Fwd: Re: <VV> a ? for you DIY-ers(or guys with paint shops)

[James Davis]

Let's try this again.
Jim Davis
>Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 10:38:04 -0500
>To: Ryan Verthein <chevyd51 at yahoo.com>
>From: James Davis <jld at wk.net>
>Subject: Re: <VV> a ? for you DIY-ers(or guys with paint shops)
>
>It is all in the preparation and the desired finish.  First assume you are 
>building on the stock lacquer base.  Don't.  The stock paint is 5/7 
>microns thick.   Paint will crack when stressed (temperature changes) if 
>it is more than 10 microns thick.  Second assume you have a bare car.  You 
>need a self etching primer. Three quarts for a coupe two for a 
>convertible.  Then you need a sealer or sealer primer figure two 
>quarts.  Next you need a gallon of a high build primer and lots of sand 
>paper. You need to block sand the car with a final 400 grit for a solid 
>car and 600 grit for a metal flake.  Be sure and use a guide coat for the 
>block sanding.  You need two quarts of a tinted primer sealer.  You need a 
>three quarts of base coat and two quarts of clear.  You are through except 
>for the color sanding and rub out.  If you are going to redo the car in 
>5/8 years, a single stage enamel is ok instead of the base/clear.  The 
>ultimate in durability is a single stage polyurethane (like DuPont's 
>Imrons), but it is hard to spray and tends to give you liver cancer 
>(isocyanides).
>
>A typical paint shop will charge 20% profit, 40% labor and 30% materials, 
>10% overhead, so you can save up to 70% if you use your sweat 
>equity.  Besides you know who to blame if it doesn't come out right. :-)
>Jim Davis