Grim.Badger 15 Posted September 20, 2006 If I wanted to change the colour of my Graphite Grey GTi to Miami or Lazer how much work would I need to do to the old paint? I have no idea, my gf recons I'll probably have to strip back to metal. Can you just key the original paint, put on a primer and then spray away with the new paint? Or do I need to strip it all the way back? Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paintguy 0 Posted September 20, 2006 It depends on the condition of the existing paint really. If it's generally sound, and not flaking/peeling etc, then there's really no need to strip it back to bare metal. In fact, it's probably better if you don't, as you're unlikely to be able to give it the same level of corrosion protection that it got at the factory. If the paintwork is in bad condition though, you might be better to strip it. At least as far as is needed to reach a sound base. Think of it like the foundations of a house. You might build a fantastically strong house, but if there's no foundations, it won't be long before the whole thing starts sinking into the ground. Same with your paint. It might look good just after it's been painted, but unless it had a good strong base to go over, it won't stay like that for very long. So, assuming the original paint is sound, and it's just a quick colour change, then all you need is a good key. This can be acheived either with a good rub with Scotchbrite, or by sanding. If it were me, I'd use a random orbit sander with a 240 or 320 grit pad, scotch where the sander couldn't reach, and apply a good coat of a no-sand primer. Since you're going to a lighter colour, I'd tint the primer to assist the covering power of the paint (our primer is colourless). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
