I May Paint My Car Myself

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Agreed, you need to practice a lot on crap that doesn't matter. It isn't that hard, but you need a good clean place to do it with proper ventilation and airflow, as well as the right tools for the job like a good Air compressor, HVLP spray guns, lots of sand paper and a TON of patience. I haven't painted any cars yet, but have done quite a few bikes... it is hard to get it perfect, trust me, I painted the one below.

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Ok, so I'm thinking of painting my car myself. How would I begin this process? Can you guys give me some tips? I want this paint job to look really good.

First things first. Why do you want to do this? The answer shouldn't necessarily determine whether or not you paint your car, but I want to make sure that you have really thought this through, and here is why...

1. If you are painting your own car, you need to realize that it will more than likely NOT save you any money. The cost of the tools, consumables, and paint are all expensive. Unless you are painting multiple cars, you will at best break even on a single car.

2. If you are painting your car for reasons other than monetary (such as, you are interested in paint and body and want to learn, or you want to be able to say that you did everything on the car yourself, etc.) then you can start compiling a list of necessities.

So, you will need...

For Prep - Perhaps the most important part of the painting process.

1. A decent compressor - A larger compressor helps for painting, but more importantly to run a Dual Action Sander, which takes a lot of air.

2. Sandpaper (and lots of it!) - Sandpaper for your D/A, from 80-180 grit. Wet or dry hand sanding paper from 220-2000 grit. Some 80-150 is also good for knocking down Bondo type filler.

3. Sanding blocks - Multiple blocks help, sized differently depending on which area of the body you are working on. A long block for the big, flat areas like the doors, hood, and roof, and a smaller block for the smaller areas.

4. Sanding masks. Safety first, and no reason to breathe all that dust.

5. A good drill and wire brush. You need to be able to deal with rust, because you will certainly find it. Wire wheeling rust away is the most basic way to remove it.

6. An HVLP gun with tip sized to spray high build primer - A lot of people use a cheap gun for primer. It may lead to more sanding, but it will also save your quality gun for base and clear. Tip size is important (that's what she said!) and some guns have multiple tips. Make sure it is large enough for the primer you are shooting.

7. You will need Primer. For the car I am working on, a gallon of primer and required hardner was about $100. You will also need the required filters and accessories to properly measure and mix your chemicals.

8. Body filler - Bondo, or another brand (some people don't like Bondo brand, it is personal preference) of filler.


Okay, I'm sure I missed some so others can fill in, but that is a good start. So, you have sanded, filled, primed, sanded, re-filled, and primed, and finally you have block sanded the car to perfection (If you want your job to look "really good" you need to do this! You may even have a few more fill-sand-prime sections in there, so be ready) and are now ready for paint.


1. You need a paint booth. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, a rickety structure built out of 2X4's and some plastic sheeting can be fine. I really suggest building it with a few filters (like HVAC filters for your home) embedded in the plastic, and a fan or two on the other side to pull some air through. In fact, having the fan away from the booth and ducting from the booth to the fan is the safest. When you are painting, you are basically sitting in an explosive bomb, so safety dictates that electric motors be away from the area. A lot of people don't do this and haven't exploded, but it should be mentioned.

2. Once your paint booth is completed (tally up the cost, they still cost something!) then you need an outside air supply. Again, some people don't care about their livers and don't do this, but I do, so get a hobby air system from eastwood company. It works well, and you won't smell paint for three weeks afterwards.

3. You need a reasonable quality spray gun. There are some really expensive guns, but if you do some research there are some affordable guns that can do a quality job. Google it, search autobody101.com, there is a good amount of info out there.

4. Finally, you need your paint. Depending on brand, this can vary wildly. I recommend not going with the cheapest stuff, because quality paint requires quality materials. I use PPG myself, but there are many choices. Expect to spend at least 1K on paint and clear, and maybe more if you make mistakes (which can certainly happen on your first job). Alternatively, you could go with a single stage paint and forgo the clear, but it won't be as good of quality or as durable as a nice base/clear.

6. You need a quality was and grease remover, good lint free towels, and tack cloths. A clean surface makes for happy paint.

5. Once your paint is laid down, you need a good quality buffer/polisher. I like my Dewalt polisher, but there are many choices. You also need some compounds to buff out your paint. After you have sanded your clearcoat to a nice smooth finish, then you can buff it out for the mirror shine.

Chapter 3...
Wow, you're done already?

This will not be quick. Unless you have many hours to devote, expect your vehicle to be down for an extended period of time. If you are a working schmoe like most of us, you will work on this car one or two days a week at most. Let's assume one. There are 52 Sundays in a year. Knock out 20 for holidays, sick days, days that you just don't want to work on it, and days that are taken by other things. So, you have 32 days (essentially one months worth of time to work on your car each year) and you are not going to finish it that quickly, because there will be setbacks, there will be times when you are waiting for stuff to happen, etc.

From start to finish, you need to be ready to dedicate 2 years of your time. If you have an experienced helper, that time could be cut in half. If you are really dedicated, and spend every off day working, then it could be done in 6 months. Just be realistic with yourself.

Conclusion...

I don't want to scare you off from this, but you need to realize that a quality paint job takes time, money, and serious effort and dedication. You will run into problems that are unforseen, you will have runs in the paint and orange peel that is so cratered you will burn a day sanding it off. But, if you really do your work, you can make something special.

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