DIY Paintwork YES or NO NO

[Paddcomp]

In one of those "how hard can it be moments" I keep thinking I can repair some small blemishes in the paint myself at home.

I've investigated how to prep and apply paint on YouTube, some good videos IMO.

What's putting me off the idea is that the YouTube advice on repairing a small dent, which is similar in size to the 50p blemish I have, is to repaint the whole panel. I was hoping to only have to paint an area 3-4 time the size of the blemish i.e. palm sized for a 50p blemish.

Anyone have any DIY experience and success in small local repairs? Or is the best advice to visit a local bodyshop?

 

[markjay]

Yes, I have experience, but it was not a success....


It is very difficult to blend it in. You need to rub it and spray it with paint and clear coat etc and it just messes up the good paint outside the designated area.

Unless you use masking tape to protect the 'good area', but then the patch will have a distinct border and won't blend in....

I am not saying it can't be done, just that I failed - and ended up having the entire panel professionally resprayed.

 

[Paddcomp]

Yes, I have experience, but it was not a success....


It is very difficult to blend it in. You need to rub it and spray it with paint and clear coat etc and it just messes up the good paint outside the designated area.

Unless you use masking tape to protect the 'good area', but then the patch will have a distinct border and won't blend in....

I am not saying it can't be done, just that I failed - and ended up having the entire panel professionally resprayed.

Although I hate to admit defeat or that somethings can't be done practically, I know you're right. I can see I'll end up increasing the area and end up with most if not all of the car be painted.

Still think I'll try a non insurance bodyshop for advice / quote.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Depends on what your doing, I did my C43 sideskirts and they looked nearly perfect.

Sanded down, primered, sprayed 3x coats, waited 24 hours and sprayed laquer, then a week later T-Cut the hell out of it to create a hard coat:

Halfords cans.

 

[kam05]

Bodywork damage is best left to a decent bodyshop. Is a SMART repair not possible?

 

[frostbite]

I have a few blemishes, chips and teeny rust spots from chips, on my car, but it is 15 years old. Most of these I'm touching up for now so not perfect but better than blemishes. Once I think there're enough to make it worth the cost, I'll have the whole car done professionally. I'd have a go and see what happens, I guess worst case is you'll have to get it done at the paint shop after all, best case you do a good job and you're happy.

 

[Giantvanman]

Depends on what your doing, I did my C43 sideskirts and they looked nearly perfect.

Sanded down, primered, sprayed 3x coats, waited 24 hours and sprayed laquer, then a week later T-Cut the hell out of it to create a hard coat:
Halfords cans.

I am loving the drying facilities (clothes airer).

 

[automaniaman]

I am loving the drying facilities (clothes airer).

And there's me thinking that's a professional paint shops trestle

 

[brucemillar]

Practise your diy technique on your neighbours car(s) first.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[marty359]

It does look easy I agree. I sprayed my astravan bonnet years ago and even hired a proper compressor and spray gun.

When I'd finished it looked like it had been done with an emulsion roller

 

[Paddcomp]

Depends on what your doing, I did my C43 sideskirts and they looked nearly perfect.

Sanded down, primered, sprayed 3x coats, waited 24 hours and sprayed laquer, then a week later T-Cut the hell out of it to create a hard coat:

Halfords cans.

KH
These look great, but by its nature you're doing the entire panel.

I have some 50p sized blisters on aluminium wings, but wouldn't want to do the whole wing.

 

[Slinkee]

Agree painting a whole panel takes out blending and colour matching, blending seems a lot harder, learnt the hard way.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Small imperfections requiring blending are extremely difficult to get right - leave to experts or just leave. I've just had the bonnet of my Alpina done - it had a whole load of stone chips and muggins had got a bit too enthusiastic with the cutting compound on the hard coat. The paint shop who did a lovely job on my Allard have blended in some new blue paint where it is needed and then clear coated the entire bonnet - lovely job, but really needing some skill.

 

[grober]

Depends on which colour you are trying to match. with non metallics and dark colour metallics you can get away with quite a lot. Light metallics such a silver are difficult even for the pros. Painting a horizontal surface or a separate component/panel off the car is also easier in some ways as your spray angle of attack is under your control. Vertical surfaces are the worst as over enthusiastic application of paint is likely to result in paint runs. Warm dry weather is also best as is still-air if painting outside.

 

[Iwoody]

I think I'd leave it to the pro's mate, things like wing mirrors etc is easy enough but blending it in is a different ballgame all together, I think it may actually involve sorcery...

I remember the last time I tried to blend paint in on one of my cars... the paint looked like it had been fired on with a catapult.

 

[GrandadsW202]

I too have those moments but reach for the spanners first, not the laptop

i decided that i would remove the front wings from my 202 prep them myself and get pro to repaint complete panels {my car is met silver} too hard for a amateur to match

i dont really have any bodywork experince but used to prep metal for powder coating and other coatings. so imagine theory to be the same surface needs to be spotless

my father has a 114 that he uses for classic shows. and i was once talking to a guy with a rover p6 { aliminum panels } and he told me that aliminum is harder to paint than other metals how true this is i dont know?

what ever you decied to do good luck

 

[Paddcomp]

Overall the car looks pretty good, not even considering it's 26 years old. It's had paint before, which has left the roof a different colour! (It was the body that's painted not the roof) The blemishes are minor and being aluminium aren't worsening, the rear wing was oringinally rubber and like many was paint in body colour (light metalic Lagoon Green) which is starting to crack.
Previous owners have left this alone, which I'm starting to see why. Maybe I should be less of a perfectionist (can't afford to be one).

 

[grober]

IS IT THIS COLOUR?

 

[Paddcomp]

IS IT THIS COLOUR?

Pretty much, 35Y.

 

[grober]

Having confirmed the colour [ Nice car by the way!]I would say that's a colour that would fall into the very difficult category to match or blend in.