I just came up on a SS hood. And I would like to paint it myself. Ive seen it done before and it didnt look too hard but I wanted to ask the experts in this field. Im also looking to do stripes.
Chris

 

I've painted lots of stuff. entire airplanes even. It's more of an aquired skill though. By the time you buy everything you will need to do it right you may be better off taking it to a paint shop and having them do it. A hood should be pretty reasonable I would think. Is it painted now?

 

NO not yet Im getting it pre stripped ready to paint. The hood is still in the plastic.
Chris

 

Is it an aftermarket fiberglass hood?

 

Yeah thats a Affirm.
Chris

 

You don't need to strip it. That alone tells me you should do it.

 

You mean shouldn't LOL. I hear what your saying. Im just trying to gain some experience in body and paint work. I have already built two LT1's which was fun. Im just looking to expand my horizons. Eventually Im going to get started on my grandfathers 63 C10 Chevy. Its got alot of body work that needs to be done.
Chris

 

I'm by no means an expert in the field of painting cars, or car parts but I do know that fiberglass takes some special prep as compared to metal. I once considered painting my own parts but with the cost of everything to do a decent job, I figured that it was in my best interest to have it painted by the pros. Not to mention all the grief you would incur if something did not turn out right. But it is ultimately your decision so good luck and I would recommend reading a couple of books on this subject and calling a body shop to speak with someone there who may give you some pointers.

 

go to your local napa/ auto parts store get a Grey scuff pad and get some scuff stuff (thats what its called) use the 2 with water and wet scuff with a bit of the scuff stuff. it will dull out the finish on the hood witch will have imperfections do the body work you feel is necessary, now that your hood is scuffed its etched for the primer then the base and wipe with U-Pol or any de-greaser. this is assuming you got the hood brand new with factory primer on it. message me if you have any questions

 

Thanks for the information guys. A buddy that I work with has years of experience painting hoods and cars etc... So hes going to walk me through it.
Chris

 

I wouldn't do it if I were you. I spent about $250 in paint and supplies to repaint my hood. I couldn't get the color even so I ended up with an extra coat or two to get it even...well it turned out a couple shades too dark. On top of that the color laid flat, but the clear came out so bad it would have taken hours to wet sand and buff to get it smooth.

I decided to spent another $250 of supplies and stipped all the paint off. I knew this time any more than 3 coats and it would be too dark. well three coats later the color was not even so I had two choices - even it out with one more coat and maybe it will look ok or leave it alone. I left it alone and cleared it. The clear did the same thing as the first time (I think the clear needed higher pressure). I spent hours wet sanding and buffing. I started getting a reflection in the paint then decided the color was too uneven to bother wasting more time sanding and buffing.

I saw a sign for 50% off body work and my car is at a shop now getting the hood painted. I'll find out tonight or tomorrow if it looks good. 7 months later after I started all this I would be happy to be done and have a decent looking car again after ~$850.

I did successfully fiberglass over my hood pin holes which was part of the reason I was repainting the hood. Even though I screwed up the painting and wasted money I feel pretty good about trying it and would like to give it another shot at some point.

 

You'll never learn to do anything unless you try it. Get some cheap paint materials and get a hood from a junkyard and practice on that. Just follow the instructions on the paint.