properly prepping for paint.

[nmikmik]

I am getting ready to get my son's 95 Camry painted at Maaco.
They told me it will be a $100 extra just to remove the clear coat because when they paint they only do sanding for adhesion. And it's understandable that it will take some extra effort to do that. My problem is twofold;
a. i don't want to pay extra money if wee can do it ourselves, i'd rather give a little tip to the paint guy so he avoids getting crap on the paint white it's wet.
b. I suspect that we can do a little more of the thorough job removing clearcoat and other junk off the paint.

I've been told I can remove the clearcoat (in some places it's completely gone already) with 300-600 grit paper using my 7" buffer. My problem is what if i accidentally get down to the metal. Will that cause instant rust buildup and eventually chipping of the paint? I know it's probably too much of concerning about 200+k car but if I do it and pay for it, better do a good job.
Thanks!

[Greenblurr93]

1st... dont go to maacco...
2nd... research why you shouldnt go to maacco
3rd.... IF you do end up going to maaco prepare to have the paint flaking off the car in a matter of months

FWIW... clear coat is the best sealer you can put on the car... why take it off??

[Morley]

If the clearcoat is peeling off, sand it all off. If it is just "worn" through, you don't need to remove it.
If you insist on Maaco here's what you need to do. Remove any and ALL trim. Remove door handles, locks, any decals, remove side mirrors, remove antenna...Basically anything you don't want painted, remove it. Next, wash the car in Tide and water. Do any sanding prep you think needs special attention. Put tape in any of the holes left by what you removed. Wash in Tide and water before you take it to them.
A paint job is only as good as the prep work and Maaco does NO prep work. They usually don't mask anything but the windows and throw bags on the tires.

[nmikmik]

Originally Posted by Morley

If the clearcoat is peeling off, sand it all off. If it is just "worn" through, you don't need to remove it.
If you insist on Maaco here's what you need to do. Remove any and ALL trim. Remove door handles, locks, any decals, remove side mirrors, remove antenna...Basically anything you don't want painted, remove it. Next, wash the car in Tide and water. Do any sanding prep you think needs special attention. Put tape in any of the holes left by what you removed. Wash in Tide and water before you take it to them.
A paint job is only as good as the prep work and Maaco does NO prep work. They usually don't mask anything but the windows and throw bags on the tires.

that's what i actually was planning on doing (removing all the stuff that don't need to be painted) but I don't know how to bring the car to them (about 10 miles away) after removing all the lights? I do have aaa, but i am sure it does not qualify for "emergency" towing
btw, since i am still in the prep process - where would you go for the same price?

[Greenblurr93]

go to a body shop and ask their paint guy if he does side work.

[97copcar]

Be leery. I had my car painted after an accident by Maaco. They did a crap job.

I knew nothing about the stuff you guys are talking about and paid the price. I had over spray on a few spots, they did not black out my headlight area(I had to go back and demand they do it even though it came in that way) and no prep work. My side mirrors got what ever paint was in the air at the time, they look like crap and are very rough, and the paint is now peeling off 5 years later. Learn fro my mistake, ask for references from the shop, maybe there are good Maaco's out there. If they give you some references ask how long they had the car painted. Mine took about 5 years for the job to start failing.

[Morley]

Originally Posted by nmikmik

but I don't know how to bring the car to them (about 10 miles away) after removing all the lights? I
btw, since i am still in the prep process - where would you go for the same price?

Just need the tail lights really and you can just have them on temp then remove them when you get there.
A professional job is going to cost you....I did it myself and it turned out quite nice. Like I said, prep is where all the difference is made.

[instantkevin]

Originally Posted by nmikmik

I am getting ready to get my son's 95 Camry painted at Maaco.
I've been told I can remove the clearcoat (in some places it's completely gone already) with 300-600 grit paper using my 7" buffer. My problem is what if i accidentally get down to the metal. Will that cause instant rust buildup and eventually chipping of the paint? I know it's probably too much of concerning about 200+k car but if I do it and pay for it, better do a good job.
Thanks!

Peeling paint is commom with 80-90s GM vehicles. It's due to a defective primer layer that causes the basecoat (paint color) layer to separate, also causing the clearcoat to peel off. My car did the same thing, I sued GM for it and won (not enough to pay for real paint job nonetheless), i also created a website to tell other people about it (but since closed it since these cars are old now, and not many people care to go thru the process).

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=378097

Anyway, long story short: the only way to actually fix this is to strip the car to bare metal and redo it completely. Even if you have a real paint shop paint it, the trouble will resurface in time due to the underlying defective primer layer. scenario 1: strip to bare metal (easily done with a hand drill, adapter, and 200grit circular sand paper. spray with etching primer (which is for bare metal), spray with regular primer, basecoat, several clearcoats.... and sand between each step. Scenario 2: ignore the major problem because the car is old and 200k miles. clean, remove parts that should not be sprayed, sand with 300grit, then 800, then 1200, have maaco spray basecoat and clearcoat.

Also, to answer your question, if you accidentally get down to bare metal, just spray it with some "Fast Etch" or etching primer, then some primer sealer, and it is okay. Be sure to sand it smooth after you spray.

You'll get 7000 different opinions on how to repaint a car from 3000 people, everybody has their own opinions and techniques, just understand the general process.