Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rob]

Ok, although i'm a few months off buying my Mini i'm currently planning it so I know exactly what to do when I get it and can get it how I want it as quick as possible. When I buy it, it's going to need repainting, as I plan to paint it 1930's British Racing Green (apparently the shade became darker and darker). Anyway, I was wondering what's the best way to get the old paint off the car, and then the new stuff back on? The only way I can think at the minute is to just cover everything in paint stripper, wait for it to come off, remove with thinners anything remaining, then spray everything in primer then the top colour.

Is there any easier way to repaint it, ie just priming it then spraying again, or will the paint underneath be too thick etc? I'll be looking to do all this myself, partly because I want to teach myself how to do this sort of thing, and also because I don't want to pay about a grand for someone else to do it!

[Rick]

do you have somewhere dry and clean to work on your future car? if not, doing a decent re-paint could be tricky given our climate!! unless the paint is damaged, you might just get away with flatting it back rather than stripping it off altogether, although seasoned painters will no doubt have some good advice for you re preparation and application!

R
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[ukdave2002]

Agree , stripping with paint stripper is messy, expensive and if you get down to bare metal it needs painting asap to protect it.

Dave

[ukdave2002]

I repainted a car this year (same colour) but same principles apply, see link

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2733&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

Dave

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I too would stay away from the stripper, it could make the painting much harder later on, if you don't clean it up good enough post stripper.

Have you got an orbital sander?

Very few painters will take the car back to base metal in my opinion, as long as there is little need to most of the time if the base tin is good.

Well only my opinion!

Cheers

Dave

P.S... If you are going to patch pannels only but weld, no laps, and make sure you clean it out very well, get a mini shot blaster and go to town on it, or it will bubble through very quickly.

[ianm]

Rob, I think what type of paint its already paint in.
I had a Black 1963 Mini (imported to Oz) and the paint was baked enamel.
I had a unfortunate incident involving the right front door, it repaired Ok but when we painted it we never really matched it with the rest of the car.
Wish I still had it
Regards
Ian

[Uncle Joe]

Personally, I always use a DA sander, and strip my cars back to bare metal...

I cant say that I've never used paint stripper, in odd cases I've been forced to, or even media blasting....Dont forget though that stripper has to be neutralised after use.

[richard2509]

hello....it really depends on whether the existing paintwork is sound or not..if it is then i would suggest you go over it with 5oo grade discs on a da sander..you shouldnt even need primer on it..just make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies to flat the paintwork to key it...for a full repaint in a solid colour i suggest you use 2k direct gloss...if youve got the dreaded rust then its a different approach of course..cut/grind out, fill, spray with 2k fillerprimer flat with 320 strips then as above... pesonally i wouldnt baremetal it as it is an awful time consuming job and you may lose interest in it

[Scotty]

I would agree with the majority of all of the views posted above, it all comes down to how important this car is going to be to you.

If its something you're "cutting your teeth on" and you're working to a tight budget and time constraints i.e. it needs to become your daily driver asap then a bare-metal repaint is perhaps not the way to go. However if its going to become a long-term investment then anything you put into it is worth the time and work required.

For me, if its to be the long-term option then bare metal is the best option. You can either rub it down to bare metal or paint strip, both methods have their down side, but both give best results.
Remember preparation is the key, no paint on this planet will cover over a blemish in the bodywork. Patience and preparation will result in a quality job that will last years, whereas, all too often the "quick fix" often has you revisiting the panel way too soon and as mentioned getting a match can be a nightmare.

One last thing - working with paint stripper; not trying to teach you to suck eggs here, but be careful with the stuff, its nasty to work with and in. Make sure you've got plenty of fresh air circulating, don't let your working area become too cluttered i.e. keeping the floor clear of trip risks. Wear protective clothing, have what the manufacturer recommends to wipe splashes off skin to hand and something that's often forgotten about - somewhere to store the sludge that you scape off. Don't use a plastic container as I'm sure you'll realise it'll melt.

Good luck, and if you get a chance maybe post some pictures of your progess, I'dlove to see them.