On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:01:53 -0600, the infamous "Karl Townsend"
scrawled the following:

A while back, I was dragging a culvert behind my tractor. It caught on a
concrete lip, stood straight up, then tipped over on my better half's car
hood.
She was not impressed.

OK, now I've bought a like new hood from the salvage yard, and she just got
a quote for $500 to paint it. That ain't gonna happen.

I got a $3,500-$4,000 quote to paint my old '90 F-150 the same color a
couple years ago. thud


I'm pretty good at painting tractors and other equipment. Enough to know the
key is preparation. What steps should be taken to paint this hood? (I know
it has a clear coat over the white color, I need red with a clear coat) If I
don't get it right, the boss will just take it in.

I was a wrench in a body shop for 5 years and hung out with the
painter most slow days. Here's his method:

UNDERSIDE: scuff, clean to pristine, paint. (top stripped first)

TOPSIDE: Strip to bare metal, clean to pristine, prime, fill any tiny
dings, sand, prime, sand, prime, paint, rub out, second coat
(optional), rub out, clearcoat, rub out. Wait at least a month, add
sealant/wax.

You're damned lucky it's not a metalflake, Karl.

Ask several local body shops "How much to spray it if -I- prep it?"
Prolly $200 with paint, so go for it. It's a bitch to do right.

---
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight
very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
--John Wayne (1907 - 1979)