Need some advice about prepping car myself

im not any kind of expert by the slightest means (ok, if i went to a kindergarten class, i would be the expert there). LOL.

my thinkin is (stang is getting painted right now; eclipse got painted two months ago) that doing body filler and stuff like that is good to do if you can. that will save you a pretty penny in labor. for the primer coat and doing guide coats, etc, i suck too much. another thing is that some shops wont warranty the job if you primered it. i worry about shrinking, so i would rather have the monkey on their back. even with body filler areas, they may not warranty those spots, but they should be fewer and further between. it doesnt cost too much (relatively) to have the shop shoot the primer. dong the tear down yourself saves a lot. i always do my own. are you goin to paint the door handles? i personally like the black look (when everything is color coded, it looks like the shop didnt mask anything). i redid mine myself on the car, since they are riveted in. hit them with sand paper, cleaned them and sprayed. im sure my paint job is not anywhere near the quality you are going for, though.

but as i said, i really dont know too much about it all (there is so much to know). some of the decisions i made were based upon the really good advice of a member on here whom i ask about stuff. im lost when it comes to compatibility and all that.
like for some of you questions, i think it matter the type of paint and primer used (as to sand, seal, or primer the door jams, etc).

please, no fights on what i said. i have said that i dont know much at all. please correct me so i can learn.
and searching on various paint and prep topics helps. i did and read several hundred threads about stuff. read them all, as some of the real gems come from threads that dont sound like they pertain to you. thats my best advice. sounds like you know a lot more than me.

good luck. get some pics of the whole ordeal.

Finish with a WET SAND. 2000 grit. Then clean it with some final wash and then hit it with a TACK cloth and then 2 coats of GREY primer. Don't use red primer it will show through on a light colored car.


Be very picky. The smallest imperfections will show up and look even worse when the paint hits.

My father painted my car and it looks very good. People actually don't believe it was painted in my garage with a regular paint gun. He did all the bodywork and I did all the sanding. FINISH WITH atleast 1600-2000 grit wet sand paper.

I always finish my last sanding stage with wet sand. 600 will show tiny scratches. Use 1200 or so and then 2000. It's up to you what you do. I am just telling what I did.

TrophyHead said:

OK Thanks Mike

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The more bodyfill you use the more sanding and SMOOTHING you will have to do. The small scratches will show in the body fill more. It is softer.