Hard body paint and prep questions.

[xjman]

I'm curious as to what people's process is when it comes to assembling and painting a hard body. Are you guys painting everything separately or assembling it as one unit then sanding, priming then painting. A lot of what i see is for truck cabs or single piece bodies. I know the body should be sanded, some places say wet dry sand paper and 1000+ grit, but is that necessary?


What paint do you guys use? I've got cans of the Tamiya paint ive used on the lexan bodies, will it work or should i go a different route. I've seen various sources say anything from automotive stuff all the way to cheap rattle cans.

 

[xjman]

After some debating this is the process I'm going to follow. I'll try and remember to post results once I'm done. I'm starting with one of the cheapest XJ hard bodies I could find since this is going to be my first legit go at doing it well.

I cleaned all of the mold lines with a hobby knife and some wet dry 1000 grit sand paper. I didn't use the edge, I drug the back of the xacto across the seams so as not to dig in to get the majority, then finished up with the sand paper to make sure it was smooth. I cleaned up any marks left from the runner and following the same process. I cleaned everything with soap and water, then let it dry and assembled it. The body is completely together aside from accessories like mirrors, door handles, bumpers (that may not be used) and grill insert. I'm going to paint all of these separately a different color and attach them later.

This weekend I plan on picking up some primer and paints to start the painting. I'm going to clean everything with alcohol and put on a couple coats of primer. Sanding after the first one, and only sanding after that if I feel it needs it. If it seems cured I'll paint it as well. I plan on using Tamiya TS series paints and Tamiya primer.

 

[struhall]

The way I have done all my hard bodies is the same as any normal car paint job. Sand the body, spray primer and sand to make sure it's nice and smooth, shoot paint and once that's dry I hit it with clear.

Doing something damaged and rusty looking takes A LOT more time and prep work. I'll do all the body damage and dents and rust first. Then I'll paint it with a rusty red primer coat. Once that's dry I sprinkle salt where it needs rust and real heavy in the damaged spots then shoot it with my body color. After that's dry I sand the body using a scotch brite pad to get all the paint and salt off where it needs to be. I'll then shoot it with a flat clear to get the consistent color and finish I need.

Struhall's C2 Hilux

 

[xjman]

I don't think I'm far enough along in this endeavor to try the worn look yet.

 

[Diggin' Dirt]

I've only done two hard bodies so far, but have 3 waiting to be assembled. Krylon fusion is great paint for hard bodies, purposely formulated to bond to plastic

 

[JacktheRipper]

Starting out, multi thin coats, scuff the body, remove the shine, Scotch-Brite (gray NAPA 3744.)

The gray does not scratch the body, Wash the body soap & water, let it dry good.

Water can hang on and hide then prim. Set it aside let it cure, gas out. With your noise about an inch off the surface, you do not want to smell anything.

Just to add paint is repairable, you see it sang / run. Say on the lower quarter, stop painting that side. After fixing the run, and begin painting the side again.

The finish will be constant, and run gone as if it never happened.

Another thing to keep in mind hit the hight spots, corners, edges first, Give them a quick blast.
That will give them some time to set some as you paint the larger flat areas.

Not only that as you paint the larger areas those will get more paint.

Look at the body, notice the areas that will be the hardest to cover and start with them

My personal headache with painting is I make a mess. With me paint / oil somehow, figures out a way to get dripped or spilled, it's in my DNA.

pep

 

[mewalsh100]

The key to a good hard body paint job, or any body for that matter, is prep. It sounds like you've covered that fairly well. I would mention that once you've completely washed the rig and cleansed it of any residual oils, mold release, handle it with latex gloves only (availabe at CVS, Walgreens, etc) to avoid transferring the natural oils from your skin. When in doubt, I'll wipe mine down once more with isopropyl alcohol just prior to painting. It will remove any of the rest of the stray oils and contaminants, and it evaporates quickly. In terms of priming and finish coat, the key here is to be patient. Many light coats is way better than 2 heavy coats. It will be more durable, help retain body details, and also help you avoid sags and runs. Be sure to give each coat plenty of time to flash off between the next coat. I think on my last hard body I did something like 6 light coats for the finish. Good luck and post up some pics when you're done!"thumbsup"

 

[xjman]

The key to a good hard body paint job, or any body for that matter, is prep. It sounds like you've covered that fairly well. I would mention that once you've completely washed the rig and cleansed it of any residual oils, mold release, handle it with latex gloves only (availabe at CVS, Walgreens, etc) to avoid transferring the natural oils from your skin. When in doubt, I'll wipe mine down once more with isopropyl alcohol just prior to painting. It will remove any of the rest of the stray oils and contaminants, and it evaporates quickly. In terms of priming and finish coat, the key here is to be patient. Many light coats is way better than 2 heavy coats. It will be more durable, help retain body details, and also help you avoid sags and runs. Be sure to give each coat plenty of time to flash off between the next coat. I think on my last hard body I did something like 6 light coats for the finish. Good luck and post up some pics when you're done!"thumbsup"

Thanks, during prepping of the body before priming I found a flaw in the molding process that's causing a thin film to peel in a spot. Looks like the mold was too cool and the plastic that hit the mold there cooled before the rest of the molten plastic could be packed. I have sanded it back to the point it's just a small line and now just need to grab some bondo to make it flush and clean.