How to Paint a Car – Tips and Tricks

Would you like to make your car look like it just got out of the shop? Painting it is one of the most straightforward ways of doing that, but it can also be quite expensive. Since maintaining a vehicle costs money, you don’t want to have to spend even more on its appearance. This is why we are bringing you some tips on how to paint your car yourself.

Preparation

The first thing you will have to do is clean the area you will be using during painting. You will also need to wash your car thoroughly, since covering a dirty surface with paint can result in its falling off. Before you move on to step number two, decide whether you would like to paint the details as well, and take into consideration the fact that this will take a lot longer than just painting the basic construction.

Stripping

Before applying a new layer of paint, you will have to remove the existing one. In order to do this, you will have to get a larger amount of sand paper than what you have stored in your garage. There are sanding tools you can use to make this job easier for yourself, but you will still probably have to sand the corners by hand. The end result should be a perfectly even and smooth surface, which should take you around two hours.

Priming

After you have finished sanding your car’s surface, use masking tape to protect the areas you don’t want to cover with paint. Combine the primer with thinners following instructions on the paint can. Before you start applying the primer, take some time to practice the technique you will be using. The best thing to do would be to spray in a sweeping motion from side to side.

Painting

The paint should also be mixed with thinners. Use the spraying technique you’ve perfected during priming, and wait no less than 20 minutes between applying another layer. Make sure to apply at least three individual layers, and remove the masking tape while the paint is still fresh. This should result in a car that looks like it has been painted by a professional.