DIY Network

Eclipse Slick-Finish: Prime and Paint Panels From "Tricked Out" episode DTRK-302

In this project Andrew Totolos, host of DIY's Tricked Out, modifies the interior on a 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS. Now that the panels have been prepped and sanded, it's time to apply a glossy silver paint.

Materials/Tools:

painting supplies
respirator
gloves
air sprayer
air compressor

The finished panels

advertisement

Steps:

• There are many elements that go into painting the panels. There are materials for priming, painting and finishing the job (figure A). Visit a paint store to find out more about what you'll need to complete your specific job.

• For each step – priming, painting, and clear coat – you'll have to mix ingredients and use an air sprayer (figure B) for application.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

  
  

• For the primer, you'll need a 4:1:1 ratio. Mix the primer, hardener and flex agent. A kitchen syringe can help you make even measurements (figure C).

  Safety Alert: Be sure to wear a respirator when working with these products.

• Mix the ingredients together thoroughly, and then pour them into the sprayer through a paper strainer to filter out any contaminants (figure D).

• Close the sprayer tightly and take it to the paint booth.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

  Figure E

  
  

• Spray the piece in long strokes always starting and stopping your spray just off the part (figure E).

• After the first coat is complete, wait five minutes to apply the second. Repeat the technique on all the pieces. Let them dry for about two hours.

• The same sprayer gets used for the primer, paint, and clear coat so make sure to clean it with paint thinner between steps.

• After the primed pieces are dry they need to be lightly sanded with 400-grit paper. Do it outside the painting booth to keep sanding dust from contaminating the other pieces. Wipe off the dust when you are finished.

• Mix the paint in a 2:1 ratio of paint and a reducer that thins it enough so it can spray easily.

• Make sure that the base coat is mixed well so that there are no color variations in the paint.
  

  Figure F

  
  

• At the booth, apply the paint to the primed panel in even coats (figure F). The base color should have a minimum of three coats with a five to ten minute wait in between them.
  When all of the pieces are complete, give the panels about 15 minutes to dry before the next step.

• The clear coat adds the shine and protects the paint against chipping and cracks. It's a little trickier to mix because it's a five-to-one-to-three-to-one solution. To keep things simple, use ten ounces in the final mix. That's five parts of clear coat, which is five ounces, then one part of the flex agent, followed by three ounces of hardener, and one ounce of reducer.

• Mix all of these together and spray to coats onto the panels about ten minutes apart.

• Allow panels to dry for approximately two hours before reinstalling them in the car.

• Once the panels are no longer soaking wet, they can be removed from the painting booth, and the booth can be disassembled.

RESOURCES :

Malibu Customs
Knoxville, TN
www.malibucollision.com