help painting car

[LRG6611]

I have never painted a car and would like to know if there is a diy

[cuate01221]

Painting a car is not easy what so ever. Trust me I do it on a daily basis lol You need to prep the car correctly(for a color change you need to also paint the door jambs). I will give you a quick guide though

1. Wash car
2. Circle any imperfections you see with a color that is easy to see on the car
3. Grind off all the paint on any dents at least 2" from the dent
4. fill dent with body filler
5. Sand filler starting with 80grit, then 180 grit, then 320grit
6. Paint any body filler with building primer(3 coats), and any bare metal with etching primer(1 coat)
7. sand the building primer with 320 grit on a sanding block until it is flat
8. Clean car well with a solvent wash
9. Tape car up
10. Clean car again with solvent wash
11. Spray sealer anywhere that you will be painting(1 light coat)
12. Spray base coat(3 coats)
13. Spray clear
14. This is optional* Sand the car down with 2000grit paper on a DA sander and buff followed by a polish

All in all this is about 30 hours of work to do an entire car correctly and make sure it comes out nice.

[BurtonRiderT6]

^^Lets not forget this should be done in a climate controlled environment as well at specific temperatures.

It's unfortunate that Pimp My Ride doesn't show ALL the steps involved, haha.

[AAPOQ]

^^Lets not forget this should be done in a climate controlled environment as well at specific temperatures.

It's unfortunate that Pimp My Ride doesn't show ALL the steps involved, haha.

Collar pop!
Painting definitely takes some skill, but nobody can teach you 100% how to paint over the internet. it takes practice to make stuff look pro...

[cuate01221]

^^Lets not forget this should be done in a climate controlled environment as well at specific temperatures.

It's unfortunate that Pimp My Ride doesn't show ALL the steps involved, haha.

Yes haha and the paint should be baked for at least a half hour as well, but I didn't feel like adding every little step

Collar pop!
Painting definitely takes some skill, but nobody can teach you 100% how to paint over the internet. it takes practice to make stuff look pro...

Painting is the easy part. It's the body work and prep work that's a bitch. I love being a painter, I have the easiest job in the shop, and take all the credit for making it look pretty

[deevergote]

Proper equipment, a steady hand, and a clean dust-free environment are also very important.
If you don't have access to the proper tools, or a workspace that is adequate for painting, you could end up spending more to do it yourself than you would having a shop do it!

If you're doing it for the sake of the project, then by all means, do it. But chances are you'll spend a good chunk of money for a less-than-perfect result.

I would follow the first few steps that cuate01221 listed, and have the car fully prepped... then take it to a shop like Maaco or Earl Scheib for a cheap job... their $250 or $500 job (sometimes they run sales... I've gotten the $500 job for half price in the past!) The final result will be nice, and the prep work is what will make it so most of all... and you'll be able to take credit for that!

[F20A CB7]

Are you gonna use a spray can, real spray gun, or a rollers paint style?

Quite a few members did a roller paint with excellent results. After the 4th coat followed by clear, u r looking at a new car!

He sanded inbetween coats.


Dang I wish I was near u, I would help in a instant. Diy painting is my thing!

[RedFalcoln]

Check this guys topic out, http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=191162

[AAPOQ]

Painting is the easy part. It's the body work and prep work that's a bitch. I love being a painter, I have the easiest job in the shop, and take all the credit for making it look pretty

That's funny you say that. I always feel like the painting is the harder part. Prep has always been my favorite part.