So I painted my car...kinda...

**UnDeR_FLiP** · 10-14-07, 22:57

So tonight I finished spraying/shooting paint on to my car for a few touch up areas from fading and rusting (entire roof panel/sections of rear quater panels) and a few new panels including a new sunroof and trunk lid. I can honestly say it looks alright...a lot better than it looked before and for my first time attempting this it looks like I didn't screw anything up. hahaha. However, after shooting the clear coat on, I have some moderate orange peel...but from what I've been reading this is cured by some wet sanding/rubbing compound/buffing. I'm just wondering if anyone knows what grit sandpaper I should use for the wet sanding and if anyone knows of some good rubbing compound? Also, how long should I let it cure before hitting it with the wet sanding?

Overall I'm pretty happy with the job...I saved myself about $800 rather than taking it to a shop to get it done and I wasn't looking for a "show finish" in the first place. I just wanted something that looked better than the [shizzle]ty faded panels.

I'll post pictures up some time later after the wet sanding and such is finished.

**ozmojo1** · 10-15-07, 9:33

read the label of the clear coat and it should tell you how long it takes to cure. its usually 24-48hrs. how much clear coat you put on tells you how much sanding you should do. i would start with 1000 and work your way up to 2000. rubbing compound...there are so many out there I couldnt tell ya. zaino with a fine cut sounds good.

**Blake** · 10-15-07, 9:38

If its just small spots you can run a razor blade over it sideways and just scratch the orange peel off and buff over it.
Keeps from hitting spots that dont need hitting.

**UnDeR_FLiP** · 10-15-07, 9:50

awesome, thanks for the info so far guys. I've heard somewhere that you should let it cure for at least a couple weeks before you try and do anything to it at all. Is this valid? Or would one week be sufficient?

**ozmojo1** · 10-15-07, 12:21

what kind of clear coat did you use?

**UnDeR_FLiP** · 10-15-07, 12:26

DuPont mid-temp clear coat + 4to1 mixing/hardening agent. I don't have the product numbers on me at the moment...I'm at work.

**Car-InsanE** · 10-15-07, 12:58

i wanna see this

**I4MX6** · 10-15-07, 15:38

I would let it harden up first. It can be done when still soft, but if you've never done it before, wait for it to harden. There will be less chance of damage to it when its good and hard.

Oh, and 1000 grit should be good, but if your worried again, start with 1500. To polish you should be able to rub it out by hand with compound and a soft cloth. Polisher will be faster, but again, only if you have one and know how to use it.

**ragincanadian4** · 10-15-07, 21:24

Pictures please...!

**UnDeR_FLiP** · 10-16-07, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by I4MX6

I would let it harden up first. It can be done when still soft, but if you've never done it before, wait for it to harden. There will be less chance of damage to it when its good and hard.

Oh, and 1000 grit should be good, but if your worried again, start with 1500. To polish you should be able to rub it out by hand with compound and a soft cloth. Polisher will be faster, but again, only if you have one and know how to use it.

So would a week be sufficient do you think? I can't imagine it needing any more than a week to fully cure and harden. Thanks for the tips!

Pictures will come soon.

**I4MX6** · 10-16-07, 14:45

Actually paint takes forever to cure. A freshly painted car is recommended to sit for at least a month before wax is applied. I wet sanded mine 2 weeks after it was painted initially, so I would say wait at least that amount of time. Again, its harder to do it the second time, trust me.

**BShark** · 10-19-07, 16:38

Any pictures yet?

**lil_mx6er** · 10-22-07, 2:13

i wanna see pics.

**UnDeR_FLiP** · 10-22-07, 10:42

no pics yet, probably not until the weekend. I should have time this up coming weekend to get the wet sanding done. I will post them as soon as they are available!

**Car-InsanE** · 10-22-07, 19:29

Aw man...... so far away

10-14-07, 22:57	#1 (permalink)
UnDeR_FLiP Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Age: 24 iTrader: (0)	So I painted my car...kinda... So tonight I finished spraying/shooting paint on to my car for a few touch up areas from fading and rusting (entire roof panel/sections of rear quater panels) and a few new panels including a new sunroof and trunk lid. I can honestly say it looks alright...a lot better than it looked before and for my first time attempting this it looks like I didn't screw anything up. hahaha. However, after shooting the clear coat on, I have some moderate orange peel...but from what I've been reading this is cured by some wet sanding/rubbing compound/buffing. I'm just wondering if anyone knows what grit sandpaper I should use for the wet sanding and if anyone knows of some good rubbing compound? Also, how long should I let it cure before hitting it with the wet sanding? Overall I'm pretty happy with the job...I saved myself about $800 rather than taking it to a shop to get it done and I wasn't looking for a "show finish" in the first place. I just wanted something that looked better than the [shizzle]ty faded panels. I'll post pictures up some time later after the wet sanding and such is finished.
	-Daryl- 1993 Mazda MX6 LS Glow gauges with red bulbs behind dash, custom painted tail lights, BOMZ Racing CAI, HEI mod, TSX HID ASpec retro w/ hella gen 3 ballasts and philips 4300K D2S bulbs, custom clear turn signals, Cosmo Racing STS, Tokico Blue struts.

10-15-07, 9:33	#2 (permalink)
ozmojo1 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fujisawa, Japan Age: 24 iTrader: (2)	read the label of the clear coat and it should tell you how long it takes to cure. its usually 24-48hrs. how much clear coat you put on tells you how much sanding you should do. i would start with 1000 and work your way up to 2000. rubbing compound...there are so many out there I couldnt tell ya. zaino with a fine cut sounds good.
	My Car <a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/ozmojo1/DSC00039.jpg">My car</a> http://followrory.blogspot.com/

10-15-07, 9:50	#4 (permalink)
UnDeR_FLiP Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Age: 24 iTrader: (0)	awesome, thanks for the info so far guys. I've heard somewhere that you should let it cure for at least a couple weeks before you try and do anything to it at all. Is this valid? Or would one week be sufficient?
	-Daryl- 1993 Mazda MX6 LS Glow gauges with red bulbs behind dash, custom painted tail lights, BOMZ Racing CAI, HEI mod, TSX HID ASpec retro w/ hella gen 3 ballasts and philips 4300K D2S bulbs, custom clear turn signals, Cosmo Racing STS, Tokico Blue struts.

10-15-07, 12:21	#5 (permalink)
ozmojo1 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fujisawa, Japan Age: 24 iTrader: (2)	what kind of clear coat did you use?
	My Car <a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/ozmojo1/DSC00039.jpg">My car</a> http://followrory.blogspot.com/

10-15-07, 12:26	#6 (permalink)
UnDeR_FLiP Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Age: 24 iTrader: (0)	DuPont mid-temp clear coat + 4to1 mixing/hardening agent. I don't have the product numbers on me at the moment...I'm at work.
	-Daryl- 1993 Mazda MX6 LS Glow gauges with red bulbs behind dash, custom painted tail lights, BOMZ Racing CAI, HEI mod, TSX HID ASpec retro w/ hella gen 3 ballasts and philips 4300K D2S bulbs, custom clear turn signals, Cosmo Racing STS, Tokico Blue struts.

10-15-07, 12:58	#7 (permalink)
Car-InsanE KLG4 POWA!! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Edmond, OK, USA iTrader: (2)	i wanna see this
	Custom works under the project M

10-15-07, 15:38	#8 (permalink)
I4MX6 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Barrie, Canada iTrader: (0)	I would let it harden up first. It can be done when still soft, but if you've never done it before, wait for it to harden. There will be less chance of damage to it when its good and hard. Oh, and 1000 grit should be good, but if your worried again, start with 1500. To polish you should be able to rub it out by hand with compound and a soft cloth. Polisher will be faster, but again, only if you have one and know how to use it.
	-Matt- 1994 Mazda MX6 LS, Infiniti G35 HID conversion, 2.5" Magnaflow cat-back, 3" CAI, 16x8" FD RX7 wheels, LEDA Custom True Coilovers, shaved body and full repaint, Genuine Mazdaspeed Kit, '03 Protege rear caliper conversion, and much, much more...

10-16-07, 14:45	#11 (permalink)
I4MX6 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Barrie, Canada iTrader: (0)	Actually paint takes forever to cure. A freshly painted car is recommended to sit for at least a month before wax is applied. I wet sanded mine 2 weeks after it was painted initially, so I would say wait at least that amount of time. Again, its harder to do it the second time, trust me.
	-Matt- 1994 Mazda MX6 LS, Infiniti G35 HID conversion, 2.5" Magnaflow cat-back, 3" CAI, 16x8" FD RX7 wheels, LEDA Custom True Coilovers, shaved body and full repaint, Genuine Mazdaspeed Kit, '03 Protege rear caliper conversion, and much, much more...

10-22-07, 2:13	#13 (permalink)
lil_mx6er Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Augusta, GA Age: 22 iTrader: (0)	i wanna see pics.

10-22-07, 10:42	#14 (permalink)
UnDeR_FLiP Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Age: 24 iTrader: (0)	no pics yet, probably not until the weekend. I should have time this up coming weekend to get the wet sanding done. I will post them as soon as they are available!
	-Daryl- 1993 Mazda MX6 LS Glow gauges with red bulbs behind dash, custom painted tail lights, BOMZ Racing CAI, HEI mod, TSX HID ASpec retro w/ hella gen 3 ballasts and philips 4300K D2S bulbs, custom clear turn signals, Cosmo Racing STS, Tokico Blue struts.

10-22-07, 19:29	#15 (permalink)
Car-InsanE KLG4 POWA!! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Edmond, OK, USA iTrader: (2)	Aw man...... so far away
	Custom works under the project M