Prep and Paint
Once the body panels are straight, it's time to seal the body in catalyzed primer, prepare the car for paint, and finally, paint the car. Again, there are some specialized tools needed to perform these tasks: a paint gun, masking tape, and paper. A paint booth is also nice, but most of us don't have one at our home shop. While a paint booth is a great way to reduce overspray and provides a clean environment to paint in, we've also seen some nice paint jobs that were performed outside, or in improvised paint booths made from plastic sheeting and 2x4 boards. Experienced painters will tell you, however, that it's not the booth so much as the way the paint is applied that determines the quality of a paint job, and experience is the key. If you aren't sure about painting your car yourself, you can always perform the bodywork and then pay a paint shop to shoot the car.
With the panels straightened,...
With the panels straightened, it's time for a coat of sealer/primer. This two-part epoxy-based primer will be the final primer that's under the paint, and will seal the paint from the bodywork and metal underneath.
After the epoxy primer cures,...
After the epoxy primer cures, the body lines are taped off and the entire car is block-sanded once again in preparation for paint. Plan on using lots of masking tape and sandpaper.
Before paint can be applied,...
Before paint can be applied, the car will need to be taped off. We know what you're thinking, just use newspaper . . . well, the problem with newspaper is that it's porous, and the chemicals in the paint will soak through it and contaminate what's underneath. Our advice is to use the proper paper and masking tape to prevent unnecessary clean up later.
A paint booth provides a well-lighted,...
A paint booth provides a well-lighted, clean, controlled environment in which to paint the car and has a vacuum system with filters to suck overspray away from the freshly applied paint. A paint booth also has self-contained pressure regulators and water/oil separators to keep contaminants out of the paint. We highly recommend using a paint booth when painting your car, or at least build an improvised booth with boards, plastic sheeting, and fans.
Most body shops have a paint...
Most body shops have a paint mixing station in-house, allowing the painter to mix his or her own colors from a computer-generated mixing sheet. If you plan to do it yourself, a body shop or paint supply store can mix your color for you.
Mixing the color isn't the...
Mixing the color isn't the only mixing you'll have to do. Most modern paints are two or three parts, so you'll need a mixing cup, strainer, and stir sticks to mix the correct proportions of color with the reducer and hardener.
Older can style paint guns...
Older can style paint guns like the one shown above are still used to paint cars...
...but the newer High Velocity...
...but the newer High Velocity Low Pressure (HVLP) guns perform well and have less potential for overspray. Either way, practicing with the gun before painting the car is a good idea.
The proper safety equipment...
The proper safety equipment is mandatory when you're performing body and paint work. The chemicals in body fillers, primers, and paint can damage the skin and lungs, so don't risk your health just to make your car shiny.
Whether you decide to paint...
Whether you decide to paint your car yourself or take it to a professional, we hope you now have a better understanding of the tools, equipment, and process for performing paint and bodywork. After learning what it takes to paint a car, you might decide to have a shop complete all or part of the work for you, but remember, painting a car is like anything else-with patience and practice, you can learn to do it yourself.