I'll be painting the bay on the vert soon (see other thread about wiring). The car used to be red, but the previous owner had his uncle repaint it (not the best job). he painted the bay black where it would reach, the rest is still red, so it looks really nasty. I was thinking gloss black, I saw a pic somewhere here of someone who had that (was it colin?), and it looked nice; but I would settle for anything at this point, as long as it's even, and holds up to the conditions over time.



What level of prep work is recommended? I've spent quite a bit of time sanding and buffing cabinets for painting (in my old job), so I have at least some experience with prep work. Could I get a somewhat decent look out of spray paint cans, as opposed to a cheap gun? I'm not sure if my compressor could handle it.



Any advice is appreciated.



If this turns out well, I might attempt doing more painting.

on my t2 i cleaned it really well, then scuffed or sanded it. wiped it all down and painted it with this epoxy refridgerator spray paint. which turned out to be really solid and burly. it was even a decent match for the stock white....

scuff the hell out of it with scuff pads and degreaser, where you can reach sand it.

Degrease it again, and again.

Wipe it many times with a prep-sol like solvent.



Use a pressure pot gun or a gun that allows you to spray upside down with a bag or a paint cup.

Put fish eye eliminator additive in the paint, no matter how good you think you got it cleaned, it will probably still fish eye in some places.



If you cant spray upside down forget it, you will never get all the spots.

There are a few other tricks, like set the gun on stream and lower the pressure and the material, mist in the real hard to get areas first until they are covered, then open the fan and material and spray the rest.



Make sure its well lit where you spray, otherwise you might still see red in places when the car is outside, for inside the hood and rails, just brush that **** the best you can.



used to be red, I have some more pictures somewhere in my computer at home

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/480-1/ce3d9849bae8.jpg

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/364-1/6744bb32e608.jpg

Thanks for the info, I"ll check out some prices on guns. If I go that route, what"s a good source for paint?

locall, good paints you CANNOT buy online, you have to get from your local distributor.



use a single stage like Imron or Concept



you dont have to buy a expensive gun, you can get a cheap gun and use the 3M or other brand of disposable paint cups that allow you to spray upside down.



I have a few pressure pots, but for small upside down jobs I either put a bag in my GFG-670 or GTI gun oand for my other guns I use the 3m PPS system.

It would be allot more helpful to the dude if proper advice was giving. I have painted many bays and never had to put my gun upside down and I have done it with full size guns. On show gloss paints I used my $450 Sata. On a chasi black one I used a 75$ gun that I sprayed POR15 out of before the POR15 CB for a perfect never rust bond. Fish eye eliminator? That’s why you rub the whole prepped surface down with wax and grease remover that’s why the paint fisheyes because there is grease on the product. The addition to this into the paint is not going to work very well because the grease is still on the body causing a pore bonding surface and prone to flaking and rusting beneath latter on.



The prep is going to largely depend on the condition of the product you are working with. In most cases there is rust and grimy surfaces. You will need to bring this down to bare metal and take care of this properly buy grinding and using rust agents. After this is done you can continue onto all surfaces areas with a angel grinder to get large partials off. Wipe the entire thing down with a lacquer thinner soaked rag. Asses again sand as needed and add new seam sealer where needed because it will need some more. After it is all removed and clean finish scuffing with purple scotch bright or 180grit sand paper. After this go over everything again with wax and grease remover. Spray all bare metal showing with etch primer then spray your primer from a gun rattle will never give you the same results and is just half assed if you are desiring quality results. Spray several coats of primer. If the body condition is not in your spec sand down and asses after that continue with the primer a few more times. Spray it with guide coat from a rattle now sand it with 320grit till surface is even per the guide coat. Now use a tak rag over the primer and then follow with wax and grease remover. Now spray your base 3 coats will be good. Clean the gun again and spray the clear.



Now for pics. The black bay I am waiting on the finished pics tonight sorry. This is also a great show of what types of issues you can occur that need addressed first.

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rt/rx_7_77.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rt/rx_7_74.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rt/rx_7_70.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...ert/Rx7_38.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rt/rx_7_84.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rt/Rx_7_82.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i...rt/rx_7_66.jpg

This was not a normal staged paint job as most would be expecting. Because of the materials I used you do not clear or primer or etch but it is not classified as a single stage base clear.

Now here is a full 3 stage paint job as you are trying to accomplish. Sorry these are not in order. You might think some are duplicates but pay attention to pick up each coat color change and when the pearl is added. Photos were taken after every stage.

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Ok this I do have separated. Here is where you get a show room paint job. Here is the product after color sand.

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Now the product after a 5 stage buff and wax performed after the color sand.

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after all the years I have been on this forum, and others, I dont go on a all out blown description because most of the time its a waste of time.

You know how many emails, AIM, and PMs I have gone to all the trouble to explain things in great detail to people just to have them say in the end "oh thats more work then I wanted to, so I scraped the project"



Im saying if you use your gun upside down its alot easier, I dont want to "pull rank", but im SURE I have sprayed alot more material and odd things then you have, so I dont appreciate the tone my friend.

The way you have the engine compartment disassembled OF COURSE you dont need to spray upside down, 99.9% of people DONT take thier engine compartments apart to that extent.





YOU may know how much prep to do as far as the wax and grease remover goes, but HE may not and may not know the extent he has to go to, THATS why im telling him to put some of it in his paint.



Next time just post "how to paint an engine compartment", instead of making your shitty little half assed comments to me.

If you didn’t want shity half assed comments from others who know what there doing then don’t give shity half assed replies.



Now on second note I understand your pain of explaining to have it thrown in your face by the posted of being to lazy and broke.



The wax and grease well you left out the part you need to use it and only stated put some in your gun.



But my level of professionalism with results is hardly within range to bash and pull a “rank”

imho and no offense intended rob but..

people need the detail to make a better decision.. regardless of what decision has been made..

its irrelevant... and if anything.. it provides the typical DIY person to realize that they need a pro..

which in the end indirectly benefits your line of work....

and imo.. whether a post is a waste of time or not is immeasurable... still offers up as a good reference..

post the info once to avoid the trouble you face of havin to explain it over and over as a solution perhaps... just my two pennies.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/happy.gif

back on the topic.. how does one avoid painting threaded holes..

thinkin it may cause bolt fitment issues and possible torque values.. or is it not even a concern..

a Q-tip

ok, next time I just wont say anything, because im tired of giving explanations just to have them fall on deaf ears.



No offense taken, but I do take cerain things personally.

My thoughts were if there was more interest more detail would be given, but it did not seem like it was going to go that far yet.



Amp- I would hope someone would not go out and start painting thier engine bay based on my 5 line explantion, there are plenty of websites that detail painting and what not that people can check and gather all thier information and make thier own decisions.

I dont really care to do cars as there are way too many people doing them and cutting thier own throats to get work. I dont give my time away.

Remove anything you can.

Clean and degrease well.

Address any rust spots.

Spray any hard to reach spots first.

Apply evenly in several light coats.

Thats it... It will be grrrreat.



These are 1980s Mazdas, not a 1937 Bugatti. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683664.gif https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683664.gif You gotta be kidding me.



Lol@iceblue, painted parts of the unibody black like there was an actual frame under the car..

I hear you! Frankly this is why I am one of the highest priced shops in the E coast and rotary community. There is too many people doing work for nothing and there quality reflects that. It makes me sick it also gives the community a bad name and reliability trait. I give my price very high but the product given is supreme and if they want it cheep I tell them they are in the wrong shop.

Incorrect it is rubber coating to help withstand the abuse of the wire harness chafing without affecting the paint. It is also considered frame rail and not part o the unibody, body shop 101.

I appreciate responses from both Rob and iceblue (thought iceblue does always have a smart-ass tone in his posts, nothing personal). It gives me a range a quality that I can choose from.



I'm not looking to do a professional job (otherwise I'd take it to a professional), I'm merely trying to cover up the shitty job done previously. I know nobody, ever, will take a close enough look at the paint in this engine bay to tell a shitty job from a great one. Most people never noticed the black/red that's there now. But the detailed steps give me an idea as to what's required when/if I do decide to paint something "the right way."



So yeah, I'll do a half-assed job, but for my application, it'll be better than what's there now.

If the original owner did not use clear then do as posted above with a single stage paint. If you are inexsperianced just buy a detail gun its cheep and small and that will help you in the tite areas and lay down good paint. Remove as much as you can and pressure wash if you can. Then go over the bay with a rag with wax and grease remover because the grime has to be gone. You can also use a green scotch bright or steel whool fine material to help remove this. Be sure to sand the rust down and whipe it with rust eliminator stuff and then sand that off. After that scuff the bay with purple scotch bright. Since you wont be laying a high build primer try not to score the metal very deep or it will show. Wax and grease remover again. Now you can spray and as stated start in the hard areas with a low fan spread to get it up in there. You can use a piece of card board to check your fan pattern and air pressure and paint volume.

im a sanding and polishing finatic, but when it comes to something like a engine bay with so many irregular areas and hardly any flat areas I think you would be out of your mind to even try to sand and polish it.

I cant see how one would even get orange peel painting a engine bay.



I cant see it even needing it, lay it on nice and wet and leave it alone. Good paint looks awesome if you never break that original membrane by sanding and polishing it.



Baldy- you could clean, scuff, sand, clean everything real good, lay some self etching wet on wet primer and paint on the bad areas, then go with like 2 coats overall.

Reason why I said single stage is because your going black so why bother going with 3 coats of base and 2-3 coats of clear when 2-3 coats of single stage will do the job. Besides- you can get some very durable paint in single stage, basecoat/clearcoat is nowhere near as durable as some of the industrial application type single stages.



On body parts of course always sand and polish.

Good info, thanks.



I was looking at this, $39.99 at harbor freight: pressure pot gun

I just need to double check to make sure my compressor has the cfm and what not

Oh, and I'll be sure to sand IF the black paint the previous owner used starts flaking of when I'm scrubbing.

I don't care who you are if you spray coats of clear you will have orange peel. There are some tricks with reducer to eat the clear flat but that’s another skill not for this thread.



It can be done I tell you, just know what your doing and have the right tools. When you do the body work I did and a car for magazines and show and weekend driving you do things perfectly. As always nothing but comes from my work. That is why the engine bay is color sanded and buffed. There is over 550 hours of labor in the bay alone.

when you spray single stage paints alot you would see clear lays down the best.

You sprayed that funky pink and probably because its a uneven surface went a little light on the paint as not to get it blotchy, so you had a uphill battle with the clear to try to spray it smooth.



Things tend to look much better in pictures then they do in person, seen plenty of magazine and television cars that looked crappy in person.

I agree PS can do allot. If you ask the people who have seen that car in person they will say it looks bettor in person then it does in photos. Perhaps my camera can not provide justice but the depth of that paint job is an intense no photo could capture. The bay was sprayed with 5 coats of primer 3 coats of base 2 coats of pearl 3 coats of clear.

im not saying to get a clear that wont have peel, im saying in a uneven area like a engine bay with so many radius and uneven surfaces you do not invite peel.



Im sure you have sprayed a piece of tubing? Did you have to wetsand that?

you dont need photoshop at all, the camera alone hides a lot. in fact photoshop is usually poorly done, and obvious.

Clear alone will not lie without orange peel. All new cars have orange peel. All staged clear acrylic paints will have orange peel. It is inevitable. You do not have to color sand anything if you do not want. Wet sanding and color sanding are different things it depends on the grade you are going too.

this discussion will go nowhere.



Did you ever have to spray tubing?

Did you need to color sand or wet sand it or whatever you want to call it?

Yup such as roll cages. And I sure did very minor as the finish goal was not of the same nature or desire nor possible due to fitment surroundings.



If you claim you can spray a car without orange peel then you are foolish. If this is not what you are saying my apology’s.

im NOT saying that, im saying that on such a uneven surface area, especially a FC engine compartment, that if you cant put your paint on wet enough without running it so that you dont have to polish it your not necessarily doing something wrong

Its just that you need to push the limit and ride that fine line of laying the paint on so that it gives it that awesome wet look without sagging it.

I fail to see where what you are saying has any relivance to what color sanding does.

never mind, obviously we are not on the same page.

Im not talking about sanding the WHOLE car, im talking JUST engine bays like that of a FC, not some big ole' engine bay like a old Cadillac or something, and how they wont need it because you can lay down a really wet coat of paint without the fear of running the paint.

The bay will run very easily because of the tight sections will be hard to cover and you will get to much paint on the lower portion of the fan and cause a run :-D



If you get close enough to the paint even sprayed really wet and thick without running use a high tack clear to do this it will still obtain orange peel. On a put together bay you will hardly see that peel because of all the parts bolted around not enough surface area to notice. IE how you said a big panel. What is easy about it is you do not have to be so even with your sprays because the waves will not show up.



What you have to know is that car you see EVRYTHING there is not a single object on the sides of the engine bay it is a striped bay and everything is fabricated into hidden locations. So you can clearly see everything.

Abbott: Well, Costello, I'm going to New York with you. Bucky Harris the Yankee's manager gave me a job as coach for as long as you're on the team.



Costello: Look Abbott, if you're the coach, you must know all the players.



Abbott: I certainly do.



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Costello: You mean funny names?



Abbott: Strange names, pet names...like Dizzy Dean...



Costello: His brother Daffy



Abbott: Daffy Dean...



Costello: And their French cousin.



Abbott: French?



Costello: Goofe'





Abbott: Goofe' Dean. Well, let's see, we have on the bags, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third...



Costello: That's what I want to find out.



Abbott: I say Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.



Costello: Are you the manager?



Abbott: Yes.



Costello: You gonna be the coach too?



Abbott: Yes.



Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names.



Abbott: Well I should.



Costello: Well then who's on first?



Abbott: Yes.



Costello: I mean the fellow's name.



Abbott: Who.



Costello: The guy on first.



Abbott: Who.



Costello: The first baseman.



Abbott: Who.



Costello: The guy playing...



Abbott: Who is on first!



Costello: I'm asking you who's on first.



Abbott: That's the man's name.



Costello: That's who's name?



Abbott: Yes.



Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.



Abbott: That's it.



Costello: That's who?



Abbott: Yes. PAUSE



Costello: Look, you gotta first baseman?



Abbott: Certainly.



Costello: Who's playing first?



Abbott: That's right.



Costello: When you pay off the first baseman every month, who gets the money?



Abbott: Every dollar of it.



Costello: All I'm trying to find out is the fellow's name on first base.



Abbott: Who.