Why does nobody talk about how long paint prep actually takes

I spent 3 days on a minivan last month thinking I could knock out the prep work in one afternoon. Sanding down the old clear coat around the rear quarter panel took me 4 hours alone because the previous shop had laid it on thick. Then I hit the filler work on a small dent near the wheel well and realized I needed another day for primer and block sanding. Has anyone else underestimated prep time on a job and ended up rushing the final coat?

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susan_wells2mo ago

Oh man, I feel this, did the exact same thing on a silver sedan last spring and it took me five days instead of two.

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cameron_chen632mo ago

Silver sedan, man. I swear the color itself adds three days of labor. @susan_wells I remember watching my paint cure slower than my last relationship. Ended up re-sanding the clear coat twice because I got impatient. Your mileage may vary, but I'd rather wax a school bus than do another silver car.

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