Painting???

carguy2000 · 12-28-2013, 06:03 PM

Planning on doing a color change on my 928 and want to do the engine bay and wheel wells while the car is dismantled. Then I can put the suspension, engine, etc back on and save up a small fortune to have the body painted.

For those who may have done it this way what did you all use? After cleaning the undercoating can you just prime and paint? I am not a paint guy and need specifics like what brand and type of paint to use. I just want to get the wheel wells and engine bay painted with the body color so I can start putting the car back together again. I want to go from blue to cyclamen red metallic. Love that color. Also, where is the best source to get paint in that color? Is it possible to get all this in a spray can (like touchup paint)?

And I want it to look factory so I don't want to just get a simple grey or black undercoating paint, etc. And I really don't think a zyclamrot body with a blue engine bay and wheel wells will look right. And I can't afford to send it out for a complete repaint now and take care of it all at the same time. I know that would be ideal with the car mostly dismantled now, but the money and priority isn't there right now.

Thanks for all the help.

Danglerb · 12-28-2013, 11:53 PM

Welcome to the group, we have some expert painters, but it could take some time before they visit the forum.

Paint it later. Factory quality paint is the most expensive restoration step on a 928, figure $12k on the VERY low end from one of the owners that paint, up to maybe 4x that much for top pro shop with the best results.

Changing colors is a LOT of work to make it look right. There is a ton of stuff that will need to come off to paint the engine bay and not have it look used car lot. Much easier and cheaper to start with a red car and leave the hard to paint stuff alone.

Painting a 928 takes a master painter, its three materials, urethane, aluminum, and steel, each with its own prep requirements.

Maybe start with a thorough cleaning and see if that leaves you with an appetite for the much harder task of stripping the paint and respraying.

77tony · 12-29-2013, 02:11 AM

If you tell us your location, someone here might be able to point you to the right body/paint shop in your area. T

carguy2000 · 12-29-2013, 09:48 AM

Thanks for the advice guys. I definitely plan on having the car professionally painted here in Charlotte and already have been given advice on a couple places that have done 928s before. The issue is that I am in the middle of the restoration with my son and want to move forward. Have the exterior completely dismantled with engine out, fenders off, suspension removed, etc. Have cleaned, checked out, and replaced a lot in preparation of putting everything back in. The wheel wells and engine bay will be cleaned spotless in prep for paint.

I am keeping the car for good (not an investment for sure) and want it to be a color I have always loved and I know some people see "purple" but I love the look of the cyclamen red metallic and it is rare as well. I just need to get the wheel wells and engine bay painted the color before I put everything back on and continue with the restore while waiting for the full body paint later on when I can save up the money to have it done right.

I know some on here have taken this route and was curious as to what they used in these areas over the undercoating and such. Thanks again.

Dean_Fuller · 11:12 AM

The motor compartment is Galvanized steel. With a color change and wanting a long lasting paint job...I suggest stripping all the way to metal. When I did my sons I used a epoxy primer over clean metal. ( that is what will be used on top of aluminum as well )...then high build ( 2K ) primer over that. ( that's what I did and it worked well for me ) I shot 2 coats of high build...then sand and sand and sand and sand and....sand some more....more primer if needed to get it all dead flat. Did I say sand?

Shooting color and clear are the 2 easiest parts of the job. 2 coats color...2 coats clear...I used more clear as I wanted to have lots of clear to sand smooth. Flash times ( time needed between coats ) are very important.

There are tons of help on the net. Paint Your Own Car Spray Guns Automotive Auto Body Forum was helpful and here as well. I also bought a book on painting cars.

Not sure about spray cans...I am sure they are available but I am not sure its as good a paint as it could be.

Dean_Fuller · 02:08 PM

Maybe your painter could just shoot the parts you need now and the remainder later? I don't see why he wouldn't do that. To paint that little would be hard to justify paying what it costs to have the right air compressor, paint gun. A cheap gun is worth....nothing.

AirtekHVAC · AirtekHVAC's Garage

A Charlotte guy, huh....welcome, and please keep us posted along the way....I am about 2 years from painting mine.....gonna try to at least prep myself.....

curtisr · curtisr's Garage

There's an entire forum dedicated to painting and bodywork here. Paint & Bodywork Discussion Forum - Pelican Parts Technical BBS

carguy2000 · 12-30-2013, 07:36 AM

Happy New Year and thanks guys. Glad to hear you chime in Dean. Your thread was amazing. Will look into the other threads. Likely will get everything cleaned up and ready and when I decide on who to go with it have them shoot those areas 1st and then get the rest done later on.

Thanks for all the help.

19psi · 19psi's Garage

Don't know how things are in California but around here, a show quality paint job on a curvy fiberglass car like an old Corvette is the most expensive and will run around $10K which includes taking it down to the gel coat. $15K will get you a trailer queen paint job. A 928 is child's play compared to that type of car.

For $48,000 (4X that 12K figure), I'd get a new factory Porsche paint job.......with a brand new 2013 Boxster attached to it.

With the engine out, I'd prep the compartment, select the color from Automotivetouchup.com and paint it myself. With a bit of work it should turn out quite nice. And if it's not 100% perfect, who cares as it's an engine compartment. Odds are it'll still look better than the sun baked exterior of any internet nitpicker's car.

Wheel wells should be black. Color matching them to the exterior would look strange.

77tony · 12-30-2013, 06:52 PM

Contact: Austin Embry "kiln_red" He is pro paint & body guy about 400 miles west of you in Gallatin, TN. Very knowledgeable on painting 928's and you might want to get a quote from him. T

Fixer · 01-07-2014, 04:45 PM

Hey carguy2000,

been meaning to reply.

Since the wheel well and engine bay are 'no pressure' areas to paint ( meaning if you f up it isn't that big a deal)

You should try painting these areas yourself with single stage (no clear) urethane paint
or if your new color is metallic use base/clear system.

You have nothing to lose trying this.

For these areas you can buy professional paint but not the $1000 per gallon stuff. Go for the budget version (it's just as good for the engine bay) and buy a half gallon.

Reds are always more money but you should be able to buy a 1/2 gallon for $200.

Buy epoxy primer/sealer also.

Then buy a cheap HVLP paint gun for $100 and rent or buy a decent compressor
(min 30 gallon) for this type of job. You will need a air filter/dryer before the paint gun too. But you will own it all and use it again.

There are quality professional paints available in a can. There are paint co.s online that offer basic colors of real automotive paint in a can. But probably not the metallic color you are planning. If a simple black or white etc., this would be an option.

You should try it. Someone told me once a long time ago that "If you can read, you can learn to paint a car". He was right, because i did.

That is how i learned to do many things that most will not try.

Anything you want to learn is written about.

Good luck,-Matt