Painting a 928

[SharkTech]

Originally Posted by morriss

So I here the process for painting the front clip (the plastic nose cone) is different than the metal body. Is that true? If so, what specifically do I need to to consider? The paint is chipping pretty badly, and missing all-together in a couple of spots. I'm tempted to take a plastic paint scrapper and get it down to the bare black plastic. But that means I will need to paint the whole thing (which needs to be done anyways) soon.

The nose cone and the rear bumper cover both differ than the rest of the body, and are both plastic. I did not see ALL of the work that went into this, but I know there was some light sanding and other work done, but light coats and heat was the trick to match the rest of the finish. A competent body shop can probably explain a little better but you are on the right track, definitely different material for these 2 pieces...

Good luck.

[Mrmerlin]

to properly refinish the PU covers ( polyurethane ) they should be media blasted to remove the old finish. ( use walnut shells)
If there are already cracks in the paint then there is no way to fix the cracks unless all of the old is removed, anything the you put on top of the cracked parts will bleed through.
Starting with a fresh surface is the only way to go.

[morriss]

I appreciate the advice.

[rhjames]

if you really want to make short work of it, use a grinder with a 36 paper to remove paint from the metal surfaces.

using chemical is messy and not environmentally friendly, but some prefer this method.

yes, a 36 paper is harsh, it will leave scratches that must be filled with a good filler primer and lots of block sanding. However, if your car has multiple paint layers (mine had 12 coats of paint), the 36 paper is the way to go. be very gentle on the aluminum pcs (hood, front fenders, doors, sunroof)....as they will warp easily.

you can check with paint suppliers to see if there is a chemical paint remover for the poly bumper covers (I hear that there is), but again, be careful. Sanding these pcs may be the better way to go.



Dad did his (below) totally by hand.....no chemicals. not bad for a 25 foot paint job, as he had less than $600 in the whole deal, plus his labor.





Mine, on the other hand, may never get done......maybe the teenager will get motivated and finish it.




--R