Jenn's Stupid Question Time ::Claps::

[YukiHime]

Question for the headlight

The Brightest I can find in all the stores around my area is about 4000K to 4100K............And I'm using it in my RSX now. It's called Silverstar. And it looks like highbeam even it's in low, and I've got some highbeam response from the opposite lane almost everytime.

[notyouraveragegirl]

Hey I talked to my husband last nite about your bumper issue -- if raw is cheaper, buy raw because you're just gonna be sanding and priming the rest of the car anyway

and as for paint prices - if youre JUST sanding and priming -plan on about $200-250 dependent on how much paper and body filler you need (assuming you already have the air compressor and gun)

[95VicChik]

Originally Posted by notyouraveragegirl

Hey I talked to my husband last nite about your bumper issue -- if raw is cheaper, buy raw because you're just gonna be sanding and priming the rest of the car anyway

and as for paint prices - if youre JUST sanding and priming -plan on about $200-250 dependent on how much paper and body filler you need (assuming you already have the air compressor and gun)

i don't have the compressor and gun...i'm not sure if my friend has them or not...if not where and how much would they be?

The rust spots are very minor, so bondo will probably be ok...i was looking at them and there's not that bad...of course i don't konw what's under the top paint job

I'll go ahead and get the raw...if the screws don't come with the bumper, could i just go to autozone or someplace and pick them up? The guy that had the car before me completely trashed this poor thing...and the bumper isn't being held on by screws

i will only be sanding and priming, and then i'll take it up to maaco to have them do the paint...i doubt they can make it look bad if i do all the prep work (maybe i'm wrong hehe)

I have a lot of work ahead of me as you can tell..lol..thanks for the help

[notyouraveragegirl]

Originally Posted by 95VicChik

i don't have the compressor and gun...i'm not sure if my friend has them or not...if not where and how much would they be?

The rust spots are very minor, so bondo will probably be ok...i was looking at them and there's not that bad...of course i don't konw what's under the top paint job

I'll go ahead and get the raw...if the screws don't come with the bumper, could i just go to autozone or someplace and pick them up? The guy that had the car before me completely trashed this poor thing...and the bumper isn't being held on by screws

i will only be sanding and priming, and then i'll take it up to maaco to have them do the paint...i doubt they can make it look bad if i do all the prep work (maybe i'm wrong hehe)

I have a lot of work ahead of me as you can tell..lol..thanks for the help

screws are screws are screws... if the screw fits - use it

as for your compressor and gun... a good HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) gravity-fed gun can run you anwhere from 30 to upwards of 300 dollars -- I'd say gravity fed is the best because it limits your pressure coming through the gun, eliminating one variable and allowing for a better finish because it forces you to take your time

You'd need a fairly large compressor, though - Steve says at least 35lbs... and those can be $500 easily - the reason you need one so large is to ensure you are still using the tanks reserve air and not running straight off the motor - because the motor will not be able to provide a steady supply of consistent pressure (and trust me, the last thing you want is a sputtering, spitting paint gun)

so i'd say look into maybe somewhere you could rent a compressor or someone that has one you could use -- even if you have to buy the gun yourself, which may be a worthwile investment if your like me, who likes to keep good tabs on how well kept her tools are

[Integragrl]

Originally Posted by 95VicChik

i don't have the compressor and gun...i'm not sure if my friend has them or not...if not where and how much would they be?

The rust spots are very minor, so bondo will probably be ok...i was looking at them and there's not that bad...of course i don't konw what's under the top paint job

I'll go ahead and get the raw...if the screws don't come with the bumper, could i just go to autozone or someplace and pick them up? The guy that had the car before me completely trashed this poor thing...and the bumper isn't being held on by screws

i will only be sanding and priming, and then i'll take it up to maaco to have them do the paint...i doubt they can make it look bad if i do all the prep work (maybe i'm wrong hehe)

I have a lot of work ahead of me as you can tell..lol..thanks for the help

Hey Jenn,
I live in the Tampa (t town ) area as well and if you know someone that can get you onto MacDill they have booths you can rent there and compressor guns, where you can do all of your body work, I believe it's $30 a day + cost of the gun rental, but they also rent by hour. Let me know if you need more info. My boyfriend just painted his bike there. Hope it helps!

[notyouraveragegirl]

Originally Posted by Integragrl

Hey Jenn,
I live in the Tampa (t town ) area as well and if you know someone that can get you onto MacDill they have booths you can rent there and compressor guns, where you can do all of your body work, I believe it's $30 a day + cost of the gun rental, but they also rent by hour. Let me know if you need more info. My boyfriend just painted his bike there. Hope it helps!

i guess macDill is a military base? yeah my husband's navy and the base here has the best hobby shop ... sorry i don't live closer i'd get you on

[Integragrl]

Originally Posted by notyouraveragegirl

i guess macDill is a military base? yeah my husband's navy and the base here has the best hobby shop ... sorry i don't live closer i'd get you on

Are you in Florida as well?

[notyouraveragegirl]

im in port hueneme california - i won't be back east coast way for a couple months and i'm still not sure if ill be down south at all

who knows i travel a lot

[95VicChik]

Originally Posted by Integragrl

Hey Jenn,
I live in the Tampa (t town ) area as well and if you know someone that can get you onto MacDill they have booths you can rent there and compressor guns, where you can do all of your body work, I believe it's $30 a day + cost of the gun rental, but they also rent by hour. Let me know if you need more info. My boyfriend just painted his bike there. Hope it helps!

OMG!!! I didn't even think about that! I love you! lol..sorry i get excited when i found something out that benefits me hehe...

my best friend has access to the base, so she can get me in, and yeah Macdill is a mililtary base...Central Command

i will definitely look more into that...have you ever used the gun? Cause i could use all of the help and knowledge that i can get from it you guys rock! hehe

[Integragrl]

Originally Posted by 95VicChik

OMG!!! I didn't even think about that! I love you! lol..sorry i get excited when i found something out that benefits me hehe...

my best friend has access to the base, so she can get me in, and yeah Macdill is a mililtary base...Central Command

i will definitely look more into that...have you ever used the gun? Cause i could use all of the help and knowledge that i can get from it you guys rock! hehe

Not a problem, I'm glad I could actually help someone, the place on base is called AutoSkillz and my guy said that the gun rental is something like $3 an hour and to rent the booth all day was around $25, but he did it a few months ago so just call to make sure. You have to bring your own gloves, mask, that sticky dust cloth stuff and what not. Also you have to call ahead to reserve the booth, sometimes they're all taken already, but you can chance just riding up there and getting lucky. I never used the gun myself but I'll get the specs. of it all to you tomorrow so that you'll atleast have some hint of how to do it, but the guys there can show you too.

[notyouraveragegirl]

I'd recommend getting your own HVLP gun (gravity fed if you can) if youre not too pressed for money -- Ive had experience with borrowed guns before... and you never know where they've been or how theyve been treated -- but this is just me, like i said before

[Integragrl]

Okie.. I talked to my guy and he said the guys at Autoskillz actually load up the gun for you.. he said "they load it up and tell you to pull the trigger".. but some tips if you do end up going there.. ofcourse you have to bring your own paint (we got ours at autozone- the guys there give you full instructions on how long to leave the paint on before the next coat.. or clear coat like we needed) you also have to bring paint thinner as they make you clean out the gun after use and he said def. not to forget some rubber gloves like dishwashing gloves b/c he learned the hard way that the thinner burns the ish out of your hands. hmm.. whatelse did he say.. oh yeah practice a few times w/ the width of the spray and how close you need to be and whatnot.. but like he said they'll tell you all a/b that at autozone.. where abouts in tampa are you.. theres an autozone either on nebraska or florida that was especially helpful. let me know if you need any more info..

[notyouraveragegirl]

Alright, Jenn - print this out and keep it close :

I'd say go for PPG paint - my experience, its really the best, and if that means you have to search out a PPG dealer, then by all means go for it - if we could find one in the middle of nowhere-north-central Louisiana, then it shouldn't be too hard for you

Make sure you know the type of gun they're using, it's probably HVLP (Hi Volume Lo Pressure) like i had talked about before... in that case you can even use the same paint codes (which I will include in the following novella ) that we used.


***STEP ONE***Sanding and Body Filling
-take care of this ish before you go to the paint booth
- scuff sand the car all over to create a better surface for sealing - you DO NOT need to sand off all the paint, just rough it up
- any areas that require filler (small dings, rust spots, etc) should be COMPLETELY sanded down so that you are applying the bondo directly to the bare metal
-fill in your low spots with bondo, working efficiently and carefully so that everything is as even and smooth as possible (i can give you more bondo tips later if you need)... you can test the smoothness by eying it or rubbing your finger accross once it is all dried

***STEP TWO***The Epoxy Primer-Sealer
Before you start:
**wear sleeves, long legs, eye protection, and get a good face mask - preferably a respirator (maybe AutoSkills has one?) because those fumes WILL mess you up and get gloves like integragrl mentioned - a pack of cheap latex disposables works find, or their non-latex counterparts if you're allergic
**I don't know how autoSkills will be about this, or if you'll have to provide your own - but we laid plastic dropcloth on the booth floor under the car before we started

and NOW....

**remove your head and taillight assemblies, put them somewhere moisture-free - we also take the side view mirrors off, but you could just cover them up if you'd prefer

**cover up your exhaust, especially if it's aftermarket - don't be like my husband who didn't cover his custom pipes well enough and got gray primer on that pretty pretty chrome

**with painter's tape (scotch brand 1 - 1/14" blue tape) and craft paper, cover up your windows and anything else you don't want to paint
- your paint store should have rolls of this readily availible for pretty cheap

**apply the primer-sealer - we used MP170, a gray, non-chrome sealer that mixes at a 2:1 ratio with its catalyst, MP175
- keep an even distance ( i believe Stephen works at about 10-12" away) and apply the primer smoothly and steadily
- get a nice even coat on there, about 1mm, don't over spray because you'll get runs and drips with a possible orange peel issue as your end result
- just keep this in mind: the primer-sealer is a layer that you DO NOT sand, so it is important to take as much care with it as you can

**dry time 30min @ 70F air temp (that's a rough estimate)... and take the time to let it dry properly; iknow that might seem like common sense but im just trying to get as much as i can covered for you
- it may take a little longer if the air is not dry enough and your booth is not temperature controlled

***STEP THREE***Primer Surfacer
**we used PPG MP181 1K Primer-Surfacer which mixes at a 1:1 ratio with MR Reducer

**Paint this on just as you did the last one and allow fair time to dry

**Wet sand as well as you can - smooth that car to where it almost feels as slick as bare metal (there may be some spots wher your sanding reveals the lighter gray sealer underneath... thats OK : )

**apply an even topcoat of the same primer and allow to dry

***STEP FOUR*** put your car back together
***STEP FIVE*** take her to the paint shop
**just remember to get there within 36-48 hours or youll have to do this ALL OVER again


Looking at receipts, prep materials alone (primer and catalyst/reducer, sandpaper, craft paper, tape ...etc) ran us about $200 after tax
unfortunately we never had time to finish painting the car (as you can see from my avatar... she's supposed to be red with an ice blue pearl in the clearcoat) so we'll have to start over on the priming

if you do decide to do your own paint, be wary that factory colors are expensive -- our basecoat + clear and whatnot was more than $300... but red is also an expensive color -- this is another reason i recommend PPG because their colors are OEM... just get the paint code and i'm sure they have it

p.s. you can NEVER have too much sandpaper -- for the initial strip-down we used one of those little electric handheld sanders that uses ROUND pads

i don't think you'll have to sand or prep that front bumper at all before you put the primer-sealer on, but i'll check with Stephen when he gets home later (like i said, i'm still learning about plastic)

I'm going to try to find the roll of film with the pictures of the prep work steve did on the 98 Accord and send you some just to get you a better idea

alright now, that's ENOUGH for me for now i gotta go catch a nap

...more to follow, i promise yay

~*~Cass

[95VicChik]

Awesome, i will definitely keep this with me and sleep with it so it soaks in ...i have a friend that that has a car that isn't running right now that he's going to junk...i'll see if i can practice on it...i would just fell more comfortable if i could do this a couple of times before i did it on my car will see...thanks for the help you girls rock!! hehehe

[notyouraveragegirl]

yo... make sure that bumper will paint as easily as the metal (ask the supplier) -- if its polyurethane... you might need to use other sealers first (im notsure)