myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Thanks Lincoln Jealous - I hope it does! By the way, I saw a thread you started not that long ago that you were doing something with the paint on your car if I'm not mistaken. How's that coming along?
painting my own bumper...progress pics
- Thread starter myfirstlincoln
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Lincoln Jealous
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ive been painting my car the same way your doing yours, sand, primer, wetsand... im about done, still have some more work to do... youll start seeing how smooth it really is when you start wetsanding the coats of paint, it should come out like a mirror, also rubbing compound acts like 2000 grit sandpaper, so alittle wetsanding with the 2000 then a little rubbing compound, i use alittle wax to clean off the excess compound and then polish the wax in until it shines
Lincoln Jealous
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you may want to take out the headlights, unless you can slide sand paper between the headlight and bumper, its just an area where you want a good reflection and no imperfections lol
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Update
So I sprayed color today. I plan to wet sand with 2000 grit sandpaper, respray, and then put on some clear. I got the catalyzed clear which is supposed to be harder and also shine much more with less polishing...we'll see.
I think the color looks pretty good so far considering it's a metallic....and from a spray can haha.
So I sprayed color today. I plan to wet sand with 2000 grit sandpaper, respray, and then put on some clear. I got the catalyzed clear which is supposed to be harder and also shine much more with less polishing...we'll see.
I think the color looks pretty good so far considering it's a metallic....and from a spray can haha.
Missing Linc'
Dedicated LVC Member
More info on the third gen in the background(Hooker Aero Chamber?). Nice work so far.
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Haha, that's the slow but fun car. I've had it since I've been 18 so about 7 years now. It doesn't get out much. Good call on the hooker aerochamber. Btw, I posted a thread not that long ago asking how an aerochamber would sound on an LS because it sounds amazing on the Z28 - Much more quiet than others but a nasty growl.
Stats:
1991 Z28 5.7
ASCD SS Style Hood
Aftermarket t-tops (5.7 didn't come with t-tops due to torque issues)
Subframe connectors
American Racing Wheels 17X10 back 17x8 front
SLP runners
58 mm BBK throttle body
Cat delete and hooker aerchamber catback
Bowtie Overdrives Stage 3 700R4 trans w aftermarket cooler, deep pan, hurst dual gate shifter (similar to SST)
Other odds and ends - Chrome valve covers, K&N TB Mounted filter so the SS hood is functional, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, etc.
Stats:
1991 Z28 5.7
ASCD SS Style Hood
Aftermarket t-tops (5.7 didn't come with t-tops due to torque issues)
Subframe connectors
American Racing Wheels 17X10 back 17x8 front
SLP runners
58 mm BBK throttle body
Cat delete and hooker aerchamber catback
Bowtie Overdrives Stage 3 700R4 trans w aftermarket cooler, deep pan, hurst dual gate shifter (similar to SST)
Other odds and ends - Chrome valve covers, K&N TB Mounted filter so the SS hood is functional, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, etc.
Missing Linc'
Dedicated LVC Member
Nice man, should get some headers, youll like that exhaust a lot more. Not to mention the power increase, those manifolds are garbage.
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Sorry, I forgot to mention..the Camaro does have SLP headers.
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Just about done!!!!!!!
So here it is gentleman. The new bumper seems a bit darker (I assume from sun fading the 7 year old paint on the rest of the car) but the shine is there and I think it looks a crap ton better than it did. Also, the old paint is not clean at this point either and has a lot of dust on it (been in the garage for nearly 4 days).
THIS IS WITHOUT BUFFING/POLISHING OF ANY KIND! THESE PICS WERE TAKEN ABOUT 3 HOURS AFTER THE CLEAR, SO IT IS DRY AT THIS POINT. Could it look better....of course. Could it have come out a lot worse....oh yea. Am I glad I spent 100 and not 1000....yup. A
So here it is gentleman. The new bumper seems a bit darker (I assume from sun fading the 7 year old paint on the rest of the car) but the shine is there and I think it looks a crap ton better than it did. Also, the old paint is not clean at this point either and has a lot of dust on it (been in the garage for nearly 4 days).
THIS IS WITHOUT BUFFING/POLISHING OF ANY KIND! THESE PICS WERE TAKEN ABOUT 3 HOURS AFTER THE CLEAR, SO IT IS DRY AT THIS POINT. Could it look better....of course. Could it have come out a lot worse....oh yea. Am I glad I spent 100 and not 1000....yup. A
duckytoos
Active LVC Member
The before and after pictures look a SH*T load better. The third pictures awesome. You can see what you mean in the last photo. The bumper looks a little "bluish" in comparison. But thats a deal for 100 dollars. Looks good. Fast too.
Great job!!! Matching colors and tinting is a pain. I had a small dent only on my front passenger side of the bumper on my wife's GMC Acadia and the body shop wanted to charge $1500 to fix. However, I found a moble bumper repair company on the web and they stated that they could do the job for $250-$400 in 2-3 hours. Body shops are like stealerships and are not competitive in pricing.
FASTLLS
Dedicated LVC Member
Looks excellent! I'm getting my paint as I write this.. I want my new bumper and to get other odds and ends painted..
Again, looks great and look how a little work saves a sh!t ton of money.. LSE bumper might have to wait awhile so you can admire your work..
Again, looks great and look how a little work saves a sh!t ton of money.. LSE bumper might have to wait awhile so you can admire your work..
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Thanks guys....the compliments mean a lot and I am pretty proud of how well it turned out even if its not perfect. I'll post some more pics tomorrow in the sunlight when it's out of the garage.
YOu did that with a spray can? First time or you have experience. I just have to learn how to prep stuff to it it a good shiny finish. I hear people say paint it then wetsand and paint and wetsand and clear coat, then wetsand then polish, but sanding it weems like it would make it dull, well it did when I tried it, maybe I didn't use high enough grit.
Great job by the way. Nothing beats having good results and saving a shiat load of money.
Great job by the way. Nothing beats having good results and saving a shiat load of money.
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Thanks Alax and yes, I did it all with a spray can. I've painted stuff with spray paint before but never a car. This was the biggest painting job I've ever tackled and to be honest, when I started sanding it down I was pretty scared that I would be buying a new bumper haha.
Here's a fairly detailed write up - if you have more questions I'd be glad to answer.
Sand everything down. Rub with a wax/grease remover. Fill with glazing (bondo). Let dry and sand. Wipe it down again with wax/grease remover and a tack cloth and spray first round of primer. Let dry and then sand everything with around 300 grit.
Noticed a BUNCH of imperfections. Fill again with glazing. Let dry and sand. Use an air hose and compressor to clean it off and also a tack cloth. Round two of primer. Let dry and sand with a slightly higher grit (320). REMEMBER, MY BUMPER WAS A TOTAL NIGHTMARE SO YOU MAY NOT NEED TO DO NEARLY AS MUCH SANDING OR FILLING SO YOU COULD PROBABLY START WITH A MUCH HIGHER GRIT PAPER.
I repeated step 2 at least 5 times. I went through almost 5 cans of primer to build up some imperfections. You need to be patient and get a shop light you can hold in your hand to survey the area very closely to find all the little pin holes. When I was happy with the primer, I wet sanded the whole thing with 1000 grit and it actually started to feel like a car again - very smooth. I aired it off, used some more wax/grease remover, and a tack cloth to clean it. Make sure it is very very very clean - it pays off in the long run.
I sprayed my first layer of color and used nearly an entire can. Since it's metallic, you need to stay far back to make sure the metallic look stays consistent.
After it dried, I wet sanded the color with 2000 grit and once again was very meticulous about cleaning it. I aired and tacked again.
I put on another light mist of color, let dry, and gently wetsanded with 2000 grit again. I aired, tacked, and used one final rub down of wax/grease remover.
Finally I sprayed a light coat (staying at least a foot away from the car) to make sure the metallic flowed well. (I think I could have done this slightly better because there is one spot that looks a bit more green and not as 'metallicy' but it's not that noticeable - i learned something for next time)
I let that final coat dry for about 25-30 minutes and sprayed the clear. I DID NOT DO ANY TYPE OF SANDING TO THE FINAL COLOR COAT BEFORE THE CLEAR. I JUST BASICALLY CHECKED IT FOR DIRT AND AIRED IT OFF.
I sprayed the clear and let it dry. I bought catalyzed clear coat from paintscratch instead of the 'regular' clear coat because they claim it is harder (and obviously I need harder to help reduce the amount of rock chips). They also claim it requires less work and should be pretty glossy without polishing. If you use 'regular' clear, you'll probably need a buffer and some rubbing compound (I hear 3m makes some good stuff) to get the shine up.
Some notes:
I bought a rustoleum spray can holder thing so you can operate the can more like a spray gun and you finger doesn't get tired - it worked awesome and allowed much more even coats. Cost about $8 bucks and well worth it.
For my color and clear coats, I wet the floor and also laid down plastic. I also had some fans running to keep circulation going.
Use plenty of lights. I had 3 spot lights on my car as well as regular overhead flourecent lighting in my garage but I also had a work light which stayed in my left hand while the sand paper or spray gun was in my right hand.
Both the primer and color sprayed a bit thicker than I would have liked but not a big deal. The clear however sprayed damn near perfect.
Here's a fairly detailed write up - if you have more questions I'd be glad to answer.
Sand everything down. Rub with a wax/grease remover. Fill with glazing (bondo). Let dry and sand. Wipe it down again with wax/grease remover and a tack cloth and spray first round of primer. Let dry and then sand everything with around 300 grit.
Noticed a BUNCH of imperfections. Fill again with glazing. Let dry and sand. Use an air hose and compressor to clean it off and also a tack cloth. Round two of primer. Let dry and sand with a slightly higher grit (320). REMEMBER, MY BUMPER WAS A TOTAL NIGHTMARE SO YOU MAY NOT NEED TO DO NEARLY AS MUCH SANDING OR FILLING SO YOU COULD PROBABLY START WITH A MUCH HIGHER GRIT PAPER.
I repeated step 2 at least 5 times. I went through almost 5 cans of primer to build up some imperfections. You need to be patient and get a shop light you can hold in your hand to survey the area very closely to find all the little pin holes. When I was happy with the primer, I wet sanded the whole thing with 1000 grit and it actually started to feel like a car again - very smooth. I aired it off, used some more wax/grease remover, and a tack cloth to clean it. Make sure it is very very very clean - it pays off in the long run.
I sprayed my first layer of color and used nearly an entire can. Since it's metallic, you need to stay far back to make sure the metallic look stays consistent.
After it dried, I wet sanded the color with 2000 grit and once again was very meticulous about cleaning it. I aired and tacked again.
I put on another light mist of color, let dry, and gently wetsanded with 2000 grit again. I aired, tacked, and used one final rub down of wax/grease remover.
Finally I sprayed a light coat (staying at least a foot away from the car) to make sure the metallic flowed well. (I think I could have done this slightly better because there is one spot that looks a bit more green and not as 'metallicy' but it's not that noticeable - i learned something for next time)
I let that final coat dry for about 25-30 minutes and sprayed the clear. I DID NOT DO ANY TYPE OF SANDING TO THE FINAL COLOR COAT BEFORE THE CLEAR. I JUST BASICALLY CHECKED IT FOR DIRT AND AIRED IT OFF.
I sprayed the clear and let it dry. I bought catalyzed clear coat from paintscratch instead of the 'regular' clear coat because they claim it is harder (and obviously I need harder to help reduce the amount of rock chips). They also claim it requires less work and should be pretty glossy without polishing. If you use 'regular' clear, you'll probably need a buffer and some rubbing compound (I hear 3m makes some good stuff) to get the shine up.
Some notes:
I bought a rustoleum spray can holder thing so you can operate the can more like a spray gun and you finger doesn't get tired - it worked awesome and allowed much more even coats. Cost about $8 bucks and well worth it.
For my color and clear coats, I wet the floor and also laid down plastic. I also had some fans running to keep circulation going.
Use plenty of lights. I had 3 spot lights on my car as well as regular overhead flourecent lighting in my garage but I also had a work light which stayed in my left hand while the sand paper or spray gun was in my right hand.
Both the primer and color sprayed a bit thicker than I would have liked but not a big deal. The clear however sprayed damn near perfect.
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
outside pic
The car is filthy at this point but at least it's in the sunlight for a better shot. I'm still kinda hesitant to wash it and get soap and crap on the bumper. I'll probably just deal with it being dirty for a couple days to let the paint cure.
I haven't decided whether I will use a rubbing compound on the bumper or not - it's already pretty shiny.
Next job to tackle is to sand the lights and get them looking good again.
The car is filthy at this point but at least it's in the sunlight for a better shot. I'm still kinda hesitant to wash it and get soap and crap on the bumper. I'll probably just deal with it being dirty for a couple days to let the paint cure.
I haven't decided whether I will use a rubbing compound on the bumper or not - it's already pretty shiny.
Next job to tackle is to sand the lights and get them looking good again.
Lincoln Jealous
Dedicated LVC Member
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- Aug 8, 2009
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great job on the bumper, ..... when your ready to play with the big boys spray paint your whole car and do the same process haha
***its not about the spray paint, its about the wetsanding and polishing, you could use a roller to paint your car if you wanted hahaha
haha ***its not about the spray paint, its about the wetsanding and polishing, you could use a roller to paint your car if you wanted hahaha
myfirstlincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
Thanks Lincoln Jealous, I'll be sanding the lights next so my sanding duties aren't even close to done...However, I feel your pain doing the entire car haha.
On a side note, there is an apartment building about a block away from me that I drive past just about every day. Let's just say that some less than reputable people live there and I have actually seen a guy painting a car with a roller in the parking lot. It was a sight to see and I even called a few of my friends to check it out. He didn't bother to sand or clear so it looked like total crap. I was completely dumbfounded when I saw it. I never checked but I wonder if he even used automotive paint...
On a side note, there is an apartment building about a block away from me that I drive past just about every day. Let's just say that some less than reputable people live there and I have actually seen a guy painting a car with a roller in the parking lot. It was a sight to see and I even called a few of my friends to check it out. He didn't bother to sand or clear so it looked like total crap. I was completely dumbfounded when I saw it. I never checked but I wonder if he even used automotive paint...
cammerfe
Dedicated LVC Member
First, excellent! There is no noticeable color difference.
Second, I saw a car painted with a broom---it looked just as you'd suppose.
Third, Rolls Royce painted cars with brushes for many years. They then just sanded everything dead smooth.
KS
Second, I saw a car painted with a broom---it looked just as you'd suppose.
Third, Rolls Royce painted cars with brushes for many years. They then just sanded everything dead smooth.
KS
jolinc01
Dedicated LVC Member
That turned out great. I would look into paint protective film when you get the LSE bumper so you don't have to go through this again.
Yes, amazing job. I could tell in the early prep pics that it was going to turn out well. You did a great job on the filling and priming steps. I'm convinced that those steps are the key to a good finish. Well done. Makes me think that I can possibly handle such a project. Painted surrounds maybe. . .
artgod33
New LVC Member
Definitely a noob question but where did you order the spray paint to match the car?
I just picked up a gold 02 LS8 and would like to get rid of the front bumper and rear surrond chrome. I think this could be the answer.
I just picked up a gold 02 LS8 and would like to get rid of the front bumper and rear surrond chrome. I think this could be the answer.