I need tips!
 

Any help would be appreciated. :)
I've been putting it off for a while but I'm gonna replace my dented hood and replace it with one i found at a junk yard! Im gonna need to paint it tho because its the wrong color but i just want some quick tips tho!
My cars paint is the Medium spiral grey metallic
What would be the best primer color to use for my paint? I know how it can affect the final look of any paint job. I was thinking black primer would be fine since my paint is dark. But im not sure :/
Do i need to wet sand it with really fine sand paper to give it a factory finish look? I heard that you do but im not sure!
Any advice would be really appriciated!!! ;)

you want my professional advice
take it to a shop
if you want my advice a,bodyman of 20 plus yrs
the fees are as followed
online help and or advice is 25 a hour
coming to your house is 75 a book hour plus travling expenses
if i help you its 75 a book hour
i take all forms of paypal
thanks

Well I'm going to start off by saying that I'm not a professional by any means. However, I can't afford a body man or a shop at all. I barely have enough to pay rent.

So with that said, the first thing I'm going to tell you is this... The worst thing you can do is spray paint it. I only state this because it's a major pain to spray a large piece. I talk from experience. I dipped my trunk lid. It gets tedious and it's hard to give it a factory look because when you spray a large piece, your coverage area is small. It's also hard to control the spray when in it's in a can when it comes to large pieces. It's very easy to get runoff or parts with a thicker coat and others with a thinner coat. I personally would advice you to NOT paint any large piece with a spray can.

My personal advice? If you don't have the materials, shop around and ask how much will they charge you to repaint the hood. Then take that estimate and shop around for the materials you'll need. You'll need a sanding block, sandpaper, primer, paint, paint reducer (if it doesn't come premixed and ready to shoot), an electric paint gun (you can go with an air tool if you have the air compressor or can rent it), and clear coat. You also have to buff it at the end so you'll need a buffer of some sort. The buffing gives it the factory look, but the sanding gives it a uniform look as you go through coats. The sanding is what fixes the pieces that got thicker coats for a uniform thin coat. That's why you sand with medium sandpaper and go finer as the coats progress. You also need cleaning solution and a microfiber rag/towel to wipe the surface down before the new coat goes on. Gets rid of all the particles.

So it's not an easy task. It's very doable, but it's something that takes practice. If I was you, I'd start practicing with smaller pieces like trim, so you get a feel for how painting is. Start painting small stuff with a rattle can, so you can learn spray patterns and techniques. If you can get the hang of a can, then you'll be able to transition to a gun without much issue. You'll still have to learn how to use the gun, how to regulate it, what's the best way to shoot the paint, but it won't be a huge learning curve because you'll know the principle (paint uniform, make sure it doesn't run off, don't stay in one area, etc.) and you'll know more or less what result you want.

As far as primer goes, stick with gray. Primer does affect how the paint comes out, but you may get the paint to be too dark if you go with a black primer. I've heard of folks using a red primer for dark colors but personally, I'd do gray. I've actually painted pieces black with gray primer. It doesn't look bad at all. The black is still very dark and shines pretty nice (spray cans mind you). You can't tell the difference when it's on the car.

Practice on some scrap metal, like a saved piece off an appliance that you threw out.

Take it to a shop. If you don't know what you are doing, it's going to cost you more in the long run.

That's why I'm looking for a silver bumper for my Volvo. If you want to save money, look for a hood that is already the color of your car

Difficult, but possible. I've done it twice with rear bumpers on my Escort.

As for saving money by painting the car yourself, really depends upon how bad the car is. If it's a beater, by all means, use it as practice and DIY. Even with a little practice it should be better than a spray can job.

please for the love of all things holy
do not i repeat do not listen or take the advice from nas escobar
electric paint gun???? are you effing serious???
im goin to show the guys at work your comment
so we can laugh on lunch time
thanks for the entertainment buddy lol

I used spray can's to repaint the factory body kit for my Cutlass Ciera, I got the kit from a dark red International Series Ciera. It was a lot of work but it can be done. It helped that the Ciera bumpers were more semi-gloss than high gloss like the Alero has. Hopefully this gives you an idea what a spray can will get you. I wish I had better pictures but the digital cameras 15+ years ago sucked..



ignore the nasty bondo job lol.

I personally wouldn't spray with an electric gun if this was my car, but if he doesn't have access to the air tools, and he just wants it done, it would be an option especially considering the things people do when it comes to painting cars like using rustoleum paint, truck bed liner, etc.

Besides, I never claimed to be an actual body man. I just do what needs to be done so things are working right and looking decent. This is also why I plastidipped my trunk instead of painting it with spray cans. BTW, the DIY plastidip kit from dipyourcar.com actually comes with an electric spray gun. You should go pick a bone with em too :p :p :coolio:

Even a cheap Harbor Freight setup using a compressor and HVLP paint gun is better than a spray can. Yes, this is based upon personal experience. I used a small HVLP paint gun and just did a few refills while I was waiting for the compressor to refill. It actually came out pretty good..Don't use regular Rustoleum, it has no UV protection. Use the Marine version which has it. That with a hardner worked much better for me. It was certainly well enough for a 20 year old Escort that I did it on.

oh my effing god
so should i go to work and paint cars with a effing electric gun? lol lol
i cant believe im reading thus and let alone responding

im glad your not a bodyman or a painter
cuz you would be one,broke ass nigga if you were with your electirc paint gun
lol lol

Dude. Why you gotta be such an ass? Not everyone wants of needs perfect body work. Hell I just sanded and spray painted the bottom of my rear doors to patch up some rust.

because im a ahoe
deal with it

Because he's a 40+ guy with no life and a superiority complex. But look out if you have seen his sick ass rat rod alero, that would immediately make you want to pay pal him money for his advice.

bdyman is a pathetic joke of a human being and it's stunning that he's survived through life this far with how he treats others.

He pops in any thread regarding bodywork and acts like everyone should eat his shit like it's a delicacy. The truth is, he's mediocre at best at what he does, charges as if he runs the best bodyshop in the nation, and takes years to come close to completing a project.

If you have a question regarding corrective actions for any simple issue, and someone replies with a low-budget solution, he immediately turns into some elitist prick that cannot believe someone would be so stupid to suggest a solution that could result in anything but top scoring pristine quality on a molecular level ready for the world's most thorough vehicle finish inspection.

But what does he have to show for all this talk? His own personal vehicle was a masterpiece of garbage piled on top of itself. Tiki head shifter, primer paint job with some awful pinstriping like it was trying to be a classic car, and even hacked in retro taillights so no one would know what the hell kind of frankensteined piece of shit they were looking at. Not to mention some ghetto ass chrome rims to give it that eyesore appeal.

Fine job, bdyman.

Now grow the eff up and stop talking down to everyone. Or go to hell, who really cares what happens to you?

drop the mic moment

You couldn't be more right, every post I see from this guy is negative and amazingly pathetic. Ima charge you for advice cause I'm that awsome at what I do. Come on man stop taking yourself so seriously and be a positive part of a dying following or fade out into the obscurity that is your lame, sorry full existence. For a guy who's so good at what ou do weren't you without a job for a while? Last I checked guys who are good at what they do don't loose their job unless their going further.

Let's be honest man, your last car was shit like ion said. It looked like a hack job that spiraled out of control and ended up a bag of shitore suited for a crusher or good laugh then anything. You come on here and shit on everyone like your some kind of God in the car world, even the greats pass on what they have learned to promote the culture. Why do you think your better then the guys who are the pinnacle of the car world? Cause you not, your some old ass washed up dude who's so inadequate at life his only self worth comes from belittling people trying to learn, much like you had to do when you got into the business. And let's be honest I have the kit being fitted and unless the kit your doing is so beyond effed up your robbing the guy your doing the kit for with those prices.

That's all I gotta say man, grow up yea this is the internet but it says a lot about you as a person how you act on here and to the members of the forum, I feel bad for you man I really do. You must have one shitty life if this is who you are and I can only hope your not this way to your loved ones, however it would explain why a 40+ dude get off on insulting people, you just truly don't have anything better to do. That's sad man it really is, go build another award winning hot rod or something.

Ok first off. If you have a issue with me personally come effin get some fatty
And I'm honored that you took the time to respond in a negative way. Shows me how mature you really are
Secondly my car was not prime red dumbass. I used hot rods flat grey
Show much you know
And my car won trophy after trophy at every show I did with that car
And it even won 2nd place in the world of wheels
So while you were sucking on your moms tit. I was in a shop working
And still to this day have cars that win best paint
Don't believe me ask the customers I did cars for
I have proof
What do you have proof of....
And your car
Holy dear baby Jesus
What a pile of shit it is
A wiring nite are
Dirtier then the Chicago sewer system
You have my personal addy
Let's see you talk shit to my face you pathetic fat eff

Well flattery is well taken
Put me down personally once again you have no idea who your pissin off
I dare anyone on this shitty dead forum to do what I can in the automotive trade
No one on here can
No one!!!!!!
You rip on my family one more time your diggin your self a hole a real deep hole
Don't forget I'm very good friends with a owner of this site
Keep that in mind
N
You or no one on this dead shitty forum knows me on a personal level
No one
And for you and that fat eff ion. To rip on my talent and me personally just solidifies that today's youth is a disgrace
My daughter wouldn't talk to people like the kid on here do
But it's a kid forum and no one including your dumbass
Has any respect for anyone

I have been a body man for over 20 plus yrs. still have cars winning trophy so from the 90s. I currently work for a shop that just built a trike for William shatner
What do you do boy
Sit behind a desk
Sell parts
Push a broom
When you can do what I can talk your shit
If you want my personal addy and want to crush this face to face
effin please come get some
When you know me personally talk shit
You don't
You know nothing about me or my life
So suck my big fat polish rooster

OK this thread got out of hand. I will end it!