Technique: Hand Painting a Car
Paint your car, or parts of your car, yourself.
- Author: Miroslav Djuric
- Time required: Several hours to a couple days
- Difficulty: Difficult
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Use this guide to help you re-paint parts of your car or your entire car. You can use either brush/roll-on paints, can spray paints, or airgun spray paints. Brush/roll-on paints may not have many color selections and have the benefit of not having the chance of accidentally being sprayed onto near-by objects. There typically aren't automotive-specific brush/roll-on paints. Canned spray paints are quick and easy and are available in many colors. Using an air-powered spray gun typically gives the option to use the highest quality automotive paints and will have the greatest color variation.
Always work in a well ventilated area and remember to use proper safety gear when prepping the car for paint and when painting, especially respiratory safety gear. This is bound to be a long and involved project, so work slowly and carefully to have the best possible paint job possible.
Tools
- Drop Cloth
- Masking Tape
- Mixing Cups Not needed for spray paints.
- Paint roller
Can be substituted with a brush. Not needed if using spray paints.
- Paint Tray or Bucket Not Needed for spray paints.
- Sand paper , 40 to 1000 grit Use low grit sand paper to strip paint and high grit sand paper to create a smooth finish.
Relevant Parts
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Step 2
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Use a power sander with a low-grit sand paper to strip the old paint off the surface of your vehicle. Use a sanding block or just the sand paper to reach small or hard-to-get places.
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Typically, 40 grit sand paper will remove paint very efficiently. However, this will leave a very rough finish. It is recommended that you use 40 grit sand paper to do the initial paint stripping, and then use a higher grit sand paper (at least 120) to achieve a smooth finish. The higher the sand paper grit number, the smoother the finish will be.
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Wipe off the sanding dust occasionally to help speed the sanding process.
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Step 3
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Once you have stripped the paint off all the parts that you wish to paint, rinse them with water and wipe them down with a clean lint-free cloth so the paint will stick.
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Cover all parts of the car that you don't want to be painted using masking tape and/or double sided tape with drop cloth. This includes lights, windows, mirrors, grills, tires, the ground/any close-by surfaces, etc.
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Step 4
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Paint your car!
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If you are using a brush or roller style paint, follow the instructions for paint mixing (if desired or necessary), pour the paint into a container and apply in light even strokes.
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If you are using spray paint or a paint gun, apply paint in light even coats. Make passes at a steady speed across the surface of the part you are painting at a distance of approximately 1' to 3' away.
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When painting, it is recommended that you paint in multiple thin coats until the base color no longer shows through. Allow sufficient drying time between coats to prevent cracking or runny spots. Lighter colors will typically require more coats to cover the base color.
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