i'm talking the usual fiberglass body part (lip spoiler in this case) that is already gel coated.

What are the steps to prep for paint?

block it?
degrease it?
wet sand?

i'm attempting my first DIY paint job on a spoiler and i'm not sure on the details. i'd appreciate any feedback on my thoughts below.


here's what i was thinking:

1. scuff it up with sand paper (grit?)
2. check for pinholes and uneven spots--repair as needed
3. clean surface (soapy water? alcohol?)
4. Primer (wet sand between coats?)
5. Paint with wet sanding between coats.

 

gelcoat does not need to be primed. you can paint right over 600 grit, in your case you could use that or anything up to 1000 would be fine, wet will be a little nicer. as far as a cleaner, simple green or purple power diluted is fine. wash with clean water after you clean with those though. never a need to sand your base coat in between coats, thats what a tak cloth is for, picks up and dirt that you cant even see so you dont seal them in between coats. base coat drys within minutes. when your new toys are covered to where they are not see thru. tack again and lay your clear wet, dont be scared. always keep gun moving and 2 coats will be fine for what your painting. clear should set up in less than a hour to here you can touch it but 24 hours for it to be solid and protected. black is actually the easiest to paint, if thats your car i see in sig. it covers quick and easiest to clear since you can easily see where your clear is being applied and you can see how its laying out. lighter colors is all technique and less visibility. you only have to wait just a few minutes in between your clear coats, you want to lay the second coat on while first is still wet, but tacky. dont go touching it just wait a few minutes and it will be fine.

 

oh, btw, spoilers kind of suck to paint. your gonna have to set it up or hang it to where you can get all around it to base it and clear it. you can not do 1 side then the other. wont work like that. its a bit of a tough first job. you have everything you need, paint, clear, sand paper, spray gun etc. your gonna spend more money buying it all than it would cost to have that painted if you plan on doing more paint work in the future than its a good investment.

 

thanks for the info! i'm actually using spray cans. i purchased primer, BB paint and clear from automotivetouchup.com ...the spoiler is pretty small so i wanted to give it a try. if it turns out horrible, it'll probably cost me $100 to paint at a shop. i spent $50 on the paint cans but i hope to gain some experience from this.

 

Prime it for sure, not priming gel cote is a false statement.

 

thanks, yeah i planned to prime since i bought the primer anyway. anyone know a common store to pick up a tack cloth at?

 

O'reilly's keeps them in stock. i really don't like theirs tho, they are really sticky. If you know of any real auto paint stores around you just swing by there, they'll should sell you on for about a dollar. If O'reillys is your only choice just open it, unfold it and let it air out for a few hours.

 

fiberglass = pinholes galore! make sure to scuff up the gel coat before the primer, remember that the top coats are only gonna be as good as the prep. make sure to prep prep prep well! by scuffing, means 600-800 or so, it'll still be a bit smooth to the touch. lay the primer and base on evenly, make sure to get good coverage. if you're clearing then you wont need to worry TOO much about getting a glossy base coat.

spray paints you want to lay alot of layers thinly. rattlecans run very easily and it'll take alot of coats to get good coverage.

also, use glaze and/or fiberglass resin to fill in the pinholes, bondo sucks

depending on how shnazzy you want it to turn out, you could block it, prime it, fill pinholes, sand it, shoot a layer of indicator to make sure no new pinholes pop up, sand that if there is, then finally prime + base + clear.

if it were my car tho, i probably wouldn't do half of those lol... someone else's car? for sure...

 

autozone, pep boys, home depot, pretty much anywhere they sell sand paper

 

thanks, i got all the way to the clear coat today, not sure how good it turned out though? i guess we'll see once i use rubbing compound on it tomorrow. the basecoat looked kind of splotchy. what is the trick to avoiding that?

i wonder if i should have done lighter coats. it didn't run or anything, just looked splotchy when the basecoat was still tacky. couldn't find a tack cloth at Lowes OR pep boys, so i made due with the most lint-free rag i could find. i plan to wet sand w/ 1500 grit once the clear drys to try to get some of the imperfections out.

if it looks decent, i may post pics