How I painted my 914, ...custom stripes and a show-car finish Options

[914helo]

Excellent thread! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) You did a great job. One question, why did you say it's easier to wet-sand and buff within 3 days of spraying the clear? I heard once from someone to let their clearcoat harden for like 2 weeks.
Yours turned out excellent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

[thomasotten]

Excellent thread! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) You did a great job. One question, why did you say it's easier to wet-sand and buff within 3 days of spraying the clear? I heard once from someone to let their clearcoat harden for like 2 weeks.
Yours turned out excellent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

The clear is just so much softer before it dries for two weeks. And so the scratches that you put into it by sanding some out a lot faster when it is still soft like that. For the panels that I waited longer for, I had to switch to the coarser compound to make the process easier.

[914helo]

Thanks for the reply. Again, excellent work!

[scotty b]

Excellent thread! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) You did a great job. One question, why did you say it's easier to wet-sand and buff within 3 days of spraying the clear? I heard once from someone to let their clearcoat harden for like 2 weeks.
Yours turned out excellent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

The clear is just so much softer before it dries for two weeks. And so the scratches that you put into it by sanding some out a lot faster when it is still soft like that. For the panels that I waited longer for, I had to switch to the coarser compound to make the process easier.

Exactly. You are ALWAYS better off wet sanding and buffing within a few days. The longer you wait the more you have to werk at it and the WERSE your results will be. I have quite frequently sanded and buffed cars the same day I shot them. As far as using news paper to mask with .....bad idea. Paint WILL bleed through news paper and leave not only paint on the underlying surface but also newspaper articles. Real mess to have to clean up after. NO I repeat NO painter gets the "perfect" paint job every time (rarely), so don't feel bad about some orange peel or runs. It happens. As for the orange peel drive around some of the typical car lots and look at the brand new paint jobs (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif) As much as I love then Jeep has always been a HUGE offender in the paint department. Also take a look at a C class Benz then go look at an S class...drastic difference in quality! All that said good job and nice color combo! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[fat73]

Excellent thread! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) You did a great job. One question, why did you say it's easier to wet-sand and buff within 3 days of spraying the clear? I heard once from someone to let their clearcoat harden for like 2 weeks.
Yours turned out excellent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

The clear is just so much softer before it dries for two weeks. And so the scratches that you put into it by sanding some out a lot faster when it is still soft like that. For the panels that I waited longer for, I had to switch to the coarser compound to make the process easier.

Most excellent work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) I'm debating on whether to do my own paint. I've done it before, but this time it would include some fiberglass work which I've not done but I figure if I screw it up just start over. I've already checked with one custom shop and they want $5500 just to get the car ready to paint, which includes making the body kit fit perfect (no small job). That may seem like alot to some folks, but considering the time it takes.....well you know what I mean for sure. I love to see guys do this kind of stuff on their own. Very nice. An asset to the club, I'd say. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

Ed aka W9R1

[John]

Take your time putting it all back together. Take many many pics. It won't look this good forever. The first or second time you drive it you will get the notorious stone chip (it's the law of the west). I have gone through this enough times to know it's true.

It will happen, so don't worry too much about it (most people won't see the small imperfections that you will know are there).

Keep a bit of touch up paint for small chips and it will look like a million bucks for a long long time.

You did an amazing job. How many other cars have you done?

[thomasotten]

Take your time putting it all back together. Take many many pics. It won't look this good forever. The first or second time you drive it you will get the notorious stone chip (it's the law of the west). I have gone through this enough times to know it's true.

Oh I know, when you hear someone yell "No!!!!!!!", you'll know it was me. Right now I've been thinking about motion detectors to alert me via pocket pager when car-keying kids away, being that I work across from a high school. To your other question, this is the first whole car I have painted, but I have done other small jobs before to get my confidence/technique up.

[GTeener]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Wow! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Work of beauty! You got patience and mad talent (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

[thesey914]

Breathtaking results. That blue really suits the 914 too

[thomasotten]

I'll be posting rebuild photos shortly, I got a lot of new parts (and a Raby engine kit one the way)....stay tuned.

[seanery]

Great Thread! Awesome Job Thomas!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

[tracks914]

Awsome work (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)
I wait a year to cut and polish my clear coat. It was a lot of work but the shine was better than any car on a car lot. Next time I will do in the first week. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

[LarryR]

My wife is going to hate you forever for this thread (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I like to paint and seeing your results have inspired me to paint the 914. I figure that you have produced aprox. a 15-18K paint job by your efforts so I am thinking to do the same.

Great looking car.

[tdgray]

Awesome Job Thomas (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

As another person that has done this let me tell you it is a ton of work.

I always wanted to see if I could do it and I did... but I will never do it myself again.

You results are much better than mine. Excellent job my man (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Bartlett 914]

I hope to paint my project this Spring. This thread has been a real inspiration. I have a question about the trunks. I assume you used the same paint with a base coat and a clear coat without sand the clear. I would think that would really be a pain.

[lotus_65]

That's a classic thread.

Really NICE!

[EdwardBlume]

Classic thread !

What will the total cost / hours be ?

[thomasotten]

I hope to paint my project this Spring. This thread has been a real inspiration. I have a question about the trunks. I assume you used the same paint with a base coat and a clear coat without sand the clear. I would think that would really be a pain.

The trunks are easy, and they are great for practice! But yes, you won't need to buff that, and you will want to be careful not to get runs. But even if you do, no big deal, you can take care of them by hand. They will have more grease issues, so you will want to degrease them with something like simple Green BEFORE you sand anything. Once you start sanding, there is the potential to imbed grease into the paint. Cleaning these areas can be a real pain, but it is worth it. The beauty is in the details.

Take your time and you can turn this....

[thomasotten]

into this...

[Bartlett 914]

Thanks Thomas.
The trunks look great. Seeing the trunks match the outside really makes a paint job outstanding. How many coats of clear did you use?