Want to prep a car before i take it to the body shop to get it painted to save some $$... where do i start? I have a DA sander, what materials do i need? I just want to have it sanded down, and have the body shop throw on its own primer, color, and clear. thanks!
Do you have any body damage? If you are just prepping it for paint and no body work, you need a lot less stuff. You might want to look into the 3M Trizac system. http://3m.hillas.com/c-1255-3m-discs.aspx I'd also suggest removing all trim, bumpers, lights, etc so they don't have much to tape off.
Well first you need to read up, go grab a book at your local book store on autobody. I hate when people come into the shop thinking they can prep a vehicle and have it painted, that way saving them cash. In the long run it doesn't work out, as we take more time fixing their mistakes, etc. And I am not going to paint over someones work that I have no clue whats been done. Its going to be a messy job, more so if your car is single stage now. You need a lot more then a DA sander. You need all different size blocks, some "curvable," filler (please don't buy the "bondo" brand and putty. And then if you have dents, hammers, dollies, etc.
Scuffing up the big flat sections of panel is the easiest part of prep work and takes almost no time so I don't think that sanding yourself will save much money. Unless you remove all the trim beforehand, don't limit yourself to the exterior- do the jambs and interior masking, and deliver the vehicle in that condition it may not be worth it. Additionally, the body shop is going to either say 'You did the prep, and don't want to pay- so you get what you get' or 'You did the prep, and we have to redo everything anyway to make it right'. If it were me painting it- unless I knew your capabilities firsthand, felt confident in you handling the task, and wanted to cut you a deal I wouldn't touch it. That said, go spend some time on hotrodders.com where I'm sure you'll be able to find a thread on the subject.
98% of shops aren't going to give you a discount for preping your car. If anything, they'll charge you more because they'll have to troubleshoot your prep first. If you really want to save money, just give the car to the painter as is.
Yeah don't do your own prep unless you are going to a really low rate shop. Also remember that bondo cannot go over rust and is best applied to bare, clean metal. On that note: don't use bondo as it has terrible expansion and adhesion qualities.
Good choice mate! Though im sure you could do it if you read a lot and were willing to buy the supplies! Make sure to post pics with whatever you decide!
I see you chose the fine services of Earl Scheib: http://forums.offtopic.com/showthread.php?t=3976763
http://www.instructables.com/id/SQPOTUZF9AZJR76/ DO it yourself. I did on my Civic. This system works.