1980 B1 Passat Project

[Preen59]

Really looks good Pete.. Ignorance is bliss right? hahahaha.

Nice looking colour. Those panels you put in look good from the pics. You've done a noice job on that.

[Jarred]

well done pete. I figured you'd be painting today, turned out to be pretty nice weather.

how come you are doing a clear coat?? with a good buff i don't think you'll need it for extra shine, unless it's meant to be a two part system? (base + clear)

[Peter Jones]

well done pete. I figured you'd be painting today, turned out to be pretty nice weather.

how come you are doing a clear coat?? with a good buff i don't think you'll need it for extra shine, unless it's meant to be a two part system? (base + clear)

'cos it's red! (UV protection)

Pete

[ajbull88]

Good job

Hi, I have been watching the progress, you have done an awesome job of the 1/4 panel and the paint, all in your carport. It just goes to show what can be done at home if your willing to give it a go. Your sure to be an inspiration to a lot of others who want to restore or even repaint there cars on a budget.

[greasykitchen]

I'm gonna echo other comments and add that it's a very impressive effort and transformation. How are the mechanicals? Anything needing attention?

[ajbull88]

Good job

Hi,
Not telling you how to paint.........But I'd recommend not to buff before clear coat. I'd ultra fine (wet) the red with 1000 wet & dry and then clear it.
If you wet sand and then buff it, it will be too smooth for the clear to bind too. The clear coat will bring a fantastic shine over the 1000 wet & dry and once the clear is hard you can ultra fine the clear with 1500 or 2000 wet & dry and then buff it to glass.
I paint cars at my work, and I think your done a fantastic job, just a suggestion.

[Peter Jones]

How are the mechanicals? Anything needing attention?

Motor's great, brakes suck - will probably replace the lot. Has Nissan rear brakes and Cortina front brakes.

Pete

[Peter Jones]

Hi,
Not telling you how to paint.........But I'd recommend not to buff before clear coat. I'd ultra fine (wet) the red with 1000 wet & dry and then clear it.
If you wet sand and then buff it, it will be too smooth for the clear to bind too. The clear coat will bring a fantastic shine over the 1000 wet & dry and once the clear is hard you can ultra fine the clear with 1500 or 2000 wet & dry and then buff it to glass.
I paint cars at my work, and I think your done a fantastic job, just a suggestion.

Interesting comment. I'm open to any suggestions. So far I'm just taking the advice of the paint shop. Their recommendation was to colour sand with 1500, buff then clear coat. Once the clear is dry I was to do as you suggested, 1500, then buff.

I need to go and buy more thinners and the buffing compund etc in any case. I'll challenge their advice and see what they say.

One thing I'm unsure of is how to clean the buffing compound off before I clear coat (if I head down that path).

Pete

[Jarred]

prep wash like you'd normally Do I guess? after removing bulk excess with a clean rag.

[Preen59]

prep wash like you'd normally Do I guess? after removing bulk excess with a clean rag.

That would have been my suggestion.


You know.. Considering i know so much about painting..

[gldgti]

my pa and i have used turps....

i know heaps about painting too

[Geoffrey Hale]

Great work Pete.......Geoff

[Peter Jones]

Ok I went and picked up some supplies and had a good long chat with someone a little more familiar with acrylic.

He suggests that what I was told is more applicable to sprayng with 2pac which is what my local shop always paint with themselves.

Barry "has been spraying acryilc for 20+ years " and seemed a very sensible fellow.

So, while I still remember this, I'll try and write it all down verbatim.

• Rub back red with 1000
• wash car off properly with lots of clean water.
• respray with 1 more coat of red
• mix remainder of red paint in with the clear
• spray all 4 litres of clear.
• wait a month before sanding and buffing the clear.

The additional coat of red is to fill in any minor scratches and any rub throughs.


Red paint tends to clog the paper so you can end up scratching the surface which is why you need the additional coat after wet sanding.

You don't buff between the red and the clear as there's too much risk of not being able to clean it all off properly.

"Green" or uncured clear is hard to sand and polish well, the longer you leave it before sanding and buffing the better it will look long term.

If you sand/buff it within a couple of days of spraying it will go dull within 6 months.

You need a heap of clear on the car (4L) as you'll and up sanding about 2.5 litres back off the car to get it shiny.


All of this actually means less work for us to get done before DOVW as we won't be buffing at all for some time.


With regard to the plastic bumpers, I got all the stuff to do it. Black stuff which goes on with the spray gun and and aerosol pack of primer.

• The less paint the better
• The primer is very thin and only one coat should be used.
• The top coat should be applied as thin as possible

Lambswool pad on the polisher is fine when the time comes to polish the clear coat, you clean it by running a screwdriver or similar against it while it's spinning. (Away from the car obviously)

I'll add more to this if I remember any more.

Pete

[Jarred]

Sounds good to me Pete. I'll try pop round sat arvo, have a gander at the progress!

[Golf Houso]

Ok I went and picked up some supplies and had a good long chat with someone a little more familiar with acrylic.

He suggests that what I was told is more applicable to sprayng with 2pac which is what my local shop always paint with themselves.

Barry "has been spraying acryilc for 20+ years " and seemed a very sensible fellow.

So, while I still remember this, I'll try and write it all down verbatim.

• Rub back red with 1000
• wash car off properly with lots of clean water.
• respray with 1 more coat of red
• mix remainder of red paint in with the clear
• spray all 4 litres of clear.
• wait a month before sanding and buffing the clear.

The additional coat of red is to fill in any minor scratches and any rub throughs.


Red paint tends to clog the paper so you can end up scratching the surface which is why you need the additional coat after wet sanding.

You don't buff between the red and the clear as there's too much risk of not being able to clean it all off properly.

"Green" or uncured clear is hard to sand and polish well, the longer you leave it before sanding and buffing the better it will look long term.

If you sand/buff it within a couple of days of spraying it will go dull within 6 months.

You need a heap of clear on the car (4L) as you'll and up sanding about 2.5 litres back off the car to get it shiny.


All of this actually means less work for us to get done before DOVW as we won't be buffing at all for some time.


With regard to the plastic bumpers, I got all the stuff to do it. Black stuff which goes on with the spray gun and and aerosol pack of primer.

• The less paint the better
• The primer is very thin and only one coat should be used.
• The top coat should be applied as thin as possible

Lambswool pad on the polisher is fine when the time comes to polish the clear coat, you clean it by running a screwdriver or similar against it while it's spinning. (Away from the car obviously)

I'll add more to this if I remember any more.

Pete

Can we get this post stickied? Its pure gold!