Modified Mustangs & Fords Homepage
Get Adobe Flash player

DIY Repainting

Prep It Yourself and Save!
By Jim Smart
Photography by Jim Smart
P69150 Image Large
P69170 Image Large
Always protect your lungs... 
   
  read full caption
P69170 Image Large
Always protect your lungs with a good respirator for priming and a dust mask during prep.
P69171 Image Large
Before you get started, it’s... 
   
  read full caption
P69171 Image Large
Before you get started, it’s a good idea to invest in the right equipment to support your bodywork. You can buy, rent, or borrow this equipment, which includes an air compressor like this Sears Craftsman 6-horse unit...
P69172 Image Large
...a high-volume/low-pressure... 
   
  read full caption
P69172 Image Large
...a high-volume/low-pressure paint gun...
P69173 Image Large
...and a water separator.... 
   
  read full caption
P69173 Image Large
...and a water separator.
P69174 Image Large
Aircraft paint stripper is... 
   
  read full caption
P69174 Image Large
Aircraft paint stripper is affordable and useful, saving you time during the stripping process.
P69175 Image Large
Bare metal demands protection... 
   
  read full caption
P69175 Image Large
Bare metal demands protection and proper preparation. PPG offers at-home paint, not to mention professional-quality, as well as a variety of metal cleaners and conditioners to choose from. Metal cleaners free the surface of contaminates that can adversely affect paint adhesion. Metal conditioners etch the surface of the steel to prevent corrosion and improve paint adhesion.
P69176 Image Large
When it’s time to cover... 
   
  read full caption
P69176 Image Large
When it’s time to cover bare steel, always opt for a self-etching primer/sealer. PPG’s DP-series self-etching primers make for outstanding basecoats before paint prep begins. Two coats of self-etching primer first, then use a primer surfacer for surface work.
P69177 Image Large
The key to achieving a perfect... 
   
  read full caption
P69177 Image Large
The key to achieving a perfect surface is investing time and patience. Keep reworking the surface until you achieve a smooth surface, then apply primer/surfacer.
P69178 Image Large
After the self-etching primer... 
   
  read full caption
P69178 Image Large
After the self-etching primer has been applied and surface imperfections worked out, you’re ready for primer/surfacer. In this case, we’re using PPG .
P69179 Image Large
All body lines and tight corners... 
   
  read full caption
P69179 Image Large
All body lines and tight corners are worked by hand. Dry as shown with 220-grit sandpaper.
P69180 Image Large
Follow the directions carefully... 
   
  read full caption
P69180 Image Large
Follow the directions carefully when using filler. You must have the right balance of filler and hardener.
P69181 Image Large
Too much hardener makes the... 
   
  read full caption
P69181 Image Large
Too much hardener makes the filler cure faster, but it leads to cracking later. Take your time and do it right.
P69182 Image Large
When the filler cures, grate... 
   
  read full caption
P69182 Image Large
When the filler cures, grate the surface as shown to take the filler down to a workable level.
P69193 Image Large
Work the filler first with... 
   
  read full caption
P69193 Image Large
Work the filler first with 220-grit sandpaper and a block like this. Fill as necessary—but don’t oversand.
P69194 Image Large
Concave and convex corners... 
   
  read full caption
P69194 Image Large
Concave and convex corners get worked by hand like this. There is no substitute for your fingers here.
P69195 Image Large
Finally, we work the surface... 
   
  read full caption
P69195 Image Large
Finally, we work the surface with 320- or 400-grit paper.
P69196 Image Large
Covina Auto Body’s George... 
   
  read full caption
P69196 Image Large
Covina Auto Body’s George Clavdio applies PPG K200 to the surface.
P69197 Image Large
3M’s Acryl-Green Spot... 
   
  read full caption
P69197 Image Large
3M’s Acryl-Green Spot Putty fills the small imperfections in the surface of the body filler. Dab some of this on, work the surface with 320- or 400-grit, then you’re ready for primer.
P69198 Image Large
Perfection comes from the... 
   
  read full caption
P69198 Image Large
Perfection comes from the guide coat, which is the light dusting of black primer over the light gray surface. When we begin block sanding, the low spots will turn up black and the high spots light gray. The black spots will need filling and smoothing.
P69199 Image Large
Blocking or block-sanding... 
   
  read full caption
P69199 Image Large
Blocking or block-sanding a body calls for a long sanding board and a short one.
P69203 Image Large
These boards help us work... 
   
  read full caption
P69203 Image Large
These boards help us work the surface to perfection because they help us find the high and low spots. Use these with the guide coat.
P69209 Image Large
Before painting, wet-sand... 
   
  read full caption
P69209 Image Large
Before painting, wet-sand the entire body with 400- and 600-grit paper and recheck the surface.
P69210 Image Large
Professional auto body painter... 
   
  read full caption
P69210 Image Large
Professional auto body painter David Vartanian of Covina Auto Body goes over the surface one more time to check for flaws. He massages and wet-sands with 600-grit paper as one final measure before the paint booth.
P69211 Image Large
Vartanian stresses that you... 
   
  read full caption
P69211 Image Large
Vartanian stresses that you can’t be too careful prior to the paint booth. Here he gently wet-sands and closely examines the surface for any imperfections, then works out the flaws by hand.
P69212 Image Large
Mustang enthusiast Bill Kepp... 
   
  read full caption
P69212 Image Large
Mustang enthusiast Bill Kepp (right), goes over last-minute instructions with Covina Auto Body’s Vic Koroghlian. We suggest going over the body thoroughly with the paint shop before it goes into the booth. It’s easier to correct problems before it’s painted. Be specific, and make sure your paint shop understands what’s expected.
P69213 Image Large
One final wipe down before... 
   
  read full caption
P69213 Image Large
One final wipe down before the body is rolled into the downdraft paint booth ensures a dust-free surface.
P69214 Image Large
We suggest masking the body... 
   
  read full caption
P69214 Image Large
We suggest masking the body yourself, which ensures the paint goes where you want it to go.
P69215 Image Large
Vartanian carefully tack-rags... 
   
  read full caption
P69215 Image Large
Vartanian carefully tack-rags the surface and checks for imperfections in the paint booth.
P69216 Image Large
We’re going to lay down... 
   
  read full caption
P69216 Image Large
We’re going to lay down PPG’s Deltron basecoat/clearcoat system on Kepp’s ’66 coupe. This encompasses two coats of basecoat, then two coats of clear.
P69230 Image Large
Vartanian may look like an... 
   
  read full caption
P69230 Image Large
Vartanian may look like an environmental clean-up technician, but this protection is necessary with today’s urethane finishes. Here he applies two coats of Deltron basecoat, which dries to a dull, lifeless finish.
P69231 Image Large
Next, Vartanian lays down... 
   
  read full caption
P69231 Image Large
Next, Vartanian lays down the clearcoat, which will bring out the deep metallic green finish. Note the use of a downdraft paint booth, which keeps dust and harmful paint emissions to a minimum.
P69232 Image Large
Bill Kepp’s ’66... 
   
  read full caption
P69232 Image Large
Bill Kepp’s ’66 Mustang coupe is clad in clear and ready for the rub out. Even a low-buck paint job can look like a high-priced spread when you do it yourself.

Undoubtedly the greatest hurdle awaiting the enthusiast on a car project is paint and body. Oh how we dread this one, with all that stripping, sanding, filling, priming, spotting, blocking, resurfacing, and--finally--laying down a finish in hopes of winning new friends and influencing the masses with an awesome ride. Achieving a flawless finish is not easy, even if you're starting with a dent- and rust-free body. Even an original body sports some imperfections, because factory finishes from 30 years ago were anything but flawless. We're talking sloppy lead work, subtle dings and dents, miswelded panels, and more.

Okay, so how do you get there from here? We thought about this question, then we contacted Bill Kepp, a fellow Mustang enthusiast brand new to classic Mustangs. Kepp picked up a '66 Mustang six-cylinder coupe body for $400, complete with pink slip, mountains of decaying paint and Bondo, and abundant prayer in tow. It was a homeless Mustang looking for a place to have a major accident. The car, and Kepp, needed fast, affordable answers.

Like most of us, Kepp didn't have a liberal budget to work with. So we put on our thinking caps and went to work. A vintage Ford buff on a budget needs to plan a project carefully, beginning with the paint and body. But paint and body does not have to be expensive. If you do all the preparation yourself, practice patience, and true the body to perfection, you can expect to spend at least $1,000 by the time your body shop has applied the paint. If you farm out the preparation, you can spend as much as $5,000-$7,000. Are you beginning to understand why you need to learn the finer points of doing body prep yourself?

Stripping

No matter what your budget is, you should strip all the paint off and begin with a clean foundation--bare steel. Because we're talking low buck here, there are really only two answers--aircraft stripping or aggressive sanding. An aircraft paint stripper is an affordable way to strip your Ford's body chemically . Brush it on (in the shade only) and watch the paint wrinkle up and fall off. If only it were that easy. An original factory finish will wrinkle and fall off with help--the use of a wire brush and a putty knife. When you're down to the steel, wash the body thoroughly with detergent, baking soda, and water to neutralize the effects of the stripper.

If you're going to sand down to the surface, start with 40-grit, then 80-grit paper and an orbital electric or pneumatic sander. Work the entire body down to the steel surface, then work the steel with 220- to 240-grit paper. Once the body is clean and bare, you're ready to work the steel to perfection. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

Prepare It Yourself

We enlisted the help of Vic Koroghlian at Covina Auto Body in Southern California to show us how to prepare a Mustang body properly for painting. As we watched these professionals massage the steel to a paintable condition, we concluded it wasn't anything we couldn't do ourselves, given patience and close attention to detail. We're going to show you how to save thousands of dollars, because 90 percent of a good paint job is preparation. After preparation, there are countless ways to save more.

We looked to PPG Finishes for our primer, paint, and clearcoat finishes because PPG products have yielded outstanding results for us in the past, including on our own Project Ed '65 Mustang coupe, which appeared on the cover of the Mar. '98 issue of Mustang & Fords. If you buy the PPG primers and finishes yourself with the idea of farming out the final painting to a body shop, you will spend upwards of $1,000 in materials, plus the labor for the paint job, with a total cash outlay of $2,000-3,000. That's not bad for a beautiful, glistening finish.

You have other options when cash is tight and buying paint is out of the question. MAACO, Earl Sheib, and 1-Day Paint & Body are all good options for the enthusiast on a tight budget. If you prepare the surface yourself and achieve a perfect body, any of the nationwide economy painters can dress your ride out for around $500. The key to success here is detailed preparation. Take your time and be stubborn about quality, and you will achieve good results for less than $1,000. Don't expect a show-quality finish from the economy painters. However, you can be strutting your stuff proudly when it's time to cruise on a Saturday night, because the economy painters lay down a nice finish for less than $500. All you need is a perfect surface.

One more thing. Whenever you're dealing with the economy painters, always go for the highest-quality paint available and mask the body yourself. Whenever possible, opt for additional coats of clear and spend the extra money to get it. This will enable you to color-sand and rub out the finish without going into the color coat.

With the help of Covina Auto Body, we're going to show you how to prepare a vintage Ford yourself the way the professionals do and achieve professional results.

Covina Auto Body
Covina
CA  91723
PPG Finishes
Strongsville
OH
Maier Racing Ent.
Hayward
CA  94541

Discuss in Our Forums
Ford Mustang Research
Ford Mustang When purchasing a new car it is important to be prepared and know all the information in order to make a good decision. Research the Ford Mustang and find reviews and information on fuel economy, features, options, specs, reviews and more. The 2010 Mustang has fuel economy of 20 mpg, and comes with a standard Manual transmission, and RWD drivetrain. The Ford Shelby GT 500 and the Mercury Milan are other vehicles that might interest you.

Related Articles

 
1966 Ford Mustang Front Drum Brakes Rebuilding & Detailing
When we rebuilt our front suspension for our Project ’66 in the July 2000 issue of Mustang... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang Roadster - Lookin' For Adventure
Michael Rossa's Roadster embodies Old-School Hot-Rodding Tricks That Have Come Back Into Style... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang Hertz Shelby GT350H - Black Beauty
Feast Your Eyes on this Venomous Vehicle... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang - Yellow Fever
This potent coupe runs hard with a six cylinder and has a honey yellow paint job to match it's sting... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible - Phillips' 66
Tom And Cheryl Phillips Practice The Fine Art Of Internal Combustion With A Hot Convertible Mustang... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang GT350H Convertible - Neverland Hertz
Debra Ware's GT350H Convertible Is One Of Those Cars That Was Never Built, But We Wish It Had Been... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang GT Convertible - Mustang With A Mission
Reliable Transportation Is A Must For The Important Work Of This Enthusiast... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang GT Hi-Po & 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback - Resto Roundup
Exclusive Ford Mustang restorations, featuring a 1966 Ford Mustang GT Hi-Po, 1969 Ford Mustang... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible - Radical Ragtop
This Updated 1966 Ford Mustang Convertible Has It All... more
 
7-litre 1966 Ford Galaxie - Flanged Performance
I’ve known John Smith a long time. We met when I joined Mustang & Fords nearly 10 years ago.... more

More Related Content