so i've been planning on getting my bodywork done and painting my berlinetta this coming summer. i had all the paint picked out and i'm going to give this "$50 tremclad paint job" thing a try. while i was at walmart comparing pricing, i stumbled across "extra-thick sandable primer", i think it was bondo brand. has anybody used this? this car is a budget product and obviously 3 or 4 cans of this would be cheaper than fibreglass repair and having to prime it anyway.
at the same time, i dont want it to look crappy after all the work i've done to the motor.
if anybody has used this extra-thick stuff i'd like to hear about it or if anybody else has done a low-budget paint job i'd like some advice, it'll be my first time painting a full car.

 

Are you talking about filler primer?, if so iv used it before, it works pretty good, but only used it as second coat of primer, as you sand, it fills up all the the light scratches that might have been left behind.

 

perfect, thanks for the input i wasnt sure if i could skip filling and priming separately and do them together

 

If it is basically just a high build primer, you wont be able to get much more than minor scratches and dings out with it. But even then you risk them showing back up later if you don't feather problem areas out well enough. And on top of that, extra thich primer has a tendency to break off easy. Filler and a light coat of primer is your best bet for taking out dents easily. Bondo dries faster than super thick primer. And bondo is only like 15$ a gallon. It will go a much longer way IMO. There are no "miracle" products, so stick to whats proven.

And if you've put much money into the motor, spend the money to at least have a pro put on some base and deep clear for you. You would be much happier with the result.