Basic VW Buggy Paint Tips by Bruce

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Basic VW Buggy Paint Tips by Bruce

Postby Das Li'l Beast » 21 Thu Jan, 2021 7:07 pm

I've learned a lot, the first time I painted my buggy at the local Junior College & even more re-painting this past May 2021 at home, in San Leon.

Take your time & strip down as much as possible for minimum tape work (those areas can peal later). Sand & prep to perfection. If you can feel it or see it, it will show. Applying two coats of base coat is fairly easy using a good paint gun & correct tip size. Make sure you tack with solvent and tack again (use your air-nozzle first to nock off most dust/loose material) , after each prep or sanding. Once the initial clear coat is applied don't worry too much about "orange peal" or other issues that might occur. Sand it again, & again, if you screw it up & most of us will.

Take your time & know the "pot life" of the clear & flash time, cure time also. Best to shoot 3 minimum or 5 coats of clear. Don't forget you will most likely be sanding and eventually buffing a two-stage or three-stage system. You will lose some of the mils or thickness in this process. "U TUBE" or stopping to chat with body shops are your friends. Most good body shops, don't mind sharing tips of their trade. Above all, make sure you are in your "ZONE", when you spray. If you have a bad day or a lot on your mind, just don't paint that day. NOTE: If you elect to use "single stage paint" (base & clear pre-mixed), you can add extra clear for the last coat to make it pop & give a deeper luster.

You can save a lot of money doing it yourself. Given a choice, I'd take a class, with supervision and access to a prime booth & finish paint booth. Good luck, let me know if I can help with info, not more sanding. I'm done for a while. Lastly, powder coating is a great option for metal parts. They will blast, prep, shoot in an oven. Many new colors & finishes are available today.
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Das Li'l Beast
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Re: Basic VW Buggy Paint Tips by Bruce

Postby Ken » 23 Sat Jan, 2021 9:11 am

Wow Bruce... What a great write up. Thank you for taking the time time share.
Ken
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