Spray Painting over White

Hello,

I am newbie police car modeler, and I am going to attempt my first repaint of an entire car. The car is painted all white, and I was wondering how well the finished product would be if I were to paint over the current white paint.

I would like to avoid using a paint stripper if possible due to the toxicity of the whole process, but I know this would be the best way to do a repaint.

I'd like to paint the car in black and olive. Has anyone repainted a car without stripping the paint first?

Thank you for the advice!

I haven't painted over another colour since I gave up brush painting cars. Believe me, the paint coat underneath will show, probably in the most noticeable place. Stripping the paint is the best way.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

It is easier to paint dark over light, though. I don't think painting over white finish coat would be much different than painting over a white primer.

For that matter, I'd prime anyway, over the white paint.

Thanks for the responses, all.

Don, do you suggest I use a white primer or maybe a grey one instead?

I may try stripping the paint also. Can I pour the liquid into a plastic bucket or does it have to be a metal one?

Thank you!

Castrol is fine for plastics. It does, after all, come in a plastic bottle. Do NOT use it on metal bodies or put it in a metal container - at the least it will pit the surface and if you leave it in there for any length of time it will dissolve metal.

If you need to remove paint from a metal body use aircraft stripper, but use it with extreme caution. It's even nastier on human tissue than CSC.

I keep Scale Coat Washaway in a Rubbermaid container and have for years. No problems here. Pine-Sol probably will affect a plastic container. I've never tried Castrol Super Cleaner but I think it might affect plastic too.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Even a grey one would be fine.