Painting dilemma (long). What would you do?

[Pascamp]

My painting experience is as follows. I've painted hundreds of race cars. They've gotta look good at 150' @ 150mph. That's a"300" paint job. They gotta look good at a mall showing too. On the other hand one of my best friends owned a high end body shop for 35 years. I welded a million panels for him and painted zero. After he retired I picked up his hand tools, guns, ect. The most important tool I couldn't take... The paint booth. They don't just keep out dust. They provide proper temperature, humidity, and lighting. You can do awesome prep at home, but painting is gonna require luck. Here in the North East...It ain't happening. Find a Maaco type shop near you and bring it there prepped. I'll paint race cars and work trucks in my driveway, but a car that matters I'll take to the pros.

 

[kris hines]

i think its going to be double tough painting without contamination on a dirt floor, even with a tarp. Honestly you may want to look into wrapping the car, the new vinyl is much much more easier to put down, and the older cars dont have the bends and curves that most modern ones have. not to mention the newer vinyl material can give some pretty great results.

just throwing out options, it just sounds like you have alot of things fighting you with painting the car yourself.

personally i prefer painting, but in your situation i would lean more to wrapping. just my .2

 

[kris hines]

My painting experience is as follows. I've painted hundreds of race cars. They've gotta look good at 150' @ 150mph. That's a"300" paint job. They gotta look good at a mall showing too. On the other hand one of my best friends owned a high end body shop for 35 years. I welded a million panels for him and painted zero. After he retired I picked up his hand tools, guns, ect. The most important tool I couldn't take... The paint booth. They don't just keep out dust. They provide proper temperature, humidity, and lighting. You can do awesome prep at home, but painting is gonna require luck. Here in the North East...It ain't happening. Find a Maaco type shop near you and bring it there prepped. I'll paint race cars and work trucks in my driveway, but a car that matters I'll take to the pros.

good results can still be obtained here in the north east with a homemade booth:

but it comes down to picking the perfect day to paint with the right reducer. my biggest negative about painting out of a garage is airflow. even with fans you will never get the airflow you get with a booth to pull out all the fumes, When i spray clear im using a fine tip and it can quickly fill up the booth with fumes especially when i flowcoat (you better have a proper respirator when you paint, or you will definitely feel the side effects). i would love to have a proper booth to paint out of. maybe one of these days. when im rich.......LOL

 

[dirty white boy]

find a body man offer to help for learning! dont matter what looks like,its what it feels like! if you can feel it in the body itll show threw paint!!! clean clean clean,..and clean again!! never had no paint both but plastic hanging from rafters work! i like single stage enamel, dupont centarie, its closest to what came on cars new, add hardener and itll shine so good you cant tell if its wet or dry! fisheye remover!! dont use cheap paint and be sure your thinner/primer/paint work together!! practice on spare doors hoods what ever before you try your car! try to paint on dry warm days even tho best job i ever had was 20 degrees and 3 foot of snow outside, 80 degrees in shop with wood stove drying out shop even more! confidence in your self not letting your brain psych you out! even the pro's mess up a few here and there and redo them,one reason there so high. theres all sorts of DIY ideas now days check out youtube, here's last one i did with rollers and half gallon rustolium from lowes....