How To Spray Paint Cars

Learning how to spray paint cars can be a big help if you want to repaint a vehicle without the big body shop bill. Most auto body repair shops will charge hundreds, even thousands of dollars for a high-quality paint job and even some of the “discount” body shops will ask for a couple hundred bucks for a decent re-spray. It’s an intense job that takes a lot of time and patience, but you will be rewarded by the remarkable level of quality that is possible with just mere spray paint.

What you’ll need to spray paint cars:

• Clearcoat
• Primer
• Spray paint
• Rubbing compound
• Wax
• Polish
• 300, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1500 grit sandpaper.
• Microfiber cloth

1. Prepare the part to be painted. Remove or tape around the part that needs to be painted. Use the 300 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface in preparation for the primer. Use a microfiber cloth to remove leftover debris.
2. Apply the primer. Spray a few light coats of primer on the part. Make sure to let the primer dry in between coats. After the primer is applied and dried, wet sand it with 800 grit sandpaper and wipe away the debris with a microfiber cloth.
3. Apply the spray paint. Spray light coats of color with the spray paint, starting at the bottom of the part. Use smooth, even passes across the part. Allow the paint to dry between coats. When satisfied with the number of coats, allow the paint to dry, then wet sand with 800 grit sandpaper, wiping the part with a microfiber cloth afterwards.
4. Apply the clear coat. Lightly apply one to two coats of clear coat. Use the same method of applying the clear coat as done with the paint. Allow plenty of time for the clear coat to dry.
5. Wet sand the clear coat. You will need to polish up the clear coat, as well as remove any heavy spots. Wet sand the clear coat with 800 grit sandpaper, progressing to 1000, 1200, 1500 and finally 2000 grit sandpaper.
6. Buff and wax the clear coat. Use the rubbing compound to buff out any scratches left by the 2000 grit sandpaper. Finish up with a polish and a couple of coats of wax.