stan

iTrader: (2)

i have some experience spraying boats, but i'm wondering, how much am i getting myself into if i were to pick up a nice spray gun (hvlp?) and ppg paint to do a front bumper, and possibly future parts? i'm completely familiar with the process, i just have never done something as critical as car parts. any advice you guys could offer?


i'm mostly asking because for something like a new bumper on my 2 week old car, i cant imagine that the right code of magnetic black would be different enough to need blending into the body, which means i could just spray the bumper on its own...right? am i completely wrong?

ROGUELITE

iTrader: (1)

i'm not a paint expert but i would say it really depends. even though the car is new you don't know the condition of the paint. for example if the car has been sitting outside on the lot in the sun for months before you got it the paint code matched color may be slightly off. i think you would have a lot more wiggle room with a color like black... but sitting in the sun in the elements is one of the worst things for your paint. do you keep your car garaged?

keep in mind the paint code match is from the factory. you don't really know what the car has been exposed to between leaving the factory and ending up in your driveway... i.e. sitting on that dealer lot outside through all sorts of weather conditions. and dealers aren't regularly washing and waxing cars on the lot to keep the paint in good condition.

03Zilverstone

iTrader: (4)

You should be fine. Typically only experienced bodymen will notice if the paint is off, and even then it's slim to none on a bumper. I know my mom wrecked her car about six years ago and had it "fixxed" by a shop. They had to blend on one of the doors. Noone has ever noticed it except for me and one other bodymen (the best one in my area). As for a gun I highly reccomend a 1.4mm Finex FX300 HVLP (made by Sharpe). IMO it's the best gun for the price. You can pick up one for under $100. I spray one and plan on buying one with a 1.3mm tip for a clear gun and switching over to a 1.8 one for primer.