Before you start, I would suggest learning some things first or even better, test it out on some spare part till you’re familiar with how to do it right before you hurt your car. And also, some of the stuff on this post isn’t directly from me but from the original guy who came up with the idea. You should read through
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1 before you even start on this post as your question might have been answered already. But if you’re too lazy, I guess you can continue on. First off, I’ll start with the supplies you’ll need. (And by the way, all.. and I mean ALL.. the supplies can be purchased at your local HomeDepot warehouse)
The Supplies
A) Package of high density foam rollers (usually comes in packs of 4-6 about 4in. long). You’ll need this much because you don’t want to use the same roller with dried paint on it.
B) Paint roller stick (I shouldn’t need to say this, but yea.. some of you know why)
C) Mineral Spirits (1gal.)
D) Disposable paint trays (0.50 cents – CHEAP!)
E) 5-6 sheets of 400 grit wet sand paper / 5-6 sheets of 600 grit wet sand paper / 5-6 sheets of
800 grit wet sand paper / 5-6 sheets of 1000 grit wet sand paper.
F) Wooden paint mixer sticks (they are free @ HomeDepot! OMG!)
G) Plastic bucket or container. (be imaginative.. whoever asked “what do I use to mix the paint and thinner?”.. you need to wake up buddy. If you’ve ever eaten out and ordered Wonton Noodle Soup to go, they would give you a plastic container.. and that would solve your “end of the world” problem.)
H) Polishing compound. I use Turtle Wax since I’m a Turtle Wax guy.. but you can basically use any polishing compound. Just make sure it’s a paste compound and not the liquid form.
I) Foam brush (Used for hard to reach places that the rollers can’t paint)
J) Masking tape (to cover up any areas you don’t want to paint over)
K) And finally – the paint. (More explained on this one below incl. misc. information)
The below
First off.. to clear up the confusion everyone seems to be having. Tremclad is only available in Canada. The equivalent of Tremclad in the United States is called Rust-Oleum. You won’t be able to find “Tremclad” anywhere in the US (or maybe you can, I dunno’.) The type of Rust-Oleum paint you should use is Rust-Oleum oil-based enamel paint. (
http://rustoleum.com/Product.asp?frm_product_id=18&SBL=1&dds=16) The HomeDepot in my area only stocks the quart size cans. I would say you’ll need about 2 quarts to cover the entire car, underside of the hood and trunk, door jabs, etc.
As for the amount of thinner you should mix in with the paint, I really can’t figure a way to explain that. Generally speaking, depending on the amount of paint you’re mixing… you’re suppose to mix it together until the viscosity of the paint is like that of water but just a tad bit thicker. What I strongly suggest people who aren’t sure how to do this is to test it out on something else first until you get the right setting. I would rather waste money on the paint and thinner than to mess it up on my car.
The most important thing for this project is prep work. I cannot stress this enough. Please please please, clean your car first before you do anything. Then wet sand the paint that’s already on your car with 400 grit sand paper. You can use a more coarse paper if you have no patience but I prefer 400 grit because theres less of a chance for mistakes. When you’re done sanding with 400grit, clean up your car again to get rid off all that paint dust and whatnot with a wet rag. Once it’s clean, apply 2 layers of paint with a roller.. do not apply massive pressure on it, just enough so that the roller is rolling and the paint is going on smooth and evenly. Once the paint dries (about 6hrs later.. but can take longer or shorter depending on the temperature) wet sand it with 600 grit sand paper then clean your car again.. you don’t need to flood it with a hose or anything. Just get a damp cloth and wipe your car off. Repeat this process again and again until you have 6 layers while using finer and finer grit between coats for wet sanding. As for me, when I have time, I’m going to do 8-10 layers because im retarded like that.
