Hey guys,
Im looking to respray my 1970 beetle.
It will be a very simliar colour to what it is now but just needs to be redone to look great.
Do I need to strip it all the way back to metal?
Cheers,
Richard
doubt it... we are going a different shade of white on our bug and they will not take it back to bare metal.
get a spray painter to look at it for you.
Yes - if the paint on it is cracked, rusty or otherwise shite
No - if it is just faded, dull
You don't 'have' to do anything.
If you want the best possible outcome in regards to paint finish, then investing the extra hundred or so hours time to strip to bare metal and reprime
etc. and the extra hundreds of dollars in material, then go for it if you wish.
If the time and money are not a resource that is unlimited, and the final finish is not needing to be concours, then painting over the old paint is an
option. Just remember though, that any faults in the paint underneath will still be there, and will affect the final finish.
Thanks guys.
Another problem/question.
And sorry if it seems obvious but i am learning still.
The paint is melting as I sand to my sanding disks and the car in clumps.
I have tryed different methods of moving and speeds etc.
What am I doing wrong or what is the correct method of sanding it?
Cheers,
Richard
sanding discs ... 3M make a great disc called strip and clean - they are not 'angry', and won't generate melting heat. I found (thanks Hellbus)
that the reality is that you have to put stupid hours into it. and no amount of elecro-powered-wizardry solves that problem.
If you're car is not full of bog, which you are gonna replace, then using multiple grade of papers to get down to either the metal or the original
paint is a a job for your hands, as you'll soon get an eye and feel for what is going on. It is however mind-numbingly boring, getting into all those
nooks and crannys.
You can use paint stripper, which works well and is pretty kind to the metal too, depends how much your taking off.
If you've gone to metal all ready, then keep going ... you're gonna have to etch prime it anyway.
Read Hellbus' how to, it is spot on. I discovered that it's not a mechanical process, more of an artistic one. But it's time well invested.
Sounds to me like the disc you're using is too hard a compound and you're generating heat. Go to the auto-paint shop, and get a sanding pad, go old
school.
I gave up on the Sanding pad yesterday. Mainly because all the shops were closed. 
So I went real old school and sanded by hand.
Didn't take too long got the roof nearly finished yesterday and only took about 5 hours.
But ill keep at it. Thanks for putting up with my silly questions.
Richard
4" grinder and a josco brumby 'strip-it disc' or the other brand CCC and helbus have mentioned. The brumby ones are 10 bucks, at bunnings, and are blue. I've used a shit load of them, with great results.
Cheers Ren.
Looks like im doing it by hand.
Its nice and smooth and I wont have to worry about putting flat spots in it by accident.
This week will be sanding, sanding, sanding.
Oh and another good thing about hand sanding is I can still work on it at night because I dont need any power tools. 
Richard
and another plus you will find muscles you never knew you had lol:P
deon
richard
take it to school for your best class to study and sand out the faults
3 to a guard 3 to each bonnet 2 each door
thats 22 kids the others can supply drinks , photos and do research on the web and write a report ha ha
whats news re Mr Cann ??
nice to live in Alice always can have BAKRD ENAMEL PAINT !!
what paper grade or even brand is best for hand sanding?
The paint is melting because it is acrylic laquer. The heat of the disc movement melts it.
36 grit paper would be the go by hand. Any decent brand would be OK. Usually resin coated paper that is yellow green or blue.
Yeah im still at it should finish most of it today.
Slow processes but I know if I put in the work and the hours I will get a better return in the end.
Richard