The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Im about to snad down my car myself not a real good job im going Ill leave that for the profesionals,I just want to make it all one color,it has 8 diffrent colors now,its a eye saw,I plan on using a orbital sander on a drill,and prime it with some grey or black primer,any tips will be helpfull.

I am not a body man but this is what I think.

You could just be making more time and work for the professionals (money) by taking a sanding disc to it. Using a flat sanding block and doing it by hand is the safest way. Either that or chemically strip all the paint off and start again.

Jenny has done a good job on her cars. If she is reading this maybe she has a few tips for you?

Orbital sander on a drill! Jeez DON'T DO IT!!! You will wreck it! if you go over some of the paint with an orbital it will put fine ridges in the paint. if you prime then paint it will look like ripples on a beach!
Just flatten with proper sanding blocks & blow over with one paint colour, or better still, take off all paint and re-apply. But remember if you hit bare metal, using just primer on top, it will rust. Primer is porous. If you want a primer look finish, use grey paint and add a flatting agent.

Just a tip: I remember reading somewhere that brake fluid makes awesome paint remover.

Lot's of work.
Get a grinder the kind you can also use for buffing. 80 grit, 100 grit, 250 grit, sand paper they make round discs that fit the grinder and is self addhesive.
Start with the 80. When you have all the paint off go over it with the lower grits to clean up your left over paint primer whatever. any bare metal spots will have to have a coat of self eching primer to make the primer or paint stick to the metal.

You can also use a small orbital sander that is used for wood. They work well and are cheaper than a grinder.

I forgot some stuff.

After you are done sanding you have to wash it to get the sanding resude and the oils from your skin off. You can use simple green its the best. what you need to do is spray the whole car down with the simple green let it sit for a miunite or two, then rinse well. Don't touch the car. Put it in the sun to dry. When its dry go over the car with a prep solvent to take off the rest of the oils. Go over it with a tack rag and you are ready to spray your primer. good luck.

do notuse the drill

I just finished restoring a car that was the first striped completely to bare metal. If I had a car that had good paint adherence I would not strip it. Sanding with a jitter bug 180 or so would be alright. Stripping can create more work than necessary requiring a complete coat of etching primer and is very messy.

I hadmy whole shell media blasted inclding underneath the car for $400aus it was definately the best money I spent on this resto it saved me untold hours and I could start from fresh clean base . Just my opinion

Most of the major car magazines feature articles on just what you need to do. Dave-R was probably right about you creating more work for the professionals...would cost you more money in the long run. If you're set on trying it yourself, go slow. Buy the best materials and tools you can afford. You get what you pay for and it's a pain to have to do something twice.

use a ruppes ( OFF CENTER ) sander start with 80 grit then use a high fill 2 pak primer use a long sanding board 120 , 240, 400 paint top coat remember to guide coat with alighter colour any low spots will show the better you sand the better the job.