[piercetdg]

Hey everybody. I have to paint a 1996 Subaru Outback and I'm having trouble figuring out how I can easily do this 2 colour paint job.
I'm painting it to look like this one, with the rim around the wheel wells.



So I'm wondering how I can easily have a perfect circle masked to spray one colour than do another perfect circle for the other colour.
I'm wondering if anyone has any sort of technique for something like this?
Thank you.

[50bowTie]

cut your shape out of paper/plastic. use the same one for all wheel wells. (use it as a guide for laying down your fineline tape).


spray the lighter base first. mask with pattern,.. then spray your other base. clear.

[OneMoreTime]

Hopefully you have some intercoat clear there..shoot the light color and allow that to lap onto the area that is to be dark..then mask and shoot the dark..intercoat clear is like a sealer and can be taped to with no issues and can be taped on like any other clear..just real thin and can be used as a mixing base as well..in a pinch just reduce whatever clear you do have for that..

Sam

[Art Deco]

And dont forget the lace treatment and the ghost flames.
Dont leave it look like that. I mean, why do you come to the hotrodders site and not the Subaru w/ matching golf bags forum.
C'mon man you know it's in you!

[piercetdg]

I already have the people at the Subaru forum doing my old math homework, I like to keep them on their feet, but they can't speak on manly matters such as auto body.
And I can't just paint over what was already painted because there's just a dribble of paint under the big *** pin striping.

So the plan that I think may be best (although I'm still up for suggestions) is cut the circle out of paper then draw the rim with a pencil. I then fallow the pencil line with the fine line tape and tape up the top then spray the bottom. I'll take off the tape and erase the pencil line. Then I wait an hour or 2 and tape what I just painted and paint what I just taped.
Makes sense right?

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Another method would be to use a compass; open it up to
the width you want and draw the lines using a carpenter's
pencil. Hold the sharp end of the compass level against the
inside of the wheelwell when drawing the lines.

Then mask and paint.

[cyclopsblown34]

Is this a customized restoration? Why the concern for a perfect circle? I'm thinking freehand the tape line around the wheelhouse. Trying to make a piece of paper lay flat to give you a perfect circle is near impossible with the fender lip. Your eyes will let you know if your tape line isn't an even distance from the wheelhouse opening.

[dinger]

Originally Posted by cyclopsblown34

Is this a customized restoration? Why the concern for a perfect circle? I'm thinking freehand the tape line around the wheelhouse. Trying to make a piece of paper lay flat to give you a perfect circle is near impossible with the fender lip. Your eyes will let you know if your tape line isn't an even distance from the wheelhouse opening.

That is what I was thinking. Use thin tape for flexibility, if you're real concerned about width, measure the width of one existing on a car, measure and mark every 4-6 inches on the sheet metal and freehand it. Looks to be about 2 inches wide.

[cyclopsblown34]

Originally Posted by dinger

That is what I was thinking. Use thin tape for flexibility, if you're real concerned about width, measure the width of one existing on a car, measure and mark every 4-6 inches on the sheet metal and freehand it. Looks to be about 2 inches wide.

I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one thinking this.

[joe_padavano]

The factory paint isn't a "perfect circle" - it follows the shape of the wheel opening. A circle will look silly as it won't match the opening.

[Old Fool]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

The factory paint isn't a "perfect circle" - it follows the shape of the wheel opening. A circle will look silly as it won't match the opening.

IT is a subaru, it is going to look silly no matter what