When painting a buggy...

[TheFauxFox]

I know I should sand off all the original and use primer, but how hard is it to remove the engine from the rear swingarm? Is it a matter of taking off the chain, electrical wires, gas line, and unbolting the engine? Or is there more to it than that? Or would it just be easier for me to disconnect the wires and gas line and just use newspaper and tape to cover the engine? I know NOT removing the engine would be easier NOW. But when I paint, I'm afraid I won't get the results I'm looking for...

Anyone paint and have set-up/disassembly pics?

Paint I will use: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleu...4838/100196249

The primer is their "professional" line...It costs 5.27 per 15oz.

Think I'll need more that 15oz to paint per coat or two?

[x-bird]

if you want a nice job, strip it down. while this seems like a lot of work, the hassle of trying to sand and prep with the engine etc. in place will quickly overcome the effort of disassembly.

for paint, i used rustoleum's basic clean metal white primer (i didn't have rusty tubing to contend with) and chose a hammertone finish.

Now, here's the deal with painting round tubing----you gonna go through a lot of cans. tubing is the worst thing to get good coverage on. lots of waste overspray. Do you have a high school automotive shop class? see if they'll do the spraying for you. It's a LOT cheaper to buy a quart of primer and a quart of color and thin it to spray through a gun. a lot faster to do the job as well and better results.

Pics ...basic redneck garage shoot with an old high pressure gun--overspray is pretty heavy because of that. you will want to invert the buggy frame to start with --remember, round tubing .... let it dry, then flip it and have some jackstands or blocks to keep it off the ground.

even with rattle cans--get a properly rated respirator and make sure you have good ventilation and no open flame or spark sources.

[TheFauxFox]

Does the local high school have a shop class???? (sarcastic tone) TALK ABOUT A BIG GARAGE! lol. I'm not sure about asking them.... "Hey! I have a dune buggy, and I was wondering if you guys could like, paint it for me?" It just doesn't come out.

Do you mean see if they can loan a paintgun or an air compressor? Because using spray cans will be a little difficult.

[jmansracerocket]

lol I guess u want to keep the yerf and paint it

[TheFauxFox]

HaHa! Yea. The tie rods are QUITE bent (as of recent) and the ball joints are really really really really failing. A lot.

So I am gonna find an asphalt parking lot, do my sci fair trials, limp it home, and wait till I get repair parts.

[x-bird]

Find the shop class teacher and see if they'll use it as a class project. They actually need stuff like this a lot of the time. Buddy of mine had the chassis for his cobra replica done that way at the local community college. Same deal holds for any welding mods you may need done.

[Masteryota]

Originally Posted by x-bird

Find the shop class teacher and see if they'll use it as a class project. They actually need stuff like this a lot of the time. Buddy of mine had the chassis for his cobra replica done that way at the local community college. Same deal holds for any welding mods you may need done.

Fantastic ideas!! I know the technical school I went to was always looking for smaller projects to practice on. We had diesel, auto, and welding, which would outfit you quite nicely.

[toomanytoys2]

A community college Is doing the work on my baby right now. It is a 73 VW squareback that has a fully automatic trans, AC, and a 914 engine stuffed in. Paint isn't cheap, but the prep is free.

[x-bird]

that is badazzz ... but it needs a 5 speed! and 2 inch spacers and some fender flares and exh. stubs out the sides .... )))))

[SYCARMS]

Nice project. Needs a blown 350 though. LOL

[toomanytoys2]

It's not a speed demon, but it will beat my wife's 6 cyl Passat in a drag race .

[TheFauxFox]

Now that school just let out for thanksgiving break (Woohoo!!!) I have to wait a week. After then, I think I will email the auto shop teacher at the high school and see what he/she thinks.

[SYCARMS]

Just from my past experience unless you are on a first name basis with the shop teacher it would be best to talk to them person to person.

[TheFauxFox]

Ha, SYCARMS, I was just thinking that it would be kinda weird. Just one more thing to think about! Maybe I should actually find his/her name before I email them...

[toomanytoys2]

Just call the office and ask for his or her name. Also find out when they have their prep period or when their last class ends, then hunt them down. If you aren't too picky on the color, they may have extra paint laying around. Good paint ain't cheap, my wife just about dropped a brick when she found out how much it cost for just my paint alone.

[TheFauxFox]

Good to know. The local middle school has a website and teacher contact, so I'll just go check the HS website and see there...

And what paint did you buy?