How to Paint Your Own Car?

[SteveXs2]

Alrighty,

I checked online and read some tutorials and... it doesn't sound so bad unless you know what you're doing. I'm trying to talk my dad into helping me paint my car in the spring because the paint is so scratched / chipped already.

Basically I know the process, but has anyone here ever done it? I'm not intending on just slopping on some paint, I'll be doing many layers of primer, many layers of paint and a clear coat. I have almost everything I need for spraying the paint and buffing and stuff.

Anyone have any tips though? I can't afford to get the car painted so this is kind of my "I wonder how it would look?" thing. I might just go to a junkyard and pick up an old hood or something and practise painting on it to see how it turns out first, sounds like it'd be a logical idea.

[burn_your_money]

I have a few small videos with tips on how to paint your own car on them. I can send them to you, or I could try and find the link.

I'd recommend practicing on a few hoods first

Good luck

[vwcrazykid]

Alrighty,

I checked online and read some tutorials and... it doesn't sound so bad unless you know what you're doing. I'm trying to talk my dad into helping me paint my car in the spring because the paint is so scratched / chipped already.

Basically I know the process, but has anyone here ever done it? I'm not intending on just slopping on some paint, I'll be doing many layers of primer, many layers of paint and a clear coat. I have almost everything I need for spraying the paint and buffing and stuff.

Anyone have any tips though? I can't afford to get the car painted so this is kind of my "I wonder how it would look?" thing. I might just go to a junkyard and pick up an old hood or something and practise painting on it to see how it turns out first, sounds like it'd be a logical idea.I have a full write-up to do a "at home" paint job that afriend did and is/was not that knowledgeable at painting cars here was his finished product


http://www.dtmf.org/~kkozma/milkyspost/IM002349.jpg

[burn_your_money]

That looks like a good job :D

I would also be really interested in that write up

[SteveXs2]

Me too man, that guy did a great job on his car!

[vwcrazykid]

Ok cool it's oretty long give me your email addy's and I'll send it

[burn_your_money]

raging_freestyler@hotmail.com

Thanks man :D

[SteveXs2]

ssimons@gmail.com

thanks!

I also got a book from the library on this kind of thing... dunno why I checked it out now because I won't be doing anything until the spring. Good learning material I suppose.

[fortytons]

The only thing I would add is that you can never spend too much time on prep, and the finer the sandpaper the better. Seeing scratches in your new paint sux!
:cry:

[vwcrazykid]

ok I sent you both a copy.I hope everything goes well if either of you decide to paint and remember lots of pictures :D :D

[SteveXs2]

^ Thanks Dude!

Ok, I see a lot of cars where the bumpers & stuff match the color of the car (ie; Sonjays, and the GTI below).

http://vortex3.rely.net/gallery/generated//Events/Enthusiast/H20%20International/2004/Golf%20-%20Jetta%202/037__scaled_600.jpg

But the paint is so glossy it looks metallic. Am I stupid and are they some sort of metal bumper? Or is it just a nice glossy paint and some quality paint work that makes everything blend so nicely.

Just wondering because my car has black plastic bumpers and fender flares and I want them to match whatever colour I paint my car (if I do).

[Anonymous]

i was watching american hot rod last night on the discovery channel(fridays at 10pm) and they went through a whole paint job, i remembered the thread and i wrote it down...

it was 3 coats of primer(when priming make sure<---huge emphasis--->to cover everything you dont want to get paint otherwise bad news...)

Then, 4 coats of actual paint(making sure you take off the bumpers and anything that can get detattched from the car--headlights, grille, etc.--)

and then 2 coat of clear coat... Hope my notes help

[Matty-O]

^^^^that was me i forgot to login---

[vwcrazykid]

^ Thanks Dude!

Ok, I see a lot of cars where the bumpers & stuff match the color of the car (ie; Sonjays, and the GTI below).
In order to spray the top and bottom parts opf the bumer(normally only the middle is color matched)you need a flex agent and plastic primer so the paint can actually stick to the plastic upper and lower spolier it's something else you need but I can't remember now this is the process a guy used

Step one:
Detach bumper from car by unscrewing the 4 bolts
Step two:
use a very fine sandpaper to roughen up the selected spray area
step three:
make the sandpapered area ungreasy by using ammonia or such
step four:
use tape and newspapers to cover the parts you don't want to be sprayed
Step five:
use primer especcially for plastics to spray the underlayer
step six:
use the sandpaper to roughen up the primered part abit, and after that use the ammonia again
step seven:
spray it in the color you want it to be!
step eight:
if the color is metallic, use clearcoat to give it a shine and its metallic effect, you can do this also when you dont have metallic as color, but there's no need for it.
step ten:
screw the bumper back to the car
step eleven: