must primer be applied w/ primer gun?

[qwik219d9]

I'm only painting one front fender & head light cover.

I understand that the pros. have 3 paint guns one for primer 2 for paint 3rd for clear is this absolutely nessesary for the DIYer?

or can I apply the primer out of a can (confussed on this becasuse these GM front fenders have primer built in right?)

apply paint w/ gun the clean gun apply clear w/ same gun?

Thanks for any helpfull advice this will be my first fender.

[mark21742]

primer out of the can will work fine, most just dont holdup well if its exposed to the weather for long periods of time.
if you just do a small patch job here and there id just use a can, but if you are doing a larger job or repairs often its actually cheaper to use a gun/compressor and buy paint by the quart or gallon.
personally over the years I have collected 7 or 8 guns and I honestly prefer the $50 siphon feed you get at homedepot or lowes. its not epa legal for bussiness use but works great for primer, base, clear and single stage. most people that have a gun for each type of paint have them setup for the exact type of paint (large 2.0 or bigger for primer) smaller tip for base and so on.
hope i helped you

[mark21742]

the parts your talking about, did you buy a new fender from gm? if so the primer you are talking about on the new gm parts (thin black coating i take it) is a corrosion protectant that is applied for shipping and storage, all the shops i have ever worked at sanded all of the coating off and started with bare metal. id recomend a good etching primer (you can get it in a spray can) just make sure it says for bare metal

[qwik219d9]

if you just do a small patch job here and there id just use a can

?is a front fender concidered a small job?

yes my front fender is a plastic GM.

id recomend a good etching primer (you can get it in a spray can) just make sure it says for bare metal

you suggest a etching primer for metal even if I'm painting plastic?

I was checking out primers in the store got a little confussed primer w/ sealer
primer for body filler there when about 5 or 6 differnt primers.

BTW wicked looking goat very nice.

Thanks

[mark21742]

if you just do a small patch job here and there id just use a can

?is a front fender concidered a small job?

yes my front fender is a plastic GM.

id recomend a good etching primer (you can get it in a spray can) just make sure it says for bare metal

you suggest a etching primer for metal even if I'm painting plastic?

I was checking out primers in the store got a little confussed primer w/ sealer
primer for body filler there when about 5 or 6 differnt primers.

BTW wicked looking goat very nice.

Thanks

yes doing just a fender would be considered a small job.
sorry, thought you had a metal fender, with plastic fender id just sand it Very good with 220 grit sand paper then go over it again with 320 grit to make sure you get good adhesion and dont have any sand scratches when your done.
in your case id go with a primer/sealer, the (sealer) does just what it says, it helps seal the undercoat (factory primer) and gives you a good base to paint over.

any more questions just ask, im on and off of here alot today lol drank abit too much last night so i am taking lots of breaks from the garage.
thanks for the complement on the goat, I just cant wait til i get it finished