DATSUN 240Z PAINT - Part 2 TIPS and TRICKS

An important paint tip is: Filler always goes over bare metal and and putty always goes over primer. I decided on Rage Gold filler for my bodywork. This stuff sands off quickly and easily. It was so superior to the auto-store brand we all grew up with I almost laughed. I used fiberglass body filler to fill actual holes and seams in the body. BELOW: This was my first paint job and I didn't want to go through the process of shooting additional clearcoat. So I decided on Kustom Shop acrylic urethane single-stage. Single stage paint is very easy to shoot, super durable, and has high gloss. Instead of old-school paint that evaporates its solvents to dry, modern urethane catalyzes into a durable plastic finish. However, urethane contains isocyanates which are odorless and can cause a reaction in some people which is said to result in a lifetime sensitivity to the chemical. A half mask can still let your eyes absorb the isocynates so I went with a 3M 6800 full-face mask. I also wore a disposable set of coveralls and gloves.

The US 3M site lists the 60926 magenta cartridges as "NIOSH approved for protection against certain organic vapors, acid gases, ammonia, methylamine, formaldehyde and particulates...ammonia, Chlorine, Chlorine Dioxide, Formaldehyde, Hydrogen Chloride, Hydrogen Fluoride, Hydrogen Sulfide, Methylamine, Organic Vapor, Sulfur Dioxide". Interestingly the Australian 3M site included the statement that the 60926 was effective for isocynates. So I used the 60926 which was so effective when I sprayed I couldn't even smell any solvents until I took the mask off. My paint gun was a Devillbis FLG3 HVLP and I used a Husky 20 gallon electric compressor. BELOW: Below is the primered hood with spot putty over the pinholes. The point of primer is to cover the metal with a layer of sandable paint, so it can be rendered perfectly smooth for the final paint.

BELOW: this is the primered car after some fine sanding. This was a fun part because I could see the new car shape appearing.

BELOW: I didnt want paint vapors filtering into my upstairs or the rest of the house so my plan was to use a popup tent as a paint booth. As rough as this seems, after the paint had hardened I planned on wet sanding and power buffing it out. This meant any dust or nibs in the paint would be removed. Plus I wanted to prove to myself I could paint like this. I primered the car in the tent as well as the shooting the final color coat. The fenders and hood I shot behind the garage.

BELOW: I used a tarp on the driveway and sealed the tent on all side to keep any dust out. I worried my elderly neighbors would complain but a pair jogged past and said it looked like a fun project.

 

BELOW: This is after my final coat of acrylic urethane. I was amazed that there was almost no overspray as nearly all the paint went on the car. This is a great function of HVLP paint guns compared to the vintage HP type that creates a cloud of paint in the air. The final result was that the tent method actually created a very clean coat with only a small spider that fell from somehwere and got stuck in the finish. I was left with some orange peel in places and later realized I had the paint knob set too high resulting in too much paint going on. A dumb mistake caused by me being stingy because urethane paint was expensive. I hadn't practiced spraying first thinking all my studying and research would help. So my biggest piece of advice is to buy some cheap paint and practice spraying first. BELOW: this is the final result after wet sanding and buffing it out. Up close I can see my tiny flaws but from 5 feet away it turned out great. For my first paint job it was a lot of fun. So what are my best tips? Well there are a LOT but I consider these important:

- practice spraying before hand to get the fluid knob and fan pattern correct.
- be in an environment where you don't have to rush or worry about stopping. The solvent smell is strong for several hours so be conscious of your neighbors.
- shoot paint in the early morning because the air is still.