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So... You want to paint a Legacy?


RAC

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So you've decided you want to paint a Legacy (or probably any other late model Simplicity). Well if you're lucky, you live somewhere dry and the powder coat, yeah, that's right, powder coat (two coats too) is in good shape and you can simply sand, hit with epoxy primer and lay on some new color. But... since most people don't live somewhere dry, and likely the powder coat is hiding unseen corrosion, like mine, I thought I'd take you through the process I've gone through in the last couple weeks.

It has to come off! So if the powder coat ("PC" from here on) is scratched or delaminating anywhere, and you don't live in Arizona it needs to come off. There'll be rust under it and you can't tell where it stops. Could you sand it back and stop there, maybe, but it'll be a challenge to blend the new finish between bare metal and the PC edge.

Rust "tracks" under the PC! There was no sign of corrosion on the PC surface in this spot!

5c2d336eda44a_corrosion(338x450).jpg.dcbf00c79d10c4ee6dc72ce8e9c9b2e3.jpg

All Stripped! Rustoleum Aircraft Remover + wire wheel on angle grinder.

5c2d33dde1e84_IMG_20181221_154417453stripped(338x450).jpg.5088a8de6cd04ccc889c0aae5560a53f.jpg

Rust preventative treatment with Ospho (phosphoric acid) + neutralizing wash (cant be any traces of acid left or the epoxy primer used in next step won't adhere properly!!!

Two coats epoxy primer followed immediately by two coats high build two part primer.5c2d34dad9432_metalirregular(450x338).jpg.5bf83f0f3560b371936ea5fee1ea97a9.jpg

Then wet-sand. You thought your tractor was smooth didn't you? Not so much. The Legacy stampings are more "farm implement grade" than automotive grade. Two coats of PC hides a lot of stamping irregularities. The "stipling" in the picture above isn't orange peel in the epoxy primer, it's the "roughness" in the steel showing up as I sanded through the 2 part primer down to the epoxy. Apply your body filler to any repair areas on top of the primer.

5c2d360cf316b_washed(450x338).jpg.9334d5d0aef39c0be375d8ea89b05989.jpgAll sanded, washed and ready to go (just a scotch brite scuff on the under sides).

FWIW, all the parts will fit in the bathtub to be "showered" off. After a water wash de-grease with a pre-paint product.

5c2d36f6081de_sealed(338x450).jpg.2c7c42a201bfd74770c6779c3eab985b.jpgEpoxy seal coat.

Unless everything is perfect and you're better than me you'll probably have sanded through the high build primer down to the epoxy, maybe even to bare metal on a corner here and there. That means a seal coat of epoxy primer right ahead of the paint.

5c2d38027d1e8_1coat(338x450).jpg.1f4dd9fac6baa1c48320b57e114e78ea.jpgFirst coat of color.

I wimped out! had initially planed to do a base coat clear coat but decided that I just couldn't control dust well enough in the garage to spray a coat of sealer plus 6 more coats so instead it got 3 wet coats of single stage urethane enamel (PPG Omni 61158).

5c2d38b1ad2c4_3coats(338x450).jpg.9c766e0fc5d786ab0d69571426eed7b2.jpgThree coats of paint. The between coat time is just a few minutes.

Even using a medium slow hardener and reducer the first piece (fender) was almost ready to recoat by the time I got the grill sprayed.

5c2d395e311a6_formerdent(450x338).jpg.1e086bc3315179bceb37d89a3c29cba6.jpgCan you see it????

There was a big crease there in the right rear hood corner (about where the light reflection is). (If you can see it, even in person, I'll buy your lunch!)

5c2d39dd94eb9_fender(450x338).jpg.50ed7827ec5253446c686ddc8528ee69.jpgRear fender. Ooooo, Ahhhh, SHINY!

All those sexy curves! They look great but make finish removal, body work and painting a little bit of a pain. Ended up with a little dust in the finish, a side effect of painting in a space that gets used for everything else too. Almost no "orange peel", and only one tiny little "fisheye" that I'll touch up before putting it back together. The dust in the hood was the most noticeable but a quick wet-sand with 1500-2000-2500 and finally 3000 grit paper knocked it down. A quick pass with a buffing wheel and it was smooth as a baby's bottom (but with a lot more shine).

 

 

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Very nice writeup on the trials of a quality paint job.  Thanks Rob for taking the time to put together this fine article on paint. I am sure others will appreciate your efforts as much as I did.

 

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5 hours ago, fishnwiz said:

Very nice writeup on the trials of a quality paint job.  Thanks Rob for taking the time to put together this fine article on paint. I am sure others will appreciate your efforts as much as I did.

 

I'm in agreement with Wiz, I've been following your post as mine needs this done to but with all the work you've done mine will probably stay as it is

I'm by no means skilled in the painting as you seem to be , thanks nice article

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Anybody can do it! I don't really have any special painting skills and just passable equipment ($70 gravity feed OEM brand gun from Autozone). you just have to be careful and kind of follow the directions. I've done 2 little tractors like this, one farm tractor, and a couple pick-up trucks. The guy at the paint counter wherever you buy your automotive type finishes can really be your friend.

Edited by RAC
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Well this makes for two times the abbreviation PC are something I want to avoid! sm00

The finished product looks sweet! And shiny paint is my job. dOd

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On 1/3/2019 at 11:33 AM, RAC said:

Anybody can do it! I don't really have any special painting skills and just passable equipment ($70 gravity feed OEM brand gun from Autozone). you just have to be careful and kind of follow the directions. I've done 2 little tractors like this, one farm tractor, and a couple pick-up trucks. The guy at the paint counter wherever you buy your automotive type finishes can really be your friend.

The fact that you took the time during the process to document the "How to" is much appreciated regardless if your an expert or not.!

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"All dressed up and nowhere to mow!"5c325df287f84_legacy(450x338).jpg.a33cc30f93e5b46a4194de692268cde0.jpg

Yeah... I know the tires are dirty. It's January in Ohio and there isn't a hose to be found outside.

Here's the big question... I have a set of iron wheel weights, what color should they be???? I was really leaning toward orange. But you could also go with the chassis color, or the silver metallic of the rims (not sure I like that). Thoughts?

Other things learned on this project:

The insulation inside the hood is  foam backed. Used foil faced fiberglass to replace.

Krylon silver paint pen works great to re-paint the speed control markings on the right fender insert.

When you order new decals you get the silver/blue "Simplicity" brand mark instead of the plain silver that was original. (can't really tell that in this pic, sorry, what I get with a 100 dollar phone)

TSC County Line seat is a reasonably close replacement for original at 1/3 - 1/4 the cost. Have to drill two extra holes in back of brackets and add a 3/8 inch thick puck of foam to the top of the seat switch.

Standard door edge protectors from the auto parts store are just the right length to replace the factory trim at the back of the hood. For the same price as the factory edge you can have 4 pieces and have enough to do the bottom of the fender pan where it sits on the tunnel and the top half of the side panels where the rub on the plastic dash. You could even do chrome if you wanted to be fancy (but that'd be a buck more).

A 1/8 X 2 inch X 15 inch piece of strap iron to reinforce under the seat pan where the front seat slider bolts go through isn't a bad idea (some cracking there that had to be welded).

Finally... it's all probably more work than its worth for a tractor I paid $600 for this summer. But even the Mrs. thinks it looks pretty good.

Edited by RAC
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Very nice.  Re weights, you could paint some cardboard discs, place in the wheels and see which you like.  Maybe black or the bumper color.

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4 hours ago, PGL said:

Very nice.  Re weights, you could paint some cardboard discs, place in the wheels and see which you like.  Maybe black or the bumper color.

I would vote for the bumper or chassis color. Really nice job and documentation. dOd

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5 hours ago, PGL said:

Very nice.  Re weights, you could paint some cardboard discs, place in the wheels and see which you like.  Maybe black or the bumper color.

I have black on mine and I'm happy with that, black looks good with any color. Just my $.02

Oh looks nice, when can I drop mine off to get painted   LOL

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9 hours ago, 720nut said:

I have black on mine and I'm happy with that, black looks good with any color. Just my $.02

Oh looks nice, when can I drop mine off to get painted   LOL

You can drop it off any time! If you'll ever get it back or not is an entirely different matter.

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  • 4 months later...

Weight color update - Orange... definitely!

Feel compelled to comment on this paint (Omni Urethane). I don't like it! Probably wouldn't recommend it. Looks nice, for now, but it's never really gotten as hard as I think it should've. I know the mix and hardener ratios were right because the flash time and dust free times were right on spec. But it isn't real hard, think it'll eventually scratch too easy. Sorry 'wiz, just couldn't do "mauve"!

IMG_20190607_132546683_HDR.thumb.jpg.f71c2ae8e2e17424c08efa6747a4379a.jpg

 

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I used Omni to paint my car years ago and absolutely hated it!!  Its cheap for a reason.  I went back to PPG urethane paint after that experiment.

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One of my goals this summer is to paint both my Legacys(one is an Agco)  I'm not sure if I will paint it myself or have a body shop do it so it's done, but I plan to do it to last for years.

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11 hours ago, Alltractoredup said:

I used Omni to paint my car years ago and absolutely hated it!!  Its cheap for a reason.  I went back to PPG urethane paint after that experiment.

omni is ppg's house line. if single stage ,  go with Concept.

that what i used at the shop.

 

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6 minutes ago, irvtoms said:

omni is ppg's house line. if single stage ,  go with Concept.

that what i used at the shop.

 

I will look into concept, thank you

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