Next week I want to start the preparation of the GRP bodywork ready for painting. I have done loads of mods to the body, putting vents in, changing curves and generally making it exactly how I want it to look. I have used a high build primer on the parts that I have modified and flatted it back by hand with a dry foam block & fairly fine production paper. The finish is now fairly smooth but I would like to save some money and get everything ready so that the painter can (more or less) just start spraying the primer.
I am going for a metallic base with laquer on top if that makes any difference.

Edit: So what is my final preparation before giving it to the painter? After all, his time is my money

Any help will be appreciated

[Edited on 24-9-06 by RazMan]

He wants to know if theres anything else he should do prep wise to save some money.....Nothing springs to mind, they'll obviously clean it up with solvents and stuff before priming. How did you flat it down did you use some of the black powder marking stuff to pick out the high spots, and what grade wet+dry did you finish with?? I'm no expert - by any means! - but might help others give more advice....Oli.

Re-reading my opening post I now see that I didn't really explain myself too well

I want to do as much as I can to the bodywork before I give it to the painter to complete the job.

I used a rubber block with 240 grade paper (dry) to finish the filled areas. I have heard about the 'guide coat' method but I'm not really sure how to do this.

240 sounds a bit rough for a finish, you'll see the grit marks through the top coat. Rub it down with some finer wet and dry with water (800-1000) and prime it lightly then rub it down again with your block to find the high spots and ridges. Mark Allanson might offer more advice as he did it as a job. Leave it to the painters if you are paying as it's boring and they'll want to do it again anyway.

The painter will almost certainly want to appy his own 2K primer so a 240 grit finish would be more than adequate.

Do not wet flat anything, the modern primers are designed to chemically combine with the next liquid they come into contact with i.e the colour coat, NOT a bucket of dirty water!!

Best bet is to talk to the painter and see what HE wants

I'd agree on that one - you could put a hell of a lot of effort in and get it there for the painter to go over the whole car with a different grade or whatever. The guide coat idea is that you use something black - black aerosol primer does it though they now sue powder in shops because of the EU and CFC's etc.....you spray a light dusting of it over the surface of the white body filler and then start flatting it down by hand. You can see the high and low spots realy easily because as you sand down you obviously remove the guide coat but leave it behind in the lows. Stands out like a sore thumb and really does work. But yeah I'd chat to the painter and see what he's looking for. Might even allow you to go in and do the work under their supervision, this is what I've always managed to do - even wangling a go at spraying getting them to teach me how....well worth the effort. Don't think it saves much money but you do get to know them better and learn a few things to boot! Oli.

Thanks for the input guys - looks like I will do some of the obvious bits and leave the rest up to the professionals to be on the safe side
I'll go and have a word with them tomorrow and see how he wants to play.