Expert: William Forster - 12/2/2006

Question
Hi. I have a 1988 Jeep Cherokee, no rust whatsoever. Stock paint is still there, just fading and clearcoat worn away in some spots. Previous owner touched up some of it with spray paint. I want to repaint the entire thing with POR-15 Hardnose paint. I heard it's hard as nails, and I don't need to clear coat or anything. What is the best procedure for preparing the body for painting? Could I 'rough up' the stock paint with a sandblasting gun? This is my first time painting somehting this large, and I want to do a good job. Thanks in advance, -Chris

Answer
Yearone.com has a book called how to repair and restore bodywork in the literature setion. I can't teach you how to restore a vehicle in an email. Sandblasting is a poor way to rough up paint, you need to sand it. The blasting leaves a horrible surface to reefinish, damages everything in sight, and makes a huge mess. bill