How do I quickly decently paint body panels for a Rail Buggy?

[jimmyhoffa]

Hello! I'm more of a mechanical guy, but I have been forced into body work land by my Chenowth 2RL. This is the last step. The car runs, and well! I'm happy with all the fabrication and engine work I have done.

Right now, the fiberglass is in good shape, and I've done all the repairs. It is fitted pretty nicely to the frame, and fully DZUS-tabbed out.

However, I want it to be blue, but not to go over the top chasing finish quality. It's going to be an off-road car and get bumps and bruises.

I know the "real way" is epoxy prime > Evercoat G2 or Slicksand > Sealer > Color/clear.

What I'm looking for is an intentional, durable shortcut that will cost less, look slightly worse, and be less guilt-inducing when it gets scratched up.

The end goal is this, here's my photoshop of the goal:

All suggestions are welcome! I own a few automotive spray guns, and have painted fenders and stuff on my truck with primer/sealer/base/clear and my work looks okay.
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1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous.

[theKbStockpiler]

Truck bed liner.
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My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[panicman]

Have you considered plasti dip?

It’s available in more colors now, you can buy in spraybombs, it touches up nicely, its relatively inexpensive, you can buy PD’s gloss coat to add some shine, AND- it peels right off if you don’t like it.

I did the bumper ends on my Tundra, and i am pretty impressed with the stuff....

[jimmyhoffa]

So 5+ years later I have actually started to do this. The car is 1000% better otherwise and now I'm fully stoked on getting this body looking fresh to really round out the package. Here is the car now:

I also built a beautiful new engine for it which puts it comfortably in the 13s at the strip.

Before I started on the business side of the fiberglass panels, I cleaned, scuffed and laminated the backs of the somewhat thin panels to add rigidity and fix some minor structural issues, as well as reinforce the DZUS areas where some had some edge fraying/damage.

I decided to get a mini DA and a big 6" DA and start flattening out the panels and sanding through the everlasting gobstopper of paint to the gelcoat base. I found to use the big DA anywhere I can, to blend the smaller areas I had to use the 2" DA on into the flat surfaces. Then, block sanding at an angle with the biggest flexy sanding plate I could fit everywhere to bring out bodylines and square up all the surfaces. Then last, roll over the edges with a flexy sanding block to blend the curved panel edges in. I laid this SprayMax 2k Epoxy Primer thick enough that I think I can block it with something fine before paint. My finish was 120 grit on the gelcoat before the epoxy primer and it filled well. I just have some surfacing to do on the epoxy before real paint goes on.

With the blocking I did it really brought out some harder body lines which I really like. I'm a new school kid so I like sharp edges and abrupt features more than I like flowy roundy shapes.

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1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous.

[lqqkatjon]

I am impressed. I bought some of that 2k epoxy in the can for my VW thing a few month's ago. and it did not seem to cover at all. $100 later I had some coverage, but still had to go buy regular 2k primer and spray with a harbor freight gun to get the nice grey coverage you show in your photos.

I was very disappointed in the 2k spraymax epoxy primer coverage. I was not trying to do the whole car, just the back luggage area, and it took numerous cans.

[jimmyhoffa]