Paint and primer

[1guydude]

So my truck is a yellow ugly flat primer. Only good time to diy paint around here in wa state is nice spring day or mid summer with no wind. Id like to share my knowledge and what i have as far a compressor and get some feedback.

3/4hp be enough? I was told no cheap guns awhile back when i was probably 16. Also im told all the time i put into prep will pay off. My compressor u have to plug in and out cuz the switch is broke.

Was gonna hand sand or longboard the truck and get a nice thick primer layer. Than pick a color. Lol. Id like to clearcoat as well. Guessing thats standard. This is all after i cut away rust pieces and replace ect. Body work.

Color ideas? I see a lot of these old trucks red, blue, black, or even white and green or diffrent shades of these. Not to many yellows. really like the factory yellow. Its soft and easter looking.
Anyways thanks for reading my rambles.
D

[Jacksdad]

3/4hp is on the small side, but it can be done. Spray guns don't use much pressure but they do need a lot of air, so tank size is important too. If your tank isn't big enough/filling faster enough, you might have to stop every so often and wait for the compressor to catch up. That can cause issues with overspray on adjacent panels that you've already painted, especially with clear coat. What capacity is your compressor?

[1guydude]

I think it maxs out at like 80psi and than the blow.off.kicks in. It needs a rebuild like the truck i think. The switch and regulator. Ill post a pic.
D

[Jacksdad]

What size is the tank?

[Lone Ranger]

When I painted mine I had to stop every so often and let the air tank fill back up. It wasn't so bad though.
I've always liked the light yellow two tone, where the top and bottom are white with yellow in the middle.

[Jacksdad]

I've been watching your build, and the truck came out real nice, Kyle. Good choice on going with the Boxwood Green again - pretty truck

[Lone Ranger]

I've been watching your build, and the truck came out real nice, Kyle. Good choice on going with the Boxwood Green again - pretty truck

Thanks Jacksdad I appreciate it. I've been watching your build and you've done a lot to yours! I would have been nervous to do the things your doing but your making great progress!

[tsherry]

The cheap Harbor Freight paint guns today are easily equal to the Binks gun that I have from the 1970's...and the parts interchange. I shot my '67 with it, and many other vehicles and it performed fine, with either single stage or BC/CC.

My small compressor (2.5HP) was enough for that gun; I have replaced it with a larger compressor with a larger tank--it performs well too. Anything smaller than the CFM that the 2.5 put out(which I can't remember) would be a nightmare for blending panels and especially CC.

[Lone Ranger]

The cheap Harbor Freight paint guns today are easily equal to the Binks gun that I have from the 1970's...and the parts interchange. I shot my '67 with it, and many other vehicles and it performed fine, with either single stage or BC/CC.

The 9 dollar one?!! I've been using an old
DeVillebis sprayer but it needs some new parts. I'll have to pick up one or two of those cheap guns from Harbor Freight.

[tsherry]

I have a couple of them. The 'older' one was about $20; years later I bought a set that included the big gun, two pots and a small touch up gun...for $20. Be sure to get a good regulator and filter/drier. I also bought a large pot and paint hoses so I wasn't carrying a quart at a time over the roof. I could never convince myself to spend the money on a Devilbiss gun (back in the day they were a few hundred dollars), but a friend had one and it was sweet.

[Jacksdad]

Thanks Jacksdad I appreciate it. I've been watching your build and you've done a lot to yours! I would have been nervous to do the things your doing but your making great progress!

Much appreciated. Unfortunately I lost momentum for a while there (too many projects, not enough time), but hopefully I'll be able to get back into it soon. I have a stack of parts building up, so hopefully I'll be able to get the cab finished and the in-cab gas tank, window and bench seat fitted without too much hassle. I'm sure she'll fight me on something though

[1guydude]

Thanks for ur guys responses. Much appreciated. Ill post up pixs of what im working with but sounds like ill have to get a diffrent compressor. Im a cheapo and will probably hit the pawn shop
D

[1guydude]

Idk if anyone can read those numbers on there. Like i said. It builds up to about 80psi and than the blow.off.kicks.in and i loss all of it about unless i run over.
The switch auto off is broken i think as well. It was free.

[Lone Ranger]

It should work. If your painting it'll take a long time to build up to 80 before it blows. You could hook up a spray gun full of water or thinner and see how much you can blow out before the compressor quits. I had to wait for mine to recharge a few times.

[1guydude]

thanks lone ranger. I was hoping u would chime in as ur truck paint turned out real nice I think. or at least from wat I can see in pics. Any reasons I shouldnt attempt to paint it myself? I like the tip of using water. Obviously ill test on some sheet metal or something 1st.
btw this is way down the rd. mechanical function and safety are my main concerns right now. Also my main money pits. Price of a decent DIY paint job? I haven't quoted anything or even looked for an auto paint store yet. I like the idea of the cheap gun and decent fittings.
thxs all
-d