Advise on project

P

presto

Hello all.

I have been lurking around, reading and learning for a while and thought that I would ask a few questions and do a reality check on my project.

First off, I'll give a little background. I am a contractor who mostly specialized in residential and light commercial renovations. I self-perform almost all of my work, which includes all painting and finishing. I know that what I have done isn't automotive painting, but I have to assume that some of it would apply. I spray a lot of fiberglass and metal peices of all kinds, mostly with alkyd enamels. I have also painted cabinetry with conversion laquers and exterior woodwork with polyurethanes. Is any of this applicable to painting a car?

The project itself is an old pickup. I have a 1985 Dodge D150 that is fading and needing a paint job. I know the truck is not worth a great deal, but is in a way kind of sentimental. This was the first vehicle that my parents bought new. It probably sounds a little crazy, but I grew up with it almost as a part of the family. It went with me when I went to college, and still runs like it did when it was new. I have taken it to the shops around and was shocked at the conditions they paint in. Not a single one has a real paint booth. Most are metal garage buildings that have several projects going on at the same time with no seperation between sanding and finishing operations. It seems that for most folks around here, a little orange peel, or a dust spot is just something to be overlooked. What's a few pinholes among friends, right? I can't see paying the $2800 that they seem to want and still ending up with something that looks like I could have done it in my back yard.

What I plan on is, buying a portable garage to make into a paint booth. I have a fume evacuation unit, and ventilation fans for supply and evacuation. Would this be suitable to paint the truck in? I'm not looking for a show piece. I'm also not looking to go cheap. If I am going to do it, I want it to be right the first time.

The truck is in a dark blue metallic factory paint. Am I nuts for trying to learn on a metallic paint? Since the old paint is pretty faded and dead, I will be stripping to bare before I start. The body is in very good shape with very few dings. The only real hiccup is it has a little skim of surface rust beginning on the top of the cab. Would I be okay sanding this down, epoxy over the clean metal, priming and blocking? I'm familiar with the basic process on imperfections in fiberglass columns and trimwork, but am not sure about a car. The metalwork that I have painted has always started out with a nice surface that only needed priming and painting. I have used body filler on dinged up steel doors and the like, though.

I'm sorry for the long post, but I'm a meticulous kind of guy, and I don't want to start this project if I'm only going to find that I was unprepared for something. You can tell me I'm way off base, and to stick with my day job, and I won't be offended at all. I'd rather hear that than for someone to give me the go ahead, only to screw up the job royally.

Your help is greatly appreciated!
 
First things first, just so you know, then we can help from there.

Buy all the stuff you need to paint the truck only if, you want to learn and do other cars in the future.
BECAUSE you will have more invested then what is being quoted to you for a full paint job.
 
Presto, my first advice is to not belittle a shop that does not have a "real paint booth". Many show quality paint jobs have been achieved from humble establishments,
as evidenced by a number of members on this forum.
Also, $2800 to paint a full size pick-up, metallic, that needs to be stripped to bare metal is unreasonable to me. Double that price and START from there for quality labor and materials.
 
I guess I need to clarify a few things.

Most of the tools and supplies that I will need, I already own. A new, high quality spray gun, being the biggest part of the shopping list. I also know the little things on any project add up fast, but I already have most of the sanding and masking supplies that I would need. This also wouldn't be a one-time project. This truck would simply be the first test piece for this new hobby. I'm not trying to make this a business, but I like cars and already do all of my own wrenching on the rest of them.

I was not belittling the shops for not having paint booths. I have personally seen some beautiful cars come from garage painters. What I am looking at are finished jobs that they are turning out. I have looked at several from the shops around. Some of them look great, and others are less than spectacular. I've seen short term durability issues, and pretty bad finish quality on a few. It seems a little hit or miss from most of the guys. Also the $2800 quote is the lowest I got, and it wasn't to strip the truck to bare metal and repaint with a two stage system. It was to clean up the truck and use a single stage paint. That shop wouldn't even give me a price on a two stage job.

Again, I know the truck isn't worth much to anyone but me, but if I do this, I will be looking at it as a learning experience. The idea to paint the truck myself isn't some knee-jerk reaction to the cost of having someone else do it either. I am fully aware that it can run into more than the cost of someone else doing it, but my first inclination was to paint it myself. I only took it to the shops around because of the time involved. After, again rethinking everything, I don't mind giving up my nights and weekends to this project. I can also take some time off, if need be, to complete it. I guess my biggest concerns are: can I get good results by painting in a portable garage booth, using a metallic paint on my first project?

Thank you guys for the responses so far!
 
Go for it....you make other peoples stuff look nice.....try it for yourself.....YOU CAN DO IT
 
I guess my biggest concerns are: can I get good results by painting in a portable garage booth, using a metallic paint on my first project?

Absolutely. You seem to have a good grasp on what will be involved, which IMHO is a major step in the right direction. The fact that it is your truck and not subject to a delivery date is another bonus. Take your time, make some mistakes, correct them, find out what caused them and move on. Before you know it, you'll be amazed at how well a home spun paint job can turn out. The guys on this forum will help you ad infinitum with anything that may arise. Good luck with your project.
 
I agree with the above, go for it!
I thought you would need to buy everything, compressor, air tools, etc.
 
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