On April 18, Transtar products were showcased on Two Guys Garage on The Speed Channel. The three-part show covered the build of a 1933 hot rod by the Factory Five. Transtar representative Scott Hanshaw takes viewers step-by-step through the entire coating process including prep sanding, primer, sealer and finally basecoat. To see this and other videos from Transtar, go towww.youtube.com/transtarauto Transtar offers answers on all your questions, quality products and great advice for your classic car!
From Beginning to Finish - How to Prepare Your Classic Car
Even after endless hours of sanding you may find yourself wanting to move on to the next step. But before you start spraying on primer you will need to keep sanding if you want a truly smooth finish. If you have a large garage or space at home, and the proper tools you can spray on the primer and paint right at home! Here is some helpful information that will help you do the job right, the first time.
Even with a power sander it will take you a long time to sand down the body. When using a power sander, be careful not to apply too hard pressure to the surface of the body. After you have sanded every possible inch of the body, you should wash and dry the car to remove the loose grit and dust from the car. The car has to be clean and dry before you can sand on any primer or sealer. Make sure that you rent or buy an air compressor before you start this project, you will need it often. Use the compressor to blow out any water from the door jams, widows, mirrors, seams, and other tiny areas that you cannot reach by hand. The compressed air will force the water to move out so that you can get the car completely dry.
After the car is dry you should begin taping off everything that you don't want primer on. Take your time and work slowly to make sure that your lines are straight and even on both sides of the car. Cover the windows, lights, seals, wheels, and other parts at the same time. Remove the antenna if you haven't already and then go over the car again with the compressor in case any water is still hiding in the crevices. Lastly go over the car with a clean, soft cloth after it is dry to remove any remaining dust or grit particles. Now you are ready to begin priming the car.
The Final Touch- Painting Your Classic Car
The first thing to remember for a trouble-free paint job is to use the same brand of paint and paint products throughout the entire process. Never mix brands or your paint might literally fall off the surface of the vehicle.Check out Transtar's premium products at www.tat-co.com
If you aren't familiar with how to use a spray gun, find something to practice on. You should spray in a sweeping side-to-side motion with the nozzle about 6"-8" from the surface - likewise, your spray pattern should be 6"-8" wide. Maintain a consistent distance between the nozzle and the surface. Each pass should overlap the one before it by 50%. Before you spray the primer, make sure you have an airline filter in your air hose. Ideally you'll want to do this indoors, or outdoors in nice weather. Even in the most serene weather, you will have bugs, dust, and dirt land in the paint, but you have more sanding ahead that will take care of that. Be sure to consult the directions that came with your primer for details, but in general you'll want to spray 3-4 coats, waiting an hour between coats. Dry time is dependent on the kind of primer you choose, and it should be in the instructions as well. After the second coat, you'll need to wet sand the car until the primer is almost gone. The primer helps to fill surface imperfections, makes the surface smooth, and gives the paint a good base to stick to. To wet sand the vehicle, wait at least an hour after spraying primer. Using 400-600 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a bucket of water or a hose, rub the surface thoroughly. You don't want to soak the car, but you want to keep the sandpaper wet. Let it dry completely before spraying more primer and wet sanding a second time.
Once you've finished that step, wipe the car down and then wash with a degreaser. After you wash it down, rinse well and dry thoroughly. Do not touch the car with your fingers after you've washed it - fingerprints will show on the finish product through every coat of paint you put on it. Recheck the tape for adhesion. If it got too wet, it may begin to come up, but a good tape will usually be fine. Dry completely.At this point, it's in your best interest to move inside if you have not already. If you have access to a paint booth, that would be ideal, but at the very least, try to get indoors to avoid bugs abd dust. Ideally, you want the temperature to be between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity. Use reducer and thinner comparable to the temperature you're spraying in. The paint store should be able to help you with this, but briefly stated, it comes in fast, medium, or slow. Fast dries quickly for cold weather applications, while slow is made for hot weather use.
Automotive paint comes two ways. For beginners there is a single stage paint option. Less expensive than base coat / clear coat option, you spray 3-4 coats and you're done. Less spray time leaves fewer opportunities for runs and other mistakes. Base coat / clear coat is a two stage paint that consists of the color layer and the clear or gloss layer. This is what most people who have done it before choose, since it produces a deeper shine finish.
When you're ready to paint, wipe the surface clean with a tack cloth, which removes all dust and loose material. The paint should go on thick, "almost" to the point of running. If you play it safe and spray a thin layer, it will show texture, kind of like an orange peel. When you are ready, use the same spraying technique as before: the nozzle should be 6"-8" from the surface, the spray should lay 6"-8" wide, and you should overlap each sweep by 50%. Start at the top of the car and work your way down. Regardless of the kind of paint you are using, take heed of the time intervals of drying and spraying. Once you've finished spraying and the paint is dry to the touch, remove the tape. Pull at a steep angle to the surface for a clean line removal. Doing it too soon or waiting too long can result in uneven edges.
If, despite your best efforts, you have runs or imperfections, you can usually fix them. You're putting a lot of time and a reasonable amount of money in this project, so do your research, don't try to take the cheap way out, and with any luck you'll have something you can be proud of in the end.
Just Need a Rub Out?
Given repainting's high cost, some owners will try to restore their existing paint job. Ultraviolet rays and salt fade the surface of automotive paint. But usually, the damage is only surface deep. By removing the top layer of paint, the original luster and color of your car can be restored.
How does one go about resurrecting dull faded paint? First, determine just how bad off your car is. The more faded and oxidized the surface, the harder it will be to bring back the original color. If the layer of paint is too thin, there may not be enough good paint left and you will hit primer and metal before the shine returns. A car which has been sitting in a junk yard under the blazing sun for 10 or more years will probably need to be repainted. Also, a car with a lot of rust spots or bubbled paint can’t be helped too much with out repainting. But if your car is in pretty good shape and the paint just seems a little faded, you can have your original finish and color back again in one weekend with a rub out.
Putting Transtar Products to the Test!
Located in Compton, CA, Customs by Lopez has been specializing in the repair and refinishing of automotive car bodies for 10 years. Owned by Ricardo and Monica Lopez, Customs by Lopez also does notable work in the customization market. Lopez’s extraordinary custom work has been featured in multiple magazines as well as on TV. Though a modest shop, Customs by Lopez produces high-end, extremely impressive custom cars.
For the past seven months, Lopez and his team have been working on the restoration of a 1969 Camaro and plan to have the project finished in about three months. For this unique renovation, Lopez has decided to use several Transtar products. Lopez has been using Transtar products for the past 2 years and says he likes the precision of No Mix’s color matching and how easy Transtar products are to mix and spray. Most of all, Lopez points out, he uses Transtar because of the high quality of the products.
For the 1969 Camaro, Lopez is using Transtar’s Low VOC Speed Sealer (#6091), No Mix ® Basecoat, Urethane Grade Reducer (#6711) and Signature Series Glamour Clearcoat (#9461). Stay tuned to see how Lopez’s finished 1969 Camaro turns out!
To find out more about Ricardo Lopez’s work and the Customs by Lopez garage, visit: www.tat-co.com.
About Transtar
The folks at Transtar® Autobody Technologies are proud of their history of creative, innovative research that brings products to the marketplace in a manner that benefits their customers, industry and environment. They are dedicated to developing, producing, and marketing quality products to the automotive aftermarket.
Transar's growing product line includes plastic repair materials, adhesives, sealants and specialty coatings, compounds and glazes, V.O.C. compliant clearcoats and primers, UV curing products, polyurethane topcoats, universal products and additives, and a full line of accessories. Their products are available anywhere in the world through their global system of authorized distributors.
Click here to learn more and visit Transtar's web site at www.tat-co.com