I would like to introduce you to my van A.K.A. the Heasley Hot-rod! :)
Over the course of ten years and many different owners, you can see that it has been through a lot. It isn’t much of a hot-rod any more (Although I can’t really say that it ever was.) It gets me from point A to point B and that is all that matters.
I knew that if I didn’t take care of the rust now, it would only get worse. As you can see by how much rust there is that I have already put this job off for too long.
The whole job cost about $10 and about 2 hours of my time. The longest part was waiting for the primer and paint to dry.
I went to a local auto store and bought some Automobile Primer (about $5.00), and the Auto Paint (Also around $5.00). You have to make sure you get the right color so ask an attendant for some help. Make sure you know the make and year of your car. There is also a sticker with a number code either under the hood or on the diver side door for. This code will help the attendant get the exact color for you need for your car.
The Preparations Begin!
Before you start any big project you need to make sure you have all of the right materials and prepare anything and everything that you will need to do before you begin. I had 6 things that I needed to do before I could go ahead and start spray painting.
1. Find all of the rust spots on your car. this sounds obvious but if you don’t make a thorough check before hand you might not get all the spots.
2. Scrape away any of the old chipped paint.
3. Sand away all of the rust areas. (I already hand an electric hand sander which was perfect for the job.
4. Keep sanding until all of the rust is gone. You should only see the natural metal and it will feel completely smooth.
5. Wipe down the surface of the car with a Basic H Wipe.
6. Prepare the car for primer with painters tape and newspaper.
I must say, this job was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Altogether it only took me about 2 hours of time and only about half of that was actual working time. The rest of the time I was making dinner while waiting for the primer and paint to dry.
My hot-rod looks like new again. I am so happy with the way it turned out! You can do a lot with a little hard work and a lot of determination.
Here are just a few Helpful Hint
- Make sure you have the right supplies for your project before you begin.
- Take time to prepare your car properly.
- Check the weather!! I didn’t and it started to rain as soon as I finished. I was able to pull it into the garage. I got pretty lucky this time!! :)
Elisabeth