Painting the Opel Project

[611]

evo03 had a good idea, that i should post up what i used to paint the A series as although i pop bits on the blog i haven't done a full list and as it might be a help to others here is a list and some brief comments which i hope will help.

Filling: I did a bit of reading and Evercoat easy sand had a lot of good reviews/commets.

Sanding: I used a medium size Durablock and a Hand Foam Sanding Block and for smaller areas a Flexipads block.

Hand Foam Sanding Block Hook & Loop 150mm Fast Mover FMT5511 
Dura-Block AF4418 2/3 SIZE BLOCK 278MM X 70MM HOOK & LOOP
Flexipads 60mm x 125mm Soft/Hard Wet Sanding Backing

Using the hook and loop means you can buy a box of discs and use on both which is handy.

and for checking for sanding marks in-between coats i used the Mirka dry guide coat, whci is like a powder but so much easier than spraying on a guide coat and really shows up every scratch or mark.

Protection: I used the Gerson Face Mask 2K Paint Respirator - Ideal for Smart Repair as this got great reviews for smaller jobs and worked really well and i would also get a few cheap pairs of googles if using 2K and not having proper extraction because it does hang around in the air a fair bit. and get a 3M set of paint overalls.

Sanding grades.

I used 120 grit initially to for a quick sand and to get any crap paint off and then dropped to a 320, which was fine for the first primer/sealing coat, then flatted that in the 320 and then dropped to a 600 before priming and did the same with the 320 and then 600 and then 800 before the final top coat.

Paint:

To initially seal and prime after flatting and filing i used

Upoxy Super etch (https://www.carcolourservices.co.uk/product/upoxy-super-etch-primer-kit/) which is a 2 part primer and has a reasonable build so it acts a bit like a primer and i used it as the initial primer on most bits as it really seal the panel and any bare paint.

Primer: I just used a 2K high build primer that was Raninbow paints own brand. I tried not to do more of the area than needed and treated it a bit like smart repairs which was not the best plan. If i did it again i think i would have gone over the whole area with 2 light coats and sand back to give it a far more uniform finish as i had a couple of time where it all looked super flat and then you put the color on and can see little areas that are not perfect where it went from primer to old paint.

Top coat:

I didn't research this too much as a guy i watched a lot on YouTube used it and when i went into the paint supplier they matched the car and it was the same brand which is STANDOX, STANDOFLEET which is a 2K and the finish from it is great. Mixed 2 to 1 with 10% thinners. Its about £50+vat per litre and i bought 4 liters and used it all as i ended up painting the wings twice and the boot and did 3 coats on the body.

Paint gun:

I did a lot of looking into this and one that came out with great reviews was the Devilbiss FLG-G5 1.4 and the guy on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzJ7rCZtG8GVVKjv8_eynUg) gave it really rave reviews for the price (£126 from sprayguns direct) and he was right the finish is so good.

i also used a A.N.I. Spray gun Pressure Gauge regulator recommended by The Gunman and at £24 from sprayguns direct really gives you precise control over the pressure from the gun.

Talking of gun pressure, a lot of people say 25-30psi, which i tried first and had some orange peel and after looking through a few of The Gunman videos he was saying 20psi is plenty for this gun and he was spot on, and he said to go 15% with the thinners with the Standox and the FLG gun and with this setup the finish was perfect straight from the gun. So the 2 things not to try and save money on is the gun and pressure regulator, you wont regret it! and make sure you use a water trap. I used one on the gun but if i did it again i would get a bigger in-line one.

Compressor:

I bought a 50L upright (SGS 50 LITRE OIL FREE DIRECT DRIVE VERTICAL AIR COMPRESSOR) which handled the painting no problem but would not run the DA so all the flatting ended up being by hand. I had originally hired one but the hire company were muppets and they didn't have the right transformer so it never work so the 50L was a last minute purchase.

If i did it again i think i would get the 100L and make sure it was ok for the DA or use the 50L and an electric DA as it would have meant i could have primed the whole car and flatted it much easier. I had the DA but that was to run off the big compressor from the hire company.

You then need the old tach cloth, gun wash, panel degreaser, lint free cloths, paint mixing pots, strainers and stirrer.

Hopefully the above will help a few people out and i think im in for about £1'000 all in but now i have the stuff i can easily re-paint some panels that im not 100% happy with and any other bits.

 

Its been a great learning process and if i was doing it again this is what i have learnt.

Use a DA, its a lot less work and i think i could have got an even better finish as i could have done much more primer filler work to get things really spot on before doing the top coat.

Take more time and not do everything all in one go. Buy enough paint and then just do a couple of panels at a time, and then the body last as having enough paint means no issues with color matching.

Leave more time for prepping things as again it always takes so much loner than you think!

Plan some proper time off so all i was doing was the car as i was fitting in painting in around everything else and sometimes it was a bit of a rush to get things painted as it always takes longer than you think.

Don't stress if it goes wrong. Its so easy to flat a panel back again and blow a couple of coats over it again.

and if i could get a boule garage with some extraction setup then the final result would have been even better.

 

So all in all i have a car that looks a thousand times better than before, its not perfect and i have a few runs to sort out and a couple of bits that i might do again next year but i have saved a whole bunch of money and learnt a lot.

Talking of paint runs, this really does work https://youtu.be/mn6nPky0HGs

If i have missed anything off let me know and i will add it or if you have any questions.

My next post will be all about the flatting and polishing process!!

Andy

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by 611

[moodoo]

Brilliant, thanks for taking the time to write that up Andy. Super useful for those of us who might want to learn how to diy it.

[Jessopia74]

Great write up, very in-depth 👍

[Trooker]

This is great Andy, really appreciate the details, most online overviews are either glorified adverts or assume knowledge that leaves those of us who have only dabbled a little rather frustrated. Well done!

[Jonathan Pounsett]

Lots of really useful information there @611. Thanks very much for taking the time and effort to educate us.

[611]

Hey All

Im glad it was useful. I do hate a partial write up where you are left thinking, that's all very well but it doesn't answer all my questions!

I've got an old Lambretta to do next and i hope all i have learnt from the Manta will help to make that an even better job.

It seems quite daunting, but its just practice and watch a lot of videos!

A home paint job is never going to be the same as a body shop but unless you have al the professional kit and use it all the time its always going to be second best but i was never looking for a show car that i would never drive.

The real key thing is take the time and make sure the prep is 100% before you put the top coat on 🙂 you will be surprised at what shows up when that color goes on!! I would defiantly full prime and flat everything if i did it again. You watch these videos where they just blow in a corner and then paint the whole door and it looks easy, but that's where the experience comes it.

Im going to take so much more time with the lambretta, but then its much smaller and im not in a rush to use that!

I painted the sunroof surround today, as i had the kit and paint!!

Andy

[®evo03]

Great write up, and a great starting point to ask exactly what i need in supplies, prep materials and paint. Im kinda working backways, ive a DA sander, paint polisher, compressor, watertrap, pressure reg, working on an extractor, and a shed big enought to convert into a clean booth, considering lining it with polythene, to keep it extra clean, but at 15 - 20 psi, its quite controllable. 

The ways things are going, ive two cars and a scooter to do, so can justify investing in equipment when needed. 

You've just proved it can be done if your willing to put the effort in, get the prep done and buy the right materials, equipment and are willing to learn, 

Think you will enjoy the tin work on the lambretta, less area  but very rewarding. 

Great write up, thanks for taking the time. 

[611]

2 hours ago, ®evo03 said:

Great write up, and a great starting point to ask exactly what i need in supplies, prep materials and paint. Im kinda working backways, ive a DA sander, paint polisher, compressor, watertrap, pressure reg, working on an extractor, and a shed big enought to convert into a clean booth, considering lining it with polythene, to keep it extra clean, but at 15 - 20 psi, its quite controllable. 

The ways things are going, ive two cars and a scooter to do, so can justify investing in equipment when needed. 

You've just proved it can be done if your willing to put the effort in, get the prep done and buy the right materials, equipment and are willing to learn, 

Think you will enjoy the tin work on the lambretta, less area  but very rewarding. 

Great write up, thanks for taking the time. 

Get some decent sading blocks as well as if you use the Upoxy it needs to be wet flatted as its quite hard and dry flatting just clogs up the discs, but it gives a great base for the primer. I lined mine with Wilko plastic dust sheets as they are only £1 and do a great job of attracting the dust, so less floating about. The extractor would definitely be a big help.

Sounds like you have most of the stuff so the main outlay will be the paint gun and paint. Im going to give the lambretta a go at just using the Upoxy and then a top coat as most of the small parts dont need any body work and with two coats of the Upoxy it acts like a primer as well. Saves a bit of money!

Think i need to build a little booth so i can spray small parts now i have the stuff as that will save me having to spend the money on powder coating!

Its all about the prep as that Devilbiss gun is nice and easy to get use and you get a great finish.

Andy

[®evo03]

On 07/11/2021 at 23:41, 611 said:

Get some decent sading blocks as well as if you use the Upoxy it needs to be wet flatted as its quite hard and dry flatting just clogs up the discs.

Yeh noticed that before, clogging up discs, it was almost as if the rotation was burning the paint, maybe should have started with a heavier grit. Im old school, like to do alot of the starting work by hand, and leave the DA sander for finishing off. 

[611]

6 hours ago, ®evo03 said:

Yeh noticed that before, clogging up discs, it was almost as if the rotation was burning the paint, maybe should have started with a heavier grit. Im old school, like to do alot of the starting work by hand, and leave the DA sander for finishing off. 

When i picked up the Upoxy they said to wet flat it, and i thought i will be ok dry flatting! but then i found out why they said to wet flat 🙂

Im with you on the doing most by hand as you get a better feel for things, but the DA would been good for stuff like the bonnet!! that was a slog by hand.

 

Andy

[moodoo]

Hi Andy,

Sorry to (slightly) resurrect the thread...a query all the way back to the spray gun and compressor you bought...

When I look at the spec for the  spray gun, it says:

Air Consumption – 277 l/min (9.8 cfm) No 5 Air Cap
Air Consumption – 311 1/min (11 cfm) No 622 Air Cap

But your compressor is:

SGS 50 LITRE OIL FREE DIRECT DRIVE VERTICAL AIR COMPRESSOR - 6.2 CFM 2HP 50L

Only 6.2CFM? But it worked ok? 

If I was looking at that spray gun, I would have assumed I would need a bigger compressor than you were obviously able to successfully use. Maybe the paint guys advised you on the compressor? Also the air cap size, how did you know which to use? 

Has anyone else got any experience with compressor size needed for spraying?

[611]

4 hours ago, moodoo said:

Hi Andy,

Sorry to (slightly) resurrect the thread...a query all the way back to the spray gun and compressor you bought...

When I look at the spec for the  spray gun, it says:

Air Consumption – 277 l/min (9.8 cfm) No 5 Air Cap
Air Consumption – 311 1/min (11 cfm) No 622 Air Cap

But your compressor is:

SGS 50 LITRE OIL FREE DIRECT DRIVE VERTICAL AIR COMPRESSOR - 6.2 CFM 2HP 50L

Only 6.2CFM? But it worked ok? 

If I was looking at that spray gun, I would have assumed I would need a bigger compressor than you were obviously able to successfully use. Maybe the paint guys advised you on the compressor? Also the air cap size, how did you know which to use? 

Has anyone else got any experience with compressor size needed for spraying?

Hey Fin

No problem at all to bring this one back up. Its handy to find someone that has used a product and tested it as you have a better idea of what you will get for the money. The FLG5 is a superb gun and if you watch the reviews, comes out better than some of the more expensive ones. Watch some of the stuff this guy talks about for the FLG5 https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGunmanChannel

He recommends the gun and the 1.4 cap which is what it come with if you get it from most places and is pretty good for both solid and base + clear. Anything bigger like the 1.8 will put on way too much paint for the unexperienced painter! unless its primer!

You are right about the compressor, the 100L would have been better but as i was let down by the hire people and had to buy my own the difference between the 50L i bought and a 100L was quite a bit and as im not using it all the time i risked it and it was fine. For panels its perfect, you get use to planning how much air you have before it kicks in and runs up so you can easily manage a good spray from it without loss of pressure, the body was a little bit trickier when laying down 3 coats, but again you get use to the time you have. The 100L would have made it easier. Also if you watch the Gun Man he recommends running the gun at a lower pressure as you get better coverage and less spray so that makes it even easier with the 50L as the you are much closer to the CFM of the compressor. I will need to check back on pressures (which i think i put in the original write up!) but you can run it quite low and get a really nice finish out of it. 

I took the car back over to the pain place to show him and even he was mighty impressed which how the gun had performed and the finish i got.

If i had the option to go for the 100L i would but the 50L got me by and will be perfect for the Lambretta project!!

I would recommend buying some cheaper paint and practising as much as you can before you do the real job as it really helps to get use to the gun and setup you have.

And just watch as much as you can from the Gun Man as he has some seriously good stuff on there that makes it all seems much easier than you thin, even his tip on runs worked perfect!!

The gun should give you a super finish (get that pressure regulator i used as well) but my tip is to not stress too much, get some decent coats on it and flat and polish the hell out of it afterwards 🙂 Some of my better panels were the ones i had a bit of a woops! with and painted them again as they had more coats on so i could really get a good flat and polish with them. And spend far more time on the primer prep!!

The nose cone came out as flat as a pancake straight from the gun on the first go with 3 coats and that was with it just sat in the garage with the doors open on a dry wind free day!!

I hope some of this help?

 

Andy

https://www.spraydirect.co.uk/acatalog/flg-5_manual_spray_gun_gravity_feed.html

Edited June 2, 2022 by 611

[moodoo]

Legend!👍

[1200bandit]

I have a. Cheep compressor 50 pis the paint gun was only £15 not the best but you have to get the feel of the paint gun ( the lower front panel will never rot as it’s a test panel)

[611]

16 hours ago, 1200bandit said:

I have a. Cheep compressor 50 pis the paint gun was only £15 not the best but you have to get the feel of the paint gun ( the lower front panel will never rot as it’s a test panel)

That's the best way. I had a spare wing and used that for both the testing of the gun and the flatting and polishing, well worth the extra few quid for a bit more paint that you need to get some proper testing of the gun no matter how cheap or expensive it is.

[1200bandit]

I got some paint when l got this manta,did paint the inner wing,rear bumper,put to much paint on trying to get a shiny finish, have now released that is a base coat which needs lacquer to get a shiny finish.How thick am l 

So now got to flat all the cock ups and start again 

[Trooker]

2 hours ago, 1200bandit said:

I got some paint when l got this manta,did paint the inner wing,rear bumper,put to much paint on trying to get a shiny finish, have now released that is a base coat which needs lacquer to get a shiny finish.How thick am l 

So now got to flat all the cock ups and start again 

The man that never made a mistake never did anything. At least you’re willing to give it a go - it’ll come good in the end. 👍
 

[611]

3 hours ago, 1200bandit said:

I got some paint when l got this manta,did paint the inner wing,rear bumper,put to much paint on trying to get a shiny finish, have now released that is a base coat which needs lacquer to get a shiny finish.How thick am l 

So now got to flat all the cock ups and start again 

Its all a learning process. I used to stress about getting runs but after watching the Gun Man remove a real big run i tried it on one that i got and it was amazing how easy it was to get rid of it and it not show if you used his way and took it slowly. Now i would rather get more paint on and get a run than not get enough paint on and go through it when finishing it off with the final flat and polish.