I am a amateur on these issues, so bare with me if I ask too many questions.

Should I use paint stripper to strip all old paint to bare metal or should I just key the old paint?

I have all the necessary equipment ie. proper compressor etc.

Have not done this before, but not in a hurry and willing to slowly do one small panel at a time.

Keying and repaint is fine - as long as the old paint has good adhesion to the shell, otherwise your wasting time as its going to fall off anyway.

Doing one panel at a time is fraught with risks unless each panel is thoroughly prepared. Just getting the paint off is only half the job, it will rust in hours. Each stripped panel needs to be etch primed and sealed with undercoat and even then the undercoat will absorb moisture.

Obviously a bare metal paint job is the best way to go but done in the shortest time slice possible. But .... there are some very good reprays done to a high quality with just good preparation of the existing coats of paint.

How do you intend to get the old paint off ???

Mike

If it was a strip back to bare metal, I was thinking along the lines of using paint stripper.
My garage tend to get rather damp (but not in summer).Stripping back to metal will be a problem with rust then. Also can be a problem with the undercoat.
But after reading your advice, think it is better to just key the old paint, respray with undercoat and respray in the new colour.

if you do one panel at a time, be aware that when you paint, on different days under different conditions the paint will dry a slightly different shade of the same color, so you may get some panels that dont look exactly the same as others.

Seeing as you have the equipment, prep everything and spray the lot in one day.

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Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

That will work fine - since you are rubbing back rust areas to bare metal it may need a thin wipe of body filler over those bare areas to bring those bare areas back up to original height.

Its very hard to see inperfection under a coat of undercoat and they are crystal clear and apparent once a colour coat and finishing coat is applied.

There are a number of DVDs available on doing exactly what you are doing. One or two of those would be a very good investment before you go past the point of no return.

Mike

Marc

Another thought is that fairly recently I saw a TV show that featured a panel beating shop in Penrith that runs weekend DIY sessions that also provide help and tuition along with supplying the equipment needed to do all the jobs.

From memory full days were in the order of $200.

Maybe someone else knows more of this place

Mike

The panel place sounds like your old mate Vince Gatt. VG auto supplies in Girraween.
They have been doing panelbeating/spray painting classes for a while, unless someone in Penrith is copying them.

I'm pretty sure a few people off here have done the day.
KB

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Anyone know of a panelbeater which does this in Melbourne? I'd be interested in a welding workshop too...

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

just in case you do go down the road of paint stripper and bare metal check out this thread - http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13620

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Sure does sound like Vince. (an old mate from the HQ racing days)

Maybe the place that you are thinking of is:
Automotive Training Centre
6 Lee Holm Rd. St. Marys 2760
PH: 9833 4401
www.automotivetrainingcentre.com.au

They do all your painting from acrylic to 2 pak to custom stuff.
They also do fibreglassing, welding, detailing, etc, etc.

Been thinking strongly about doin some courses myself!!

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Chuck Norris is the only person alive who can kick you in the back of the face!!
mooo, I'm a pig!