2013 Z. Painting the whole car with rattle cans :)
 

Decided to paint my whole car with rattle can paint! :stirthepot: The car was originally metallic silver (I wanted white but hate nissans pearl white! Next to a real white, the pearl looks yellow) but after an accident where I had to replace the passenger quarter panel, it came primered black. so instead of having the quarter panel painted to match the car I decided to just plasti dip matte white.

The plasty dip looks good, has held up okay and is easy to fix with dip fix but when you touch up a spot with spray cans the over spray makes fuzz on the car. if you mask off sections to protect from over spray you get a clear raised line. With plasti dip you need to paint a whole panel after a fix and white needs like 100 coats to cover! I'm just tired of fixing spots and the last reason to remove the plasti dip is I just miss smooth gloss of normal paint! If you want to plasti dip a car pick a dark color!!!!!!!!!!!


Here's plasti dip matte white

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps6a157be2.jpg

Ok to start...red scotch bright pad to scuff the clear coat off of your less than 1 year old car :)


http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps4cebc27a.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps8be6c0d8.jpg

Next, primer after you clean the surface with acetone. I did about 3-4 coats. First ones lighter, then to heavier ones. After several hours I wet sanded with 600 grit paper till it was baby smooth.

After 48hrs to harden I then cleaned the primered surface with isopropyl alcohol. Then I sprayed about 3-4 coats, again light to heavy with original Chrysler white from duplicolor. It's the 4th white I tried and whitest white I could find.

After another 48hrs I wet sanded with 2000 grit paper. You can see all the orange peel which is why I had to. You want to sand out all the shine till its 100% dull.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psd24a65b3.jpg


Still shiny

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psc9fd878a.jpg

Just right

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps7f2a8e39.jpg


Then I used Maguires rubbing compound with a rough wash cloth. You can already see a night and day difference!


http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...psb9237390.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps15552c46.jpg



Then I used Maguires polishing compound and a micro fiber rag. Looking very clear!!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps5bcab15f.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps900ab753.jpg


Last I still need to wax it with Maguires carnauba wax after its hardened a few weeks. Not bad if I say so myself. The rest of the panels will be done one at a time.


http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps934f8821.jpg

:ugh:

I hate everything you're doing but it's your car. I wish you the best of luck.

Yeah building a car for the track sucks. I should just do what others do and stay home with a garage queen.

how does plasti dipping your car and adding weight make it a track car?

Actually DP3 does tracks his z and is building his car for track duties.

That pearl white though man...makes me cry a little inside, and it's not even mine :(

As stated it was a fix to the quarter primer issue and plasti dip is great for rock chips as track cars get beat up. It's basically a vinyl wrap. If I did black or something else I would of kept it as it takes only a minute to rub dip fix on any issue areas and then just hit the spot with a spray can. But whites a pain now that I've learned. I'll be clear braing after the paint cures now since I want to stay white.

And he's refusing all ALL I've done. Apparently you can't do gutting, protecting, aero, suspension, wheels or tires on a track car. Guess I missed that memo.

Not sure what you're talking about.

Yikes. I probably wouldn't ever do this. I have a question though. Did you also plastidip small areas ( when you open the door or hatch) or are those areas still silver? Also how much did it run you cost wise?


-M-

I'm confused; seems as if everyone's caught up on the PD. I'll answer the questions but I'm here for the paint job I'm doing and not the PD.

The first time I dipped, no. Second time I dipped for touch ups, I took all the panels off and dipped them, so yes. I paid like $170 for the PD gun and like $50 a gallon for the PD. I bought 6 gallons, 1 grey to have the white stick to and 5 whites. Whites like thin water, I needed a lot to cover. Once the xylene (the thinner) evaporated you're left with the "rubber." No weight really gained Penguin.

Oh nvm, pictures in your post made me think your original paint was pw and you rattle canned over it. I hope you know what you're doing and crossing my fingers for you that this turns out good. I cant imagine the cost of a whole new paint job to fix it.

O gotcha. No the first pic was the matte white PD, OEM was metallic silver.

Well I've read all I can read. Hence the grits of sand paper, dry times, finishing technics etc. Its 100% the same as any painter would do minus the different materials used. Although sometimes your air gun can spray without orange peel in a perfect temp, humidity, controlled paint booth etc, but still 1 in 3 will need wet sanded at 2000 to get rid of it. And even though a painter may not have to wet sand the clear because he got no peel, it still depends on what the customer wants as a finish. You'll always get a show car finish if you sand and buff and some people don't need a great finish. Most OEM paint jobs are orange peel to the moon to keep costs down. Hell most body shops have a hard time matching the OEM paint job because the paint job sucks to begin with. My ex's Toyota camery was a perfect example! Glass on the key'd drivers side and crap OEM peel on the passenger.

These cans also help with the jobs of today. 100% like professional paint supplies where they do have a hardener inside you prick and start the mix. The cans are also pressurized 4x the amount of normal cans for atomization. Rattle cans have come a long way!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps95c7062f.jpg

Everybody needs a hobby, I guess. Good luck with yours. In the end, the only person you have to keep happy with your car is yourself.

:ugh2:

What's the big deal? I'm not going to do a complete color change on any car I have but it sounds/looks like synolimit is doing it right. A lot more effort than I would put into a car that would be tracked. :) For his purposes, PD sounds like a good option.

Might not be what I would do but I have to admire the quality of the work. But that's true of most of his projects. ;) In for final results.

i think the painting the "whole car with rattle cans" title sort of made everyone cringe, but it looks good so far man. Can't wait to see the finished product, keep us updated !

P.S - what are you lowered on?

Lol there's no PD.

Thanks. Painting is all in the prep and what you do to finish it. I've done it by the book so it shouldn't matter the delivery system.

Swift spec R's in the front and spl mid links with swift racing linear rear springs. All for sale now as I've bought custom true type Stance 2 way's.

ah. I had to read it a few times before it sank in. :)

I meant everything in the OP, your track stuff's legit.

dang your pointing finger's going to ache with all that rattle can nozzle press..

which reminds me... forgot to pickup the rattle can trigger-handle thingie at harbor freight the other day. :ugh:

i have one.

So glossy!!!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps428fc97a.jpg

Not as white as the plasti dip white but like I said, it's the whitest I could find :(. Once done with no PD left it will look like a really white car. I'll need to find a OEM white Z and compare the two.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ps4d559801.jpg

So a little confused. Your removing the plastidip then repainting your car?.

I'm seen great results with "rattle can" jobs. If your painting the whole car a generic color like white without matching a current color it's a good idea. Just like you said using a 2k clear (with hardener) coat is key. I think you should go a little more in depth with your process though. Example wet sanding, higher grit sand paper.

Mind everyone, I wouldn't do it to a whole car but for repairs on a small section why not? I'm doing this on my front lip soon hopefully I see result like yours. Good luck!

Just wanted to let you know I support what you're doing syno! I hope this turns out sharp. I always wanted a PW nismo instead of my brilliant silver but I figured changing the paint would just deface the value of the car being that they were made in limited batches. IVE GOT to check this out when my car hits the road again!

Are you planning on doing under the hood and in the engine bay as well?

Just like everything syno does.... I start out thinking he's lost his marbles and it ends up coming out really good.

That's what I'm doing :tup:

More in depth?!? I'll sum the first page!
Scotch bright the clear
acetone
primer 3-4 coats
dry 48hr
wet sand primer with 600
isopropyl alcohol
3-4 coats color
3-4 coats clear
Dry 48hr
1500 wet sand clear
2000 wet sand clear
Rough cloth rubbing compound
Micro fiber cloth polish
Dry a month
Carnoble wax

It doesn't get more in depth than that. And all I've read 2000 vs 3000 is no different unless you have magnifying eyes. For a track car 2000 is plenty. Its glossy and parked next to a Hyundai yesterday the orange peel looked like a pepperoni pizza. Its a amazing the little things you start to see when you've done something personal.

Thanks, I need a new arm though. Getting tired.

Scotch brite would have been enough ;-)

To OP, I respect and enjoy reading your journals. You have a great skill set and very adventurous. Kudos.

Just out of interest is it single stage paint you are using? I am assuming the rattle can paint is 1 pack? 1k.

Lol yes a used 09 woulda been a smarter idea but perseverance and maybe a little hands on skill pays off. I think I'm a huge cheap wad too but I like knowing I did something and others could learn from it. I love seeing people be able to mod their cars with more parts because they didn't pay so much for something they could of done. DIY is my fav thing.

Thanks

That's why I'm taking every panel off the car and doing them one by one. No door jam miss colors. Engine bay however will be silver but once the roll cage goes in I think its price will be whatever someone wants to pay for a track car.

painting small pieces is fine. i do that often to paint lips and stuff.

not sure how well rattle cans can withstand the long spray duration on large panels as pressure inside the can drops as you spray. that is the limiting factor for using rattle cans... the fan nozzles are usually pretty decent.

one reason why when i paint wheels, i use 3-4 rattle cans simultaneously (not in both hands lol) and spray layers from each can taking turns before pressure drops. and keep the cans in the sun, warm to the touch.

Thanks. I just wish my skills could be done in a tenth the time so I could make some real money and have a real business. But I do love my day job getting to work with my hands all day. Gotta have money to make money though and I can't afford a building, CNC machine, lathe, paint booth, etc etc. plus once you have all that you have to charge a million an hour just to keep the lights on and all the little people like myself suffer. It's a vicious cycle.

Umm no idea. It's just the duplicolor like I said, this little guy...

:tup: aright you're good to go good sir. from the photos it looked too basic.

its gonna turn out great and for all the haters... this can be done.

DIY FTMFW... the proud few who aren't scared to attempt things on their own

What happens when the pressure drops? I've done 3 cans so far and all is good. I have 6 over head lights in my little 1 car garage with a painted white wall and when I spray I make sure I see the reflection during coat 3-4 so it's laying solid wet.

I do that too! One can was getting low so I only used it for the edges so the can was level. Then a new can was used to spray horizontal over the parts. And its 90 in my garage. In the winter I'll use a hair dryer and stick them in my paints to keep warm haha.

i get more blobs vs the fine mist.

Gotcha. Yeah I saw a few and moved that can from horizontal to vertical. Only new cans go on top.

I think the hoods next and I'll remove it and lean it straight up to help the cans out.

Heat the cans in some hot water, turns the blobs into a fine mist :)

the heat from the sun is suppose to do that..? per my above post. :ugh:

i dont have hot water running outside. :mad:

who has hot water running outside their house? :mad: you lucky bastards