Body and Painting

[gbsean]

as some of you know I have been in this business for over 25 years... I will offer advice as needed or requested...at least I could be good for something here...

[Zap]

OK, I have a question.

Regardless of paint brand or type, are certain colors more durable, and prehaps longer lasting, due to pigments etc.?

[daveismissing]

Panel adhesive vs welding - your preference?
How to avoid the telegraph issue using adhesive?

[SuperSix]

What's the best way to strip a panel down to bare metal?

Is this the least expensive way to prep a panel for paint if the latest paint job was shit and is spidering?

[gbsean]

OK, I have a question.

Regardless of paint brand or type, are certain colors more durable, and prehaps longer lasting, due to pigments etc.?

all paints are basically the same as far as today paints are concerned they are all
Base Coat Clear Coat and the clears all have UV blockers in them unlike the paints in the prior to the 1980's before clear coats

[gbsean]

Panel adhesive vs welding - your preference?
How to avoid the telegraph issue using adhesive?

nobody welds panels anymore at least on the newer vehicles. We used to sell a ton of mig wire and tips etc...but now it is all adhesives...de fine telegraphing issue as I have never heard that term

[gbsean]

What's the best way to strip a panel down to bare metal?

Is this the least expensive way to prep a panel for paint if the latest paint job was shit and is spidering?

if paint was spiderwebed... usually means it is lacquer...do you want to go to bare metal...easies t way is to chemical strip or soft media blast...if it is original finish again media or chemical strip...on today's paint finishes sanding is the preferred way as the primers today provide a great foundation for today's top coats...

[daveismissing]

Panel adhesive vs welding - your preference?
How to avoid the telegraph issue using adhesive?

nobody welds panels anymore at least on the newer vehicles. We used to sell a ton of mig wire and tips etc...but now it is all adhesives...de fine telegraphing issue as I have never heard that term

Telegraphing -

A condition in which irregularities, imperfections, or patterns of an inner layer
are visibly transmitted to the surface.

ie: the patch shows thru, prehaps only at certain temperatures

[gbsean]

that happens more with welding as it can warp the metal...most of today's panel's are completes and not patches

[TheGovernment]

Telegraphing happens if your bodyshop techs are a bunch of tools and don't know what they are doing. Welding, adhesive, it doesn't matter how you do your repair, anyone with a clue can make the repair seamless. I've been painting for the 15 years and we have cold ass winters here in Canada. If a 12 year old kid with no clue can make a seamless repair, I pitty the guys who can't 

[Shimy87]

as some of you know I have been in this business for over 25 years... I will offer advice as needed or requested...at least I could be good for something here...

How many hours to re-paint a GN? I know many variables here but to narrow it down for an educated guess, not a national show quality job, but a good solid job. NO body work just R & R, strip original paint and repaint? I've gotten a couple estimates both around $8,000. They say $1500 in materials, and 90 hours of labor. 90 hours?

[SuperSix]

There's always body work, and I would hope most of that time is put into surface prep. No matter how "straight" a body may seem - it can take a lot of work to make it right.

[Shimy87]

I do understand that but if there was 10 hours of spray booth time ( seems like alot) 2 weeks of 8 hour days of prep work??

[SuperSix]

First - I know little about paint and body and the business of it - gbsean should be able to answer this correctly.

It does sound excessive to me. How much of the prep work were you going to do yourself? Like removing bezels, trim, bumpers, taping what you can/etc. Or did you just plan to drop it off?

[gbsean]

to strip a car to bare metal is a lot of work and time consuming. When I did mine just stripping and prep was 24 hours...and that did not include taking all the trim...quarter windows...bump ers and fillers...gril le..spoiler... taillights etc etc...that was almost 18 hrs... then you have to tape and mask everything you dont want sprayed..as far as booth time...if it is in bare metal...you have to apply a self etching primer...then a primer filler...block that...then another coat...bock that...apply color...if going base coat clear coat...you then need to apply clear...wet sand and polish and then put every thing back together 90 hrs to me is low...there is a lot of work involved...

Now if you are taking it to a regular body shop they can make 8k in a day with a simple collision repair...and do those all day every day...most shops do not like to do completes as they can put the labor towards more profitable collision work.