doz]

There is - acrylic. It's water based, therefore environmentally friendly and according to a mate in the trade, damned hard to match with "naughty" original paint.

and you still have to spray it with 2k laquer.

[Einarrson]

If I were you, I'd either do a panel at a time so that each panel you would build on the experiences of the last or have a self prep respray. These may be useful;

Yeah I imagine the gun takes a bit of getting used to and then I'd have to find somewhere to do it, was thinking of renting a lock up. Then there's the PPE and the materials would all start to add up.

So with a self prep you just get all the paint rubbed down? Bare metal? And then maybe take off any bits I can, sill covers etc... I'd still have to drive it down though?

Did you get new door mouldings for yours Diplomat? Didn't know you could get those.

[diplomat2.6]

I didn't get new door trims but i did refit new clips as the old ones go brittle and snap when you try to take them off. I got new wheel arch trims as the car had a minor rear accident as i can to discover by a thin skim of filler over the rear wing. When they refitted them, they distorted. The trims were ordered and cost £25 or so each. Not too bad.

To prepare the car I'd suggest that you remove the bumpers, door handles, trim by window seal, badges, sill covers and then get a DA sander (dual action) and rub the whole car down. No need to rub down to the metal. The body shop would then use primer/surfacer followed by the basecoat then clearcoat.  I guess the body shop would have a low loader?

[Einarrson]

Yeah, spose it would need to be one nearby too. 

I once tried to get hold of some of those clips that hold the sill covers on from Evans Halshaw on Hunslet Road in Leeds. They insisted that I had to buy 50 or something ridiculous as they had none in stock.

[Pedro]

Yeah, spose it would need to be one nearby too. 

I once tried to get hold of some of those clips that hold the sill covers on from Evans Halshaw on Hunslet Road in Leeds. They insisted that I had to buy 50 or something ridiculous as they had none in stock.

Evans Hellshaw are fooking useless!

As for bodyshops, the guys who did mine (near York) are doing my Omega estate bottom half. I'm stripping and prepping and putting it back together at their place.
Decent price too, I can pass on the contact details if you like?
You've seen the car, you've seen the finish.

[Einarrson]

Yeah, that would be good if you could pass that on Pedro.

[Pedro]

Steve Metcalf

Paint & Body Repair Specialist

All aspects of paint and bodywork undertaken.

Unit 4, Meadow Farm Ind. Estate,

Crossmore Lane,

Haxby.

Tel 01904 767137

[Einarrson]

Cheers I will give them a ring for a quote... Maybe I could get it rubbed down then put all the essential parts back on, drive it there and dismantle it when I get there.

At the moment I'm just wondering if I need to get 2 new front doors as there is the trademark rust along the bottom which must come from inside. Been repaired once and it's come back so maybe better to get sound doors first. The drivers one which is worst has a split rubber all the way round the top of the window which I suspect is letting the water in.  Any idea if you can get new ones?

[Pedro]

This guy might have a pair of doors...........

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/carbits53&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSX:SELLERID

Paul Spence in Skipton.
Bloody nice bloke!!!!

[Einarrson]

Oh yeah, I've had a few bits off him before... I'll give him a ring.

Got my cubby hole now. I'll post the fake wood bit over to you. I think I still have your address...

Seems like these cubby holes are like busses as I've been looking for ages and now I see Blippi has one on ebay too.

Btw I never did find where the wires to the door connect. The other one I changed I did it with bullet connectors inside the door, not great but it works ok.

[Einarrson]

Just gave Paul in Skipton a ring. He has 2 good senator doors, stripped £40 each.

I'd like to confirm that I will definitely need them. I have the typical rust along the bottom edge which has come back after one repair, so it looks like it's coming from the inside. That's not gonna be recoverable is it?

The rubber is split along the top of the window which I would imagine lets water in. Should be able to seal that up with black mastic or gasket maker though shouldn't I?

[Pedro]

 I have the typical rust along the bottom edge which has come back after one repair, so it looks like it's coming from the inside. That's not gonna be recoverable is it?

Usually not, cos the moisture gets inside the fold and even summat like Waxoyl might just seal it in.

The rubber is split along the top of the window which I would imagine lets water in. Should be able to seal that up with black mastic or gasket maker though shouldn't I?

Hard to say without seeing it, but surely another rubber would be the way forward there? I can't really see any sealant either looking decent or lasting, due to the nature of the door action!

[Einarrson]

Yep though so... It has been waxoiled but I didn't use thinners with the waxoil so maybe it hasn't got into the crack properly.

Any idea where I can get a new door seal?

btw Pedro, bit of wood went in the post today should be with you tomorrow.

[Pedro]

Cheers dude!

Might be worth trying VX for the rubber - but more likely to find a good used one.

Autovaux in Wakey - might be worth a poke around on their website?

[Einarrson]

Oh didn't know about Autovaux in Wakey...Cheers for the heads up.

No doubt it would be £100 or something stupid from VX... What's the chances of finding a drivers one that isn't split. I'll ask Paul in Skipton what the one on the drivers door is like. He said they are off a police senator which he has had the doors off for ages so maybe it's ok?

What is it with VX dealers? The same bits for my mates old BMW are a fraction and that's for proper BMW bits!                 

[Einarrson]

I've decided to go for it and do this myself as I can even begin to afford even a self prep respray.

I have all the stuff to build a booth round it, might need a bit more polythene sheeting but I have plenty of wood and a lot of old tarps. I have 3 convection heaters and will be able to get a couple of fan heaters too.

DA sanders are pretty reasonable for an air powered one.

I have located some Upol primer and lacquer 5L or each for about £30...

I just need to get some paint now. There's stuff on ebay which is probably crap so I'm ringing up car dealerships. Tried VX and BMW so far but neither sell tins, just aerosols.

I have the 2 old doors to practice on which will help. I think the main problem will be getting a week where the weather is dry enough. I've checked the forecast for August and it's crap.

[Pedro]

Whatever you do, try not to make the booth too small - dust.
The polythene sheets in paint shops is tacky on one side to trap the dust.

As far as having a good week of weather, you can slap primer on as thick as you like - having said that, it does mean more rubbing down, but at least you can rub it down in the rain!
Only takes 20 minutes - half an hour to paint a car with topcoat, a decent half day should be OK.

AMEC do good paint, I think they might have a shop in the Leeds area?
I know they can mix any shade of any colour (like most places I guess) - useful for a spray tin for touch ups and a few places I've worked at uses them to supply paint. (DCRS, Pocklington Coachworks, Aire Truck etc etc).

Gotta say at this point, I've only painted a car once in my life (never again) and only picked up these tips from working in a bodyshop environment.