Paint Job Ponderings

Five years ago, almost to the day, Brianna and I sprayed three coats of Glacier Gray PPG Delstar paint onto Heidi’s exterior. It looked good for a couple years, but without a clearcoat, constant exposure to the elements has really taken its toll, so it's time for a re-paint. I want this one to last longer than the current one, so I’ll be using better materials and including three layers of clearcoat. I’ll not whine about fleet management on a budget, but I am trying to find a good balance between quality and affordability. I believe I’ve found that at Summit Racing.

The other day I visited their site to buy some K&N filter cleaner and oiler for Loriann’s car. While there, I remembered that they now sell paint, so I did some searching and turned up some nice deals on some nice paint. I bought their paint chip board and had it sent to Brianna. She needs to approve the silver before I buy it.

Additionally, I did some research to see if anyone’s had a problem with Summit’s paint. All I found were glowing recommendations, so I’m sold.

I've also been researching the best process for this repaint and have come up with the following. First, I’ll fix the front valance, welding in patches from the front piece I recently bought. After putting Glinda out in the driveway, I’ll maneuver Heidi into the garage for maximum access and pull off all the exterior bits like bumpers, doorhandles, and trim. Then I’ll roll her into the driveway, weather permitting, and sand the old paint also removing the clearcoat from the right side door and quarterpanel. Back into the garage and epoxy primer will be sprayed onto any exposed metal surfaces. Bondo work is next followed by a coat of sealer/primer. Wet sanding the primer will be the final step before laying down three coats of color followed by three coats of clear. Here’s my shopping list:

• Epoxy Primer, 1 quart, $20 (UP232)
• Epoxy Primer Catalyst, 1 quart, $17 (UP233)
• 2K Primer/Surfacer, 1 gallon, $48 (UP220)
• Activator, 3 quarts, $64 (UP101)
• Basecoat, 1 gallon, $82 (UP300)
• Clearcoat, 1 gallon, $52 (UP201)

Total is $283 before shipping. Let the games begin.