Your car is in need of a fresh coat of paint. Maybe it was in an accident. Maybe it’s just old and the paint is faded from sun and weather exposure. Maybe you just want to change the color from burnt orange to flaming red. No matter the reason, there are five things you must remember before picking up that sprayer. Otherwise, all that effort will be for naught and your car may end up looking worse.
Step One – Fill in the Dents
Your car isn’t brand new from the dealership. Most likely it has dents and scratches. If you simply paint over the dents and scratches, your car is not going to look good. The first step is the most time-consuming, but also the most important.
- Visually inspect the car thoroughly for dents, scratches, and holes.
- Some dents can be pulled out with a suction cup. If you don’t have one of these devices, gently tap the dent from the opposite side. Be careful not to tap too hard or you will create a protrusion and will have to repeat this task in the reverse direction. Don’t make more work for yourself.
- Fill in dents with polyester or plastic filler. We recommend polyester filler. If the dents are large, you can use fiberglass. Apply very thin coats of whatever filling agent you decide to use, then allow it to dry. Once dry, sand down the area and apply more filler if necessary.
- If you find rust holes during your car’s inspection, sand down to the metal and fill the hole with fiberglass. If the rust hole is too large, you can weld new metal to the surface.
Step Two – Sanding
After filler has dried, proceed to sand these spots. Use long strokes at an angle to avoid cutting grooves into the car’s surface. If there are paint chips or the entire car surface is dull or in bad shape, it is best to sand the entire car until it’s smooth.
Step Three – Apply Primer
Once the car’s surface is completely smooth from sanding, apply a urethane or high build primer. This product can make your paint job look more professional and is easier to sand after the primer has hardened.
Step Four – Apply Sealant
After the primer has dried, hardened, and been sanded, there is still one more step before painting. Apply sealant to the surface to be painted. This will assist the paint in adhering to the car’s body and will help the paint job to look more professional.
Step Five – Tape
Before firing up the paint sprayer, apply tape to all parts that do not need paint, such as door handles, bumpers, and lights. Now you are ready to paint.
Conclusion
You can easily make your car paint job look more professional by following the above steps beforehand. These steps may seem time consuming, but they will pay off in a beautifully painted automobile.