Finally prepped for paint - what I've learned so far

[madtom]

After many long nights and sore elbows, my 69 f100 is finally prepped and ready for paint.

Here's what I've learned so far.... It's kinda like the first time I roofed my house. It starts out fun, you think your gonna be done in no time, and you can't believe why it cost so much to pay someone do it. A few evenings after work later, you realize there are still about a jillion things to take off and corners and crannies that have to be contented with before you can go any further. About two weeks of evenings after work later, you start thinking maybe paying someone wouldn't have been such a bad idea. Sometime during the third week you'll realize you either seriously screwed up on something, or left out something that needs to be in there. Then you'll spend the next several evenings fixing that. After about a month, you're to the point you just want it over with. A couple nights later you start thinking "tomorrow I should be done". When you get to that point you've got about a week to go. Finally, you just have to say "I'm done".

A couple other things I've learned that might help others who've never done this before:
- Slow down and make sure you have the right primer, sealer, etc., and that its mixed right. I mixed my first two coats of primer wrong and spent several evenings sanding it all back it off. Also, I now know that I probably could have used epoxy for the first two coats, rather than self etching.
- Wet sanding primer is the only way to go.
- Find a "guy" with a metal two stall shop behind his house that you can ask questions. If you find the right guy, and he kinda likes old trucks, and just works on them when he wants to, he will be invaluable. I got lucky and found a good one, I'm taking my paint ready truck to him tomorrow and he's gonna spray it for a fraction of what a full job would cost.
- Take all the trim off, if you don't you'll eventually realize sanding around it is a way bigger pain in the butt than just taking it off and will end up taking it off anyway. It will look better too. Also, you probably will find rust under it.
- I never realized how much bugs poop until I parked a primered and sanded truck in the driveway.
- Wet, fresh 600 grit sanded primer, looks and feels awesome.

[Canonman67]

Well said. It's the same whether you're prepping for paint or rebuilding the mechanicals. You start out full of energy and enthusiasm then as the project drags on you doubt yourself and what you're doing. It usually all works out in the end though. How about posting some pictures of your work.

[AZf100]

You seemed to explain the last 3 years of my life in that story. I don't know if that's good or bad, I Wouldn't trade it for anything else I may had been doing. Like-wise some pictures would be great.

[sargentrs]

Couldn't have said it better myself. When I started mine, I figured 3 years. Well, it's been almost 5 and it'll be another 2+ at least.

[jimmy828]

And lets not forget all the $$$$$$$$$ it take to get our manly jobs and mistakes done.