paint sprayer

[mark2500]

I have a 84 944 with india red paint. I'm going to repaint my front valance , and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what type of sprayer , settings and so forth to use . I never used a sprayer before (just can spray paint)
Any suggestions would be helpful. getting it ready for the big woodward dream cruise. Thanks

[Aslet]

I'm sure lots of people on the board know about tis stuff, but I would say find a paint store and have them help you... This way you can get a system that works well together. If you can get to one, I did a search and found that there are some in MI, goto Sherwin Williams paint. They have high quality auto paint.

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/

From my limited experience I do know some things... First, one of the most important factors is your air compressor... The CFM that it can product will affect what gun you can buy (bigger guns need more CFM). Since most people don't have a huge 2 stage compressor (which will set ya back a good amount), this is important. If you get a gun that needs more air flow then you can give it, it may not work properly... Also, I like gravity feed guns. Why not use gravity instead of needing to suck up the paint? It also depends on the gun, but the tank can be positioned further back on the gun with a gravity feed gun, so it balances the weight better (easier to hold). These are just my opinions and may not be true for all.

[blown 944]

1) compressor
2) gravity feed HVLP (for what you are doing it doesn't need to be great
3) water trap

The most important thing is the prep

Make sure it is clean of wax/grease
fix the blemishes with plastic weld and a little filler (sand surround first)
final sand before primer to 180
use a good 2 part primer
spray on a light guide coat with flat black
sand using a block or mixing stick if any old paint shows through or bodywork or pinholes reprimer
sealer is recommended but not necessary


paint
if it is non metallic you can do a single stage (no clear) if it is metallic you have to do base/ clear

for that part (valence) I would just use OMNI or another inexpensive paint because you will end up most likely having to fix it later again. As long as the paint is a urethane based paint it will do very well. If I wanted great quality and were doing the whole car or even a larger portion I would use PPG or Glasurit

[3liter914-6]

Originally Posted by blown 944

if it is non metallic you can do a single stage (no clear) if it is metallic you have to do base/ clear

for that part (valence) I would just use OMNI or another inexpensive paint because you will end up most likely having to fix it later again. As long as the paint is a urethane based paint it will do very well. If I wanted great quality and were doing the whole car or even a larger portion I would use PPG or Glasurit

I've been getting the Omni AE from my local paint supply place and wasn't that happy with the match. It's a good inexpensive paint, but if you're not doing a complete repaint, it's maybe not the best choice. The store recommended Omni MBP which is the same cheap line, but has more pigments for a closer match. I used it and was pretty happy with the match. It's a BC/CC though so that adds a little to the cost, and the valance is visually broken from the rest of the car so I don't think color match is as critical.

A lot of garage guys use the Harbor Freight HVLP, they're around $50. Pro's will pan them, but pro's ***** about anything other than $300+ DeVilbiss/Sata/Iwata guns. Bottom line it's a bargain for the casual DIYer, and worlds better than the older siphon fed stuff.