... Hi, i am going to be s
tarting to paint my car when i have comleted the welding. I just need to explain what i am going to be doing and ask a few questions so i can do it and achieve the best quality i can. I am borrowing a compressor from a friend and a gun. I will be possibly going mini chilli red, which i will get mixed at halfords. I will be covering my garage in plastic for dust and overspray reasons. Just a few questions;
1) will i be ok using red primer on the few bits of filler and using 800 wet-and-dry on the old paint as its in good condition ?
2) how much paint will i need ?
3) could someone send me a link for a good thinner which i could use to mix with the paint.
4) how long should i leave the paint between coats ?
5) do i need to rub the paint with 800 wet-and-dry before i put every coat on, and panel wipe again ?
6) could people post some pictures up of there car before during and after please, would be much appriciated 
Danny.
1. So long as it's high build primer, it should be ok, if it's aerosol, rub down the filler as normal then finish with a finer grande than normal, say 320, then apply about 5 or more coats. Although ideally you should apply filler to bare metal, good quality modern polyester filler is usually fine over paint, so long as the paint is well keyed with 80 grit.
2. If you're using cellulose as we discussed, then you will need about 6 coats. I would buy 3 litres if you're just doing the outside, or 5/6 if you're doing the inside as well. Remember you mix it 50:50 with thinners so that ends up being double the amount.
3. Any cellulose thinner is fine, so long as it's not gunwash! Ideally you would use an anti bloom cellulose thinner, if you're doing it at home. This stops the paint "blooming" which means the paint goes kind of cloudy, usually caused by cold and dampness.
4. Leave each coat to become touch dry, this happens rather quickly with cellulose.
5. With cellulose you should apply around 4 to 5 coats mixed at a ratio of 50:50 with the thinners, no need to rub down between coats at all, unless you have any major particles or bits of sh*t, runs etc. Before the final coat, and making sure the paint is dry enough to flat, rub it down with 800 wet and dry, removing any imperfections. For the final coat, mix the paint at a 60:40 ratio, the 60 being the thinners, this helps the paint flow out, and gives a shiner final finish.
6. This is a mini I painted recently in cellulose, using the above techniques, and without a booth.
