Prep work prior to painting?

[CP]

What's the best "home" method for prepping a part prior to painting? I've got a front lip that's painted and clearcoated, but it's in rough shape and I'd like to repaint it. It's plastic and is off the car. Obviously I'll use primer, paint and then clearcoat. But I'd like to know how I should strip the old paint off. Or is this best taken to a body shop where they can sand blast it or something for me?

 

If the paint isnt peeling pn that front lip then sand it really well and paint over it.

 

[pachood_1953]

Depending on what kind of "rough shape" it is in, there are a number of things you COULD do.

First off, if its plastic, it cant be sand blasted..And with that in mind, you have to be relatively careful when sanding. You can rough up the plastic if you use too low of grit.


What I would do would be:

Feather out scratches/chips with 320 on a DA.
Use a fusor product to fill the scratches (or if your cheap, or dont have it around, just use a regular body filler, its not recommended but it typically works fine. They have different swelling and contracting rates)
sand the mud with 80, finish with 180
Use and adhesion promoter on the bare plastic
prime the bondo spots
wet sand primer with 400, then go back over it with 600
wash
Degrease (if you have it) Otherwise use a GOOD ammonia free (it MUST be ammonia free) aerosol glass cleaner. (We use "sprayaway" You can get it CHEAP at Sams club..But I think its only in 4 packs there.) Wipe it on with a CLEAN lint free shop towel, wipe off with another
Tack everything off
Seal (primer sealer) everything. 1 wet coat
tack
Base (til full coverage)
tack
Clear 2-3 coats. One light, 2 wet.


or since its just a lip skip most crucial/spendy steps..but it IS very important to use the adhesion promoter.

 

[CP]

GVR4 content in the foreground of the first photo...









I carry Sprayway at the store, and have been using it for over a decade, using it exclusively. Works great for bug splatter removal too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[pachood_1953]

Yeah it works awesome on bugs. I always use it on bumpers and glass if Im out of a specific bug remover.


That looks more like fiberglass. Are you sure its plastic?

If it IS fiberglass, either buzz it with 36 on a grinder, Feather edges w/ da, and use body filler, or just feather, then rough up the area with 36-80grit to be filled if they are deep.

 

[CP]

Looks like plastic to me:

 

[CarRacer]

You scammed both parking spots from the old lady? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif

 

[pachood_1953]

Yeah I suppose your right. It just looked like fibers in that bottom picture (of your first set of pictures)
But I now realize those are spidercracks..


For spidercracks you have to completely sand all of paint off, and fill them. If you JUST d/a them and dont fill them they will come right back, even with priming.

 

[CP]

Quoting CarRacer:
You scammed both parking spots from the old lady? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif



Heh, YUP /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif She's under the impression that when the GVR4 is replaced with a truck (that won't fit in the garage), she'll get that spot. The racecar gets first dibs, naturally.

We've had an understanding since we've owned a house with a garage going on 4 years now: I get the entire garage if I brush the snow off of her car before I leave for work in the morning. Works for me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif I got a "snow broom" this year that reduces the time for that task down to 2 minutes. Lucky me. I hope you've made a similar pact with your future wife regarding the ownership of (all of) the garage!