Help finishing my paint job up

[jschristian44]

So I ventured out and did lots of research on the Rustoleum paint job on my 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. It turned out pretty good on the black so I decided to do it. But now I can't get the finish glossy and mirror like. If anyone can help me do this I could pay them. I got some good rubbing and polishing and ultimate compounds. I also have tons of sandpaper. Still have some paint too. I live in Ephrata, PA and could pay you up to 250 depending on the job you do. Or, I could just take off all the paint I did, down to bare metal, if you have an air compressor and know how to to paint professionally. If you get the paint and stuff I could pay for that plus the labor. I would have already done all the sanding needed up to 400 or 800 grit depending on what you need. All I'm looking for is a single stage paint, something pretty cheap. If you could help me out I would like my car to have a mirror finish. Thanks!

Here is my cardomain so you know what I mean.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3869200

[97TurboDSM]

it's called clear coat. and lol.

[420sx]

You need to keep going past 800 grit. Go to 1000, then 1500, then LIGHTLY with 2000, compound, and polish.

[jpalamar]

Macco man. Your gonna spend that much anyway and they will most likely do a better job then a rattle can.

[DC2.2GSR]

these guys all speak the truth. you're not going to get much shine from a rustoleum job. seriously, just take it to maaco. you'll get a single stage paint that shines.. low budget just like you want, and you don't even have to do anything.

[420sx]

Originally Posted by DC2.2GSR

these guys all speak the truth. you're not going to get much shine from a rustoleum job. seriously, just take it to maaco. you'll get a single stage paint that shines.. low budget just like you want, and you don't even have to do anything.

And if he does all the prep work himself, it probably wont even come out too shabby! Maaco paint jobs suck because they dont do any prep work... including sanding. I found out my front and rear bumpers were painted by maaco when the new paint flaked off to reveal shiny new, unsanded paint underneath.

[jschristian44]

yeah i thought about that, but i already got near 200 into this paint job and don't really feel like sanding the entire thing again to get all the paint off. i already sanded the entire car like 6 times so far. and yes i know i need to do 800, then 1000, then 1500, etc. i already did that but it doesn't come out like a mirror. do i need to get it perfectly flat? because it is pretty uneven.

[420sx]

I mean, it will be hazy all the way up to 2000 grit. It wont begin to shine until you compound and polish. But if its uneven, yeah, thats gonna be noticeable. You wanna start at your lowest grit, and make sure that everything on the car has no scratches deeper than that grit. As you move up in grits, the only scratches remaining should be the ones youre making. Eventually you get it so the scratches are all so fine that they buff right out, and the bitch shines like new. Its not difficult, but its a LOT of work, and if you halfass any of the steps, you gotta start over again at the lowest grit.

[LIPCOLL320]

Originally Posted by jpalamar

Macco man. Your gonna spend that much anyway and they will most likely do a better job then a rattle can.

^..

[LIPCOLL320]

Have you tryed polishing it yet? If the compound has a high solvent content it may attack the Rustoleom and cause a real mess. Although, I have never tryed polishing spray paint so I may be wrong.

[jschristian44]

first of all its not spray paint. ive tried that and it looked horrible. the roller brush made it pretty even and not as bad as a spray job. but yeah im gonna use 1500 grit all over with a palm sander and then use 2000 with a palm sander. then im gonna use the ultimate compound. i actually did make one part of the trunk lid where it bends before the tail light look exactly like a mirror. i was incredibly happy with that because it looked just like a good paint job but i cant figure out how i did it. it's all try and error i guess. eventually by mistake i will get it looking half decent.

[wheresmycar]

Maybe it was windy that day?
You had the paint at the right consistency?

[420sx]

If you push too hard even with the 2000 grit, itll come out hazy. Be sure to use a light touch when your in the final stages of sanding.

[igo4bmx]

i say maaco.
since you're wiling to pay up to 250- call them and tell them it will be fully prepper and get a single stage paint job.
take all the tailights and headlights off and get it towed to the shop.

[SniperGrl]

Brightside Marine Paint


If you have the time and like wet sanding then this would be a better paint. Don't have to sand down to bare metal either (unless you have troublesome rust areas). Just sand the existing clearcoat, get down to the primer level, wet sand with 320 grit, then work your way up from there. A lot of people use a Wagner spray gun because they don't want to use rollers, but up to you really. It's very time consuming, but worth it if you can do the prep. You will spend maybe $100 for materials and the labor is free.

[jschristian44]

the paint is fine. i got one part of my trunk extremely shiny like a mirror, just wish i could do that to the entire car.

[SniperGrl]

Did you sand with higher grit sandpaper as already suggested? Also, are you buffing compound by hand or using an orbital?

[Showoff03LS]

hes half way thru this paint job as it is. i think he should have just used a wagner power painter instead of brushing it on.

dude u should listen to all the ones that posted on the ORG cuz they pretty much said the same thing as everyone here

[15psi88]

Trying to get a $4k+ image from $46 paint is the problem.
Hand sand to 1500 then buff with a heavy compound and a wool pad.
Then, lighter compound with a foam pad.
Finally finish it with a glaze by hand.

The biggest thing is, rustolem isn't designed to be manipulated like such. I saw the pics. Just hang it up, you'll never save that.

[jschristian44]

i actually had the paint looking better than factory paint at one time. i should have just left it like that but it was only the first or second coat. anyways, i got the trunk lid extremely shiny at one point, and i think i can make the rest of the car look like that soon. just waiting for a nice day then i will post pics.