Anything special about repainting a Viper as opposed to any other car?

[hemichuck]

I just bought a Gen 2 that has some body issues and since my cousin is a body man I stopped to talk with him about it and he acted as if he was scared to death of it. Is there anything special that has to be done when painting or prepping a Viper for paint? I have seen him and actually helped him paint several Corvettes that were pretty rough. Isnt painting a Viper about the same?

[Bugman Jeff]

Not really anything too special about it. If the body needs any repair work, he MUST use SMC specific fiberglass resin, standard resin won't stick well. Practically all fillers and primers are rated for SMC so that shouldn't be an issue. The side sills are aluminum, so if they get sanded down to metal they should be primed with a zinc chromate primer first so that the standard primer will stick. The bumpers get treated like any other late model plastic bumper.

[hemichuck]

Thanks Jeff, I've been following your dinged up dodge thread. My cousin acts like he's afraid of this thing and he really has no reason except he is not sure about specifics. I will ask him one more time with this info in hand and then move on to one of my other buddies who can do it.

[Steve-Indy]

Main problem that I have seen is lack of use of an adhesive and flex additives on the front and rear fascia...leading to paint flaking.
Here is an interesting link:
http://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/painting-plastic/

[Bugman Jeff]

A lot of people shy away because it's a "high end sports car" and they don't want to muck up something that cost big bucks. Remind him that even if it were in absolutely pristine condition it would still be worth less than a new Chevy Suburban. As it is now, it cost you less than most used Kias

[ellowviper]

.... The side sills are aluminum, so if they get sanded down to metal they should be primed with a zinc chromate primer first so that the standard primer will stick.

So funny story on the "aluminum" side sills. There was a custom car shop here in the Tampa area....TITOs or something like that off Adamo Drive. I stopped in to BS about some paint work on the side sills due to the cats baking the paint. I said I had painted them once or twice already....and being aluminum, I wondered if there was something else I could do for heat management. The owner[Tito] looked at me very condescendingly and says "those side sills are not aluminum....they are fiberglass like the rest of the car." I said "no...they are aluminum." He kept his condescending attitude with arms crossed and all that... insinuating by his tone and body language that I was a flaming idiot and had no clue as to what I was talking about. After a few more I'm the car expert BS backs-and-forths...I simply stated that if he didn't know the difference between aluminum and fiberglass....good bye. Long story longer...he wanted to install small blowers vented to the side sills to remove the heat because "that's what they do on NASCARs".... Oh boy...REALLY?

[plumcrazy]

lol

[plumcrazy]

lol

[BlackSnake99]

lol

lol.

[Bugman Jeff]

How often we have to argue with "experts" about our cars
I wonder if he had previous experience with a car that had Autoform fiberglass sills.

[Fatboy 18]

If you get the car painted in PRN Red it will go faster

[hemichuck]

He is certainly not going to hurt the "value" of my car! He has done a lot of my stuff in the past and we used to build a lot of old Mopars and sell them so he is used to doing a little "turd polishing" if you know what I mean.