How to Paint a Car With Aerosol Paint
While painting a car with a spray gun, compressor and spray booth is the most common and effective method painting a car, it is also very time-consuming and expensive. It also requires a good deal of experience and materials. You can paint your car with aerosol paint in a can and get decent results if you put enough effort into the work. Keep in mind, though, that a paint job with an aerosol can is not as durable or attractive as a conventional paint job.
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Things You'll Need
- Spray primer (several cans)
- Spray paint (several cans)
- Masking tape
- Paper
- Bondo or spot putty
- 80-grit to 2,000-grit sandpaper
- High-speed buffer
- Rubbing compound or machine glaze
- Swirl removing wax
- Wax
Instructions
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Clean the car thoroughly. Examine the body very closely for dents, scratches and small dings. Repair these with Bondo and spot putty. Mix the Bondo according to the directions on the package. Sand the repairs with 80-, 120-, 180- and then 220-grit sandpaper.
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Remove as much trim as possible. This will make the overall paint job look much better, since it's better to put parts on over paint rather than try to mask everything off. If possible, remove items like bumpers, mirrors, side trim, headlights and taillights.
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Scuff the entire surface of the car to be painted with 220-grit sandpaper.
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Mask off any areas that you do not want to be painted such as the window glass and any trim that was not removed.
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Wipe the entire car down with mineral spirits. Do this several times until you have removed all dirt and oils.
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Working on one panel at a time, spray on a light coat of spray primer. When choosing a primer color, use a shade that is lighter than the final color to ensure that the color will look right.
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Let the light coat of primer dry for a minute or so and then apply a full coat, spraying a consistent coat with a smooth back-and-forth motion 8 to 10 inches from the car.
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Allow the primer to dry. Wet-sand the primer with 220-grit and then 400-grit sandpaper.
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Wipe the car down with mineral spirits between each coat. Spray on another two to four coats in the same manner as above, wet-sanding between coats.
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Spray on a light coat of spray paint. Allow it to dry for a minute and then apply a heavier coat.
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Allow the paint to dry and then wet-sand with 220-grit and then 400-grit sandpaper.
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Apply another three to six coats, wiping down with mineral spirits and wet-sanding between each coat.
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Wet-sand the final coat with 600-, 800-, 1,000- and 2,000-grit sandpaper.
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Using a high speed buffer, polish the paint with a rubbing compound or a machine glaze, available at auto parts or paint stores.
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Polish the paint with the high-speed buffer and a swirl removing wax and then finally wax the paint with the high-speed buffer. Reattach any trim that was removed.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear a respirator when painting a car to protect your lungs as well as a long sleeve shirt and gloves to prevent the paint from coming in contact with your skin.
