Ok bodymen..............

[jaak]

Well after thinking and thinking about it, I decided to do my own bodywork.  After reading such good post on here (Cudaken and others) I decided budget wise, and I cause I seem to cannot find anyone willing to work on my car, I just started. I Have a photo here (sorry I didn't take a 'before' pic, I never think to pic up camera, til after I start something, well anyways, This fender was in goodshape, when I stripped it a while ago I saw some old bondo in it, well I cleaned it out to assess the damage and the dent has been work fairly close before, so it will not take much body filler to finish it, but the body line wasn't really 'crisp' in the repair area, I started by taking a long flex ruler and a marker and drew where the line needed to be, then ran 2" tape on this line (highlight in green in photo) and worked that area til it felt pretty good by hand, then I masked off upper part of line and worked bottom , it feels pretty good after first shot but I have a3-4 little hi bumps ( red circles in photo) , next I used a little etch primer (sage color) and gray spraybomb primers for guideing purposes only, I'm gonna use a good primer/sealer when areas ready. Next I noticed (after guide coat) It was still a little low just above body line, so I retaped bottom and added another skim coat on top, and thats when photo was taken.  So guys am I on the Right track, any tips, tricks, or hey dumbass your doing it wrong will be appreciated.

[Silver R/T]

if you can, put skim coat over entire upper area of fender, then sand it down. If you just put coat on area that was previosly fixed and you sand it, area that was previously good will be oversanded and youll have bumps/high spots where you put on skim coat. You have to feather body filler on the area. Looks like youre doing pretty good for someone who's attempting to do it yourself

[Doc74]

You're doing just fine Jaak, you clearly have been paying attention in Cudaken's thread.
First tip, when you apply bondo and you come near the edges of the fender and the edges of the sidemarker, mask them off, just stick some tape right on the bodylines and pull it off when the bondo is drying.You can sand the edges away in mere seconds as opposed to getting all that gunk out of spaces it shouldn't be.
For the higher parts, depending on how high they actually are, if we're talking about a mm or so then you can very gently tap them back with a pinhammer and if you don't have that or similar just take a phillips screwdriver and don't hit but push it back.Use your guidecoat to see when it's even with the rest of the panel and apply a skimcoat of bondo.Again the spots should be even, not more inwards, no matter how tempting it is to give it a good hit and cover up with bondo.Use the entire surface again for bondo, not a bit here and there, it'll show, always cover the entire area like before and make the edges scraped.
Maybe you're thinking, I wish I could apply a clean thick layer and get it over with fast, well that wopuldn't be such a good idea since bondo and many other products we use tend to sag when applied too thick so keep skimming it.3, 4, 5 times, doesn't matter, it's the endresult that counts.
If you have time to do this work then I also suggest, to counter sagging, to let the bondo rest a few days at least before you sand it.This is especially interesting on parts where there's 2 mm bondo or more.
For very thin layers you can sand as soon as it's dry but again when you can wait, do it.
Average 'life' of bondo once applied is a staggering 7 days, that's how long it takes to actually set.
Go ahead, try it on an old part, smack a good amount of bondo on it, sand it straight and come back after a week, you'll see how much it has dropped.
As far as I can see, you seem to have the knowledge to take this up to primer at least with very nice results.Few more tips, you can feel with your hands but not the very slight dents and creases, you can see them tho' with a little trick.What you need to do is follow the sanding grit steps, finer and finer till you finish with a grit 4-500, it's ll be babybottomsmooth by then    Get some universal degreaser and a spray for it in a bodyshop, this is the stuff to clean the panels before painting, and spray it on your panel, it'll be soaking wet and as shiny as clearcoat so you'll be able to see even the slightest nick.The reason it has to be smooth is because when the bondo is a bit coarse it will suck up the degreaser like a spunge and leave no shine at all and bondo actually never should get wet for the same reason.Avoid getting water on bondo at all times.The degreaser will evaporate very fast and if you have a compressor you can help it along much faster, do it if you can.
Anpther tip, if you're righthanded, use your left to feel the panel and vica versa, yes I know it doesn't seem logical but trust me 
Wash your hands regularly, the bondo dust will fill your pores making it hard for you to feel irregularities.And another tip to feel more than before, wrap a thin cloth around your hand, tight, now feel the panel again, hey was that there before ? 
Final tip for now, disregard all the rest befre you have this one down........use plenty protection, I can't stress it enough, dustmasks WITH filter, paintmask, keep your coverall clean, use a vacuumcleaner with your sander if you can, keep your workspace clean.
I won't tell you to test this but bondo actually can cause burns on your skin and eyes, wen you've applied on your car, smear some on a piece of paper and turn it around, wait for two minutes and feel the paper, it's hot.It's funny stuff and it's dangerous stuff, be careful, it's supposed to be a hobby.
Jaak if there's anything else or something not clear, I'm real good in making simple things complicated  , just ask away, I'm here to help.

[Doc74]

if you can, put skim coat over entire upper area of fender, then sand it down. If you just put coat on area that was previosly fixed and you sand it, area that was previously good will be oversanded and youll have bumps/high spots where you put on skim coat. You have to feather body filler on the area. Looks like youre doing pretty good for someone who's attempting to do it yourself

Feather !! that was the word I was looking for instead of scrape 
Thanks Silver

[jaak]

Thanks guys, I'm gonna try to post pics everynow and then to keep you up to date, and I'm sure I'm gonna have questions along the way, Doc74, thanks also for the advice, I did use some tape over marker hole, I just removed it for pics, and your right about dust mask, etc. I just started this I've been working on it a few hours after work the last couple of days, I haven't got a mask, yet and man that stuff is rough, I went today to parts house and got me some sandpaper, and I had it on my mind to pick up some masks, but when I got there I forgot, and I'm gonna wait til monday, and get me one for I startback!   I'm glad you advised I let the bondo "sag" a few days I guess I can sorta get a "chain" going (get organized) you know like Monday start on my other fender (it needs a little filler too) Then a quarter, then go back to first fender ( do the work in rotation) That way I can have a task for everyday.... is that how you pros do it in resto shops??? I also went to harbor frieght today and bought some long board sanders, i thought the 17 inch would be great to use on the quarters, well I guess I'll go for now,

thanks again Doc74 and Silver RT
Jason


pic- what I bought today..... 17inch sanding board (9.99)   8 inch sanding board (6.49) @ Harbor Freight, then Pack of 5 green corp 80 grit stikit 3M,   and 5 individual strips of 36 grit 3M self Adhesive sandpaper (approx 12.50 total) @ O'Riley's Auto Parts.

[Doc74]

Excellent Jaak, you're moving in the right direction, those sanders will help you out a ton, the long sander is very good for quarters and such.
Yes we all move around on a car so not to waste time, drying times of products limit the work you can do in one day so you move to the next part and switch back and forth.
There's no real rules for this, it's all about the way you work and the customers needs, luckily you are both so nobody's pushing you 

Also remember this when you want to use a rusttransformer, they need at least 24 hours to set before you can put anything else like bondo or primer on it, if you apply it too soon it'll come off later.So whatever needs the transformer, do it first.

To make your life a bit easier I suggest that whenever a panel is done, you put an etch primer on it so it's one color, 2 thin layers should do it but you can add more in the view of protection as long as it gets sanded down before primer.
It's psychological but it will help you stay motivated, a completely sanded car with a million colors running into eachother just doesn't look all that fun 
Do you have a ventilated area to paint primers or will you take the car to a bodyshop for that ? The etch you can do with a spraycan so you don't have to go overboard with masking your shop off, the spraymist is very minimal.Paintgun hs primer on the other hand will change the 'hood' forever 
Not to mention of course that the etch has an actual purpose and will grab into the bare metal or you'll be sanding the whole thing every week to remove the surface rust.It will also seal the bondo from moist but it's minimal at best, wouldn't work in Florida 
Once the high solid primer is on, it'll be safe in your shop.
One thing I forgot to mention, when sanding never ever apply pressure to the block, if you try it on an old door or something you can see the metal 'give in' with every stroke resulting in you sanding dents in it.The trick is to let the block and paper work for you, you do the cross motions but you don't ever press down on it.Don't be fooled by the idea that pushing harder will make the work go faster, you'll rethink that after slapping a tenth coat of bondo on it while inventing new swear words.
To practice this take the block at the edges near the paper with the tips of your fingers, whenever you apply pressure now you'll feel it right away and simply can't continue with it.
Try sanding a door while it's open, if it falls shut...you're putting too much pressure on it.
This way of sanding is the only good way and will save you tons of time and aggrevation.

For bondo stick to starting with grit 80 till it's nearly prefect, with some feathering left to do , then switch to grit 150 to finish that spot.Now you can use a rotary sander with grit 150 up to 320 to prep it for primer.
Depending on the primer you could end with grit 150 or 220, it'll have plenty bite in those scratches but again it may sag so let it rest.
I find that for most primers ending with a 320 is perfect, if only skimming over the areas previously done with a 220.Finer than 320 will also work of course but the scratches would be minimal, you can end in a 400 to prep for many finishing paints so don't go too fine just yet.
Yes you need the scratches for paint to adhere, try polishing primer, then paint it, won't stick for long.
The good thing about having your bondo smooth is you can feel just about everything and you can do the degreaser trick so go right ahead to shine it up, all you have to do before etching is run over it with a coarser paper.
For machine sanding the spots that are done you'll need an eccentric rotater and again never apply pressure, use it the same way as a block sander. If you don't have acces to a rotary sander then you'll have to do it by hand which is entirely possible but lemme save you a few months and a million bucks on paper, get the sander...
I use a $3-$400 Festool which are available in the better autobody stores, also look into Rupes. I'm not saying you have to go out and buy the best but do have a look at them so you know what to look for in the cheaper models, there's plenty to choose from.

[Drop Top]

I don't want to step on anyones toes here. You have gone to the trouble to take the fender off the car. Why wouldn't you want to fix the dent right? I would take all that old plastic filler out first. Then hammer and dolly the dent out and go from there. The reasion for this is. Just how old is that plastic filler or bondo? Is there holes under it where someone tried to fix the dent on the car? How thick is it? Plastic filler is not made to last forever and its not a fix all. The more filler you have on the car the more chances of it coming loose. I don't like to use any more filler then it really needs. Puting new filler over old is not a very good idea. Its kind of like bilding a house. The foundation is the most important part if you want it to last any amount of time. Plastic filler is not the best foundation. Then when you put new filler over the old, your asking for dubble chances of problems down the road. Of course if your just turning the car for a quick buck. Then by all means, reskim and block away. Its more work to do it my way, but in my opinion its well worth it. Just my 2 cents.

[jaak]

Hey Drop,
  The fender had some bondo in it and was removed (I wanted to see what was behind bondo) Like I said in first post, the area had been pulled out and prepared but the body line isn't really defined, Sure probably some one like yourself, or Doc can probably bring this line up a little more with some hammer work, I guess I was a little afraid of maybe stretching the metal, on a plus note though the photo in 1st post there is just a thin layer-- probably less that 1/16 thick, I'm not trying to glob bondo all over the car, but I'm gonna need to use it to do some finesseing(spelling?) you didn't "step on my toes" Thats what I want peoples opinons and the pros and cons of everything.

Thanks
Jason

[Doc74]

Drop there's no better way to do it than you suggest, if you can get the metal straight and leave bondo be all together then perfect but you know like no other how long it takes someone to learn that, out of a book no less.
I agree on being careful with older bondo but with these skimcoats I believe it's the best way to go for now.The next best step is to take it to a bodyshop but that will cost.
Worst case scenario, if it's in primer for a while and all products are hardened there might be some crackling or bubbling on a spot or so which will result in stripping that spot to bare metal and do it over but then again, one small spot on an entire car doesn't really kill the motivation and it's still cost limiting.
I'm all for stripping a car inside out and straightening the metal by hand, no bondo anywhere but it's just not realistic to do when you're not a professional and without the propper tools.
OH Drop now I think about it, I was meaning to ask you. When I move to the states I'm not gonna bring my old tools with me so I'm looking into new toys like hammers and dollies, leather bags a,d mallets, english whells, the lot.
Can you name me some brands worth checking out Mostly for hammers and handtools.There's so much to choose from I'm getting lost.

[jaak]

Ok guys,
I guess i should give you a little history on my car, in 2002, I took it to a shop (was a friend) well he stripped the shell and the 2 front fenders, and welded in a new trunk pan, then the car sat, sat, sat, sat,etc. He went out of business and bought another house, he called me and told me he was building a shop at his new house and he will get on it after building shop, built shop painted 5-6 cars while mine sat outside, so summer of 2004 I towed it home. I stripped the doors (myself) and all I like is hood. Doors are solid as a rock, no bondo just a couple of door dings, hood I can't tell yet, when he stripped car he removed all old bondo, so as my car sits in my shop now there is no bondo any it any where except were i started on LF fender (pic) I had to put a couple of small patches on the tailpanel, one patch on RR quarter and replaced the LR floopan (all this done welded in just needs finishing). So I'm not piling new bondo on old bondo, theres no bondo in my car now. I wanted to check out previous repairs.

See ya,
Jason.

[Drop Top]

Your on the right track Jason. I just wanted to make sure you wern't just filling over filler that was already starting to crack. If you have any fill work I like to use Metal to Metal on the areas before any primer of any kind goes on. Its a better filler then plastic. A little harder to sand though. If your going to use plastic filler make sure you have a good bare metal sealer under it. The plastic fillers of today require sealer under them. Its been discused on the board before.

As far as hand tools. I like the feel and balance of the Martin brand. They use very good metal in them. I see them for sale in the Eastwoods Catalog. But I buy mine from my local paint store. There a bit cheaper and I can get anything I want from them. From lead working tools to bars and dollies. Not to mention the good air tools. I do have a few Snap -On hammers. They are heavy and not balanced very well. I use them when I really need to put some swing behind me. I have had some luck buying older tools on E-bay also. I might have to replace a handle once in awile. But if you know what your looking for and watch yourself you can usually get some good used tools there. The older hand tools are made better and balanced much better. I also like the older Proto brand hamers. Proto dosent make body tools anymore. But if you can find one I buy it even if I already have it. I picked up an old set of Bulls-eyes from an old body shop once. It was a big kit. It had some things in there I have never been able to figer out what they where for. But the body shop was handed down from his Grandfather and he didn't have a clue what a Bulls-Eye even was.

[jaak]

Thanks DropTop,
  Thats a good tip lookin' for tools on ebay, I usually just check out part when I'm looking around there, I'll be sure to start keeping my eye's open for some good tools, too. I have been noticing alot of people talk about metal to metal filler lately, say its tougher to sand? How does is "feather" out?  Do you use it alone, or does it have to be smoothed over with plastic filler, I've been curious about it, I almost bought a quart of it the other day to try it out.

Have a good one,
Jason

[Drop Top]

When I use Metal to Metal, I use a new piece of 36 grit paper on an air board or a D/A. It feathers out just like any other plastic filler. The best way that I have found when knocking down any filler, is to keep the air regulated at no more then 90 psi. going into the tool. Keep the tool moving at a slow to med. pace. Don't over rev the tool. In other words, adjust the air presure on the tool to where it just dose the job. Let the tool do the job for you. Just take your time and pay attintion so that you don't take too much off. You can reapllie Met. to Met. over itself if you need to. After that I seal the area. Then spray with a blocking primer. Block and then if you need to do more filling, you can use a catilized putty or a good plastic filler like Rage.

[Doc74]

Jaak good to hear you have a great project like that, the straight ones are becoming rare 

Drop thanks for the tool info, I didn't even think about ebay but oh boy, nice goodies there 

[jaak]

Hey DropTop and Doc74.
  I know this is early but what kinda paint products do you like to use???

I worked out in the shop 2-3 hours this evening, man those longboard sanders make a world of difference in sanding, I was amazed at how much easier it is to sand with them, not to mention alot straighter also, hey Doc I did like you said, using no pressure while sanding, man the paper really does all the work for you.

I'll try to post some more pics in a few days,
Jason

[Silver R/T]

make sure that board is straight. I got same one from Harbor Frieigt and checked it out lately and its warped on edges which means you wont get that surface even with bad board. other than that I like board like that with stick it paper

[Doc74]

Hey DropTop and Doc74.
  I know this is early but what kinda paint products do you like to use???

I worked out in the shop 2-3 hours this evening, man those longboard sanders make a world of difference in sanding, I was amazed at how much easier it is to sand with them, not to mention alot straighter also, hey Doc I did like you said, using no pressure while sanding, man the paper really does all the work for you.

I'll try to post some more pics in a few days,
Jason

On your side of the pond I'd choose for PPG or Dupont, don't know how available Glasurit is over there. I haven't used any of these for years, the last time I used Dupont it was the old like, the 21 and 54 if I recall .
Anyway, in the shop now we use Sikkens and I don't like it one bit except for their base and their waterbased metallics which we use daily.Their clear coat is moderate at best but the price is fairly low.For clears I'd go with the top of the line like PPG or House of Kolor.They're the best flowing, curing and workable as in sanding and buffing. Drop will surely be able to give you more on those, I'll have to choose which paints I'll use when I've moved there.
As for base the waterbased Sikkens and Glasurit paints are excellent and very very easy to apply.Only reason you'd buy them over a regular (thinner) base is health reasons but in a booth with protection, no matter.
As for primer I'd go for a high solid, all good brands have a solid filler.High solid just means it's a bit harder to sand but it doesn't sag or leave marks easily.That doesn't mean the prep job doesn't have to be perfect, it does, it's just that a high solid will keep in shape longer.
I believe it's the standard to use nowadays anyway.
Do apply an etch before the primer though.For sealers I'll let Drop get this one too, not a lot of experience except with the ones we got.
In short, don't go too cheap, you'll regret it.After all the hard work and cost you don't want cheap paint and ruin it all.
So what color will it be ?

Are you using a guide coat when sanding? When youfeel a panel is done you should use one, a real one, not a spraycan of black.The guide coat paint is very very light, any overspray on the car is removed with a cloth and some paint degreaser so you can fully paint the panel black with little effort without having a thick coat on there.
Take the long block with a grit 220 (ish) and lightly cross sand the entire panel, no pressure on the block and big swerves.Try not to think about certain troublespots on the panel, don't fool yourself by spotsanding here and there, it'll show later.
You'll see whitin a minut what needs to be done and if you can post pics of these steps we can help out and tell you what needs to be done to get it straight.

[jaak]

make sure that board is straight. I got same one from Harbor Frieigt and checked it out lately and its warped on edges which means you wont get that surface even with bad board. other than that I like board like that with stick it paper

Thanks Silver,
I'll keep a check on them reguarly, if and when it warps, I'll replace it.

Jason.

[Drop Top]

For Factory colors I only use PPG. No mater if I'm useing base/clear or a single stage. PPG also makes the best sealers and primers on the market. For my own cars I would use PPG all the way up to the clear. Then I would use House of Kolor fro my clear. How ever PPG is the most expensive on the market. They always have been. But you get what you pay for.

Now on the other hand. In the shop I use all Valspar sealers and blocking primers. Valspar owns and makes all of House of Kolor products. I use Valspar primers and sealers because, I can buy them at a cheaper cost then PPG. They go almost as far and they are every bit as good in quality. Then when its time for color I use PPG ifI'm restoreing to an origanal color. If I'm going to a custom color I usually go with H.O.K. If I'm doing a Kandy job. Then there is no other color then H.O.K. As far as using Du Pont? In my opion Du Pont automotive paint is the worst paint on the market for your money. Every time I have ever used it I've had some sort of a problem. The paint dose not cover very well. It takes twice the paint to cover then it dose for PPG. There sealers and primers don't go as far as Valspar or PPG. There cheaper then PPG but not by much. Alot more money then Valspar. But don't work nearly as well. I use Du Pont on patch jobs on daily driver, but thats it! Then the only reason that I use them for that is because the paint shop I use. Pushes it. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. Du Pont is shit paint with a very big price tag. You don't get what you pay for with Du Pont. There lower lines of paint is even worse. The shop I use for my suplies dosen't carry PPG in the local branch. But when I need PPG color I can order it through there Nevada branch. They carry Valspar. But, Valspar's paint dosen't match very well for stock colors. If the other paint suplie stores that carry PPG here in my town would give me the break that I get from the one I use. I would use only PPG. Thats all I used back in the 80's and early 90's. But then all hell broke loose around here in the local automotive paint supllie stores. When the dust settled The place I use can't carry PPG locally. But all there other branches dose. So I can special order it in.

[MichaelRW]

For Factory colors I only use PPG. No mater if I'm useing base/clear or a single stage. PPG also makes the best sealers and primers on the market. For my own cars I would use PPG all the way up to the clear. Then I would use House of Kolor fro my clear. How ever PPG is the most expensive on the market. They always have been. But you get what you pay for.

Now on the other hand. In the shop I use all Valspar sealers and blocking primers. Valspar owns and makes all of House of Kolor products. I use Valspar primers and sealers because, I can buy them at a cheaper cost then PPG. They go almost as far and they are every bit as good in quality. Then when its time for color I use PPG ifI'm restoreing to an origanal color. If I'm going to a custom color I usually go with H.O.K. If I'm doing a Kandy job. Then there is no other color then H.O.K. As far as using Du Pont? In my opion Du Pont automotive paint is the worst paint on the market for your money. Every time I have ever used it I've had some sort of a problem. The paint dose not cover very well. It takes twice the paint to cover then it dose for PPG. There sealers and primers don't go as far as Valspar or PPG. There cheaper then PPG but not by much. Alot more money then Valspar. But don't work nearly as well. I use Du Pont on patch jobs on daily driver, but thats it! Then the only reason that I use them for that is because the paint shop I use. Pushes it. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it. Du Pont is shit paint with a very big price tag. You don't get what you pay for with Du Pont. There lower lines of paint is even worse. The shop I use for my suplies dosen't carry PPG in the local branch. But when I need PPG color I can order it through there Nevada branch. They carry Valspar. But, Valspar's paint dosen't match very well for stock colors. If the other paint suplie stores that carry PPG here in my town would give me the break that I get from the one I use. I would use only PPG. Thats all I used back in the 80's and early 90's. But then all hell broke loose around here in the local automotive paint supllie stores. When the dust settled The place I use can't carry PPG locally. But all there other branches dose. So I can special order it in.

Hmmm. I'm surprised by your comments about DuPont. I have been using DuPont for years with no problems as long as the products are mixed and applied correctly. I do prefer Transtar primers though. I have found DuPont to be especially good in spot job color matches. I haven't tried PPG because I can't get PPG at the great discount that I can DuPont.

[Drop Top]

About my experiance with Du Pont. After useing PPG for over 20 or so years. (I started painting at age 13). Like I said above, The company I was using went through a break up and the people that I chose to stay with ended up not being able to sell PPG here locally. So I used Du Pont for at least 2 Years. I had trouble with every stage of my jobs. At first I chalked it up to no experance with their products. I went to their weekend classes. Actually I think it was more like 6 days and then other week ends classes fallowed. They even gave me a piece of paper stating that I went through, them to hang on my wall. Any way long story short. All of there products do what they are entended to do and do an OK job in my opinion. They just dont do it as well as PPG. Du Pont may be cheaper. But in the long hall the more expensive PPG becomes less expensive, because it takes less to do the job. I had problems with Du Ponts blocking primer lifting in corners. They sent the Factory rep out to see me and he blew me off. Thats when I started to look for differant products and started using Valspar.

To be fare. One thing to note here is I don't just paint cars. When I paint a car. Its done a piece at a time. In other words I do the body then the doors and so on. So the car dosent get painted all at the same time. I have never had any problem with PPG not matching afterwords. I had that happen on the last car that I did with Du Pont. (It wasnt the first time though.) It was a Shelby 69 Mustang GT 500. I had to repaint the entire car all over at my expence. It didn't set well with me. I had to eat over $600 in materials. I still use Du Pont once in a wile when I do a patch job on someones car that I have known a long time. But I use it out of convenance. Because I can get it cheaper and it will match better then Valspar when I blend it in. All in all, in my opnion, for me and for most of the people that are doing there own car. Will have less of a problem if they use PPG for there products. It may be a bit more expensive. But their products work and are very easy to use. Much easier then Du Pont in my opnion. If I was running a shop such as yours I would proably consisder useing Du Pont. But for now I will stick with the system I have now. I have enough problems with other facits of my little bussness that I don't need to worry about the products that I use not doing what there suposed to do. My cars keep winning all the shows they go to. Thats the bottom line for me. So if it works don't fix it. If you ever get the chance to use PPG's B/C system for yourself. You will see that it covers much better and gives a much deeper shine before cuttung and buffing. But on the other hand your bussness looks to a compleatlly differant set of people then my bussness dose. So for you I'm sure Du Pont is the better choice. As you notice I don't use PPG for clear. I use HOK UC-35. I don't like it as well as the old PPG 2020 but its not available anymore. So I have found that HOK works best in my aplication.

[MichaelRW]

Drop Top,

Thanks for the good information about DuPont & PPG. I'm going to check with the home office to see if there may be the potential to obtain PPG at a  discounted price. You have gotten me interested in trying PPG. With the Chromabase, you have to use a 1 to 7 valueshade, it would be nice to not have to do that.

Mike

[jaak]

Are there any websites with pricing and ordering info for Valspar and PPG products???  Thank all you guys for your replies, I know it will be a while before I'm ready for paint, I just like to plan ahead.  I haven't got to work on the car last 2-3 days my Mom had surgery and is in a hospital that is a 2 1/2 hour drive back and forth.  But like I said I like to plan ahead and work what evers "coming up" ie, materials, parts, paints, etc. in my budget so I won't end up having to wait to save for this or save for that.
Thanks again everyone,
Jason

[Drop Top]

We have 3 Maaco's here where I live. 2 of witch I am familiar with the owners. One is a much better place for this kind of work. I have met and talked to the owner of the third Maaco. All three have stated that they must use Du Pont products in this area as per Maaco's guide lines.

As far as websights for Valspar or PPG. Sorry I can't help you there. I buy my products locally. But I'm sure that someone with a bit more computer knowledge can help you find it. You might look it up on Google. We have three paint supply shops here and I buy from the one that gives me the best service and pricing. When one place doesn't have what I need and if I need it right away. Then I go to another store. I have found that by being loyal to one company has its little perks. Like free t-shirts, jackets and other give aways at the end of the year. Plus, when it comes time to paint my own car I can usually get my supplies at demo prices (free).

[Silver R/T]

its nice that Ive got most of the paint manufacturers available in my city, ValSpar, DuPont, Sher wont stick, PPG