MadaboutKitcars

Thank you Molleur, I was told it was a waste of money, so have already bought it - but could use it as gun wash if others are of the same opinion!

Some finishes are more sensitive to the thinners. Cheap thinners
use cheap solvents that could cause issues with the finish coats
months later when used with high build primers especially.
Crazing and high shrinkage of the primers after the finish coat is applied. The finish coats seem to re-activate the high build primers and they will shrink a bit. While it is not essential to use quality primers throughout, why take the chance..
IMO, of course.

Have you ever seen an older Jaguar, painted in lacquer that had cracked paint? Cheap thinners from the factory.

Mmm, sounds like good advice - it's always best to take good advice, so thank you.

Still open to others additions or opinions. I'm 71 yrs old and have painted my share of fiberglass cars/boats and airplanes. Been doing fiberglass since the early 1960's. In my lifetime have built
more than 75 kit cars of all manner. My current project is an RCR Superlite Coupe. http://www.superlitecars.com/
Planning an outlaw watercooled 356 Pre-A Coupe as well.

Great guide Mike, that's pretty much everything I did although I did use etch primer first on the advice of Jawel, who supplied my paint, primer and thinners as a 20 litre kit.

I also used low grade thinners - part of the kit from Jawel - in the primer and their high gloss thinners in the top-coat and I've had no shrinkage or other paint issues in three years on the road. I did forget to put a final 75/25 diluted top coat on but I'd definitely do that next time.

I like the Superlite Molleur, bit of the Pagani about it. I'd also love to see your Outlaw 356 coming together as I also love 50's Porsches.

Mikewade, this is great. If you could get a few photos when you go through the cycle, we could have the beginners spray paint guide to go along with Fatbloke's beginners roller paint guide.

I'll do my best - unfortunately I've got some building work to finish before I can start on the car. The wet weather isn't helping!

"
I like the Superlite Molleur, bit of the Pagani about it. I'd also love to see your Outlaw 356 coming together as I also love 50's Porsches."

Plan is to fabricate a tube frame and use a transverse water cooled engine/trans from a domestic compact car. I'll have to pie cut the fenders slightly. All components are easily sourced here. No IVA to frustrate in Florida.

MGF/TF wouldn't be a bad starting point, I believe that the engine is mounted in a subframe. Did they ever get exported Stateside?

Could you maybe used a damaged Boxster as a base? Just a thought.

A bit off of the paint topic, but..
No MGF/TF in the USA. No TF model since the 1955 TF1500.
914 or Boxter won't fit under the short wheelbase 356.
Much easier to fab up a tube frame.

Oh, didn't realise the MGF wasn't exported to the US. Didn't check the wheelbase of the Boxster before suggesting it, but now I recall seeing a VW Bug on a Boxster S chassis, so of course it'd be a foot too long for a 356.

Wish we could just knock up and use a tube frame chassis over here. We sort of can, but the car then has to have a load of modern crap, like rubber switches and a padded steering wheel, to get it through the dreaded IVA test.

PS, apologies for the thread hijack.

I am pretty familiar with your IVA requirements and the MOT stuff.
Sorry as well for the hijack..
Back to your regular program..

"It is hard work rollerpainting your own car" -to paraphrase Fatbloke

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4179&page=16