Painting engine bay?

13092 Views 18 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Luiz, May 20, 2013

Nutjob

Discussion Starter · Sep 11, 2010

Hi! I'd like to go with base/clear on the body but doing that in tight or heavily contoured areas like the engine bay or even the dash seems difficult.

How do you block those areas to get a shiny end result? Should I just use enamel? I know I'd still have to sand that but is it more likely to give me that super glossy finish? Can I single-stage the engine bay and base/clear the exterior?

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

pistoncan

· #2 · Sep 11, 2010

Nutjob said:
Hi! I'd like to go with base/clear on the body but doing that in tight or heavily contoured areas like the engine bay or even the dash seems difficult.

How do you block those areas to get a shiny end result? Should I just use enamel? I know I'd still have to sand that but is it more likely to give me that super glossy finish? Can I single-stage the engine bay and base/clear the exterior?

Not that it matters to most people, but originally the engine bay was painted semigloss black, except the firewall which was body color. So yes you can
Gary

555657jim

· #3 · Sep 11, 2010

base/clear

Nutjob, I asked that same question when I first started painting my car base/clear. Several guys I know painted the firewall, door jambs, trunk and other contoured areas with single stage to match the base/clear color. I elected to go base/clear everywhere. The key was getting a nice finish with the clear and not having to do much sanding after I sprayed it. If you're careful, and use a good touch-up gun you can get the clear to lay down with very little sanding needed. The little sanding I had to do in those areas was done without any blocking--hand only. I used a Devilbis touch-up gun with a 1.0 tip and turned my air up a little higher than they suggested. I'm not a painter but it came out really nice. :anim_25: JIM.

Nutjob

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 12, 2010

Cool, thanks for the replies. One less worry :happy0030:

Jon

mickeywestsr

· #5 · Sep 12, 2010

We went base clear, should have used single on fenders. OMO

roger1

· #6 · Sep 12, 2010 (Edited)

6

BC/CC here. No sanding. Pro-Spray base (in '55 Regal Turquoise), SPI Universal Clear.

I just recently bought an Iwata Lph-400. What a difference!

See less See more

tjsdelivery

· #7 · Sep 13, 2010

That looks real smooth and clear Roger. Nice job.

r66ss

· #8 · Sep 13, 2010

roger

looks good, nice job

roger1

· #9 · Sep 13, 2010

Thanks guys.

Like Jim, I'm no painter either. Strictly a hobby for me. I've painted maybe 10 cars over my lifetime. In the past, I always felt like what I did best was block, sand and buff but never felt good with a paint gun in my hand. This Iwata is making me feel much better about it. I can thank Porchdog for that. He talked me into getting it. Also, I cheated and use the spray settings that he uses. I've never been that good at setting up a gun either.

555657jim

· #10 · Sep 13, 2010

Beautiful finish!

roger1 said:
Thanks guys.

Like Jim, I'm no painter either. Strictly a hobby for me. I've painted maybe 10 cars over my lifetime. In the past, I always felt like what I did best was block, sand and buff but never felt good with a paint gun in my hand. This Iwata is making me feel much better about it. I can thank Porchdog for that. He talked me into getting it. Also, I cheated and use the spray settings that he uses. I've never been that good at setting up a gun either.

Really pretty finish Roger. I bought a used Iwata 400LPH also and love it. For some reason (probably me) I get a better finish with my air cranked up to 20-24 lbs at the gun. They recommend around 16 I think. What settings are you using on yours? I bought a little Devilbiss touch-up gun and do small areas with it ($60). It really lays it on nice but is a slower process with the small cup. Your dash looks fantastic! :tu JIM.

roger1

· #11 · Sep 13, 2010

555657jim said:
Really pretty finish Roger. I bought a used Iwata 400LPH also and love it. For some reason (probably me) I get a better finish with my air cranked up to 20-24 lbs at the gun. They recommend around 16 I think. What settings are you using on yours? I bought a little Devilbiss touch-up gun and do small areas with it ($60). It really lays it on nice but is a slower process with the small cup. Your dash looks fantastic! :tu JIM.

Thanks Jim. It's not you. Everything I've read says to use a higher pressure than what the instructions say.

Here's what Porchdog suggested to me for the Universal Clear:
"fan wide open - turn in 1/2 turn
fluid 3 -3 1/2 turns out
pressure 20 -24 lbs
this is a starting point , from there you adjust to your speed and distance from panel."

I split the difference on the pressure. I used the same settings for the base also.

And, btw, My gun has the silver cap (1.4). I understand that the purple cap is better for base that has metallic. However, the base for my '55 only has a hint of fine metallic in it and the silver cap seemed to work great for it.

I also like the fact that you spray close to your work with this gun (about 6") and that you shoot slow with it.

With this gun, I didn't feel the need to go to a touch-up gun for the dash. However, I've got some small parts to do now and I should really get something better than the HF one I've been using. Iwata makes a nice one but I don't know if I can justify the price. I might have to consider that one you have.

See less See more

Nutjob

Discussion Starter · #12 · Sep 13, 2010 (Edited)

That's absolutely gorgeous, Roger! Thanks for the advice and inspiration

edit: Kind of a follow-up question... With the angle those gravity feed cups sit at, how do you manage to spray the underside of things without the spray running dry? I know this is a newbie question but... well, I'm a newbie

555657jim

· #13 · Sep 13, 2010

With this gun, I didn't feel the need to go to a touch-up gun for the dash. However, I've got some small parts to do now and I should really get something better than the HF one I've been using. Iwata makes a nice one but I don't know if I can justify the price. I might have to consider that one you have.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the setting info Roger. That's about what I had figured out--(after about a gallon of paint! :banghead

If you decide to buy a touch-up gun, this is one that I'm really happy with. Good luck on your assembly---gonna be a beauty! JIM.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DeVi...t=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item53e3018b89

roger1

· #14 · Sep 13, 2010

Nutjob said:
That's absolutely gorgeous, Roger! Thanks for the advice and inspiration edit: Kind of a follow-up question... With the angle those gravity feed cups sit at, how do you manage to spray the underside of things without the spray running dry? I know this is a newbie question but... well, I'm a newbie

Thanks Nutjob and glad I could be of help.

That's a good question. I would have had a problem using my Lph400 on the lower edge of the dash had I used the metal 700ml cup that it came with.
I put this type of cup on it:

This smaller cup allowed me to just the little extra room I needed to get that lower edge. Also, the air vent with that tube allows a little more angle pointing the gun without paint dripping out the top. When the cup is fairly full, it won't run dry on you.

Btw, if I could justify the cost, this would be a gun I'd like to have:
Iwata LPH100-LVG That side cup will rotate allowing shooting at extreme angles.

See less See more

Luiz

· #15 · May 19, 2013

Real nice paint job. Just one thing puzzles me. No steering column hole? :confused0006: bowtie-trifive

angs1957

· #16 · May 19, 2013

tjsdelivery said:
That looks real smooth and clear Roger. Nice job.

Great job :tu

roger1

· #17 · May 19, 2013

Luiz said:
Real nice paint job. Just one thing puzzles me. No steering column hole? :confused0006: bowtie-trifive

Thank you.

Yes, I welded up the tear drop hole and re-drilled the hole size I needed later when I installed my Ididit column.

See less See more

Luiz

· #18 · May 19, 2013

roger1 said:
Thank you.

Yes, I welded up the tear drop hole and re-drilled the hole size I needed later when I installed my Ididit column.

Oh! I see. Turned out just fine! :congrats:

Luiz

· #19 · May 20, 2013

roger1 said:
Thanks guys.

Like Jim, I'm no painter either. Strictly a hobby for me. I've painted maybe 10 cars over my lifetime. In the past, I always felt like what I did best was block, sand and buff but never felt good with a paint gun in my hand. This Iwata is making me feel much better about it. I can thank Porchdog for that. He talked me into getting it. Also, I cheated and use the spray settings that he uses. I've never been that good at setting up a gun either.

Well, If you can paint like that even not feeling good with a paint gun in your hand, I wonder what you'll do when you feel good. :congrats:

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Chevy Tri Five Forum

A forum community dedicated to 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevy owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about restoration, engine swaps, reviews, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Open to all models including Belair, 210, 150, Sedans, and Nomads.

Full Forum Listing

Explore Our Forums

Chit Chat Area, Anything on your mind goes here. New Member Introductions Stock Chevy Discussion 55-56-57 Project Update Section, Post Project Updates Here Suspension Questions Chassis, Brakes, Shocks, Etc