filling

[ben rawlings]

hi all

what are the satges involved in filling.

do i rub the area back to bare metal and then apply filler or do i have to paint the bare metal with something before i fill it?????????

cheers

[Dave]

Back to bare metal.

Dave

[E_T_V]

it depends on what you are filling to some extent though. If it is a very small stone chip etc then knifing putty will do after using some abrasive paper to give it something to key into. If you are filling anything of a reasonable size then back to bare metal is the best plan otherwise the filler may literally just drop off one day like my rear wheel arch is slowly doing!

[ben rawlings]

cheers

what i meant was - do i have to treat the bare metal before i apply the filler??????

[E_T_V]

It is good practice to apply some rust eating liquid or gel but if the metal is all pure metal then filler will be fine. I use the rust eating liquid from machine mart as it is very liquid and fairly cheap too. Basically all it does is to turn any rust into a more stable adherent and non absorbant compound meaning that the rust doesn't spread when you fill over the top of it.

[ben rawlings]

thanks all....

i asume when you have filled and rubbed smooth the area, you have to primer and then body colour and then laquer....is this right.

[E_T_V]

Yes thats right but I'm not sure if your car has a clear lacquer over the top or not. Anyone know if it does have a lacquer over it or not?
(some do and some don't you see - for example my white diamond maestro doesn't however tony's white diamond monty which is the same basic colour does but they have a differnt colour code)

[ben rawlings]

i couldnt tell you, but i sprayed the front valance with white diamond rattle can and the finnish was completely different........

[E_T_V]

If you look at the VIN plate there should also be a colour code stamped on it.

http://www.maestro.org.uk/temp/paint1.jpg

http://www.maestro.org.uk/temp/paint2.jpg

Notice there are two different codes for white diamond the one with (COB) after it I think refers to Clear Over Base which means a clear top lacquer.

[ben rawlings]

any idea how much a full respray would be, i absolutly hate white maestros but im thinking my ledbury would look good in british racing green with those mark 1 mgf alloys, custom powerflow exhaust etc. what do you think????

[Maria]

COB is clear over base - ie with lacquer.

Resprays vary in price hugely depending on factors like how much prep you want - bare metal spray vs "flat the original colour and paint over it", whether you need any bodywork doing, engine bay etc too or just visible areas etc. If you can do some of the prep (bodywork, any filler etc) yourself you'll save money as the prep's the time consuming part.

[E_T_V]

I should be painting lindz'd police car in the near future in white diamond so maybe you can compare the finish. Remember that after spraying it'll need polishing up to make it shine.