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What kind of primer did you plan on using? Unless it’s a 2 part epoxy or a quality etch or sealer, you will be right back where you started. Generally anytime you have a compromised finish you want to sand all the way through it. If it’s rusting under what’s on it, get it sanded back to bare metal. 80g on a 6″ palm sander would do nice work without chewing into the metal. That rubberized paint can be a pain to get off, and it likes to gum up the sand paper. Maybe try some aircraft paint stripper? That might speed up the process.
Generally if you don’t want to get into putty or high build primer, you want to stick to 80 grit + I usually strip panels with 120 on an 8″ rotary (being careful not to dig in with the edges) Followed up with 80g on a 6″ dual action, than 180 on a 6″ dual action.
Honda has a program on the go for your year on honda civic. The paint on the hood and fenders prematurely cracks and splits resulting in chipping and rust. Take it to your dealer and ask about the recall notice on the hood, they will help you.
Common Mistakes and misconceptions:
Spray cans DO NOT WORK. Spray can primers, spray can clearcoat, any spray can WILL NOT WORK. There are a few exceptions..
– There are spray cans available that have an activator that you “pop” and mix into the can before you use it. These CAN work, and work much better than cans that do not have that, however they have a shelf life of one or two days after activating. These are called “2k aerosols” “1k aerosols” do not have this mixture.
When exposing bare metal, SEALER MUST be used…
– Primer, colour, stone guard, ANY product will not stick to bare metal unless a proper 2k sealing product is applied first.
– No matter what products or steps you go through, unless sealer is applies to bare metal before bondo, or putty, or fibreglass, or even welding, it will rust
Paint must be “feathered” when touching up or doing your own repairs…
The key to a flawless finish comes from ‘feathering’ out the existing paint, and any products you put onto the panel. If you can FEEL any wave or imperfection in the edges of material, you will SEE if after it’s painted. A good rule of thumb is a 1/2″ of each layer when feathering. IE clearcoat, than colour, than sealer, than bare metal. Resulting in what looks like an 8″ bulls eye.
Clean, clean, clean..
– Nothing you spray will stick well unless it it properly cleaned with a wax and grease remover. Even gas or acetone can leave residues. Grease is your enemy.
Here’s some basic rules. If the finish that’s on the truck is good, and not compromised, it won’t need more than a 500-800 grit sand to give adhession for your paint, that won’t sand through the clear in most cases, nowhere near sanding through to primer.
If any areas need work, it’s best to strip to the metal with 80 grit or similiar, and seal with epoxy primer, than any body filler or primer to fill sand scratches.
Your best best would be to machine the entire truck with 500 grit and go from there, that would expose and high or low spots.
You reminded me of another point. I’m assuming you didn’t file an insurance claim? Just walked in for a quote?
If you were to have filed a claim, and the vehicle declared written off, you would really have to fight to keep ownership of the vehicle. An accident like that would brand the vehicle and deem it unfit for the road. The vehicle would than need to be inspected, authorized, repaired, and re-inspected before being allowed to have a rebuilt or resalvaged title. This needs to be done by a licensed shop.
The reason this happens, is your insurance company doesn’t want to be liable for an unfit, or unsafe vehicle. They would much rather put you in something of equal value and send the car off to auction. You would “buy back” the vehicle from the insurance company, and than need to cover the costs of repairs out of pocket, the situation you are in now.
You reminded me of another point. I’m assuming you didn’t file an insurance claim? Just walked in for a quote?
If you were to have filed a claim, and the vehicle declared written off, you would really have to fight to keep ownership of the vehicle. An accident like that would brand the vehicle and deem it unfit for the road. The vehicle would than need to be inspected, authorized, repaired, and re-inspected before being allowed to have a rebuilt or resalvaged title. This needs to be done by a licensed shop.
The reason this happens, is your insurance company doesn’t want to be liable for an unfit, or unsafe vehicle. They would much rather put you in something of equal value and send the car off to auction. You would “buy back” the vehicle from the insurance company, and than need to cover the costs of repairs out of pocket, the situation you are in now.
If it’s a matter of simple function, why are you here? Simply yank it out, hang your parts, and be down the road.
I only included information to make you aware that in no way will you be able to line up everything on front end of the vehicle. I totally understand the fact that it isn’t worth to fix “right” However, there is not a whole lot you can do with that damage that is worth any time or effort.
I just have the philosophy of fix it once, fix it right.
If it’s a matter of simple function, why are you here? Simply yank it out, hang your parts, and be down the road.
I only included information to make you aware that in no way will you be able to line up everything on front end of the vehicle. I totally understand the fact that it isn’t worth to fix “right” However, there is not a whole lot you can do with that damage that is worth any time or effort.
I just have the philosophy of fix it once, fix it right.
Just..no.
It just doesn’t work like that in collision repair, I’m not sure where you got those ideas from.
There is no pulling that metal out ‘correctly’ As it pushed it, it pulls both ends of the upper rad supports meeting the inner fenders inward with it. Metal has a memory and that front end has one hell of a memory. There’s no angle of impact to figure out, you use reference points and chassis specifications to measure the front end, and how far out it may be, and in which direction.
As for anchoring the vehicle down, what you are thinking about is actual structural repair. An upper rad support is very mild pulling in terms of unibody structure. Pillars, posts, and inner tie bars are what take LOTS of force to bend, and even more force to get back in place. Those are procedures that require proper equipment and exact math and measurement. Vehicles can literally be torn apart if done incorrectly.
This RX-7 is a perfect example. Got t-boned at the track, crushed the rocker panel, but pushed the A-post (fender meeting door) inward a good few inches. Somebody tried to pull it out with some hydraulic equipment and ripped the welds out of the floor panel, along the windshield, and put the door frame way out of whack. Poor thing has sat for 4 years since, we just recently started working on it.
As for body shop prices, there is a reason you pay what you do. However, MANY body shops don’t give you quality for that price. If you can’t find a shop with a LIFETIME warrenty, don’t even bother. Our door rate is between 55-65 an hour, and you get every dollars worth, and more. It’s hard to really wrap your head around the numbers until you sit down and run through a few estimates, parts lists, and break it all down.
Just..no.
It just doesn’t work like that in collision repair, I’m not sure where you got those ideas from.
There is no pulling that metal out ‘correctly’ As it pushed it, it pulls both ends of the upper rad supports meeting the inner fenders inward with it. Metal has a memory and that front end has one hell of a memory. There’s no angle of impact to figure out, you use reference points and chassis specifications to measure the front end, and how far out it may be, and in which direction.
As for anchoring the vehicle down, what you are thinking about is actual structural repair. An upper rad support is very mild pulling in terms of unibody structure. Pillars, posts, and inner tie bars are what take LOTS of force to bend, and even more force to get back in place. Those are procedures that require proper equipment and exact math and measurement. Vehicles can literally be torn apart if done incorrectly.
This RX-7 is a perfect example. Got t-boned at the track, crushed the rocker panel, but pushed the A-post (fender meeting door) inward a good few inches. Somebody tried to pull it out with some hydraulic equipment and ripped the welds out of the floor panel, along the windshield, and put the door frame way out of whack. Poor thing has sat for 4 years since, we just recently started working on it.
As for body shop prices, there is a reason you pay what you do. However, MANY body shops don’t give you quality for that price. If you can’t find a shop with a LIFETIME warrenty, don’t even bother. Our door rate is between 55-65 an hour, and you get every dollars worth, and more. It’s hard to really wrap your head around the numbers until you sit down and run through a few estimates, parts lists, and break it all down.
This is a 3000 grit machine sanding, and a 3 stage polish on factory Honda paint.
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140924_163433_zpsb4c7a652.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140924_163433_zpsb4c7a652.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140924_163416_zps4a9f3670.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140924_163416_zps4a9f3670.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140924_163330_zpsd593255d.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140924_163330_zpsd593255d.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
This is a full 1500/2000/3000 grit machine sand, and a 3 stage polish on an aftermarket finish. Almost zero orange peel left for a factory look.
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140716_192057_zpsef45a24c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140716_192057_zpsef45a24c.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140716_192025_zpsc49e026c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140716_192025_zpsc49e026c.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
It’s amazing what time and effort can do to a vehicles finish.
This is a 3000 grit machine sanding, and a 3 stage polish on factory Honda paint.
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140924_163433_zpsb4c7a652.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140924_163433_zpsb4c7a652.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140924_163416_zps4a9f3670.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140924_163416_zps4a9f3670.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140924_163330_zpsd593255d.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140924_163330_zpsd593255d.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
This is a full 1500/2000/3000 grit machine sand, and a 3 stage polish on an aftermarket finish. Almost zero orange peel left for a factory look.
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140716_192057_zpsef45a24c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140716_192057_zpsef45a24c.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/dropin_biking/media/IMG_20140716_192025_zpsc49e026c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i286/dropin_biking/IMG_20140716_192025_zpsc49e026c.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
It’s amazing what time and effort can do to a vehicles finish.
No surprise that the insurance company wrote it off. I hate to say it, but this isn’t really worth your time trying to fix. Your headlights will never aim true, all your body lines will be so far off. Looks like you need a cooling fan assembly, quite a few other small parts.
It doesn’t take special equipment to knock a rad support back into the ball park. A big sledge hammer will do just fine. Don’t expect anything to line up afterwards.
The upper rad support craddles the rad and A/C condenser, aswell as mounts the headlights and the front of the fenders, front bumper.
Once the geometry is thrown off in a hit like that, it is highly unlikely you will square off the front end.
No surprise that the insurance company wrote it off. I hate to say it, but this isn’t really worth your time trying to fix. Your headlights will never aim true, all your body lines will be so far off. Looks like you need a cooling fan assembly, quite a few other small parts.
It doesn’t take special equipment to knock a rad support back into the ball park. A big sledge hammer will do just fine. Don’t expect anything to line up afterwards.
The upper rad support craddles the rad and A/C condenser, aswell as mounts the headlights and the front of the fenders, front bumper.
Once the geometry is thrown off in a hit like that, it is highly unlikely you will square off the front end.
I work at a body shop, enough said.
The amount of ditsy, idiot, distracted drivers that come through the door blows me away.
“The curb came out of nowhere”
“I didn’t see she was stopped”
“I didn’t know it was a no passing zone”
“It was her fault for turning”
“Seemed like good conditions to pass”
“I was just checking my phone, it was really important”
I Hear these things come out of the mouths of owners of HIGH END vehicles. Not just old shit-boxes, but brand new luxery SUV’s. Some people just don’t give a fuck about getting an an accident.
“Oh well my insurance will pay to fix it.”
“Oh it’s just an inconvienience, hope I can get my car back for christmas”
It’s a joke. Nobody takes the responsibility of vehicle ownership seriously anymore. I’ve personally loaded and unloaded vehicles that people have died in and been cut out of, because of distracted driving, poor driving skill, bad driving habits.
It’s one thing I will never fuck around with. Driving is a serious responsibility, lets keep it that way.