Mikes86SC

Since last summer I've been getting my Camaro ready for paint, sanding, fixind dings and dents, etc. The car is sanded down to the original primer. I can't go down to bare metal because the car is outside and will rust. My big problem now is that in some places I used too abrasive sand paper and I have some scratches in the primer. I tried filling them with sandable primer by spraying the area and wet sanding with 220 but it didnt fill the scratches. Anyone got any ideas how to take care of this? I thought of spot glazing putty, but I was wondering if there was a faster way.

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86 Sport Coupe, 2.8 V6, dead stock, but not for long!
Coming soon: paint job, new interior, MSD-6A, MSD GM Blaster Coil, MSD 8mm Helicore wires, Catco Hi-Flo cat, Dynomax Cat-Back

Daily driver:
2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE2

"Drivers beware, rice boys are everywhere!"

www.geocities.com/camman86

87RS402

Your choice...

The right way, glazing putty
or
The fast way, blocking primer.

BTW, blocking primer isn't that much faster and doesn't work anywhere near as well as the putty.

Mikes86SC

Hmm, guess I better stock up on putty and free time.

Going Slow Sucks

You can also sand down to the bare metal and prime over it the same day.If they come back the scraches are it the metal and you will have to go to the putty.I say this because putty can be seen if the work is not perfect and it can crack.

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88 Camaro IROC-Z
350TPI
K&N filter , High flow exgaust (no cat's), automatic tran's shift kit

87RS402

If the putty is applied correctly it won't crack. The key is to apply thin coats, feathersand and reapply untill the area is perfect. I find that if I close my eyes and run my hand across the area I can feel almost any imperfection. Take away the stimulation from seeing what your feeling and use touch. Then you can look and see it.

That doesn't work for everyone, but I've had good luck that way.

MikeInAZ

A few questions and then an opinion or two.

What primer are you using? If you are using a canned primer it is way too thin to do you any good.

The glazing putty vs. new high solids primers is a thing of the past. It will shrink as does body filler.

You have an 86. Was it made in Van Nuys? If so it probably has a "water based" primer which isn't worth anything. You have gone to all the trouble to take the paint down to the primer I would take it down to metal.

Use one of the newer epoxy based primers like Uro-prime. I will caution you, you must have an organic filter mask as this stuff will knock you for a loop at the very least. Two coats of Uro-prime will cover any scratches. It is pricey ($150.00) gallon but it's the pro stuff.

Also primer doesn't seal your car from rust. The only difference in bare metal and primed metal is on bare metal you can see the surface rust on primed metal you can't. Guys that run around with primed cars wonder later why they have paint problems. Primer absorbs water like a sponge.

It is the sealer and/or basecoat/clearcoat that protects your metal from the elements, primer is a "surfacer" and the good stuff is like a liquid "glazing filler".

Down to metal.
Do your bodywork.
Two coats of primer/surfacer.
Wetsand 400/500
Scotchbrite pad with comet.
Spray sealer.
Basecoat (2 coats)
Clearcoat (3 coats)
Wetsand 1200
Buff with compound/woolpad @ 3000RPM
Buff with glaze/foampad @ 1800RPM
Handglaze

equals:

Paint like glass.

Mikes86SC

I checked my VIN and the car was made at Norwood. How was the primer from there? Since my car is outdoors I would most likely have a shop strip it to the metal and prime and paint it. How much would that cost?

West Coast GTA Man

Well said by MIKE IN AZ. Most putties will crack, and primer is not a good water sealant. Like Mike said, it is like a sponge. Take it to metal, and start over. Most paint will seal of the water (Rain) from getting to the metal, Primer won't.(It is all up to you on how good, and of a quality job you want to do on your car) What I did once on a car that I had that I was redoing, and I had to drive it almost daily, was I got the car just about ready and then just sprayed a couple of light coats of paint on it to seal off the primer. That worked good for me until I was ready to finish up the final touches and paint. There were a few days that I could not drive the car, due to being in the middle of working on it, and having metal exposed, filler ETC.... But you will get by.
Take care
Mike

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(Gran Turismo Americano) "The Ultimate Firebird"
Smokin 1989 GTA- Bone stock except for exhaust. (no catalytic-stainless pipe into Flowmaster 2 chamber).

MikeInAZ

I can't say about the Norwood primer. California EPA was getting all up in arms about paint chemicals and really clamped down on auto manufacturers.

A complete paint job with quality work and chemicals COULD run about $3000.00. If you are changing color $4000.00. If your car is in primer the step to take it down to metal would be minimal with air tools (DA Sander) so it wouldn't add a great deal to the cost.

Please understand this is a ball park figure that I would budget for. Actual cost could range from $1500.00 to $5000.00 but figure the materials and supplies alone are in the $600 to $800 range.

Mikes86SC

Well this car has gone through a color change, but a little half aszed. The outside is (before I sanded to the primer) a two tone red with silver lower panels. However the door jams and under the hood are gray, which actually does look ok. I may get the door jams painted, but I'll leave under the hood alone.

Camaro_hunter_d

Well I am sanding and primering my 2 beasts now and I have run into several botched body repairs by previous owners. I sanded these down to metal and reprimered the areas. I found that easier then the glazing putty. I am useing that to help minimize the crack betwee the nose and the fender, along with tring to shape up that entire area so the shape changes more smoothly...

kDB

my car is maui blue, and the topcoat is peeling off. to have a local bodyshop (a real good one) sandblast the entire car to bare metal and repaint the same color, the owner said it would be around $3500.


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kDB

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'88 formula 5.7
maui blue out/light grey in

orange rocket

I to am stripping my car. I was planning on stripping the car my self and doing the body work. I was going to spray the jambs, inner doors, behind rear lenses etc etc etc. How long do I have to get this painted or am I going to have to rip this down again or paint the primer? I have half the car done w/ primer already and was getting ready do the hidden stuff. Is it worth wasting my $40 qt etch primer now? Or use a cheap paint and then rip it down when I'm ready???

Camaro_hunter_d

man someone is ripping you off on 40 bucks a qrt. I paid 19 for Martin Senquoir primer. And another 20 for the reducer/thinner. I would continue using what you have get everything done then light sand it then spray with the base coat and see how it looks.

orange rocket

Sherwin Williams paint. i also drove 45 min to get it. By primer being a sponge is this going to cause premature rust?