Hello all,I'm putting back together my 72 F100. I've got the frame ready to go. I've never done any painting before and would like to learn abit to get it ready to paint. I've got the cab on dollies,doors are off and gutted,fenders and hood on table. I want to sand and prime before putting it back together. I know to sand but don't know what kind of sand paper and do i take it down to bare metal or what? Would like to do a good job but not a job like they do for an auto show. Any help in where and what to do first is much appreciated.

 

I'm not a paint and body man by any means even though I have done some. Untill some of the pros check in the best thing I can suggest is to use the search option for lots of P&B info. Good luck sounds like a good project. Be sure and keep us updated and throw in some pics if you got em.

 

The prep work is 90% of the paint job. I would not sand down to bare metal, you just create more problems. Stop at the primer coat. I use only wet/dry paper. Have grits from 120-2000. But for most body prep you only need, 240, 320, 400, 600 grits. stepping down makes it a little faster. If the old paint is in good shape, not pealing, you are not required to take it completely off. Start with a 320 and see how it cleans up. You do not need to go any finer than 600 wet. Some say 400, your option. Once the panels are ready, shoot 1-2 coats of 2K primer. You can either 600 wet sand on or off the truck. The finders, bed, doors should be painted off the frame. Then you are ready to spray color. I would spray the removable panels off the truck. Some like every thing together, takes less room up.

Are you going with a 1 or 2 coat system?

 

Hello Blue68f100,
I appreciate your info on where to start. The truck has been sitting on a farm for some time and someone had painted black over blue without primeing it looks like. I'll start with 320 and see where it takes me. I'll probably have to 2 coat it. I would like to paint it canary yellow and second choice is the Cowboys color blue and silver. Haven't made up mind yet. I still got along ways to go before i can think of painting it. I got it all off the frame and need some $$$ for it to go back together. Thanks again Walt

 

Use a inline air sander and it will come off pretty quick. Yellow is a hard color to paint. Like the metallic white, a 3 coat system. Good luck on your paint work. They take a lot of time to do it right.

 

if you will be priming all i would sand in the 180-220 grit dry range. Your paint or sealer should give grit recommendations on how fine your primer or existing paint should be sanded down to so that scratch will fill, but not too fine to adhere well. Most metallic basecoats are around 600 wet and solids can usually get away going a little coarser like 400 wet which would equate to 320 dry by machine. I've gotten away with sanding with 400 wet on metallics, but some lighter metallics and silvers could show the scratches if you go that coarse without sealing first. Any areas you will be using a regular plastic bodyfiller should be brought down to metal with at least a 80 grit scratch where you will be applying filler, or over metal that has been epoxy primed. 2k finishing, glaze or spot filler, what ever they choose to call theirs, can be applied over sanded paint or primer in moderation, just don't sling it on 1/4 inch thick. Yellow, think your going to want to get your parts all one color with primer or sealer, probably in white. Yellows are not normally a great coverer, and a pricey tint too.

Being that old, I'd personally take it all down and see exactly what you are dealing with, and use modern 2k materials when you will probably be putting some serious time and money into a paint job. you can possibly find someone to media blast reasonably and then can epoxy prime over it as long as its clean, and have a good base to start on, as well as having the epoxy protecting the metal well and can do any filler work needed right over it, but scuff up first with some 80 or 180 if the epoxy primer has sat more then a few days. If not media blasting, you may want to strip one panel at a time, and spray with epoxy primer, so you don't get overwhelmed, and don't have bare metal sitting uncovered too long. Then can procede on with bodywork and filler primer if there is bodywork needed.
If sanding to strip I would use coarser then 180 which would take forever, and then 80 grit scratch will fill and work out fine after few coats of primer, blocksanding with finer grit. I use 36 grit sometimes to get most of the paint off, and step down and clean up with 80 before hitting a bunch of metal with the 36.
Solid color, you could probably paint in pieces. Metallic I would paint the base all at the same time, assembled or at least laying how it will be installed. Metallics and pearls you could get a mismatch if you gun set up and how you paint vary, as well as temp, humidity, ect shot in.