Plan for Progress  

If you notice that the color of your car is starting to become a little dull and dirty looking or you simply decide you want a fresh look. The initial idea in your head is possibly finding a professional to take care of a fresh paint job. But painting a car is not a task that can just be undertaken by professionals, as a matter of fact you may get the job done on your own with just a couple guidelines and a little determination.

Therefore here are a couple tips to help you achieve a excellent finish right in your own yard, without paying for someone else to do it and without spending an arm and leg to buy the necessary items.

How To Paint A Car

Required Tools

Sander

Paint sprayer

Putty knife (optional)

Required Materials

Painter’s/Masking tape

Newspapers

Car washing detergent and brush

Putty (optional)

Wet Sandpaper (fine and thick grit)

Rustoleum high gloss paint

Odorless mineral spirits

Primer

4″ High density foam brushes

Paint trays

Clear coat

Power spin buffer

Instructions

Firstly you need to find a large location which is dust and dirt free because dust can be very unfavorable to a good paint job. If you have a garage with adequate space this would probably be the best place to do your painting.

Once you select a spot use the car washing detergent and brush to eliminate all dirt and dust from the car. Use newspaper and tape and thoroughly go around the car and carefully cover any area you do not desire to be painted like the windows and headlights. You should take off the bumpers too and spray them independently to ensure they are done well.

Start with the thick grit sandpaper (600 grit) and then go over the car once more with finer grades. A sander will greatly aid with this step therefore it is best that you obtain one. The car ought to be wet sanded as such use sandpaper made for wet purposes.

If there are any depressions in the car, use the putty to knife to fill and smooth them with putty. Let the putty to dry completely before disturbing it. If the base metal of the car is showing in any areas, paint them with a coat of the primer to make sure that you obtain a level finish.

Now it is time to start painting; you may use a paint sprayer to put on the paint quicker or you can use a paint tray and a 4” foam brush. Put on the primer foremost to establish a good base for any color you intend to place on the car afterwards. When the primer dries sand it down to get rid of any bumps or paint marks. You should spray the car around 3 times to make sure you have a good foundation to work on.

Now you move move on to the colored coats; mix 50% paint to 50% mineral spirits to obtain the necessary consistency and spray on at least 2 coats, or as many as you need to get the color you desire. Next put on around 3 tiers of the clear coat to lock in your paint job; and your paint job is complete. Leave it to dry for a minimum of 24 hours before washing or otherwise handling the paint job.

Use a spin buffer about 2 days after to truly get the paint job to shine.

Tips

To decrease the quantity of tape and newspaper work you need to do, remove as many areas as you can that you do not wish to be painted like the head and tail lights.

Permit every coat to dry for a couple hours before applying another coat over it.

As you can see, learning how to paint a car is a simple task!