Please forgive the long preamble, but I think this question needs a bit of
set-up.
The first time I painted a car was in 1977, when I painted my 1966 Sunbeam
Alpine. I did the work in a friend's garage, using lacquer paint and primer,
his 5hp Sears compressor and his Binks #18 spray gun. I was pleased with the
way the paint job came out, but the car was then a daily driver that lived
outside and some of my body work (i.e., filler and fiberglass) failed over the
next ten years. So, I painted it again using the same compressor and paint
gun (I had bought them from the friend, since I was the only one who had ever
used them) and a two stage enamel this time. 20 years later, the car still
looks good from 10 feet, although the paint job is getting a bit tired. Still,
I'd call myself a pretty good amateur, although I can easily tell the
difference between my work and a professional's.
So, now I am faced with my third paint job in 30 years, but not the '66
Alpine. In addition to that one, I recently purchased a '63 that was someone
else's stalled restoration project. The PO had the car sandblasted and
painted, then got a divorce and let the project sit for 8 years. I bought it
as a rolling shell with everything else in boxes. His paint job wasn't all
that good and the color was off. I will be redoing it in the correct shade
and fixing damage caused by the years and the PO's dogs. My intention is to
sand down the engine compartment, door jambs, floors and trunk, and re-paint
those myself. I'll then put the engine and transmission back in the car and
get it running again. At that point, I'll have to decide if I want to paint
the body myself or hire a professional to do it. But that decision is a ways
off.
But, the decision that is close at hand is what to use for painting the engine
bay, etc. Should I just use the old Binks (I am pretty sure the only time it
has ever been used were my two paint jobs and it has been sitting for the last
20 years) or should I invest in a new HVLP system? And, if I do go with a new
system, can I get by with something from Harbor Freight or do I have to invest
real money? BTW: I no longer have the Sears 5 HP, but do have a Husky 7HP
unit that should easily be up to the task.
I have lots of other follow-up questions re: this phase of the project, but
this seemed like the right place to start. Thanks in advance for any help and
advice.
Cheers,
Jim
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