Painting My Statesman - HELP!!!!

[mrbratt2000]

Hello,

I have just brought a 1994 VR Holden Statesman... 3.8L Petrol with LPG fitted...

I am looking to get into older models of Holden's but this is a wonderful place to start... I want to paint her up and learn how to do it properly....

She's not in bad condition (apart from the accident).. .You can tell it wasn't owned by a smoker in the general tidiness of the interior... The floors don't have scuff marks suggesting the kids couldn't touch the ground or they were not in the car... The motor is a strong 3.8L..... The leather is worn a little but much better than I've seen... Im going to have to find a leather restorer to find out how much it would cost to put a bit more soft into the leather - if that makes sense....

She had rear damage when I purchased it... Which also had a small hit in the front... Must have been a doosey!!!!!!!

She has been in the repairers with a very FUSSY Kiwi gentleman (contacts avail if you want a great panel beater - fussy 2)... Des has cut the rear 1/4 of the car and replaced it with a very straight honest rear cut off another holden that was in a fire...

He has explained me the horror stories that can be done in cut's but he's re assured me it will be safe.. I see the main difference in dodgy work is people cut the sills straight in a 90 degree angle... this is stupid because the stress points don't come back into the car... He has cut it at different points - by the looks of it 3 or 4 areas so it can have crumple zones back into the car - im pretty happy with that! safety 1st! 4 sure!!!!!!!!

Well that's the car... it's been an interesting ride thats for sure!!!!!!!!...

The car is now Green over silver as the original color... The bonnet is Grey Primer... The Front Bumper is Grey Primer... The boot Is Red... the Rear bumper is red... The rear 1/4 is blue as all blue... Des has flashed some paint into the interior parts that will be seen once the door has bene opened so this will make life easy for me!!!

I can't afford a re-spray done professionally! But then in saying that, I want to learn how to do it myself so I can learn for some projects that I can move into.. Maybe to to an HK or a HQ Holden (like our old family one in New Zealand)

I do not have a Garage.... I do not have a shielded space apart from the tree's etc..... This is why I am going to ask for all of your help!!!!!!!!

I would like to spray the parts that can be taken off before Des finishes the job on the repair work to make things faster!!!!!!!!!

I have found a 2hp system at Bunnings that looks like a good deal.... I need help - will this be strong enough?

I would love to know peoples hints towards 2pack and acrillic ive heard about? Whats the difference

Can I get a professional job done by doing it myself with some time and patience?

Can people help me out as much as you can suggest n guide me into the right direction...

As I see it i need a;

Air Compressor
A Gun
Lots of plastic sheeting
A hose to wet the ground
Primer
Body Filler (for scratches)
Can you get a spray can body filler to fill up scratches and so on?
Thinners?

Please anyone, help me out - I need direction to start the ball rolling so i can learn to do it myself

Cheers

Dan

email me mrbratt2000@hotmail.com or add me to your msn... Id love to see your posts & giving me direction! Cheers!

[SRVLIVES]

Plenty of good advice here, but, what's this '2pack' stuff you're talking about?

Sounds like something they paint on those new fangled models.

[mrbratt2000]

Thanks for that.......... Answer that answers nothing....

Kind Regards...
Dan

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Dan, hit the search link at the top of forum pages, you will find that there are already answers to the questions you have asked.
You will also have to forgive/ignore the stirrers, it is well publicised that this is an FE/FC site, so questions about late model cars may not get any answers or just smart-arse comments.

Cheers.

[SRVLIVES]

it is well publicised that this is an FE/FC site, so questions about late model cars may not get any answers or just smart-arse comments.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

Oh, and Dan, please post pics of your car.... we're all just dyyying to see it. ....

To tide myself over, I'm off to the Kmart parking lot........

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Shane, count yourself lucky that you are not selling air-con units or one-owner HD specials, otherwise you'd incur my full wrath  

[SRVLIVES]

'The Wrath Of Stink'

[mcl1959]

Dan, you need to get a few books from the library or from other sources on painting so that you can cover the basics.  The short answer is that you will not get a professional looking job on your first attempt no matter how patient you are.  Spray painting apprenticeships take years to complete and even then some painters are still not great.  If you were really talented you may be able to do a pretty good job after you have painted a dozen cars or so.
As far as equipment goes, there are way more products needed than the very few you have listed. The first of which you will need is a spacious garage or shed.
Body finishing / Spray painting is one of the really difficult tasks to master and should not be entered into lightly.   Don't even attempt 2 pack unless you have acess to a booth and all the safety equipment (do you know it is carcinogenic?)

Regards   Ken

[NES304]

Don't even attempt 2 pack unless you have acess to a booth and all the safety equipment (do you know it is carcinogenic?)

Regards   Ken

And illegal apparently,
Bloke, i'm painting mine myself in acrylic (not enamel) and have a seasoned veteran guiding me. Took me 3 hours to wet sand one side of the car but it turned out great. If the car is dead straight to start with it helps. I may spray the engine bay, under the boot and bonnet but don't have the balls or skill (or money) to stuff up the outside.
IT AINT WHAT YOU KNOW ITS WHO. find yourself a mate of a mate who can help. Firstly Buy a shed or a garage

[Dr_Terry]

Hi Guys.

VR Statesmans are all painted in 2 pack at the factory. Holdens from mid 1960 to early 1994 are painted in acrylic.

Dr Terry.

[Ruby_Tuesday]

Dan, sometimes a little knowledge can get you into a heap of trouble, and sometimes it can give you the confidence to have a dash without being aware of possible consequences. I owned a panel shop at one time, and working closely with a very good painter learned enough to mange painting a couple of cars, plenty of forklifts and quite a few trucks. It's hard work. You have to be fit, something not every one considers, as if you want it on looking good, you are really moving to get the flow. I see shots on the site, and have watched guys paint panels before assembly. I wouldn't be game to do that. I would have to paint a side as one to be sure it was tying together. I don't paint anymore for all the reasons Ken and the others have mentioned. It takes money and facilities to do it well - and non interfering neighbours. One of the reasons I sold my shop was I could see the EPA, drawing breath to start breathing down necks - translates to more money. Be aware as Ken mentioned, paint products are dangerous, skin absorption equally if not more so according to some doctors. This goes also for paint thinners, etc and petrol. Mechanics are being advised, I believe, not to wash in unleaded. Beaters used to have a standard treatment for cuts - wash it in gunwash. The cars I painted were clear over base using fast flash DuPont base coat and fast clears. We were using clear coats designed for one panel to paint whole cars, hence the fast footwork. If your beater is as good as you say, surely he can recommend a painter. I realise cost is a serious factor, but I am surprised he would do the repairs then risk you stuffing it up - no offence intended - let me explain: We used to have young guys come in wanting us to repair for them to paint, or paint their repairs. No way. reason: We do good repairs you do a crap paint job, when the critics kick in, (and the world is full of them and professional painters can be quite rightly among the worst) it is too easy to blame the panel shop. I've never known anyone voluntarily admit they did a bad job. If by chance you did a very nice paint job, Who did it? Why I did of course! No credit to the repairer. If I took in someone else's repairs, I KNEW I would be paying my painter to go over everyone of them to HIS satisfaction before he would touch it. Money out of my pocket. IF I could convince him to just hit it, and it looked like rubbish over bad repairs - again our fault. By all means have a go, but read what other guys are doing and stick to the small stuff for a while. Preparation is everything. Just because some new product says it can cover 36 scratches, it is no substitute fo preparation, When my beater used bog on crash work, he pulled it in tight and clean. Sanded with nothing harsher than 80 and finished with 120. We went thru lots of paper, but never had a job come back with the paint sucked into scratches, which may happen after only one hot Australian summer - even in Melbourne. Sadly I saw some lovely cars at the Nationals let down by the paint. My wife and I followed a couple of tourist painters as they inspected the cars. Having known a few prima donna painters, I found their comments typical and somewhat amusing. My wife was embarrassed and horrified and insulted on behalf of people she didn't know. I THINK? HOPE? I am on to a good young painter. He is busy, I just have to wait my time. If you try painting some of the small stuff, even if with a spray can, rehearse your moves first. It helps to get in your mind where it  will be hit/wet, where in shadow, where to hit next, which face will be seen etc. The light sticky coat helps as it gives you time to flick on more before getting serious. A bad paint paint job is nearly as bad as a bad tattoo. It's gonna be around for a long time. Thinking about it, it could even outlast a bad tattoo. Cheers Laurie