Primer/paint quantities!?

[Charger_Croatia]

I must admit one thing: paintshop people around me are not familiar with car size and I'm getting different info about primers.
Before purchase now I need to know quantities for bare metal primer; filler/sealer and paint (topcoat).

I know that a lot of you have done this and figures for standard job on repainting would be enough.

[Drop Top]

There are allot of variations as to the quality of the product you are going to buy and the amount of work you need to do to the car, as to the amount of product you will need. This is a case where you get what you pay for.

As a rule for a car like a Charger. If you have had the car completely striped inside and out your going to need a gallon of good quality bare metal primer. I would suggest PPG's line of DPLF Primers. These are also a good sealer for just before the base color goes on. If your just doing the outside of the car, 2 qts will be fine.

As far as blocking primer goes that depends highly on how much blocking needs to be done. This too, requires a good quality primer. As a rule the more you pay for this. The farther it will go. I have seen cars take 1 to 4 gallons of blocking primer. Nobody will be able to tell you how much you will need. You will need as much as it takes to do the job. I use Valspar's 21N. Its a bit cheaper then PPG's and goes almost as far. The price difference is the reason I go with the Valspar. As a rule if it takes a gallon of PPG. It will take an extra qt. of Valspar. In any case for a completely striped down to metal car, will take at least 2 gallons of blocking primer.

Now the paint or base coat also depends on how good it covers and sometimes, what color you choose for your sealer before you paint. If you choose to use PPG's base color a gallon and a half will usually do the job if you don't make any mistakes. Remember I'm talking about a Charger that has been striped inside and out. This car needs to be painted inside and out. If you what to have some left for touch ups or re-dos then go ahead and get 2 gallons. If you us a lesser quality like Du Pont then you will need to buy at least 2 qts. more for the job. As a rule, Du Pont doesn't cover as well as PPG. Du Pont is a bit cheaper then PPG,  but by the time you buy more, it easily becomes more expensive.

Now when it comes to clear the same thing goes. The cheaper the clear the more it takes. Du Pont, PPG, House of Kolor, and Valspar are all good quality clears. I have used all of them at one time or another. Now, it depends on how much clear the painter uses. I put on my clear heavy, then color sand and buff. For this I put on at least 3 heavy coats. For the same car and same job that I do you will need at least 1 and 1/2 gallons. I usually buy 2 gallons. Mainly because I paint the car apart. This uses a bit more clear because there is a bit more waste. I usually have about a qt left over. If you are painting the car all at the same time, all together and not buffing it afterwords. Then 1 gallon should just do the job. By the way I use mostly House of Kolor for my clear.

Like I said before there are many variations. Also, it depends on how bad the car is and the type of finish your looking for. Not to mention the painters way of laying the paint and clear.

                Good Luck

[Charger_Croatia]

Helpful as usual, thanks a lot Drop Top. Just to mention that moeny is not at the first place, but quality.
My car will be stripped down something between outside and inside. It will be stripped mostly inside but for that purpose I got one zinc based coating used in shipbuilding industry (I saw some excellent results on bare metal). I intend to put that one on non-visible surfaces (floors, indside the doors, trunk etc.) This one is possible to accept another layers of paint, even primers.
I think I shall follow advices from this board: good bare metal primer, sealer, 3 layers of filler, base coat+clear

Up to the base coat I'll do job myself. Than I consider to use good shop for final.

One question more, is it better to use epoxy primer on bare metal; or in combination bare metal primer first and epoxy on it? This is my doubt.

[Drop Top]

Any good bare metal primer, will be an epoxy. I like PPG's line of DPLF primers. They have an open window of 7 days. In other words. You don't have to sand the primer if you get a differany layer over it within 7 days. That layer can be a coat of primer or paint.