FTO AUSTRALIA

Still shithouse quality. All rough and patchy. But I'm over it, just gonna let it dry and chuck the clear coat straight one so I can drive it again

Well it's mainly the roof that is bad I guess. Not sure why..
Will be interesting to see if the clear coat makes things better or worse

Hmmm .. Interesting...

I can see what you mean about the roof.. But the rest (in the photo's) don't look too bad..

Yeah I think it may be the gun tbh..hard to get it on a good angle when doing the roof.. The rest of the car ,except a bit on the rear left q panel is really smooth, where as the roof feels like 80grit sandpaper

What are your thoughts on the clear?better,worse or no different? And do I really need to put a clear on or can I just leave it.

destinationtoby wrote:Yeah I think it may be the gun tbh..hard to get it on a good angle when doing the roof.. The rest of the car ,except a bit on the rear left q panel is really smooth, where as the roof feels like 80grit sandpaper

What are your thoughts on the clear?better,worse or no different? And do I really need to put a clear on or can I just leave it.

I don't think it will make too much of a difference.. But then, I can't really tell from pics...

You can do cars without clear... I did a Corolla in straight colour.. But that was 2pk.. So it is a little different.. The only thing I found, was it still needed a good polish to maintain a good shine... And hand marks (from dirt) were evident around the window frame and bonnet... But it would cut an polish off.

I have seen clear go on cars (as a first layer) that were rubbed back pretty rough.. Almost like 400 grit.. But layer upon layer of clear was applied, with the last layer going on after about an 1800 grit...

Try giving it a fine cut, say with a #2 cut, then prepwash it and then clear it.

My brother-in-law uses 2000 grit wet/dry paper with some natural soap rubbed into the sandpaper to get rid of imperfections before clearing.
I used 2000 grit wet/dry paper with a #2 cut/polish and water when I was polishing my headlights.
^Both of these ideas will give a very light cut and shouldn't leave sandpaper swearl marks.

You should at least be using water with your sandpaper too.

If you smooth out the base colour and then clear it, it will be a lot shinier.

...or, if you can get the whole car looking like the roof you will have a unique FTO.

...and, before you try anything on your car, try it on your practice piece that you should have painted by now.

Awesome inputs guiz
And thanks a heap Craig for continuing to answer all my questions

Figure I will put the clear on as I've got it here.. Worried about sanding the basecoat back too much and leaving the swirl marks, or going through it to the primer. so I don't want to heavy sand. Safe to say that wet sanding with 1500grit the whole car before top coating will be perfectly fine? Because I know it will get rid of some of the messy areas, but I don't want to lose any shine. Because I dare I'm going to have some similar issues with the clear, hopefully just some orange peel.
As for cutting, I know absolutely nothing.
I had the side skirts painted once before and was told to cut and polish it first using the cutting compound, so I went and bought some and had a go, it rubbed straight through both layers of pAint into the primer. So there's no way I'm game enough to have another go at it on this.

Even with the roof and the trouble I'm having with it, I was really happy to get that paint on today as well As I did. I figured it could have easily gone a lot worse.
Heaps keen to get all the parts back on and see how she looks

PHIL069 wrote:...and, before you try anything on your car, try it on your practice piece that you should have painted by now.

My practice piece is my boot.. I figure the more layers of paint, the more protection. And once I get it right I can leave it <this didn't happen lol
I don't have any more money to spend on paint and or any other materials, It has cost me a fair bit more then expected allready lol considered buying a new gun today, but price for a good one, was just too much..
Maybe next time I also start working 6days a week from next week onwards and do not want to be stuck with a half painted car

destinationtoby wrote:I had the side skirts painted once before and was told to cut and polish it first using the cutting compound, so I went and bought some and had a go, it rubbed straight through both layers of pAint into the primer. So there's no way I'm game enough to have another go at it on this.

Cutting compound is very harsh. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 0078#Combo
#2 is quite light and is the one I like to use when required. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 0076#Combo
#1 is a bit too light. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 0077#Combo

PHIL069 wrote:

destinationtoby wrote:I had the side skirts painted once before and was told to cut and polish it first using the cutting compound, so I went and bought some and had a go, it rubbed straight through both layers of pAint into the primer. So there's no way I'm game enough to have another go at it on this.

Cutting compound is very harsh. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 0078#Combo
#2 is quite light and is the one I like to use when required. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 0076#Combo
#1 is a bit too light. http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 0077#Combo

Do u just rub it into the whole car with a cloth? Or polisher .. Is there another step after doing this?

Use it the same as you use polish, by hand.

Orange peel can be rubbed back and polished out as well ... That is what is meant to happen. But even a lot of cars from the manufacturer don't fully do this due to time/cost.

Done

Doesn't look too bad.. But that is on my phone..

How did it turn out?

rock_it wrote:Doesn't look too bad.. But that is on my phone..

How did it turn out?

It's not the best... Guessing it should polish up abit better after a cut & buff.
Everyone that has seen the car in person before, says it looks 1000 times better, so that's a plus.
It's all one color now and I really like the bright silver so that's what counts I guess it's certainly a lot harder then what it looks to respray a car

I like the colour mate pretty good job give it a cut and polish should come up really good then

Great job thar detonationtoby.
Bloody great to see all the effort put in.
As above, a good cut, buff and polish will turn your job into perfection.

I'm impressed

As was said to me after my paint job...."+ street cred"

Thanks guys