Expert: William Forster - 11/29/2006

Question
I Just bought a pair of full 2004 jeep doors for my 1997 Wrangler.  The doors are Khaki Metallic and I want to paint them Gloss black to match the rest of the car.  As a test, I scuffed the interior jams (the Khaki Metallic is still visible) on one of the doors with 400 then 1000 grit sandpaper.  Then I painted the jams with Dupli-Color Black(3 coats) and Clear Coat(2 coats).  It's been 48 hours and it seems to have turned really well.  Should I sand the face of the doors more than I did the jams?  If I don't sand them down to the primer or bare metal, then I paint them what could happen?  The doors are in excellent condition no dents or rust.

Answer
Hello Mike! No need to go crazy on sanding. Just scuff the doors down with 600 grit, 1000 is really too fine to give paint good adhesion. 400 is too coarse to paint over. Sand until all the shine is gone. Use at least 3 coats of clear if the paint is enamel, 6 if its lacquer base. Hats important! the lacquer will dry hazy, and need polished . Bill