How to Custom Paint an Auto
For some people, car paint is just the color of a car. To others, it represents a lifestyle, a favorite color or artistic abilities. Custom paint is popular among car show enthusiasts. Almost every car in a show has a custom paint job. Getting one from a professional can cost thousands of dollars---but it can also be done by you.
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Things You'll Need
- Automotive paint (can be purchased pre-mixed at auto paint supply store)
- Automotive primer
- Automotive clear coat paint
- Sand paper (400 and 1200)
- Masking tape (multiple widths)
- Masking paper
- Paint thinner
- Sanding block
- Paper
- Pencil
- Buffer
- Liquid buffing compound
- Buffing pad
- Polishing pad
- Respirator
- Latex gloves
- Paint spray gun
- Air compressor
Instructions
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Park the car inside a paint booth or a clean garage. For a more professional job, you can offer to rent a paint booth by the hour at a local collision shop. If using a garage, make sure the garage is clean and free of dust and debris. Use water to rinse and clean the walls and floor if possible. Any dust landing on the car will be noticeable in the finished paint job. Also, if using a garage/enclosed area, get at least two large fans and point them away from the car toward an open door. This will help pull the overspray out and away from the car.
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2
Draw your car on paper, even if it is just a sketch, so that you can see what kind of design you want for the car. Draw several sketches until you are sure of what design you want. The prep and paint process is labor-intensive and not easy to re-do, so make sure you are happy with your design before painting the car.
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3
Sand the car using 400 grit sand paper until the surface is dull. This prepares the surface for primer. Use masking paper and tape to cover any parts of the car that won't be painted, such as the windows, tires and mirrors.
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Spray three light coats of primer on the car. Allow each coat to dry completely. Using 800 grit sand paper, sand the entire car with a sanding block. Sand lightly so that only the surface of the primer is removed. Don't sand so much that the paint can be seen through the primer. If this occurs, spray a coat of primer in this area, allow it to dry and then sand it lightly.
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Pour the paint into the spray gun and apply three coats of paint on the car, allowing each coat to dry completely. This will be the base coat. Rinse the spray gun with paint thinner as soon as you are done with this color to prepare for the next color.
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Following the design you created on paper, use thin masking tape to "draw" the design on the car. Once the design is on the car outlined in the thin masking tape, use wider masking tape to outline the design. Apply masking paper and tape to the outside of the design to cover the areas of the car not include in the design.
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Paint the design with a different color paint than the base color of the car. Apply three even coats of paint, allowing each to dry completely. If the design calls for another color, mask off the appropriate areas so that the new color will cover that area only. Apply three coats of paint, allowing each to dry completely.
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Peel the masking tape and paper off of the car after the paint has dried. Apply new paper and tape to areas that are not to be painted, like the windows, tires, lights, grill, etc. Spray five coats of clear on the car, covering all of the painted surfaces. Allow each coat to dry completely.
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Use 2000 grit sand paper and water to lightly sand the entire car. Keep the sand paper wet while sanding so that sanding dust doesn't build up on the paper. Sand lightly until the car's surface is dull and smooth. Run your hand over the areas that are painted different colors to feel for any "edges" between the paint colors. The light wet sanding should remove these edges. Wet sanding also removes any orange peel that occurs on the car from the clear paint not laying smooth on the surface of the colored paint. Wet sanding smooths the clear and gets rid of orange peel. Rinse the car with water.
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10
Buff the car with liquid buffing compound, pressing lightly and moving the buffer in small, circular motions. Use a polishing pad on the buffer to remove the dried buffing compound from the surface. The car should shine after being buffed.
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Tips & Warnings
Buff the car while in the shade or inside a garage so that the sun doesn't shine on the surface. Always wear proper safety equipment when sanding or spraying primer or paint. Use a painter's ventilator mask and gloves at all times.
Do not peel masking tape from the car while the paint is wet. Allow paint to dry completely, even if it takes 24 hours.
