PAINTING THE CAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 83, 9 April 1929, Page 14

PAINTING THE CAR.

(All nights Reserved.)

INTERESTING WORK FOR AMATEURS.

GETTING THAT PERFECT FINISH.

(By AUTOSCRIBE.)

One of these days an enterprising manufacturer will put a cheap but efficient air-sprayer for amateur use on the market, and the troubles of the impecunious car owner who wants to have his car retain ita pristine freshness, will be over. Meantime, the manual method ie the only one available, and although this involves some hard work, and care, it secures the result. ************************

oar painting is a fairly expensive bueineas if the car owner is having the work done for him. The reason for this lies in the labour cost, for a considerable amount of preparatory work is necessary before the paint itself can be applied. Many owners cannot afford to have their care painted regularly, and provided they know that a finish practically indistinguishable from that of the professional, can be secured bv using high-grade specially prepared car enamels, will tackle the job for themselves. It ia a job which takes time, and a really good finish comes only after carcful work. The object of this article is to deal practically with the question, ami show how the paint of a car can be kepj. in practically perfect condition tor a cost of only a few shillings a year. The New Car. To-day every new car comes to its owner with the paintwork well finished. Even the cheapest modejs look bright and attractive, and although they have probably had less coats than their more expensive brethren, their paintwork can be kept looking very nearly as good as new for a long time, provided the necessary work ia carried out. Everyone who has owned a car knows that after a time the paint commences to lose its lustre, and becomes dull ai>d harsh. The owner who would have his car looking always at its best, must net before tliki time arrives. With a cheap car used consistently, this period may arrive after comparatively few months; with a more expensive model, the paint may appear in perfect order after a year or more. Get the paint brush into action before the paint becomes too harsh. Xo colour will be needed, a coat of a good quality transparent finish being all that the car requires at this stage. The writer knows of a three-year-old car which today still looks like new. It has never had a fresh coat of paint, but has merely received a coat of transparent finish, when the original paintwork began to show signs of wear. Great Money Saver.

If you let the paint steadily deteriorate until the rust is showing here and there, the painting job is a much bigger one. The uee of transparent finish is a real money saver, and it givee | a moat brilliant finish. When doing this work, it is well to have a run j over the under-carriage, and the insides of the mudguards. A great deal of deterioration can be prevented by keeping the underneath parts of the oar | well painted. They are out of sight, ! and are too often left out of mind and neglected. The car that is driven in all weathers soon gathers rust under the mudguards, but this will be apparent only when { these are carefully cleaned. Get every particle of the rust cleaned off, make ,the surface as smooth as possible, and then give a coat of a specially prepared black enamel. Two coats will of course last longer. There is no need to worry about the finish very much as no one sees the work. As long as the surface is thoroughly covered, and no rust spots left to enlarge, the job has been well done. The Older Car. If you are the owner of a car, the paintwork of which has been consistently neglected for years, there is more work ahead, but you can get the result. There is no magic touch needed in motor car painting, as any really high-class enamel finishes off free of brush marks almost of its own accord. The lighter the touch, of course, the better. If yon have never painted a ear before, you will be well advised to stick to one colour; unless, of course, your car is already painted in two distinctive colours, in which case it isn't very difficult to work your colours correctly. The amateur also would be well advised for a start to stick to the original colour of the ear, unless the whole of the paint is being cleaned off. Paint manufacturer* usually assert that it is easy to change even from a green to a red. The result doesn't always coincide with their assertions, as the writer knows to his east.

Assuming then that you have dedded to repaint the ear its original colour,

what have you to do? The treatment will, of course depend on the state of the paint, but whatever its state, it is absolutely essential that it be very carefully cleaned, and got into a perfectlysmooth condition, so that it will take the paint easily. It is a good idea to thoroughly scrub the whole car with hot water (a little washing soda added helps to take the dirt off). After this has been done, the surface can be prepared by rubbing down with fine sandpaper. Pumice dust does just as well, and for the underneath parts coarse sand ig quite all right. A thorough hosing down will remove all traces of sand or pumice, and the car is ready for the most interesting part of the work to begin. Just in case any grease or oil spots ar© left on the paintwork, it would be wise to rub the body down with benzine or turpentine (the former is cheaper and just as effective), as no paint will take over oil. Using the Brush. There is a fascination in car painting, I especially when the final dab of paint j.************************** :

is in place, and you can stana oac* »nu | admire the 1929 'finish. Yon may flatter yourself that you are a first-class workman, but actually, if you use good paint and a pood brush, you can't go far wrong. There is absolutely no sense in buying inferior paint, as the total cost for paint should not run above £2, and a good enamel will last n.ore than t\»ice as long as inferior materials. If the ear is being repainted its original colour an undercoat of ordinary paint will only be needed if the original paint is in very bad condition. In most, cases it will be possible to go straight ahead with the enamel. You need have no hesitation in going at the job boldly, for you will soon find that the enamel flows freely, leaving no brush marks. In car painting works, elaborate precautions are taken to prevent dust settling on the newly-painted car. This is one of the greatest difficulties facing the amateur, and the more care that is taken in this respect the better. If the job ia being done in & concrete garage, it should be hosed out beforehand, and the floor can be kept slightly damp throughout. It is best to do the work with the door shut, and although & fair job can be mado out in the open, a certain amount of dust will settle. Owners of old cars are at times content to brush enamel over mud on the under carriage. They might just as well save their time and mont>y. for unless this is as clean as the body, painting is useless. If, when the enamelling has been completed, you are still feeling sufficiently keen and energetic to want to make a better finish, this can be secured with a transparent finish. Paint manufacturers say that for the best results, the dry enamel should be rubbed down again with fine sandpaper or pumice, and this washed off. That may be so, but the writer has had a pretty satisfactory job | from transparent finish applied straight \ over the enamel after it dried. Changing the Colour. Much the same procedure ia needed if a change of colour is wanted except that a coat or two of matt paint will be needed to successfully blot out the original paint, this matt colour being the same as that of the enamel in which the car is to be finished. It is easy enough to change a cream-coloured car to dark ; grey, but to make certain colour changes I is more difficult. The hardest work in repainting a oar lis the preparation of the surface and j the cleaning of the old paint work. The 1 actual enamelling is easy, pleasant and satisfying in result. If yt>u want your car to retain its youthful beauty and have a pound or two to spare, an investment in paint is a very sound proj position.