Topic: Painting question

[whitetaildreamer]

Definitely a newbie to all of this but am trying.  I've been reading as much as possible about painting.  Some question:  I've noticed in some posts the restoration has taken the entire car right to the steel.  Is this always necessary?  I am building a driver and will take off as much as possible but can I get away with a decent paint job with out taking it to the steel?  I have also read about the layering of the coats of paint.  I understand this but this is where I get lost, the spraying of the second coat 20 min after the first.  Do you wet sand between coats?  If so, since I will be taking the car apart, can I put the first two base coats on the individual pieces and then after it is put back together do the last two coats and the clear coats?  Will be using a good automotive paint and a sprayer.  Don't mind taking the time and as stated, new at this.  For all you painters out there, would appreciate ideas and procedures of the final painting timeline after the sanding of the car in primer.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

[taman76]

I will try and answer a few questions at once.

Taking the car down to bare metal is only needed if the paint under it has cracks or rust.  If the paint is decent, then you can simply sand out the chips and rough the paint and your good to go.

As far as the 20 min thing, each kind of paint has a flash time.  Some more and some less.  You do not sand between the coats.  You simply follow the directions the manufacture gives you for the paint. 

As far as painting the car in parts.  As long as it isn't a metalic paint, you can easily do it. 

[4SPEED]

only some people take the time to sand between coats of paint. but the last coat of paint is not sanded.

metalic paint you cant do that.

once you start the painting you cant stop. and should never touch the parts with your hands.
so paint and clear on or off the car only.

for a time?   it takes as long as it takes.   it all about how much body work needs done after the first of many coats of primer.