You can type here any text you want

Need pointers on how to paint my own car

Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!

Hotair85

mmmmmmmmmmmmm TURBO!!!!!!
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
106
Just curious if anyone out there has painted their own car? I want to do mine, and am fairly confident I can do it. How do I get rid of the rust under things like the rear 1/4 windows. There is a little bubbling in the paint coming out from under there. I will be shooting it outside. Anything to watch out for? what kind of paint is best? Any pointers welcome...
 
It's going to be more expensive and tougher than you think! :)

With that being said...
You'll definatly want to use urethane paint. Try and hunt down a bodyshop supply place.
As far as the rust goes, it needs to be sandblasted out. Thats the only way it's not gonna come back in 6 months. Sanding and grinding won't do it.
 
He means He's going to paint it outside, although i would try to find a paint booth for rent, or at least a shop. I know there is a few places around where i live that will let you shoot a car for a small fee. PAINTING IT OUTSIDE IS A WASTE OF TIME!! Don't want to sound like an a$$ but the results will be crap.
 
I have painted a few of my own cars in the past. This is the 1st one I painted myself, and believe it or not, was a flawless paint job:

http://www.ayresweb.com/TA25th_Calender_Pics/67camarofront800.jpg

http://www.ayresweb.com/TA25th_Calender_Pics/67camaroside800.jpg

It was a Metallic color too, which makes it a bit more difficult.

Definitely DO NOT paint it outside. Too much dirt, debris, bugs, etc flying around to get on your car right after you have sprayed the paint on. Try to rent a spray booth from a local shop on the weekend or after hours. I painted the Camaro above in my aunts garage using plastic sheeting on the walls, and several fans venting to the outside. Wetting the floor down before you start spraying keeps a lot of dust from floating around too.

The body prep work is what makes the final paint job look nice. Prep work is 90% of what makes it look nice. The other 110% is being able to lay the paint on well, having the proper tools for the job, etc. (And I meant to make it equal 200%....that's what it will feel like after working many, many hours getting the body prepped for paint. It's not an easy or quick job, rather something that might take months of time if you are not working on it 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.)

If you don't know much about painting a car, go check out some books from the library, research it online, etc. There is absolutely NO WAY to begin to describe all the good pointers you need to come out with a paint job you won't be disgusted with.

I learned it all from my dad over the course of a couple of years before I ever attempted it myself. Watching and working with someone else is the absolute best way to learn.
 
I'mnot really concerned with making it a flawless job. I just want the car to look presentable for now. I think I may be able to get a spray booth from a guy as a trade-off type deal. In other words, I do some mechanical workfor this dude, he helps me paint my car. Thanks for all the advice, guys. Any further advice is welcome...
 
Back
Top