Engine bay respray - progress
- Thread starter 1MeanA
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Looks great, nice work!
That looks real nice! Maybe I can get that done to Vixen one of these days.
Looks great. If you spray it in its window time frame, you shouldn't have to sand it.
I'm goiing to do that to my66 B-Cuda when I remove the /6.
ole man Dave
I'm goiing to do that to my66 B-Cuda when I remove the /6.
ole man Dave
mopowers
Well-Known Member
That looks awesome! Do you have a before photo? I'm curious if you took it down to bare metal, or just scuffed the original paint. Taking an engine bay down to bare metal doesn't sound very fun. You did a killer job.
Unfortunately I only have detail photos and not the whole bay. I used a DA and mini DA to take as much as I could down to bare metal. I then used 100 lbs of crushed glass and a pot blaster to do the rest. There were a few dings that needed fixing. I just wish I had marked any extra holes before stripping it. Its a ton of work but I get to practice my method for stripping/spraying epoxy/spraying high build/block sanding 180/priming/finish sanding 600before I move on to the rest of the body.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Does it even need high build and sanding? Being an engine bay, I'd be tempted to just shoot color over the epoxy. It looks nice as-is. Is it not?
I'm getting ready to do the trunk, window channels, and jams on my '66 and painting is one of those things that intimidates the hell out of me. I'm anxious to see how your turns out.
I guess it depends on what kind of finish you want. There were some dents and dings I repaired and filled so I want to make sure those areas don't show. I sure bought myself a lot of work spraying the primer which requires sanding. I'll only fret over the visible surfaces like the upper firewall and upper areas of the inner fenders.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
What epoxy did you go with?
There is limited choices up here. I went with the Limco LP20 epoxy and Limco LP620 primer (not actually a high build primer). I'll use a different primer on the body where I need high build. Down south the Tamco and SPI products seem popular if you can believe the forums
doug 371
Well-Known Member
Having the sandable primer over the epoxy is a good idea. Epoxy is not that fun to sand. You may find some spots you would like to be better and spot prime anyway
33IMP
Well-Known Member
Is it gonna be butterscotch/Bahama yellow?
It was originally banana yellow (?) but I am not a fan. I haven't bought the paint but need to soon. The plan is plum crazy.
I sanded the inner fenders 180 this afternoon and you can really see the low spots even without a guide coat. I'll fix up the worst of them and reshoot with the primer (it can go over bare metal) which will take care of a few spots where I broke through. I should be good to sand everything 400/600 then. I might even just use red scotchbrite on the lower sections and frame rails. As I said, its good practice before I hit the important panels.
I'd really like to get my engine broke in on the test stand and get it into the engine bay after brake lines are installed.ESP47
Well-Known Member
I took mine down to bare metal about 6 months ago before I sprayed. Was one of the least fun projects I've done on a car.
doug 371
Well-Known Member
Don't scotch brite it, you will be disappointed...600 is overkill...I sanded the inner fenders 180 this afternoon and you can really see the low spots even without a guide coat. I'll fix up the worst of them and reshoot with the primer (it can go over bare metal) which will take care of a few spots where I broke through. I should be good to sand everything 400/600 then. I might even just use red scotchbrite on the lower sections and frame rails. As I said, its good practice before I hit the important panels.
I'm told 600 for metallic otherwise 400. I'm sure I could get away with 400 for most of it. I'll see what the data sheet says.
doug 371
Well-Known Member
When you're happy with the body work and sanded in 400, I would seal it with your epoxy and paint it wet on wet.
I've never done that before. I know it is common but it seems strange to spray base over wet primer.
doug 371
Well-Known Member
wet on wet is just the term...your data sheets will tell you the "flash time"
I did end up spraying epoxy as a sealer 45 minutes before spraying base and clear (per the TDS). It turned out pretty good except one run that needs to be fixed. The job was a bit of an experiment and learning experience before I move on to the rest of the body although I will only spray valences, jams, trunk, under hood and trunk, etc and leave the final paint to a pro. If I had to do it again I would have used a different gun for the base coat.
ps it dried pretty flat...some light pebbly areas on the firewall but better than factory I might wet sand a few dust nibs out and polish
ps it dried pretty flat...some light pebbly areas on the firewall but better than factory
I might wet sand a few dust nibs out and polish
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BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Mark Worman of Graveyard Carz would try to paint it as quick and shoddy as the factory did, trying to reproduce the paint splatters and fingerprints by Billy-Bob on night shift. I'm guessing that like my cars you had much rust on the firewall below the Master Cylinder. One reason I use silicone brake fluid. New cars mostly leave in primer in the engine bay and trunk, but it is a rugged primer with smooth surface (epoxy?) so looks fine. Indeed, most dip the entire body in primer so it protects everywhere, even inside the frame rails.
ESP47
Well-Known Member
I did end up spraying epoxy as a sealer 45 minutes before spraying base and clear (per the TDS). It turned out pretty good except one run that needs to be fixed. The job was a bit of an experiment and learning experience before I move on to the rest of the body although I will only spray valences, jams, trunk, under hood and trunk, etc and leave the final paint to a pro. If I had to do it again I would have used a different gun for the base coat.
View attachment 1716120510
ps it dried pretty flat...some light pebbly areas on the firewall but better than factory
My buddy helped me spray my engine bay and he paints cars for a dealership. He said it was more difficult to paint the engine bay than an entire car.
I was thinking the same thing.
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