Thread: Series 3 respray

Hey Phil if you do it your self you could get out of it for under $200..I didnt see where you where from but if close enuff ..I have a couple of compresers you could borrow 1 & some spray guns.It is a bit of work sanding & stripping the old paint off ,Or you could just sand it & cover over the paint already on there..

Gold coast is a bit far..

Hey Phil,
About a year or so ago I painted my LWB wagon roof. It was mustard yellow or something before, and I wanted to have a crack at it myself. I sanded back any peeled paint and just left the rest there. I took the windows out, then wiped it over with metho just to make sure there was no grease (so the paint sticks properly) then used a couple of spraycans of etch-primer to cover it inside and out. I wanted to do it cheaply, as I got the roof for only $100
I had some paint mixed up at bunnings to match the rest of the old girl, then watered it down slightly and used a wide paintbrush to apply it. The idea was to give it a few light coats, then sand it back to about an 800grit to make it nice and smooth.

After about 30mins I could see that the finish was MUCH better with the spraycans of etch primer than the paintbrush was with the colour, so I went down to the local hardware store, bought a new compressor for $300 and a spray gun for $50. It was SO much faster to apply with the spray-gun, and the finish was good enough that I didn't need to sand it afterwards! Mind you, I wasn't after a high gloss finish, just a finish that matched the rest of my 1970 2a. If you want a glossy look, you can always put a few layers of gel-coat over the top, or sand back LIGHTLY with finer and finer grit until you like what you see.

The paint cost me a little bit ($80) bacause I had it made up. I believe it would be cheaper if you chose a colour that didn't need to be created.

In the end I was very happy with how it looked, and over a year later it still looks just as good as it did the day I finished it, and I just used water-based paint!

If I decide to paint the whole thing in the future, I will have a go myself. Its not as hard as some people make it sound, its FAR cheaper, and the satisfaction at the end is immeasurable, even if its not perfect (I mean, how many people paint their own car??). If you want to take the time, take as many of the pannels apart as you can to ensure you get in to all of the gaps. Take your windows and seals out as this does not take ALL that long, and you won't have to be as careful masking around the windows. (In other words, it will look better )

Just be sure that you sand off any flakey paint, and have a good clean surface.

Here are three ideas you might want to consider...


METHOD 1:
REQUIRED: Compressor (300), Spraygun (50), Sandpaper (15), Primer (30), Paint (up to 200)
TOTAL: about $595 - AND you now have a compressor
TIME: 1 weekend
.........................................
If you aren't particularly fussy and just want a quick exterior colour change in one weekend, here's a nice quick way:
DAY 1
Take off the bonnet and mask of the engine bay
Mask up all windows and seals (take windows and seals off if you have the time)
Mask off the wheels and tyres
Sand of any flakey paint or minor rust (if you have major rust, this may not be the option for you!)
Give all surfaces a quick rub with metho to degrease, and let dry
Give a quick coat with primer (and take a photo, it looks pretty cool at this stage!)
DAY 2
Give a light coat using a spray gun (don't worry about any blotchy areas, you will put on a few coats) then let dry for an hour or so.
Repeat the previous step a couple of times. The main thing to remember here is to not put it on too thickly, as you start to get runs. Its better to do alot of light coats than to bugger it all up by getting too eager - thats a mistake I made at one point!
THEN..........
When you're finished, be careful about pulling of any masking tape, make sure the paint is nice and dry or you may pull up some paint with it. If unsure, lightly trace along the edge of the masking tape with a scalpel or stanley knife just to make sure it doesn't pull paint with it.


METHOD 2:
REQUIRED: Compressor (300), Spraygun (50), Sandpaper (15), Primer (30), Paint (up to 400 (as you are painting interior as well!))
TOTAL: about $795 - AND you now have a compressor
TIME: 1 weekend with mates, or 2 weekends as a loner (its more fun with mates!)
.........................................
If you've got more time and want to paint the interior etc, take of the doors, roof etc and paint them seperately. Be sure to mask off anything you don't want sprayed or have overspray fall on. The more time you spend preparing, masking etc, the better the results you will get, and the more rewarding it will be in the end!


METHOD 3:
REQUIRED: Someone else
TOTAL: anything from $2000-5000 depending on desired finish or prep-work you do yourself.
.........................................
If you're after a really nice showroom finish, unless you do a bit of research and have plenty of time for preperation and do some practice, it may be best to leave it to someone who knows what they're doing.


MY OPINION:
If you just enjoy working on the old girl, and you're not doing a big $$ resto, have a go at it yourself. Maybe start with just doing an exterior job (method 1) over 1 weekend.
If you like it, GREAT!! you can do the interior the next weekend!
If you hate it, no harm done! Either have another crack at it if you know where you went wrong, or go and visit a spray painter for either some tips, or a quote for him to do it for you


I hope this helps

Hey everyone thanks for your replies.Im just planning ahead at the moment and trying to get an idea on things that I can do and need to do.I dont actually have the vehicle yet but want to find a series 3 swb which I dont have to strip down because of chassis and or bulkhead rust.Im pretty confident that I can spray it myself and I already have a compressor (thanks for the offer to loan one) and about 3 new spray guns.Im thinking of possibly putting in a V8 and upping the suspension,gearbox,brakes etc and restoring the interior as well ,but not to a show room condition as I plan on getting some good use off road.