Hello everyone. I have decided to rebuild the Lexus (ES300) and am going to be doing all the work myself, like usual. But I have never re-sprayed an entire car before, just done some sections of the car. I am wondering if anyone could give me some information and/or tips for the re-spraying process. Of-course I can check google etc, but any extra help is always good. I know I'll have to strip the paint back, clean the metal bare, and then spray an undercoat/primer and than multiple coats of the paint topped off with a clear coat. But If anyone has done this before and has pictures, it would also be a great help.

Thanks!

 

Here is the most common tip: Don't try this at home!

 

Maybe take a body shop course at a local community college first

 

Don't need a body shop course, just need some extra pointers.

 

it's the same with all auto/nonauto painting.

mask tape well.

don't hold the sprayer in one place too long.

many thin coats, with light wet sanding in between layers.

if you don't rush, you can do a good job.

 

Thanks

 

Keep the area well-ventilated also! But not too ventilated where dust, lint and other particles are blowing around and then stick onto your base coats.

 

Don't forget to document everything with pics so you and others can learn from you experience and perhaps help others as well.

Goodluck!

 

Excellent advise. Try to rent a spray booth if you can.

 

Yes, please do.

 

whoa, you are already going about this wrong, instead of stripping down to the metal, just give it a good sanding, then wipe it with prepsol and then put a sealer over it. There is no need to go down to the metal. Then once sealed shoot it with your base coat and then clear (or if its black many Lexus Black's do not need a clear coat, your paint shop you buy the paint from can tell you).

 

no harm in putting a clear coat over black for extra protection against scratches, when you need to buff them out.

 

Oh ok interesting. Thanks for all the info people. Will def post a pictures for future reference once i get to it.

 

good luck with it bro. You are braver than me. I would much rather pay someone to do it. That way I can sleep better at night. I dont have a lot of faith in my body shop skills

 

Need to know a few things first please - what color are you going to spray?
What condition is the car in? Does it need major bodywork before the paint?
If so, those areas need to be feathered into the existing paint, which will require a DA sander, stick on 3m sandpaper in a few different grits, depending on how rough the bodywork was done.
You will need to prime several coats over the bodywork let it all dry really well, and spray a guidecoat over it and wet block sand the areas so that that they blend into the existing paintwork around it.
Then prime it all again, let dry, spray a guidecoat, wet block sand it again and see where you have any high or low spots and fix them. If you dont, you will have high or low spots showing up in the final paint and if its black it will be very noticeable..
You should probably just plan on sanding down the existing paint, prime it all, spray a guide coat over it all, wet block sand it all, make sure every inch is straight panels with no dents, or high spots, then do this all one more time, then prime it, paint it, paint it again, the last coats you can sometimes start mixing in your clear, and keep laying it down.
Then you need to bake it if possible but not too hot that you melt the rest of the car, then let it dry a long time, then, color sand wet by hand, using a block, being really careful to not sand through any edges, then dry it, and make sure its not needing anything else.
Then get out the buffer and rub the paint out carefully, and it should look like the show cars we used to do at the bodyshop I worked at.
Using PrepSol is recommended, its a Dupont Product, and use alot of Tack Rags to get the last minute dust off the car, and help knock off any nibs that get into the paint between coats, always have a tack rag there and use new clean ones all the time.
I would not ever recommend you do this in your garage, because of the amount of material you will be blowing all over the place, and the fumes, alone, might cause your water heater or anything else in the garage that has a spark, to explode.. You will also need to have a very good OSHA respirator and a few filter replacements for it. Please, please, wear it anytime you are using anything that smells like paint, primer, etc.. Even plan on having a mask when you buff it out if your product makes a lot of dust as it dries..
You would want to see about renting a spraybooth at the college and before you start, make sure the dozens of filters in it are clean, and the floor is clean, and washed out with water, leaving the floor wet, so that you dont kick up any paint dust and deposit it on your new wet paint.
It is alot of work to do a complete, and we havent even started talking about doing the door jambs, under the hood, and trunk yet...
Dont get me started..

DanF