Base over Epoxy outside recoat window in trunk and hidden areas

[jamesdkline]

Hi, I'm getting ready for my first paint job ever on my 1972 Beetle. I'm currently stripping it to bare metal.

My question is for the hidden areas that I won't be using filler/2k on or block sanding such as the engine compartment, trunk, and under the hood and fenders.

My plan is to epoxy the entire car, inside and out. Then I'll do multiple rounds of filler, block sanding, 2k, block sanding on all exterior panels. I'll then seal the exterior with a thinned coat of epoxy and be ready for base and clear.

What about the hidden areas? By the time I've got everything block sanded and straight I'll be well outside the epoxy recoat window. Can I just scuff these hidden areas and spray base and clear? Do I need to bother re-epoxying (sealing) them before shooting base? I understand how I should handle the visible areas but I'm not sure about the other places that will also get base/clear but won't be filled and sanded.

Here's a picture of my beetle from a few weeks ago with all of the rust repair done.

 

[crashtech]

The minimum is usually to scuff the cured epoxy with a red pad and recoat with more epoxy (unreduced, or as a sealer) before proceeding with any other product. This applies to any area that can't/won't be masked off.

 

[Bob Hollinshead]

On basic repaints most people get the bodywork done and in final primer, then sand and scuff the jambs/panel backsides, undersides.... seal and paint these areas. Then final sand the exterior and mask off the jambs to protect them from overspray when the exterior is painted. What is your plan of attack for the paint work?

 

[Jim C]

no base directly on sanded and cured epoxy. mix up some over reduced epoxy and shoot a sealer coat over the cured stuff then apply your base. no all but most bases will have adhesion problem applied right over epoxy. you need a sealer to go on first

 

[jamesdkline]

On basic repaints most people get the bodywork done and in final primer, then sand and scuff the jambs/panel backsides, undersides.... seal and paint these areas. Then final sand the exterior and mask off the jambs to protect them from overspray when the exterior is painted. What is your plan of attack for the paint work?

Bob, my current plan is to epoxy the whole car, inside and out first. I want to do this to protect all the bare metal. Then I was going to spray poly filler on the visible parts during the epoxy recoat window and block, etc. Then I was going to tape off the outside and spray base/clear on the hidden areas. Then tape off the hidden areas and spray the outside. I'm still not sure about the exact best way to do this - I've been reading on VW forums and here as much as I can. I have to paint parts of the dash too since it will have a visible metal dash.