Hey, i want to re-spray my vl and i thought i'd give it a go myself. Basically what i need to know is with my existing paint, can i just sand it back a little and then spray over it? im not sure if it's 2 pac or acrylic, any way of telling? what grit sandpaper should i use, and any other tips? thanks guys Ryan

Easiest way to tell acrylic from 2 pack is to get some acrylic thinners on a rag and wipe over an inconspicuous area of paint on the car. If the paint is damaged by the thinners, or if it comes off on the rag then it's acrylic. If nothing, 2 pack. You can probably get a good idea anyway by looking at the condition of the paint. An original paint job will be looking a bit tired and faded by now.

If the paint is in good condition (ie no cracks etc) u can sand it down and paint over it. Just have to keep with the same type of paint. Eg paint acrylic over acrylic. Personally i dont paint colour or metalic or any form of top coat* over anything coarser that 800wet . U can use coarser grades in various cases but im just saying what i do. Tips...search is ur friend and take everything off. The less u need to mask up the less paint lines u possible can have (so the better the car looks) *does not inc clear. If its just clear 1200wet

thanks guys. Yeah i tried searching, couldnt find anything... okay so sand it back with 800 wet... spray it with the colour i want, then i can give it a coat of clear? how many coats should i give it of each?

Quote: Originally Posted by jordy Easiest way to tell acrylic from 2 pack is to get some acrylic thinners on a rag and wipe over an inconspicuous area of paint on the car. If the paint is damaged by the thinners, or if it comes off on the rag then it's acrylic. If nothing, 2 pack. Also works with metho. Quote: Originally Posted by spirit77 Just have to keep with the same type of paint. Eg paint acrylic over acrylic. As long as the paint is in fair condition you should be able to use different top coats...

you can get a product which actually allows you to paint a totally different6 kind of paint then was originally used. Its like an in between product which seals the existing layer preventing it from spoiling your new paint work. Id definately find out about it mate it might just be worth your while. Also highfill is your friend man its nice and easy to sand and accepts paint well. I have only suggested this dude coz its no fuss and great for beginers. good luck keep us informed. psi will try post the name of the sealing product.

spray a couple of coats of isolator over the original paint after you sanded back with 800let that dry then bomb on your base then atleast three coats of clear for durability. spray the base on let it flash for 15 minutes then start clear straight away this allowes the chemicals to react and bonds correctly if you let it dry you can get lamination and paint won`t last as long.

Ok if u car was painted in acrylic and u wanted to put 2pak on top then u have to use a 2pak primer. A good quality 2pak primer can be used as an isolator. Prime the car . Alow a day to dry and sand down. Any areas that u have sanded through the primer will have to be reprimed in 2pak. If u dont then when u paint the acrylic solvents will react in that area giving an outline of where u "broke through" when u painted it. U cannot paint 2pak over acrylic without an isolator no matter how good the paint looks. If the acrylic is a fair few years old and ur near 100% shure its not been repainted in that time then u can try. BUT if there is acrylic that was painted a year ago , then its still realesing solvents now. When u paint 2pak over it then thoses solvents get trapped under the 2pak making the 2pak not adhere aswell as it could do. Then with this lack of adhesion u will notice and complain that "2pak is ****" beacuse u will find ur paint job stone chips and peels off easyly.

okay cheers guys, i think my paint's 2 pac. So after a spray my top coat on i should wait 15 mins , then put the clear on?? also whats this highfill, is that just body filler? wheres a good place to buy all this stuff, just supercheap? im in perth by the way Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Don't even start the job if your short fused or don't like boring ****ty work. It's really a nasty job sanding a car 'properly'. And remember it's all in the prep. well most of it.

Quote: Originally Posted by RyRy wheres a good place to buy all this stuff, just supercheap? No. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

3D paint is good...

Just wondering, i've heard that after you spray the clear you have2 bake it or it will go yellow after a little while, is this true???? thanks

you dont need to bake it if you use a hardner. dunno about the yellow though, i think that may result if too much clear is used.

Quote: Originally Posted by vlthunter you dont need to bake it if you use a hardner. dunno about the yellow though, i think that may result if too much clear is used. thats not correct, all 2 pak uses hardner, thats the bit thats bad for you. No you don't need to bake it, just use a fast hardner. The isosyinates in the hardner is nasty ****, it enters your blood stream through moist areas of your body ears eyes nose mouth cuticles (skin around your fingers) so cover up, a good respirator with correct type of filter, eye protection, gloves and ear coverings (just use a painters sock - like a hoody) With the mask, when finished wrap it in a plastic bag, if its left out the filter gets rooted and won't do anything

only problem with hifill is when ur rubbing it back, it smells like rotten eggs Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by vlthunter you dont need to bake it if you use a hardner. dunno about the yellow though, i think that may result if too much clear is used. Nah if u use too much clear it wont go yellow. I havent done it myself but for a show quality finish in 2pak u flow coat it. This means u paint the car and clear it as normal. Then after its painted u sand the clear flat and re-clear the car. Creating a seperbly flat and deep gloss finish. That i would presume be "too much clear" on the car and i have seen a coupla cars done like this inc a mini with the union jack on its roof. The white parts would have looked yellow if "too much clear" was true. But it didnt look yellow, looked white.

mate if i were you, id strip the paint back to the primer, depending on what tools you have im assuming you have at least an 1/3 sheet electric sander use 80 grit sheets to rip the paint back quick, put on 120 grit and work up to 400, once its nice and smooth sand it back with P800 wet, then put on a couple of coats of etch primer, then a nice hi build 2pack primer/filler let this dry for a day block it back with a sanding block using 240 grit wet if you wanna cut it back quick then sand it with 400 wet once done prepsol the car and start applying your basecoats (ensure you use the correct colour for your background) i.e grey for blue e.t.c if unsure ask your paint supplier, a good paint for backyard spray jobs is "Protec" just go in and see one of the guys there and they can give you a rundown on what you need at the end of the day you get what you pay for (est price on respray is about 1200 in products) from start to finish anyways good luck

Quote: Originally Posted by GTP_VLBT1 mate if i were you, id strip the paint back to the primer, depending on what tools you have im assuming you have at least an 1/3 sheet electric sander use 80 grit sheets to rip the paint back quick, put on 120 grit and work up to 400, once its nice and smooth sand it back with P800 wet, then put on a couple of coats of etch primer, then a nice hi build 2pack primer/filler let this dry for a day block it DO NOT USE 2PAK ETCH PRIMER ON ACRYLIC. If ur gonna sand it back to bare metal then use the etch primer on the bare metal. If u sand it down 2 the acrylic primer then use a 2pak primer/filler on there. But ALL my experiences with etch primer on acrylic has been it fries up (where the paint instantly cracks) . Maybye some brand do and others dont but i would not risk or recomend it.

dont do it yourself it will look ****