m0torbreath

Hello everyone. I am looking to paint my front and rear bumper, as well as the back of the trunk, where the brake light rests.

I don't know anything at all about sanding/painting, so I was wondering what grit I should start with to remove the old faded paint, as well as what grit to use for primer, finishing touches, etc. The front and rear bumper are a different material than the trunk, so should it vary what grit is used? Also looking to sand and paint the original wing, which is rubbery. I'm using a Ryobi Orbital Sander by the way.

Any tips/advice greatly appreciated. As I said I have absolutely zero knowledge of auto body and I'm just trying to do a satisfactory job at a reasonable price. Thanks!

CharcoalBird

iTrader: (4)

I know the very basics of paint and body work. If I were to actually decide to do my own paint/body work I'd likely get a book and start reading. Video tutorials and such may help as well. Try to soak up as much info as I could before beginning.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

As you have a metallic paint, matching it is going to be difficult without the tools and experience to know how to mix the paint properly. Flat colors are easier to deal with.

Painting an entire car is technically easier in that you can follow general recommendations for mixing it and as long as your area for spraying it is clean, you can achieve decent results (likely better than Maaco can with their single stage jobs).

But when it comes to spot painting and blending panels that gets more difficult as its not just spray the paint down, there is a knowledge base that most people don't have.

I would suggest picking up a sun-damaged hood from any car at a junk yard and practicing on that. If you can achieve results that make you happy, you can do the same to your own car.

As for body work goes.

At a minimum you will want to wet-sand the entire area to be painted with 400grit. Get a bucket, fill it with clean water, and a ton of sand paper. Don't skimp on the water, and keep the sand paper clean of debris, it will accumulate quickly.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Here are all the pictures from when I did all the basic body work on my own GTA before I sent it to Maaco for a single stage spray. I was happy enough with the results for $750 or so. But I also did not expect the paint to last. The single stage was soft, easily damaged by rocks, and only lasted about 7 years before it experienced serious UV damage. And now, 14 years afterwards the paint is basically 100% shot and the entire car will need to be knocked down to primer again and repainted properly.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/85540264@N02/albums/72157631545655268

Billgluckman

I’d say it’s never going to match. If you just want it to look better then go for it but complete respray will be best.

get on YouTube and watch “diy auto school”. You may dislike the guy doing the teaching, but I learned a lot on that channel. Any question you have, he’s answered. Also autobody101 forum is great too.