Expert: William Forster - 5/24/2007

Question
I have a 98' Chevy Lumina. These are notorious as I'm sure you know for "peeling paint". Not really sure what to do or if I even have any options. The body is great, no rust or dents or dings. I bought this car from a family member and don't have a TON of money to worry about the cosmetics. I am very "mechanical" and work on cars quite frequently but I know nothing about auto body! Is there a cheap alternative that I may have other than getting spray paint =)...lol. The car is white, well, gray and white now. I'm not looking for show quality I just want the car to all be the same color and make it worth washing. I have sanders and compressors and all that jazz but like I said, I know nothing of auto body. Any help or suggestions would be great...Thanks

Answer
Nothing you can do will stop the inevitable. It's going to keep peeling, and once the paint is gone, rust isn't far behind. It needs painted, and I can't teach you how to paint a car in an e-mail. Year one, the restoration parts people, have a book in their literature section of any parts book called how to repair and restore body work. The only helpful suggestion that won't be in the book is peeling the old paint. The easy, inexpensive way is to use a safety razor blade knife, and CAREFULLY scrape off the old paint. Once you scrape off all that will come off, without forcing, feather back with 180, then 320. Then primer with primer surfacer. That's about all I can tell you. This is an excellent candidate for your first paint job. Bill