How hard IS it to paint your own car?

[Bimmerfanatik]

Ok, after 22 pages of going through this section and not finding nearly enough info, I decided to post my own.

The vert needs a refresher, and I'd like to do it myself. One, to save money, and two, to learn it. I know it won't be factory good, nor show worthy, but as a daily, I don't want it to be. I just want it to look uniform, and look good.

First off, sanding and priming. There's got to be a structured method to prep the body. Grit of sandpaper first, then a different, finer grit, then primer - whatever. Walk me through the best and most effective way of doing it - time is NOT a factor in any of this - if you want to save 5k and paint the car yourself, you've got to be able to give up a lot of time.

So a layout of where to begin, what to use to sand, what to sand, etc. Brands of primer, color, how many cans should it take, should you buy a special gun or are rattle cans ok for the primer?

Then of course the paint process. How many gallons, what to use, how many coats, what brand, what type of paint, what kind of clear coat - you name it.

There has to be a way for someone with a lot of patience and a fair amount of core knowledge to be able to do this yourself. And I intend to prove that ;)

Post here any advice/info you have on any or all the steps needed to take a car from one end to the other. Pics of your finished work would be great too.

[Jordan]

If you have to ask, it is WAY outside your scope.

How big is your air compressor? You need ~12SCFM@90PSI to properly paint.

[Bimmerfanatik]

If you have to ask, it is WAY outside your scope.

How big is your air compressor? You need ~12SCFM@90PSI to properly paint.

lol. I know it is outside my scope. I'd like to find a way to bring it INTO my scope.

I'm in no way assuming this is going to be an easy project, but most of the 5k it costs to get a paint job is labor - if I do it myself, I should save a great deal.

I have no air compressor.

Would it be a better idea to sand prep and prime myself and pay someone to shoot it?

[Jordan]

ok, well you are looking at spending $600-1000 on a suitable air compressor alone.

Another $200-500 on a decent-good gun.

uh.. pay someone that wont fuck it up.

FWIW most bodyshops won't touch a car you prepped. Even if they do... they won't warranty any of their work over yours.

[rede30]

You wil have a hard time finding a shop that will let you do the prep work youself. I think Jordan found a place

[Bimmerfanatik]

You wil have a hard time finding a shop that will let you do the prep work youself. I think Jordan found a place

Yeah, you seem to be a bit negative about all this seeing as you did all the prep work yourself on your car - why is it so hard to belive that I couldn't do the same?

I've got a friend with a body shop, but he does crazy insane work and charges at least 3k.

I just want to know if there's a cheaper way to make the car look decent. READ:NOT SHOW WORTHY LIKE YOURS Jordan.

[browntown]

any truth to the business of prepping a car with comet to get it super clean and take off all the grime and grease? I can do that.

[permit]

I know Trent painted his car in his own driveway. Maybe PM him for more info, seeing as he rarely goes online.

[gstuning]

It´s all in the prep, the painting is 10% of the job.,

even if you do spend that money on equipment you still have it after the job, unlike paying somebody money for doing it for you,

besides working on your car is fun, Jordan knows it thats why he works on his, he either didn´t want to spend money on painting it himself or spend all the time on it,

prep work is key,
if you mess up the paint you can always wait fix the problem and paint again, but with bad prep work it will just look bad no matter what,

[King Luis]

5k usd to paint your car???where???

i got a quote for all body work removed and fixed (if needed), paint sanded down, dents and other imperfections fixed, full respray and clear for around 3k cdn. this is at carstar which is a good quality shop.

[thejimlab]

Fuck that shit Scott, people have been painting their own cars forever, just do it. It can not be that hard. He's painting a car here guys, not building a fucking rocket. Paint doesn't have to be mint, it's for a daily driver. Who wants mint paint in New England? That would be the biggest waste of money ever. Search online, you'll find plenty of articles. I'm going to do the same thing myself. I have a garage, and access to a gun and compressor. The only other thing I really think is necessary is a DA. You can do it!

[StereoInstaller1]

OK, first off, let me say that I am the son of a bodyman ("panel beater" to you Aussies). I am the 10th son of a bodyman, in fact (2 left from a half-case to you Aussies). I literally grew up in a bodyshop, in a trailer.

I have done a shit load of prep. More sanding than any pre-teen should ever have done. More Bondo fumes than...well, yeah. A shitload.

Let me offer my suggestions to you, in wanting a decent paint job on the cheap.

1. Remove EVERYTHING from the car....bumpers, trim, moldings, lights, glass, door panels, latches...everything.

2.Put it on a flatbed, send it to a bodyshopp you have already arranged with. Most shops will not do an "all-over", there is no money in it. Find a "Miracle Paint" or "Maaco" and drop it off.

3. Make sure you tip your painter personally. I recommend a good 3 gram bag of a nice "Northern Light" or a classic "Kush" but stay away from really heady stuff like hash or Thai. Don't be all flashy with a radical purple, just aim for quality.

3. Make sure you tip your painter personally. I recommend a good 3 gram bag of a nice "Northern Light" or a classic "Kush" but stay away from really heady stuff like hash or Thai. Don't be all flashy with a radical purple, just aim for quality.

3. Make sure you tip your painter personally. I recommend a good 3 gram bag of a nice "Northern Light" or a classic "Kush" but stay away from really heady stuff like hash or Thai. Don't be all flashy with a radical purple, just aim for quality.

4. Um...pay.


Luke

[wastedincome]

Scott:
Over the years I've painted a bunch w/ my brother including his 62' Caddy.
Prep is 95% but I'm sure yo uknow that. The hardest part is having a good "dust free" location for when you actually spraying the paint.
Depending on when you actually plan to do this , I can help. By then our "barn" should have concrete floor;). I have also got 2 Snap-On HVLP gun that work nice alongw/ air sanders etc.

BTW "You can do it"

[mikeedler]

It isnt that hard, but painting a "whole" car is definately the wrong way to go about it. start small, fenders and stuff. you can easily get lost while painting a whole car. bodywork-- thats something that cant really be explained very well. it is something that you need to get a feeling for.
and before you do do a paint job by yourself, and it could turn out like crap-and cost alot of money, think about your options.

[bimmer8604]

as mentioned before, make sure you set up a good booth. plenty of air circulation, with no dust. dust will fuck everything up.

remove everything, start with a rough grit, remove most of everything, and work to a fine grit. they make primers and stuff which help you see high/low spots, to make it easier to make everything smooth.

I think most "normal" paint jobs are 2 or 3 coats, with maybe 2 coats of clear? then theres the color sanding to make it glossy.

Ryan G has painted before i believe, and he's given me some great info in the past...

kyle